Message from President Lachemi on planning for 2021/2022

As has been our commitment from the first day of the pandemic, ensuring the continued health and safety of our community remains the top priority of Ryerson University.  

We continue to closely monitor case rates of COVID-19 and the increasing rates of vaccinations across our province as we actively plan for a number of scenarios for the 2021-22 academic year, including in-person, virtual and hybrid approaches.

On June 9, we will provide our community with a thorough update on what the fall semester will look like. This is 90 days before the start of our fall term and will give our students time to make arrangements for the term, and faculty time to do preparatory work for their courses.

Planning for fall

While many details related to COVID continue to emerge and change, at this time the university is optimistic that we will be able to safely open our campus to some degree in the fall. This includes the possibility of limited in-person activities such as small classes and labs, extra curricular activities, access to services and study space, and experiential learning opportunities. 

At the same time, we must abide by provincial and City of Toronto public health regulations. If social distancing requirements remain in place in Toronto, they will greatly limit in-person teaching activities, significantly curtail class sizes, and impact how people are able to access our campus -- nearly 80% of our students rely on local and regional transit for their commute.  As a result, provincial and City of Toronto regulations may necessitate that the majority of our courses continue to be delivered remotely during the fall term.

Winter term

We are increasingly optimistic that with growing vaccination rates, changes to government regulations and public health guidance, on-campus activities will return to normal at Ryerson for our winter term in January 2022.

Thank you

Teaching, learning and working remotely is not an easy task and I know this has been a difficult year for many of us. I want to thank you for your continued understanding, support and patience as we navigate the ongoing challenges and impact of COVID-19; I look forward to a time when we can be together again.

Mohamed Lachemi
President & Vice-Chancellor