COVID-19 pandemic pushes most Laurentian University classes online this fall

Laurentian University says the majority of its classes will be offered remotely this fall due to the ongoing pandemic, but it says it's working to still have in-person teaching forsome courses.

In March, universities and colleges moved their courses online. Many are deciding what the fall semester will look like for students and staff.

On Thursday, Laurentian announced many courses will be done this fall through remote teaching, but adds the school is working to "deliver as many courses as possible with face-to-face teaching starting in September."

The university says deans in each department will evaluate programs and courses.

"Considerations such as the number of students, the available classroom and laboratory facilities, as well as the course requirements will be used in determining if the course will be offered face-to-face or remotely," the university stated.

"The list of courses to be offered on site will be determined by the end of June."

The university says deans will have to identify that staff, faculty and students will have personal protective equipment and follow physical distancing protocols.

"We aim to deliver a highly personalized, exceptional classroom experience and we believe we can safely deliver this for certain courses," Dr. Robert Hach, president and vice-chancellor said.

"We look forward to September and having some students return to our classrooms on our campus. It will surely feel different, however, we are committed to finding the best way possible to deliver teaching and maximize learning."