Message from the President: Explaining our decision regarding the Winter Term

This is a message from OCAD U President Ana Serrano sent to students on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, with a copy to faculty and staff.
 

To read the series of frequently asked questions, please scroll down.

Dear OCAD U students,

After sharing our decision to start the Winter term on January 28 with you last week, we received several emails and read through your social media comments. I acknowledge that this news was very challenging to hear, and it was clear that not only did we need to better explain why we made this decision within today’s context but we also needed to address many of your questions and make some adjustments based on your feedback.

So, that’s why we held a student town hall yesterday. I’d like to thank all of you who attended – thank you for showing up, for asking your questions and for your honesty. We heard a wide variety of opinions and suggestions for improvement, including those directly related to the Winter term.

Many of you were not able to attend the town hall and that is why I am writing to you today to ensure everyone is well-informed of our intentions and plan. We’ve also prepared frequently asked questions.

SETTING THE CONTEXT
In making our decision to start the Winter term on Friday, January 28, our intention was to prioritize your wellness for January, and it still is. Our decision is also in response to the current situation with the rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases as a result of the new Omicron variant, which is more transmissible.

Many of you may be feeling discouraged as we face yet another variant of the COVID-19 virus. However, the encouraging news is that we’re not where we were at this time last year and we are better equipped to deal with the virus as it likely moves from a pandemic to an endemic phase. We have vaccines, and now booster shots, that are proving to lower the risk of severe illness and hospitalizations. We’re also all in the habit of wearing masks to help reduce transmission, maintaining physical distancing, limiting our contact with others, avoiding crowds and getting rapid tests.

Our decision will allow us to do our part in slowing down the rates of severe illness and hospitalizations by not congregating in groups where the virus is likely to transmit. We also know that our best defence, among all the other universal precautions, is to get a booster shot. There is an expectation that infection rates will peak in Ontario between mid to late January, so we must work together to reduce the spread by doing several things, including limiting indoor gatherings, getting boosted, wearing better masks and using rapid tests if we need to gather.

RETURING TO IN-CLASS LEARNING: WE HEARD YOU
Our decision also took into consideration what we have been hearing from many of you – that you want to return to in-person learning to experience campus life. You want to work and create in our shops and studios. You want to connect with each other in person. We heard loudly that all these activities will support your mental health and wellness. We believe starting on January 28 will give us the best chance to offer in-person learning for the majority of the Winter term. For our international students, we’ve heard that they need time to settle in, complete their quarantine and get their boosters.

We did consider shortening the delay and moving online with the possibility of going back in person when circumstances allow. However, given feedback we received on growing burnout and remote fatigue from students, faculty and staff, combined with the complexity of moving the unique studio-based classes that were planned for the Winter term online, we chose an option that we believe will provide everyone with the best chance for people to recuperate, get re-energized and ultimately experience the learning opportunities many have been craving.

I want to underscore that prioritizing these in-person classes does not mean we are moving everything to in-person. We do have remote courses that have been designed from the outset for remote delivery and we are continuing to provide those for the Winter term. Also, as I mentioned last night, we will commit to sorting out how our accommodations for those who need them can be implemented with even greater care and attention. 

YOUR WELLNESS CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY
I acknowledge this is a very stressful time for all of you, and I know many of you are worried about your health, family, friends and your studies. We believe that delaying the start of term allows us to slow down and prioritize what matters – getting boosted, regrouping from last term, and attending to ourselves, our friends and our family.

We have assembled a series of frequently asked questions to address some of your pressing questions and these provide more detail to what I have described above (scroll down to read these FAQs). We anticipate adding more questions and answers as well as details to these living FAQs in the New Year. 

We will continue to monitor the impact of these plans to determine if we need to adjust them, including the impact of cancelling the Study Week. Furthermore, we will continue to share information, answer your questions, and offer opportunities like town halls where you can raise concerns and provide feedback as we work through the Winter term in the midst of this pandemic.

Once again, thank you to everyone who participated in the student town hall yesterday. I look forward to the time when we can meet in person. In the meantime, I wish you all the very best during this holiday season, and for the New Year.

Stay safe and stay well.

Ana Serrano
President and Vice-Chancellor
OCAD University

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why did OCAD U decide to start the Winter term on January 28?

By starting on January 28, OCAD U will, among other things:

• Do its part in slowing down the rates of transmission and hospitalization that will occur if the case counts continue to rise at the levels that are predicted;
• Preserve the much anticipated in-person learning experiences that you have been asking for this fall;
• Provide our community with time to receive their vaccine boosters;
• Provide students who need recuperation time from burnout and remote fatigue; and
• Support some of our returning international students by giving them time to settle in Toronto, complete their quarantine and get their boosters.

By starting on January 28, have you extended the Winter term?

• The Winter term will be 12 weeks of classes, ending on Monday, April 25. This is a one-day extension of the term (previously set to end on April 22.)
• The three weeks that have been taken up by the new start date of January 28 are Study Week and two weeks of formal assessment at the end of the term. There will be no formal assessment period; instead, all grades will be based on work completed within the 12-week period.

Will the new start date of the Winter term impact my OSAP grant or bursary?

• No, there will be no impact since the term is 12 weeks, ending on Monday, April 25.

Will the new start date of the Winter term impact my ability to graduate?

• No, you will graduate as planned, assuming you have completed all your program requirements, as outlined in your program guide.

Will the Spring/Summer terms start later? What about the Fall?

• There are no changes to the start dates for the Spring/Summer or Fall terms.

Do I need to extend the lease on my apartment beyond April 30?

• No, the term will end on Monday, April 25. We have created a Flex Week from April 26 to May 2 that can be used at the end of the term for a variety of reasons, such as make-up classes for faculty who may require sick days, deadline extensions, etc., as needed. This week will not be needed by everyone.
• Out of respect for students who may be ending leases and preparing to move at the end of April, your instructors will be asked to exercise flexibility with regards to any in-person requirements during this Flex Week.

