Dear members of the McGill community,
Through the hard work, resilience and flexibility of everyone in our community, McGill has been able successfully to continue to deliver its high quality academic programs. Now, with the Fall semester well underway, many of you are looking ahead to what teaching and learning activities will look like in the Winter 2021 semester.
Given Montreal’s current Level 4 (red) status, and possible further development of COVID-19, Winter 2021 courses will be delivered primarily through remote platforms, but with enhanced in-person teaching activities planned across all Faculties. Access to study hubs, student services, and other student-facing offices will be enhanced as public health guidelines permit. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will make adjustments as needed.
While everyone would prefer a full return to normal delivery of academic programs, keeping our community safe must be a priority. Rest assured that, regardless of the mode of delivery, the University remains committed to delivering academic programs and courses of outstanding calibre.
As we continue to plan the Winter semester, we will implement enhanced in-person teaching activities, where possible, and plan according to the following priorities:
- Tier 1: Critical laboratories, clinical activities, project courses, and other experiential in-person components of courses, including those required for graduating students;
- Tier 2: Seminar courses, tutorials, conference sections, and some lectures;
- Tier 3: Additional courses across more programs.
We are working closely with Faculties to plan for in-person activities. Special attention is being paid to students who cannot attend such activities, and Faculties will work to ensure that graduating students can meet their program requirements in a timely fashion. In some programs, students may be expected to be present for essential in-person course requirements provided there are no public health protocols to prevent this. Faculties will communicate with students about additional program-specific details.
As with all University planning since the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to follow public health directives and evaluate the evolving situation, with a view to successfully delivering our academic programs and provide a safe environment for our entire community.
Sincerely,
Professor Christopher Manfredi
Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)