Canadian colleges and universities open doors with optimism as pandemic wanes

Canadian college and university campuses are bustling this fall after two years of online and hybrid learning in various forms, thanks to disruptions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions that came into effect with lockdowns and other public health orders. While a few outliers, such as Western University in London, Ont., have mask and vaccine mandates in place for the 2022/2023 school year, most others are trying to strike a balance between moving away from such mandates, and being prepared to bring protective measures back if COVID infections spike again.

According to data gathered by CourseCompare from more than 150 Canadian colleges and universities, 83 per cent of schools in Canada are offering classes in-person this fall, compared to 51.6 per cent in fall 2021. About 15 per cent of post-secondary institutions are offering programs on a hybrid model this year, compared to 30 per cent in September 2021. And just 2 per cent of students will receive instruction fully online this year compared to 5 per cent last year.

Like many schools, the University of Windsor is planning for a mix of in-person, hybrid and online learning, and in doing so considered a variety of factors when determining which methods would be used for which courses, including class sizes, student population, facilities, and whether the course relies on lectures or labs.

“For example, students in fine arts and acting have a strong need to have their course material delivered in person, while other students who receive their courses in a more traditional lecture-style way do not,” said spokesperson Lori Lewis.

CourseCompare’s interactive table shows schools’ plans for September 2022 and includes a summary of each institution’s masking and vaccine policies.

Masks “recommended” and in some cases mandatory

When it comes to vaccine requirements, 90 per cent of colleges and universities who responded to CourseCompare’s survey indicated they do not have a vaccine requirement this year. Schools that do require vaccines this fall are asking for them only for those living in residence (see University of Toronto) or for international students.

Many schools have left indoor mask-wearing requirements in place, including: Dalhousie, the University of Manitoba, the University of New Brunswick, Memorial University, Acadia, St. Francis Xavier, St. Thomas University and Western University. At St. Francis Xavier, masks will continue to be required in all instructional spaces such as classrooms, labs, and studios until further notice.

The University of Calgary is no longer mandating vaccination or mask use on campus, however vaccinations and masks are “strongly encouraged for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors on campus this fall.” However, proof of vaccination status and use of masks will not be required for individuals to be on campus.

Masks may still be required in some settings, including clinical settings required to follow Alberta Health services masking requirements. Otherwise, the university urges everyone to continue to respect and support people’s decision to continue wearing a mask.

In contrast, at the University of Prince Edward Island, effective August 25, 2022, masks are mandatory at UPEI in indoor settings with the following exceptions:

“In teaching spaces (classrooms/theatres, laboratories, studios, and performing arts spaces), faculty, instructors, and students who are presenting may remove their masks when speaking or performing (voice or woodwind/brass) if they are physically distanced by a minimum of two metres/six feet. For all others, masks are mandatory in teaching spaces regardless of physical distancing. In all other indoor spaces, individuals may remove their masks only if they are seated and physically distanced by two metres/six feet.”

Effective September 1, 2022, Western University requires medical-grade masks indoors in instructional spaces for degree credit courses such as classrooms, labs and seminar rooms, and may be required for large indoor events. Anyone required to present, perform, facilitate or speak to a group at Western may remove their mask. Exemptions will also be granted for the Faculty of Music, where a mask-friendly policy will be implemented in lieu of the required masking for instructional space where and when music-making is occurring.

As of January 9, 2023, all members of the Western community will be required to provide proof of vaccination of the primary series plus a booster shot (generally, three doses total) of any combination of COVID-19 vaccines recognized by Health Canada. At Fanshawe College, also in London, while staff and students won’t have to show proof of vaccination to attend on-campus labs, classes or services, the college is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Students must have their first dose within 14 days of arriving. They will face restrictions until they are vaccinated.

Exemptions can be requested for students who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or other grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code, but they could see restrictions on access, activities or room occupancy imposed.

Local health guidelines could prompt changes

Most colleges and universities are indicating that their policies could change on short notice based on local health guidelines.

At Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., students and faculty are “strongly encouraged to wear a medical grade mask in indoor spaces where physical distancing cannot be maintained.” Individuals who enter offices or other confined spaces where face-to-face interaction is required may be asked to wear a mask as a condition of entry. Some activities and roles may have mandatory requirements for masking, such as those in health clinics, hospitals, some laboratories, and in some organizations where students complete their placements. The university’s mask mandate is also subject to change at any time based on Public Health guidance.

