By Thea Gribilas
On Wednesday, Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi announced students will have increased access to in-person classes, extracurriculars and non-academic activities in the fall 2021 semester with the easing of physical distancing restrictions.
This comes after the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities sent a memo Friday that said post-secondary institutions should prepare for a full return to in-person classes and activities, without capacity restrictions, in the fall 2021 semester.
Students will have the opportunity to see courses with in-person options in the fall semester when their schedules become available on RAMSS on Aug. 5.
“Faculties have identified which classes will have in-person options this fall,” the statement reads. “Once course enrolment opens, students will have the option to select certain courses that have an in-person section, within the specific capacity limits.”
The statement also said the fall term will be a “period of transition” and Ryerson is hoping for a “full return to all activities on campus in January 2022.”
Masks and face coverings will still be required in indoor settings, according to provincial regulations.
“We will…continue to follow the safety protocols we have put in place on campus, including enhanced cleaning, ventilation and air purification,” the statement reads.
Students living in residence will also be required to have at least one dose of the vaccine, as previously reported by The Eye.
In the fall, the university will also be offering a wider range of in-person, non-academic activities.
Orientation will offer a students both in-person and online activities for new students, including scavenger hunts, campus tours and a campus street fair.
The Mattamy Athletic Centre will reopen on July 26 and the Recreation and Athletic Centre is slated to reopen in “late August.”
Student Wellbeing will be expanding its hours and appointments in the fall semester with counselling, group and individual therapy being made available to students.
Students will also have increased access to study spaces in the fall semester, including at the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre and in various faculty buildings across campus.
The Ryerson Library will be increasing its onsite access to study and learning spaces as the fall progresses.
Many Ryerson staff will continue to work remotely into the fall semester and managers will provide them with a notice if they are required to come to campus.
“Staff who are needed to support the increase of in-person activities will be prioritized for a phased and gradual return to campus,” the statement adds.
More information on increased in-person services and on-campus activities will be confirmed “as we approach September,” according to Lachemi.
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