FEAS COVID-19 Information and Updates
Originally published: March 30, 2020 with updates
The Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS) is here to support our students, faculty and staff during the rapidly changing events surrounding COVID-19 (coronavirus).
At FEAS, we continue to make your well-being a top priority. We encourage you to access available health and wellness supports, as well as academic accommodation services, during this time. For a list of resources, please visit the Student Health and Wellness website.
Messages from the Dean
Dear FEAS students,
The President recently announced we would be transitioning to in-person learning and on-campus activities starting January 31, with a full return expected by February 28, 2022. I want to share some key updates and timelines for Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science students, as we will follow a staged return approach.
Undergraduate students
- 5th, 6th and 8th-semester undergraduate courses currently being offered in the Winter term will resume in person on February 7, 2022.
- All remaining 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th-semester undergraduate courses currently being offered in the Winter term will resume in person on February 28, 2022.
- Orientation for all current first-year students and students who started their programs in the Fall of 2020 will occur the week of February 21, 2022.
Graduate students
- All graduate courses will resume in person on February 7, 2022.
For specific information about your undergraduate and graduate courses or co-curricular activities, please contact your academic department and course instructors. For contact information, visit the services and support page for undergraduate or graduate students. For a list of student resources, please visit the Student Health and Wellness website.
In the interest of everyone’s well-being, the university will continue its holistic approach to safety in winter 2022 by maintaining our vaccination policy, including mandatory daily health screening for those coming to campus, continued masking requirements, enhanced cleaning protocols and ventilation and air purification best practices.
In addition, individuals who have approved exemptions are still required to participate in the Rapid Antigen Testing Program. This approach has served us well to date and will continue to create the best possible environment for everyone on campus.
Best wishes,
Tom Duever
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
Dear FEAS Students,
As you are aware, we were planning a full return to campus in January for students, staff and faculty, which included in-person, on-campus delivery of our courses, tutorials, labs and studios. Unfortunately, as was announced by President Lachemi on Ryerson Today, in light of the rise of the Omicron variant, the University, in consultation with Deans and other senior leaders, has made the decision to hold classes virtually for the most part until January 30. It is however, our intent to shift back to in-person learning and teaching on January 31.
All programming for the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science will therefore be delivered virtually until January 30th. This will require some adjustments to labs and studios, for example, and I have asked Department Chairs to discuss these and make plans with faculty and staff. In addition, we are permitting some limited activities to occur in person in January. I would therefore ask that you consult your department’s website next week for further details. For those of you engaged with research, our research activities will continue as planned.
I know that, on the one hand, in light of the uncertainty regarding the impact of omicron, this may be a relief. However, I also know that many of our students, faculty members, and staff were looking forward to returning to campus and will be disappointed. I also know that the constantly changing conditions that this pandemic has presented us with are challenging and exhausting. I thank you for all your efforts, patience, understanding and resilience that you have demonstrated as we navigate our way through this crisis.
Next week our University will close for our annual winter break from December 24 to January 6. I hope you find time to disconnect, rest and spend time with family and loved ones. I wish you all a Happy Holiday Season.
Best wishes,
Tom Duever
Dean Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
Dear FEAS Undergraduate and Graduate Students:
The university announced that the Winter 2022 term will be largely offered on campus with increased in-person classes, programming, services and supports beginning in January 2022. FEAS continues to place the highest importance on health and safety. In the interest of everyone’s well-being, the university will continue its holistic approach to safety in winter 2022 by maintaining our vaccination policy, including mandatory daily health screening for those coming to campus, continued masking requirements, enhanced cleaning protocols and ventilation and air purification best practices.
In addition, individuals who have approved exemptions are still required to participate in the Rapid Antigen Testing Program. This approach has served us well to date and will continue to create the best possible environment for everyone on campus.
For specific information about your undergraduate and graduate courses or co-curricular activities, please contact your academic department. For contact information, visit the services and support page for undergraduate or graduate students. For a list of student resources, please visit the Student Health and Wellness website.
FEAS remains committed to supporting our students during these challenging times, and I wish you a safe and rewarding Winter term.
Best regards,
Tom Duever
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
Dear FEAS Undergraduate and Graduate Students:
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our city and province, Toronto Metropolitan University has announced that the Fall 2021 term will be primarily offered remotely. While many of us are looking forward to a return to campus, we must all do our part to help limit the spread of COVID-19. The health and safety of the FEAS community, including our students, staff and faculty, remains our top priority.
As a result, FEAS will continue teaching the majority of undergraduate and graduate courses by remote curriculum delivery. We have identified which classes will have in-person options this fall, and class schedules will be available to all students on their MyServiceHub portal on August 5.
Students will also be able to complete their course lectures, labs and tutorials remotely.
To request information about your undergraduate and graduate courses, co-curricular activities and student supports and services, please visit the undergraduate or graduate student pages to find contact information for your academic department.
FEAS remains committed to supporting our students during these challenging times, and I wish you a safe and rewarding Fall term.
Best regards,
Tom Duever
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
Dear FEAS Undergraduate and Graduate Students:
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our city and province, Toronto Metropolitan University has announced that the Spring/Summer 2021 term will be largely offered remotely. While many of us are looking forward to a return to campus, we must all do our part to help limit the spread of COVID-19. The health and safety of the FEAS community, including our students, staff, and faculty, remains our top priority.
FEAS will continue teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in a remote learning environment. Students will be able to complete their course lectures, labs, and tutorials online without coming to campus.
Information about the engineering transition program is available on the FEAS COVID-19 information and updates page. For specific information about your undergraduate and graduate courses, please contact your academic department. For contact information, visit the services and support page for undergraduate or graduate students.
FEAS remains committed to supporting our students during these challenging times, and I wish you a safe and rewarding Spring/Summer term.
Best regards,
Tom Duever
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
Dear FEAS Undergraduate and Graduate Students:
The university has announced that the Winter 2021 term will be largely offered remotely.
This means FEAS will be conducting undergraduate and graduate courses remotely. Students will be able to complete their course lectures, labs, and tutorials remotely without coming to campus or indeed Toronto. While another term of remote studies may be disappointing for some of you, FEAS believes this is the right decision given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Protecting our students, staff, and faculty's health and safety continues to be our number one priority.
Very shortly, your academic department will be emailing you key information and updates specific to your programs. You can also access academic and administrative contacts within your program by visiting the services and support page for undergraduate or graduate students.
The Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science remains committed to supporting our students and providing them with exceptional learning experiences. I wish you all a productive and safe Fall term.
Best regards,
Tom Duever
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
Dear Incoming First-Year Engineering Student,
Welcome to the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS).
Over the past couple of months, I have spent a great deal of time considering what you must be going through as COVID-19 has spread across the globe. I know that many of you have questions and concerns about what our plans are for the upcoming Fall 2020 semester. As dean, protecting the health and safety of our students, staff and faculty is my priority.
This fall, we will be offering all our engineering and elective courses by online remote teaching. This means all of your course lectures, labs, and tutorials will be offered online. Each course component is being designed to be flexible and accommodating, making use of the latest technologies and approaches to instruction.
In the face of this pandemic, Ryerson remains unshakably committed to giving you a great campus experience and a great education. Our community of faculty and staff are working hard to transition our courses and labs to a virtual environment ensuring that you will get the best possible learning experience and be able to achieve the learning objectives that are set out in each course. We are committed to deliver excellent learning experiences for all students.
Your success is important to us. Our award-winning First-Year Engineering Office (FYEO) can help make your transition from high school to university successful. From facilitating study halls to advising you academically and establishing a virtual first-year student community, the FYEO is here for you.
This summer, the FYEO will be offering the Ryerson Engineering Boost Program—a series of optional mini courses designed to help you improve and reinforce fundamental topics and concepts you’ll encounter later in your first year engineering subjects. These courses are at no cost to you, and you can choose to register in one or two or all three of them to keep your studies up over the summer. Registration is required and is completed through the FYEO at torontomu.ca/feas/success.
● Mini Math Course: July 6 to July 24, 2020; Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
● Mini Programming Course: July 6 to July 24, 2020; Monday to Friday; 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
● Mini Physics Course: July 27 to August 17, 2020; Monday to Thursday; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Your peers are here for you, too. Remember, you are now part of a community of bright, enthusiastic and original thinkers from Canada and abroad. I invite you to take advantage of the diversity of ideas and experiences that your fellow students have to offer, as well as the FYEO’s amazing team of First-Year Ambassadors. Meet them all before classes begin as they’ll be hosting weekly Instagram Lives starting this month. Be sure to sign up for their orientation (google form) mailing list (external link) to keep up to date on all the virtual events planned this summer.
I look forward to meeting you online this fall and eventually in person when we’re back on campus. From your goals for your education, to your hopes for your future and our society, we have much to discuss.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tom Duever, P.Eng., FCIC
Dean
Dear FEAS Undergraduate Students:
- All Fall 2020 courses, including liberal electives, will be offered remotely.
- Important engineering and architectural software will be available remotely.
- Access to a computer and the internet is recommended. A loan-out system is being planned.
- All student services and academic advising will be available virtually.
I know that many of you have questions and concerns about what our plans are for the upcoming Fall 2020 semester. First and foremost, we continue to take directions from public health authorities and local, provincial and federal governments. We are dedicated to protecting the health and safety of our students, staff and faculty. Given the current knowledge around the COVID-19 pandemic, the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science has decided that all undergraduate courses, including those offered by the Faculty of Science, will be offered by online remote teaching in the Fall 2020 term. Other Faculties from which you take your liberal studies electives, like the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Communication and Design, will also be offering their courses remotely. There will be no need for you to come to the Ryerson campus to take your courses. As the Province announces plans to open up, it may become possible for us to offer extracurricular activities like design teams and clubs on campus. We will keep you informed when this happens. In the meantime, we will do our best to offer extracurricular activities and other services online.
To prepare for the Fall, our faculty and staff members are working hard to transition our courses and labs to a virtual environment ensuring that students will get the best possible learning experience and achieve the learning objectives set out in each course. We are providing training opportunities and workshops to assist our faculty and staff in undertaking this important task and are committed to delivering excellent learning experiences for all students. To assist with this transition, we are hiring undergraduate and graduate students to work with the departments to prepare. Your professors and graduate assistants will still hold regular though virtual office hours and will be available through email to assist you with your questions about course material.
We are also working to ensure that you can access important engineering and architecture software remotely. We do recommend that you try to have access to a computer and wireless internet access. For those whose financial circumstances prevent them from having computers or wireless internet connections, we are working on a plan for a loan-out system.
Furthermore, we are committed to providing the best possible student and academic advising support through our First-Year Engineering Office, department academic administrators and program administrative staff. Supports for health and wellness will also be available for students. We are furthermore committed to equity and inclusivity ensuring to the best of our abilities that all students have the opportunities to progress in their academic programs.
In closing I can tell you that the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science is not just coping with the COVID-19 situation, but also rising to the challenge to ensure that you get the high-quality education you have come to expect from us.
Best wishes,
Tom Duever
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
Dear Incoming and Current Graduate Students,
I know that many of you have questions and concerns about what our plans are for the upcoming Fall 2020 semester. First and foremost, we continue to take directions from public health authorities and local, provincial and federal governments. We are dedicated to protecting the health and safety of our students, staff and faculty. Given the current state of knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science has decided that all graduate courses will be offered by online remote teaching in the Fall 2020 term.
Our faculty and staff members are working hard to transition our courses to a virtual environment ensuring that students will get the best possible learning experience. In addition, the university is working on protocols to ensure that any research facilities that are approved to reopen are done so in a safe manner. Please discuss your research plan, access to labs, ability to work from a distance for some time and other issues with your supervisor(s). Stay tuned for messages from the FEAS Graduate Studies Office and from your graduate programs on updates and changes as they develop. Finally, we assure you that everyone at the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science is committed to equity and inclusivity, ensuring to the best of our abilities that all students have the opportunities to progress in their academic programs.
Best regards,
Tom Duever
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
More information regarding changes to the Fall 2020 Term can be found here (opens in new window)
Changes to Student Services and Significant Dates
In response to the anticipated re-opening of campus for the Winter 2022 term, there have been several changes to student services and deadlines. FEAS students should familiarize themselves with the following new policies and procedures.
The First-Year Engineering Office (FYEO) will return to in-person operations for the Winter 2022 term. The FYEO team can be reached via firstyeareng@torontomu.ca Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
General Inquiries
For general inquiries and to request to speak with an academic advisor, please send your questions to firstyeareng@torontomu.ca.
The FEAS Co-operative Internship Program remains committed to supporting co-op students and ensuring the success of current and future work terms.
Current Work Placements
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives, we understand that there could still be risks associated with a placement that requires you to work outside your home. As a result, all students who started their co-op placement during Spring, Summer and Fall 2021 terms have been asked to carefully review and agree to the terms of the Informed Consent Form on the Co-op Portal.
The health and safety of all co-op students remain a top priority for Toronto Metropolitan and the FEAS Co-op Office. All FEAS co-op employers have been vetted to ensure they provide a safe office/worksite environment for students where in-person attendance is necessary.
Please note that co-op contracts are with the employer. As a result, you should follow your employer’s guidelines with regard to vaccination requirements, location of work and remote working practices. For assistance with navigating employer conversations on remote work practices, please refer to the Co-op Support section below.
Future Work Placements
The FEAS co-op office continues to work with employers to promote co-op opportunities that will start between May and September 2022. Co-operative internship positions will be advertised via the Co-op Portal.
If you are securing your own co-op placement, please inform the FEAS co-op office by emailing feascoop@torontomu.ca for assistance with next steps. Co-op placements must meet program requirements to be recognized by FEAS.
Co-op Support
The FEAS co-op team is dedicated to assisting you with all of your needs related to the co-operative internship program. One-on-one support via Zoom is available from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
To book co-op support appointments, please choose between the following two booking options based on your needs.
