Ryerson University will shift most classes online in the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The news came around the same mayor John Tory announced that all major events and festivals will be cancelled through the end of August to curb spread of COVID-19.
“While the majority of course offerings will be online, we continue to explore and plan for a potential mix of online and in-person classes,” the school’s president and vice-chancellor Mohamed Lachemi wrote in an open letter. “We will also offer as many on campus activities as provincial and public health guidelines permit, along with an array of online extra-curricular programming and academic supports.”
The downtown university has started two working groups to plan for pandemic-related disruptions and manage any cases of COVID-19.
Lachemi added Ryerson will not ask anyone to show up on campus until public health agencies give the all clear to do so.
“This may mean a gradual return to campus, which is one scenario that we are actively planning for,” he added. “Flexibility and resiliency, while ensuring the ongoing safety of our students, faculty and staff, is the heart of our approach.”
Recent decisions by city hall suggest the pandemic will limit gatherings through the summer. The city has cancelled all permitted events of 25,000 people or more through the end of August. The Canadian National Exhibition, which typically takes place in the last two weeks of August, has also been cancelled.
