Post-secondary institutions in northeastern Ontario adjusting plans due to rising COVID-19 cases

As the number of COVID cases continues to rise in Ontario and across the country, colleges and universities in northeastern Ontario are starting to adjust their plans for the upcoming semester.

Most post-secondary institutions have announced plans to delay in-class learning when school resumes in January.

In Sudbury, Cambrian College spokesperson Dan Lessard, said the college made the decision to have theory portions of classes delivered online for the month of January.

"The necessary hands-on components of classes, the labs, they will be delivered on campus following all our COVID prevention measures," he said.

Lessard said the college wants to keep people on campus safe.

"We know it's inconvenient for students and staff but we feel like we have to do this to keep our campus as safe as possible," he said.

"For the sake of safety and to be extra cautious, we're going to start with online theory for the month of January."

In North Bay, Canadore College has posted on its website that the school will start the upcoming semester in a hybrid model of both in-person and online learning. Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie has posted it will reduce on-campus activity for the semester "with student learning continuing with remote delivery where possible."

Northern College, which has campuses in a number of areas including Timmins and Haileybury, has posted it will continue to offer courses in a hybrid way.

In a statement, College Boreal has said it will offer its courses online until Jan. 11. After that, it said essential in-person labs will resume.

More information to be released next month, LU president says

At Laurentian University in Sudbury, the winter semester will start later than usual. Classes will now resume on Jan. 17, 2022.

"We have yet to determine the delivery method of classes for the next semester," university president Robert Hach said in a statement.

"We will continue to consult with Public Health Sudbury and Districts and take guidance from the chief medical officer of health to make this decision, and are committed to communicating the anticipated delivery method for classes by Jan. 10, 2022."

Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie said it will offer all of its classes virtually starting Jan. 10.Nipissing University in North Bay has said all of its classes will be offered online until Jan. 28.