The start of the fall post-secondary school semester is little more than a month away and both Trent University and Fleming College are making preparations for the return to class.
But both institutions aren’t taking the same approach to how classes will resume in September.
Trent University is opting to have in-person classes on campus as per Ministry of Colleges and Universities guidelines.
“We’re offering mostly in-person courses, but we are offering some online and hybrid and HyFlex, which is basically giving people the option to take online versions of the courses,” said Nona Robinson, associated vice-president of students at Trent University.
“For all of our planning, we’re going to follow guidelines to be as safe as possible. We’re going to have as normal an experience as possible.”
Trent will require masks for students while in campus buildings, including classes.
Both Trent and Fleming are requiring COVID-19 vaccines for anyone who is staying in residence at the campuses.
“We said at the time we were requiring one vaccination and we have a two week leeway period as well for anyone who hasn’t access it. We’re also working with Peterborough Public Health and Durham Public Health to vaccine clinics on campus for anyone who needs it,” added Robinson.
“We also previously announced a vaccination mandate for students in residence with the intent to provide peace of mind to students and their families, and the feedback from the Fleming community has been positive,” stated college president Maureen Adamson.
Fleming is planning a gradual return to class in the fall.
“Our classrooms and halls have been quiet for the past year, and we are excited to see students return to campus,” added Adamson.
“However, we recognize that many students have already made plans and to not disrupt their preparations, we will not be making any drastic changes for the fall. We are planning a mix of face-to-face and online delivery for September, and will gradually increase on-campus activity as the semester progresses.”
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