BREAKING: Fall 2020 classes to be combination of online and in person

By Nikayla Goddard, May 14 2020 —

The decision has finally been made for the University of Calgary’s Fall 2020 semester: courses will be provided through a combination of face to face instruction and online delivery.

President Ed McCauley announced in an email statement to students that the primary aim is to have approximately 30 per cent of the student population physically on campus at a time to reduce the risk of a COVID-19 infection spike. Priority will be given to smaller classes and experiential learning opportunities such as labs, tutorials and seminars.

“In coming to this approach, we were guided by the need to protect the safety and well-being of our campus community and the need to deliver meaningful, high-quality, student-centered learning experiences,” McCauley said. “Combining delivery methods means students who wish to have face-to-face opportunities can safely have them. Those who wish to stick with remote learning in these times can build their schedules accordingly. Faculties are now making recommendations on course offerings that reflect this approach.”

While this general decision has been made now, students will have to wait until June to learn whether their courses, or components of their courses, will be online or in person. Additional details on residences, ancillary programs and other items that result from this decision will also be available in June. As answers become available, they will be posted on UCalgary.ca/covid-19.

This is a developing story and updates will be made as more information becomes available.