Fall 2020 - Mixed delivery of courses at University of Calgary

To all members of the University of Calgary community:

Today, we are providing an update as to how the University of Calgary will be approaching the delivery of education in the fall term and, in keeping with our commitment to open and transparent communication, I wanted to share this information with you.

Instruction in the fall term of the University of Calgary will be provided through a combination of face-to-face and online or remote learning. We have arrived at this approach after review of public health guidelines, consultation with public health experts and consideration of our unique circumstances.

To allow the maintenance of appropriate physical distancing, we are aiming to have approximately 30 per cent of our students on each of our campuses at any one time. Priority will be given to small classes and experiential learning opportunities such as labs, tutorials, and seminars. Safety measures, such as limits on the size of gatherings, and public health guidelines will need to be observed.

The remainder of learning will be done through online or remote delivery.

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.

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. Specifics as to which components of which courses will be in person or online will be available in June.

Additional details on residences, ancillary programs and other items that result from this decision will also be available in June. I ask you for patience with staff as we develop robust answers to specific questions. Those are answers that we do not yet have. As they become available, they will be posted on UCalgary.ca/covid-19.

The COVID-19 situation is evolving. There will not be one moment that we are safely able to resume normal life. It will be a journey, and there will be setbacks. But, as I’ve said before, there’s no group of people I’d rather be with as we navigate these difficult times.

Thank you to students, for continuing to blaze a path forward. Thank you to our faculty, for the incredible efforts required to redesign lesson plans and provide world-class learning opportunities. Thank you to the staff who have been working long days, long weeks and going above-and-beyond in pulling together all of the pieces behind the scenes that keep our community running. You are constant reminders of what makes the University of Calgary so special.

Please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Ed McCauley
President and Vice-Chancellor
University of Calgary

 

UCalgary resources on COVID-19

For the most up-to-date information about the University of Calgary's response to the spread of COVID-19, visit the UCalgary COVID-19 Response website.