Information about the winter 2021 semester

Dear Laurier students:

Let me start by telling you how pleased I am to be joining Wilfrid Laurier University as your new Provost and VP: Academic. My first day here was Aug. 1 and it has been a pleasure to become part of the Laurier community and to support the work to make this upcoming academic year a positive and rewarding one.

I know that clarity about how Laurier is going to approach the winter 2021 term is important. After carefully considering the options and potential future scenarios in this rapidly-evolving environment, as well as getting advice from public health professionals, we have decided that the majority of the winter 2021 term will continue to be offered in a remote and online format, with select in-person courses resuming as outlined below.

In consultation with the deans and academic leaders in the faculties, we will determine which courses and/or programs may be able to resume in-person instruction. These decisions will be guided by the following principles:

• Providing a safe environment as determined by public health and university requirements for students, faculty, and staff;
• Following all of the rules set out by the government and university, such as physical distancing, limits on size of gatherings, and use of personal protective equipment;
• Providing options so that no student is required to return to in-person instruction; and
• Preparing so that all programs that resume in-person instruction can return to fully on-line/remote programming if the situation changes.

Although this means that the winter term will be similar to the fall term, I want to assure you that the university is very carefully considering which courses could return to in-person instruction in winter term 2021. Specifically, we will be looking at the following types of courses/programs to see which could be considered for a return to in-person format, and providing a detailed list in late September:

• Experiential learning courses that take place off-site (e.g. at a placement location);
• Research-based courses that require access to laboratories for data collection and analysis;
• Practical study courses that require access to learning materials (e.g. instruments); and/or
• Courses that fulfil licensing or accreditation requirements.

Because the winter term is also the final term for many students scheduled to graduate, there will also be a special focus on ensuring that students have the opportunity to complete courses that are required for graduation and that require some form of in-person instruction.

We are continuing to work through many of the details, but I wanted to let you know about this decision as soon as possible. We continue to update our website content as decisions get made, and I encourage you to keep checking there for additional details and answers to your questions.

As I’m sure you all are, I am very much looking forward to the day when we can gather in person safely, and when we can resume in-person classes, instruction, research, and social activities. However, I know that we also share a commitment to doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protecting the most vulnerable in our families and communities.

I wish you all the best of luck as you begin your fall term.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony Vannelli
Provost and VP: Academic