On November 20, Dean Melanie Woodin of the Faculty of Arts & Science (FAS) announced that all dual delivery undergraduate courses will be moved fully online for the winter 2021 semester.
Woodin attributed the decision to Toronto’s public health guidelines — which ask residents to stay home as much as possible — as well as a desire to confirm the course delivery method for students as soon as possible.
Over the summer, the FAS had originally planned to offer hybrid courses for the whole year. However, all hybrid courses for the fall semester were moved online on October 10 as cases of COVID-19 began to rise in the province. The same will now be true for the upcoming winter semester.
Some courses, such as lab courses, that have been delivered in person since the beginning of the year may continue to be delivered in person in the winter. Woodin wrote that such courses cannot teach students effectively virtually. “These courses will continue to be carefully managed according to public health guidelines to prioritize and maximize student and faculty safety,” Woodin wrote in her announcement.
New lockdown measures — which will close most non-essential businesses — were announced by Ontario Premier Doug Ford on November 20 and will be implemented on November 23. Ford announced the heightened restrictions after a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases in the province.
