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As the fall semester continues, some students are saying their classes that were originally scheduled to be in person are moving online with little to no warning.
According to Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice president of strategy, equity and human resources culture at the University of Toronto, decisions about which courses can be moved online are made at the department or division level.
University explanation
According to Hannah-Moffat, 55% of classes are currently taught in person. Some classes started online to accommodate students facing travel restrictions and those waiting to be vaccinated.
She noted that decisions about relocating online courses are made at the department or division level, adding that the University of Toronto hopes classes intended to be in-person would go according to the same plan.
“[Departments and divisions] also make sure to prioritize [in-person classes] regarding the learning and learning outcomes of our students in these courses, â€said Hannah-Moffat. “It varies from division to division, depending on the type of program offered and the types of students who participate in those programs. “
“We hope that everything that started with the intention of being in person continues to be so, because we have put all the security measures necessary for this to happen safely, â€Hannah-Moffat said.
She added that instructors are communicating with department heads and division heads about the reasons for changing classes online and whether they will be allowed to do so.
“[Instructors] work closely with their department heads, and they would work closely with their division heads to have a conversation about why… they would need to move something in a different delivery method and in exceptional circumstances â€, a- she declared.
Confused by the change
Jihwan Shim, a third-year civil engineering student, has moved one course online while everyone else remains in person. In an interview with University, he said no official notification of the change was given to him before it was uploaded, and he first learned about the other students in his program’s group chat a week before class started .
“It’s a little confusing because there isn’t that [much] information regarding this online course, â€said Shim.
Shim said he now needs to search for spaces on campus to participate in online classes, such as empty lecture halls, as the affected class no longer has a designated classroom. “It’s a bit boring,†he said. Shim also sees a positive side to the online course, as he could review the recordings if he misses a course.
Laura Barbosa, a fourth-year student in Women and Gender Studies and Anthropology, had all but one of the courses uploaded, though all had to be in person when she signed up. She was aware of a course schedule change, but no official announcement had been sent to her.
“I first realized this because one of my classes sent out the program a week before school started and it was written ‘fully online’,†Barbosa said. “Then I went to the website and he told me that all the classes would be online, unless a class instructor told me otherwise. “
As an international student, Barbosa said she could have stayed home if she had known the semester would be fully online. “I was annoyed because I was like, oh maybe I could have planned to have all of my classes online and then stay home and not come back,†she said.
Shim and Barbosa expressed the wish for better communication between the university and the students. “Especially through the departments – if each department makes its own decision – I think the university should let us know,†Barbosa said.
Shim said that more specific information about courses that switched from face-to-face to online classes would improve his learning experience. “Be clearer and give more specific information about this course so that we can easily understand what’s going on,†he said.
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