Some summer classes will be re-evaluated in the coming months to see if it will be possible to hold them in-person.
Ryerson University’s spring and summer classes will still be offered in the coming months, but they will be moved to an online format as a result of COVID-19 and the need for more social distancing.
Michael Benarroch, provost and vice-president of academics, released a statement on Monday to notify students of the planned changes.
“As Ryerson continues to make academic adjustments in response to the global COVID-19 challenge, the university will, where possible, offer 2020 spring and summer session courses online,” said Benarroch in the statement.
Ryerson’s spring and summer courses are offered by The Chang School. Spring classes usually begin in the first week of May, and summer classes usually begin in the last full week of June.
According to the statement, The Chang School is planning to enhance the upcoming classes by “adding supplementary sections to its current courses.” In addition, the school is also planning on adding more selection to its current class offerings. The details for this will be announced soon.
Students who are completing spring and summer classes will be expected to work from home using their own devices. According to Ryerson’s library and resources page, the school is currently updating the laptop and wifi lending program for the spring and summer. It will provide more information when it becomes available.
The school noted that not all classes may be possible to hold virtually due to the requirement of in-class work. Faculty members are currently looking into alternative teaching options to fulfill these requirements. Some classes that will be held during the summer are being assessed to see if it would be possible to hold in-person classes.
“We recognize the value of the in-classroom experience and will re-evaluate the decision regarding summer courses at a later date,” said Benarroch.
Nathan Halnin was the audience engagement producer of The Ryersonian during the winter 2020 semester. He managed the social media profiles of the publication and was the media liaison to sources interested in connecting with the news site.