Return to campus for Fall 2021 says Minister of Advanced Education
By Cristina Paolozzi, March 18 2021—
An official decision for in-person learning has been made by the Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides. In a statement, Nicolaides urges all post-secondary institutions in Alberta to prepare for a full return to campus for Fall 2021.
In this statement, Nicolaides writes, “As we plan to transition back to in-person learning, the safety of students, staff and faculty will be our top priority. We will be working closely with Alberta Health and our chief medical officer of health, Dr. Hinshaw, to ensure a safe return to campus in September 2021.”
Nicolaides also mentions that part of the reason to push for a return to on-campus learning is due to Alberta’s immunization program.
“Alberta’s COVID-19 immunization program continues to move forward. As per recent announcements by the Minister of Health, we anticipate that we will offer every adult Albertan their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June,” the statement reads.
The University of Calgary shut its doors almost exactly a year ago due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, forcing the school to pivot to online learning through asynchronous lectures and Zoom. It has been a tough transition for students and staff alike, and Nicolaides reflects this in his statement.
“The switch to online learning has not been easy, but our staff and students have all done great work to respond to the pandemic and maintain the quality of our post-secondary system.”
For more information on COVID updates at U of C, check out their website.