To our U of T Engineering community
I’m delighted to share some extremely positive news from Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities, announced on Friday afternoon. The latest update indicates that if vaccination rates and public health indicators continue improving, universities will be permitted to resume in-person instruction and activities in Fall 2021, without physical distancing or capacity limits. Masks in indoor settings will still be required.
As I shared in my last Dean’s Message, U of T Engineering continues to optimistically prepare for a safe return to fully in-person learning in the Fall Term. (You can review our scenario plans for undergraduate students and graduate students.)
Our staff and instructors are preparing undergraduate laboratory spaces for in-person labs, and we are working with the Engineering Society to safely plan for Skule™ events, as well as club and team activities. Research facilities have been continuously ramping back up, with our capacity for in-person graduate student research gradually and safely growing.
- Undergraduate students: Fall Term undergraduate courses in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering are scheduled to begin in-person on Thursday, September 9, 2021.
- During the week of August 9, 2021 — about one month before the start of the Fall Term — the Registrar’s Office will begin a process to collect information from undergraduate students who think that they will not be able to be in Toronto on the first day of classes due to exceptional, extenuating circumstances that slightly delay their arrival to campus.
- These students will be able to apply to the Registrar’s Office to request accommodation and to provide supporting formal documentation. Each application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Accommodations may include conferring access to course materials and assessments; however, online course delivery and time-zone accommodation will not be guaranteed.
- Students seeking an accommodation due to a disability should contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible to discuss their individual situations: accessibility.services@utoronto.ca.
- Graduate students: Most graduate courses will begin in-person on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, subject to public health guidelines.
- Those who are concerned they will not be able to start their course-based programs as scheduled should contact the graduate administrator of their home department or institute. Accommodations may include conferring access to course materials and assessments; however, online course delivery and time-zone accommodation will not be guaranteed.
- Research-stream students should contact their supervisors directly.
- Students seeking an accommodation due to a disability should contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible to discuss their individual situations: accessibility.services@utoronto.ca.
At long last, this update from the Province is the news we have been hoping for, and I am thrilled that we are on this positive trajectory towards the Fall. I strongly encourage everyone who is able to get fully vaccinated to do so as soon as possible, and to make your plans to be in Toronto and ready to start in-person classes in September. I hope you’re each finding a bit of time to enjoy a well-earned break from your studies, research and work during these summer months — Fall Term will be here before we know it, and I can’t wait to see you back on campus soon!
Chris
Christopher Yip
Dean
Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
University of Toronto