A bit more life returns to Laurentian University’s campus this fall, although less than one per cent of courses will be delivered in-person, and you’ll see a lot of Laurentian-branded cloth masks on the few students walking the university’s grounds.
On Wednesday, the university released plans for its “Phase 2” campus reopening for the fall semester.
In an interview with Sudbury.com, Laurentian president Robert Haché said after post-secondary campuses were shut down across Ontario in March due to COVID-19, Laurentian’s campus did reopen in a very limited way in late spring.
Phase 1 of Laurentian’s reopening was primarily focused on research activities and graduate student access, but with little to no campus services.
“With Phase 2, we’re taking the next step, as we look forward to the fall and the beginning of a return to students to campus in a very measured way,” Haché said.
The university said some on-campus student services will be reintroduced in a gradual and safe manner starting Aug. 12, including the myLaurentian hub, some study spaces and residences.
Food services will once again be available to students on campus, although a take-out menu will take the place of the buffet-style layout.
Students will also notice hundreds of new signs placed throughout campus, as physical distancing requirements will be in place.
Less than one per cent of courses will be delivered in-person, and masks will be mandatory on campus in the fall semester, as per public health guidelines.
Haché said the university will be issuing free Laurentian-branded cloth masks to all students.
In terms of in-person classes, the university president said most of those will be for labs in programs such as nursing that can’t be conducted remotely.
The university is also looking at “hybrid” classes for January, where some students will attend in-person, while others attend remotely, Haché confirmed.
Laurentian said it is expecting to host almost 500 students in student residence in the fall semester, down from 1,200 in a normal year. Double rooms will be converted into single-occupant rooms.
“I’m actually positively surprised as to how many students actually want to come and live in residence, given the number of classes that will be given remotely,” Haché said. “I think it really speaks to the value of the campus experience.”
Despite the pandemic, Haché said that so far, it looks like Laurentian’s enrolment will hold steady for the upcoming school year, at least among domestic students.
But there has been a dip in first-year international students, who bring in much-needed revenue for Laurentian because of their higher tuition fees.
“We’re seeing an increased number of deferrals, at least to the January term,” Haché said. “How it’s going to work out, we’re not quite sure yet.”
Asked if students will receive a break on tuition, given the disruptions the pandemic has created, Haché said they won’t.
“Unfortunately not,” he said, “That’s not something that we have the ability to do at the present time. As you know, tuition rates are set by government for most programs. We’re adhering to that very closely.
“One had to appreciate that in continuing to deliver high-quality programming, this transition to remote learning has actually cost Laurentian more than if nothing had transpired.
“From an ability for us to deliver the programming, we need to have both the grant revenues that we receive from government and the tuition money we receive from students.”
Despite the changes being made to the mode of delivery, Haché said he believes students will receive a good-quality education. In some cases, there's even added value through remote education, he said.
“Yes, there will be some things that we will no longer be able to do in a face-to-face manner that may make it slightly more difficult for students,” Haché said.
“But if you take everything together, I truly believe that the quality of education we’re going to be providing this fall will absolutely be at the same level as we’ve been providing before the pandemic.”
Sudbury.com also spoke to Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) secretary-treasurer Jean-Charles Cachon about the university’s plans for the fall.
Cachon emphasized the need for his members to have choice when it comes to whether or not they come on campus. He said they should have access to their office if they should so choose, for example.
“You can’t just move the contents of a university professor’s office into houses,” he said.
Haché confirmed faculty members will be given the flexibility they need to stay safe and still get their jobs done.
“We want to make sure that we can be flexible to provide for everyone’s preference, and doing so in the safest possible manner,” he said.
Cachon said it’s nice to have a general plan, but he thinks there are a lot of details to be worked out, and that the onus will likely be on individual departments.
He said he personally would be comfortable to return to teaching in-person when deemed appropriate, as he has always been meticulous about hand hygiene, and would be wearing a mask.
With a press release from Laurentian calling the fall of 2020 a “fall semester unlike any other," Haché said he is optimistic about the months to come.
“It should be a very positive year for all involved,” he said. “I know everyone at the university is working very hard to provide that positive experience for our students.”
