Pandemic-fueled online instruction at the University of Windsor will likely continue into the fall semester.
U of W President Dr. Robert Gordon announced on Friday that the primary delivery of university courses, including final exams, will continue for the fall term of 2020. Online instruction had been the norm at the university since mid-March.
Gordon said that the virtual method of course delivery will reinforce peer collaboration, and provide students with the most flexible option for pursuing their academic goals.
"COVID-19 has challenged all of us over the last few months, and the dedication, commitment and collaborative efforts of faculty, staff, and students have been fundamental to how successfully we have navigated this difficult period so far," said Gordon.
While the provincial government has begun a three-stage effort to reopen Ontario for business, Gordon expressed a desire to continue university operations with the least risk to the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
"Universities are complex collaborative environments and U of W is no exception. Students live, learn, work, and socialize in many campus spaces, in residences, and off-campus, and these conditions pose significant risks for the transmission of COVID-19," said Gordon. "Even after emergency restrictions are lifted, we need to be prepared for the possibility of new outbreaks and the return of strict social distancing or other emergency measures."
Gordon said the university will work from now and through the summer months to evaluate possible on-campus learning opportunities and co-curricular learning. A continued relaxing of public health guidelines will dictate how the process will go.
"The Fall 2020 semester is but one chapter in our students’ overall story of their experience at U of W, a temporary detour in the full arc of their educational journey,” said Gordon. "We still have years together as teachers and learners, and one thing will not change, our commitment to providing the best education possible and to helping students succeed."
The situation will be periodically reviewed as the pandemic continues to evolve, with a decision on the Winter 2021 term being made this fall.