Why did OCAD U decide not to start the Winter term online, or shift in-person courses to remote delivery?

• OCAD U is not like other universities that offer primarily lecture-based courses that are relatively easy to pivot to an online format. Given our focus on studio-based learning and working with materials, equipment and technology, switching to online learning will take time for faculty to re-design their courses for remote delivery, ensuring you have a high-quality learning experience.
• Shifting an in-person class to an online format requires a re-design to ensure that pedagogical learning outcomes are met. This takes time.
• While we have been able to offer many of our courses in a remote delivery model, we have several courses that are being offered this Winter that cannot be delivered online (and some have been deferred for a year or two).

Can OCAD U begin online courses sooner and only delay in-person classes?

• OCAD U does not have the capacity to run two parallel timelines for different modes of delivery – one for online and one for in-person – due to a range of interdependent systems, processes and timelines, such as refund deadlines and withdrawal dates, that must be same for all of courses.

What if things do not get better on January 28?

• We don’t anticipate that Omicron will be gone by January 28. One of our goals in starting the term later is to slow down the rates of transmission and possible severe illness that could overwhelm our health care system.
• We have good reason to believe that case counts will have peaked by mid to late January, and that we will be in the position to safely re-open our campus with in-person learning, supported by robust health and safety measures, plus with some enhancements, including more use of rapid testing; distribution of high-quality masks to those who don’t have them; and encouraging people to get a booster shot.
• If we are not in a position to return to in-person classes on January 28, we will need to start online at that point. This start date still allows the following:

a.) our faculty to have the time to prepare and re-design their studio courses, and

b.) our ability to maximize in-person learning this term.

How has OCAD U adjusted its plans based on feedback you’ve received from students?

• We heard your concerns about losing Study Week. This was the hardest part of our decision to start the term later. We know how important it is to have that break, so that is why we have built in flexibility by adding time at the end of the term for those of you who may miss a class earlier in the term for any reason.
• While there are two long weekends in the term (Family Day and Good Friday), we will be monitoring the impact of our decision by checking in with you during the term through meetings or town halls. If we need to adjust our plans to support you, we will do this.
• You told us that not having any contact with OCAD U during January will impact your mental health, so that is why:
  • On January 5, our services will be open and provide you with support remotely;
  • Instructors are being encouraged to have online, informal and optional “meet and greets” with their classes starting January 21;
  • Many units are planning programming for the first three weeks of January, such as peer-organized community activities, workshops to help you prepare for summer or full-time employment, career and learning development workshops and international student information sessions;
  • We’ll be holding orientation and welcome activities for newly arrived students; and
  • We’re looking at how to provide thesis and graduate students with safe access to facilities on campus in mid-January.

The Winter term does not include formal assessments. How will my work be assessed?

• Just as we did for the Fall term, we made the decision not to schedule formal seated exams or critiques this Winter.
• Faculty members have been asked to incorporate assessments into the 12-week term, which most already do.

How is OCAD U going to address the cancellation of Study week?

• Cancelling Study Week was the hardest part of our decision. We recognize how important it is to have that break.
• So, that is why we have built in flexibility by adding time at the end of the term for those of you may miss class earlier in the term for any reason, and that includes your faculty member. There are two long weekends in the term (Family Day and Good Friday).
• We will be monitoring the impact of our decision by checking in with you during the term through meetings or town halls. If we need to adjust our plans to support you, we will do this.

Why are you having a Flex Week and how will this impact my studies?

• We are anticipating there will absences for both students and faculty throughout the term for a variety of reasons. We created a Flex Week at the end of the term for this purpose (April 26 to May 2). It won’t be needed by everyone.
• This week can be used for make-up classes in the event a faculty member is away; for make-up assignments/tests; or for students who miss classes earlier in the term or need the extra time to complete their work.
• We will also be asking faculty to exercise flexibility with regards to any in-person requirements during Flex Week, such as if there is a make-up class, it could be online; assignments can be submitted remotely; and presentations and/or critiques can be done online.

I am worried about how this new start date will impact my mental health and my studies. What is OCAD U going to do to support me in January?

• OCAD U has a mental wellness Student Support Program (SSP), available 24/7/365 called Keep.meSAFE. You can connect with a counsellor by downloading the SSP app or by calling directly at 1-844-451-9700. Additional mental health resources are available on our website.You also told us that not having any contact with OCAD U during January will impact your mental health, so that is why:
  • On January 5, our services will be open and provide you with support remotely;
    • Instructors are being encouraged to have online, informal and optional “meet and greets” with their classes beginning January 21;
      • Many units are planning programming for the first three weeks of January, such as peer-organized community activities, workshops to help you prepare for summer or full-time employment, career and learning development workshops and international student information sessions;
      • We’ll be holding orientation and welcome activities for newly arrived students; and
      • We’re looking at how to provide thesis and graduate students with safe access to facilities on campus in mid-January.

Is OCAD U offering tuition discounts because the term is starting later?

• The Winter term will still be 12 weeks, and as such there will be no tuition reductions or discounts.
• The Winter tuition payment deadline has been extended to February 10, 2022, and the refund schedules have all been adjusted on our Dates & Deadlines page.

Will OCAD U help me get a booster shot?

• We know many students are having a hard time obtaining appointments for vaccine booster shots. OCAD U is exploring how we can support our community. We are investigating mobile vaccination clinics, access through the University of Toronto vaccine clinic and more. We will provide updates when we have more information.

Will rapid tests be available for students?

• The Ministry of Health is planning to be on campus in January to hand out rapid tests. Once we confirm the timelines, we will share the information with you.