National Post (National Edition)
Universities will offer mostly online classes for upcoming year
EDMONTON students look toward the fall and their return to classes, there's a decent chance they'll be trying to learn from the same spot they've spent the summer: sitting on the couch.
Several universities across Canada have decided they'll be offering online classes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps not exclusively, but extensively, with exceptions for when physical distancing can be maintained or where students need the hands-on experience.
Carleton University in Ottawa, for example, will be operating mostly online, but plans to reopen some physical spaces over the coming months and some optional in-person activities when it is safe to do so. Other universities that have announced mostly online classes include UBC, the University of Alberta, University of Winnipeg, Dalhousie and McGill. University of Toronto, meanwhile, is still determining its plans, most likely a mix of in-person and online classes, but says it will have information for students before they select their courses.
Other schools in Canada and around the world are following suit, trying to balance the need for offering an education with the need to maintain safety and physical distancing of students to slow the spread of the virus.
In parts of Canada and jurisdictions such as the United States, this has led to calls for universities to reduce tuition costs, citing the perception that learning via Zoom video chats or other forms of remote learning, are of lesser quality than in-classroom learning.
In a statement sent to the National Post on Monday, the Canadian Federation of Students called on universities to reduce tuition costs, and use provincial grant funding to top up any shortfalls universities and other post-secondary institutions may see as a result.
“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most post-secondary students have experienced disruptions in their summer employment plans,” said Sofia Descalzi, national chairperson of the federation. “In recognition of this and in recognition of the fact that classes will mostly be taking place online, which is not optimal for certain disciplines, students are asking institutions to offer reduced tuition rates.”
In the United States, lawsuits against at least 25 universities have been filed, demanding tuition refunds after campuses shutdown in the spring, arguing students aren't receiving the quality of education for which they paid.
But a number of the Canadian universities reached by the Post say they will not be charging less when the fall 2020 semester rolls around. At U of T, while the school is reducing some student services fees, there will be no changes to tuition fees, as academic programs continue to be delivered through alternative means, the school says.
The University of British Columbia will not be refunding or reducing tuition, said Matthew Ramsey, director of university affairs, because students “still have the ability to conclude their coursework, take exams and receive grades for the courses in which they enrolled.”
“UBC's faculty and staff are working hard to ensure online courses — required due to COVID-19 health considerations and the guidance of the Provincial Health Officer — does not impact the quality of education received at UBC,” said Ramsey.
Dalhousie University in Halifax says it is still working on its fall 2020 tuition plans, though they've given out bursaries to nearly 1,000 students “experiencing unexpected and unmanageable costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”