Update on Fall 2021 in-person activity

April 8, 2021

Related Update, June 4: On-Campus Student Experience Guide for Fall 2021

Related Update, May 25: 2021/22 academic year timetable release

April 9, 2021

As we approach the end of the academic year, I would like to thank you for your continued resiliency and commitment to your studies, research, and co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Over the last 12 months, I have been inspired by the ways you have risen to the challenges and uncertainty presented by a global pandemic.

As we have been working together to successfully complete the year, the university has also been placing significant effort on preparing for fall 2021. We are approaching the fall with cautious optimism even as the current stay-at-home order and vaccine rollout work to decrease the severity of the current wave.

Our overall objective is to increase our on-campus presence in support of in-person teaching, learning, research and student experience in fall 2021.

After transitioning to more in-person activity in the fall 2021 term, our goal is to return to regular operations with minimal restrictions by winter term in 2022.

Both of these goals and all of our activities are dependent on the public health restrictions in place at the time. We are therefore planning for different scenarios that would allow us to scale back our activities if required.

We know you have questions and are working as quickly and as conscientiously as we can to ensure that you have the information you need well in advance of the start of fall term. We are committed to ongoing updates and will introduce a weekly “What you need to know for fall” update starting in May. While we may experience some delays in our normal decision-making timelines as we respond to changing public health guidelines, we are committed to sharing information with you as soon as it is confirmed.

Face-Covering Policy

We anticipate that Laurier’s current COVID-19 Face Covering Policy, which requires masks be worn in all Laurier buildings and classrooms, will be in effect this fall in accordance with public health guidelines.

Fall-Term Classes

What we know now:

We are planning to offer as many in-person classes as possible with the required physical distancing and gathering-size restrictions to maintain safety. In the best-case scenario, 50% of classroom seats would be occupied up to a maximum of 100 students per class.
Because we don’t know what public health restrictions will be in place in the fall, we are also planning options to scale down in-person delivery as necessary to meet any moderate or high restrictions around physical distancing, gathering size and safety.
Priority for in-person classes will be given to: those with significant levels of interaction/hands-on learning, those typically capped at 100 or fewer students, first-year courses and multi-section courses where remote and in-person sections can be offered to accommodate student and instructor requirements.
In general, each course will be taught in either a remote or in-person format, but not both.
While we are planning to offer as many in-person classes as possible in the fall, students who are unable to learn in person in the fall term could still satisfy their program requirements by taking courses in a different order: choosing any courses or electives offered remotely in the fall and leaving courses only offered in person for the winter term. Note that there are some programs that will require in-person learning; students in these programs will receive direct communication.
Fall-term courses are intended to finish the way they start: if a course starts remotely, it will remain remote until the end of term and will not transition to in-person. If a course starts in person, it will remain in person unless public health requirements necessitate a move to remote.

What we're working on and when we'll be able to share more:

Our academic leaders and faculty members are finalizing which classes will be offered in person and which classes will be remote.
May 25: updated timetable will be published to Banner for students in advance of course registration
June 10: incoming and returning graduate student registration opens
June 15: Bachelor of Education registration opens
June 21: incoming undergraduate student registration opens
July 5-8: returning undergraduate student registration
Safety protocols, including enhanced cleaning protocols, are in place now, and will be in place for fall 2021 in line with public health guidelines at the time. We commit to communicating safety protocol details and ensuring that all required protocols will be in place before the start of classes.
We’re reviewing class schedules and class length to facilitate cleaning and safe entering and exiting of classes. Further details will be shared with course lists.

Student Experience and Services

What we know now:

We are planning to offer a significant number of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and student services in person, within safety guidelines in place in the fall. Remote options will also be offered for some activities.
We plan to offer a number of in-person academic services, such as academic advising.
We plan to offer in-person health and wellness services such as counselling and medical appointments, in line with public health guidelines.
We plan to offer in-person Athletics and Recreation services through the Athletic Centre on the Waterloo campus and in Brantford according to the plans of the Laurier-Brantford YMCA.
Student Residences will be open and operating in line with public health guidelines in place in the fall. We will communicate details about eligibility and capacity with students in May.
We continue to monitor visa processing and entry requirements to support international student arrival and transition to Laurier.
Food Services will be open and operating with a range of services that will expand as the fall term progresses, as permitted within public health guidelines.
Study space will be available to students on our campuses.
Library services will resume for study purposes and access to academic materials will be the highest priority.

What we’re working on and when we’ll be able to share more:

Laurier 101 transition support programs, academic preparedness and other Orientation Week Activities are being planned and will be shared once confirmed.
Plans are underway for orientation programming for second-year students.
Plans for fall-term varsity sports are underway with Ontario University Athletics and we will share information once confirmed.

Where You Can Find More Information

COVID-19: Staying Safe On and Off Campus, Remote Learning Hub and on wlu.ca/recovery
Student Town Hall April 12
Through the weekly What You Need to Know for Fall (WYNTK4F) email starting May

Sincerely,

Deborah MacLatchy, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor