Welcoming 2021 at Ryerson University

As we settle back into the daily rhythms and responsibilities of life in 2021, I wanted to take this opportunity to offer words of thanks and encouragement to our community, to remind you of our current ways of living and learning at Ryerson, and to share some plans for the months ahead.  

While we are in a new calendar year, very little has changed -- our priority remains the safety and well-being of our community. We continue to make every effort to ensure that our students, faculty and staff are supported, our programs continue to be delivered, and that SRC activities and the important work of the university continues. With regards to Premier Ford’s announcement enforcing a Stay-at-Home order for the province earlier this month, impact to our campus is limited. I would encourage you to explore how the new order may impact you.  

I recognize that the continued COVID-19 pandemic can be overwhelming and that many of us are finding the restrictions placed on us challenging. Please, continue to do your part by staying home when possible and following other health safety measures put in place by our province.  

Keeping each other safe

For community members that are approved to come to campus this semester, please remember that mask wearing and social distancing protocols are in place. Staff and faculty are required to complete and pass the health screening form daily before accessing campus and students are asked to complete a self-assessment prior to arrival to campus each day. If you have been attending campus and become ill with COVID-19, have COVID-19 symptoms or have spent time with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please refer to our Reporting COVID-19 cases webpage, and fill out  (google form) the self-declaration form (external link) .

While the vast majority of classes and services are being offered remotely, there are some services available in person, based on need. Our medical centre remains open for a limited number of in-person appointments, in addition to a full range of services offered virtually. Access to study spaces in the Library and SLC is being made available to students in cases where it has been deemed essential. Further information on what is open and what is not can be found on the university’s COVID-19 page.

Planning for the future

The university continues to plan for the future through two main working groups, the Opportunities Working Group and the Scenario Planning Working Group. Both groups assist with the assessment, planning and execution of possible future scenarios with which the university may be faced, including post-pandemic planning and recovery.   

The Opportunities Working Group identifies and supports opportunities and key partnerships to advance the university, and create strategies and define new opportunities to support our students, faculty and staff. Their work to date has revolved around four main areas: virtual learning; student experience with a particular focus on first-year students; creating an agile workforce; and defining a digital strategy that supports the university’s foundational plans, including our Strategic Vision.

The Scenario Planning Working Group oversees the management of the day-to-day issues that arise due to the pandemic and is responsible for identifying and analyzing longer term impacts that COVID-19 may have on Ryerson. The group will develop evidence-based advice, predicated on lessons learned since March 2020, around future planning and how to best position Ryerson to emerge resilient and focused as we move toward a post-pandemic environment.  

Looking ahead to this fall, Ryerson University has expressed our interest to the province in being a site for COVID-19 vaccinations as part of Phase 3 of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination program (external link) . We will provide more details on this as they become available.  

Thank you

As we begin this winter term, I want to reiterate my thanks to the entire community for the way we have come together to face the many challenges that COVID has presented to us. The pandemic has had a significant impact on all of us and your efforts have not gone unnoticed.  

For many students, this may not have been the university experience you imagined, but your resilience, accomplishments, and academic success deserves to be recognized. I want to wish you all the best this term, I know that you can and will succeed, and I want you to know that the university is here to support you - whether it’s with academic support, accommodations, or other resources you need to help you succeed.

In my meetings with faculty, I heard firsthand how hard you have worked, how you have gone above and beyond, and how you continue to adapt to challenges with new ways of teaching and innovative approaches to pursuing your SRC activities. The work that you have done to address the pandemic is exemplary.

While the majority of us are not together on campus, that does not mean the outstanding work of our staff has gone unnoticed. Most people will never know the amount of hard work that has gone into getting us to where we are today.

The challenges of COVID are many and varied and the demands that we are facing outside of work - from virtual schooling to child and elder care, and more - make your hard work and dedication all the more exemplary. I want to acknowledge all that you have done but, more importantly, I want to ask you to take care of yourselves, and those around you. There is good news on the horizon and I know we will all emerge from this stronger and better.

Supporting yourself and others

As always, I would like to reiterate the supports available to all of you at this time. Students can learn more about services available to them at the Ryerson Centre for Student Development and Counselling. Employees are encouraged to review the resources made available on the COVID-19 website regarding Wellbeing as well as the Ryerson Recharge campaign.   

My best wishes to you for the semester and year ahead. 

Mohamed Lachemi
President and Vice-Chancellor