On Mar. 17, 2021, Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor of UW, announced UW’s intent to return to in-person operations starting this fall. A large number of staff and faculty members will return to campus to deliver an expanded on-campus learning experience. While in-person classes and activities will resume, UW will continue to remain vigilant about public health guidelines, in order to be flexible – with plans for any scenarios that might come up in the future. “The recent news of an increase in the number of vaccines across Canada is giving us reason for new hope. It is with that sense of hope that I am pleased to announce that we are planning to deliver significantly more an in-person learning, work, and research starting in the Fall 2021 term,” Hamdullahpur said.
Due to the limitation on gatherings and observance of physical distancing, there might be small class sizes, which would imply more sections for every course. UW will also retain measures already in place for online learning since many students may have to continue to rely on online learning, especially some international students who may not be able to get to Waterloo due to lengthy visa processing times and other travel restrictions. The Keep Learning team and other learning resources will continue to be available to instructors to help them to ease into this transition.