FEAS Co-op Enrolled Students (external link) : Co-op enrolled students are those who were conditionally accepted into the co-op program in September 2021. Upon receiving a successful placement confirmation, they will begin their placement between May and September 2022. Appointments are available for career advising, co-op advising and co-op inquiries.
FEAS Co-op Placed Students (external link) : Co-op placed students are from the previous cohort (enrolled in September 2020) who started their placement between May and September 2021 and are currently on co-op placement. Appointments are available for career advising, co-op student check-ins and co-op placement incident reporting.
Students can also email the co-op office at feascoop@torontomu.ca with any questions or inquiries.
For more information, including a complete list of significant dates and course schedules for the Spring and Summer 2022 terms, visit the Transition Program page.
Spring 2022 Engineering Transition Program
Significant dates for the Spring 2022 Engineering Transition Program include:
- Instructional period: May 16 to June 29, 2022
- Final exam period: June 30 to July 8, 2022
First-Year Courses
Upper Year Courses (subject to sufficient enrolments)
Optional Specialization in Management Sciences (OSMS)
The first day of OSMS classes is Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Courses (subject to sufficient enrollments)
Summer 2022 Engineering Transition Program
Significant dates for the Summer 2022 Engineering Transition Program include:
- Instructional period: July 11 to August 23, 2022
- Final exam period: August 24 to 26, 2022
Support and Contacts
In line with Toronto Metropolitan University’s COVID-19 recommendations, all faculty and staff will continue to be available remotely throughout the semester. For academic and administrative contacts within your program, visit the services and support page for undergraduate or graduate students.
Can't find who you're looking for below? Try the Toronto Metropolitan contact and directory to search by employee name.
FEAS’s team of academic advisors and administrative staff will continue to serve undergraduate students with program-related matters. Students in need of assistance may email their academic advisor or administrative department support person at the addresses listed below.
Department |
General Inquiries and Administrative Support |
||
|---|---|---|---|
Aerospace Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Cheung Poon |
Academic Advising |
||
Francine Belnavis |
Administrative Support |
||
Architectural Science |
General Inquiries |
||
June Komisar |
Academic Advising |
||
Deepa Jojo |
Administrative Support |
||
Jordan So |
Workshop Support |
||
Leo Roytman |
IT Support |
||
Biomedical Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Karthi Umapathy |
Academic Advising |
||
Cadene Henry |
Administrative Support |
||
Chemical Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Simant Upreti |
Academic Advising |
||
Goretti Praticante |
Administrative Support |
||
Civil Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Elsayed Elbeshbishy |
Academic Advising |
||
Dianne Mendonca |
Administrative Support |
||
Computer Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Ebrahim Bagheri |
Academic Advising |
||
Cadene Henry |
Administrative Support |
||
Electrical Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Soosan Beheshti |
Academic Advising |
||
Cadene Henry |
Administrative Suport |
||
Industrial Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Wahab Mohamed Ismail |
Academic Advising |
||
Shirley Dacanay |
Administrative Support |
||
Mechanical Engineering |
General Inquiries |
||
Dr. Der Chyan (Bill) Lin |
Academic Advising |
||
Jennifer Zavaglia |
Administrative Support |
jennifer.zavaglia@torontomu.ca | |
Our team of graduate program administrators are here to assist FEAS graduate students with program-related matters. Students in need of assistance may email their program’s advisor as listed on our graduate Services and Support page. You can also visit the Yeates School of Graduate Studies website for updates.
Student design teams and groups with questions or concerns related to competitions, events, research activities may contact Rose Ghamari, student engagement and development manager.
647-215-8156
Please note that this year’s Iron Ring Ceremonies are being held virtually. Students with Iron Ring questions can email iron@torontomu.ca.
During this time, we remain committed to promoting community inclusion across our departments and programs. Students requiring one-on-one support should email Nika Zolfaghari at nika.zolfaghari@torontomu.ca to schedule a Zoom meeting or phone call.
Faculty and Staff
FEAS teaching and administrative staff are the heart of our faculty. During this period of rapidly evolving events, please familiarize yourself with the following procedures and services.
While an essential services model is in effect, employees are encouraged to minimize their time on campus. For information and updates on the closure of campus facilities, please visit Ryerson’s campus status page.
Employees looking for information and policies regarding remote work agreements, sick leave provisions and timesheet submissions and more during COVID-19-related closures should consult the Human Resources department. (opens in new window)
Ryerson’s Employee and Family Assistant program is available to all employees and can provide support with anxiety and stress to help support both your work and personal well-being. Our provider, Morneau Shepell, is aware that this may be an area of concern for employees. The following resources are also available:
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention - Managing Anxiety and Stress (external link)
Tips for protecting yourself and others from COVID-19 (external link)