At this time, proof of vaccination is not required to attend most in-person university activities or to live in Queen’s residence. However, the university continues to “strongly encourage all Queen’s students, staff, and faculty to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.”

The university cautions that it may reinstate its Policy Regarding Mandatory Vaccination Requirements for In-person University Activities, possibly on short notice, if the local public health environment changes, or, if government mandates or public health recommendations restore proof of vaccination requirements.

If the university does reinstate its policy, all students, faculty, staff, and others who cannot provide satisfactory proof of vaccination, based on the definition of “fully vaccinated” in place at that time, could find their in-person university activities restricted or discontinued. This could affect a student’s ability to stay in classes or in their residence. It could also impact employment status for faculty and staff and the permitted activities of university contractors and visitors.

International student interest roaring back

According to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, there is an ever-increasing demand to study in Canada. In 2021, the Department received approximately 556,700 applications for new study permits. This compares to approximately 316,000 new study permit applications in 2020 — a 56 per cent increase.

From January to March 2022, the Department received approximately 175,000 applications for new study permits (including extensions). This compares to approximately 131,800 for the same period in 2020, a 32 per cent increase.

Based on the volume of study permits confirmed, approximately 462,900 international students arrived in Canada in 2021.

From January 1, 2022, to February 28, 2022, a total of 23,950 study permits have been authorized and are pending arrival. The 5-top source countries with study permits authorized pending arrival are:

• India – 13,969
• Philippines – 897
• People’s Republic of China – 640
• Nigeria – 637
• Japan – 605

Effective January 15, 2022, international students 18 years and older may only enter Canada if fully vaccinated.

Below is reporting from CourseCompare’s fall 2021 update, originally published on August 9, 2021.

In September 2020, just four per cent of colleges and universities nationwide delivered classes in-person as post-secondary institutions tried to strike a balance between keeping students and staff safe while moving higher education forward in the middle of a global pandemic.

CourseCompare.ca tracked the steps of more than 150 of Canada’s top colleges and universities as they transformed campuses to adhere to the recommendations of health officials, grappled with the logistics of moving entire programs online, and confronted lost revenues from non-academic activities, events and residences — all while trying to remain financially viable. Meanwhile, schools prepared for the worst as governments shutdown borders to international students who, by some estimates, would have accounted for more than half of all student fees paid in 2020-2021.

As part of our continuing coverage, we are monitoring the evolving landscape as it develops for colleges and universities in 2021-2022. Concerns over student safety haven’t abated, but the conversation has taken on optimistic, although no less urgent, new dimensions. Will unvaccinated students returning to campus be required to get a vaccine? Will international students be subject to special quarantine requirements? What role should online and hybrid learning continue to play in keeping students safe? And are these evolving models for delivering higher education here to stay?

Here are some highlights of current trends we’re seeing across the country, which we will be updating regularly throughout the summer:

CANADA

An average 51.6 per cent of post-secondary schools in the country will deliver programs in-person this fall, while 41.2 per cent have chosen to continue with a hybrid model. Just 4.6 per cent of schools in Canada are offering courses predominantly if not entirely online — the same percentage that offered in-person classes last year. Roughly 3 per cent have yet to officially announce their plans.

By comparison, going into September 2020, just four per cent of schools planned to offer in-person courses, 40 per cent announced they would switch to hybrid learning, and 53 per cent were moving most if not all of their courses online.

The interactive table below shows schools’ plans for September 2021. It includes summaries of schools’ safety and vaccination policies, along with direct links to the latest news, FAQs and COVID-19 student resources at each school. Further below, additional data are available by province.

Will vaccines be mandatory?

As vaccines have become more readily available, colleges and universities — and now some provinces — have moved to make vaccines mandatory for post-secondary institutions.

The Ontario government sent guidelines to post-secondary institutions on Tuesday, August 31 for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, which will take effect September 7. Students who attend campus will need to show proof of vaccination, unless they can provide a written document by a physician or registered nurse explaining their reason for not being vaccinated. Exempt students will need to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis.

In British Columbia, UBC, SFU, UVic, Thompson Rivers University and Emily Carr University of Art and Design will require students to disclose their vaccination status when classes resume.

Prior to Tuesday’s announcement by the Ontario government, only Seneca College and the University of Ottawa had announced that they will require students attending in-person classes to disclose their vaccination status. Across the country, the following institutions had already made vaccination mandatory for students living in residence:

• Trent University
• University of Toronto
• Fanshawe College
• Ryerson University
• York University
• Fleming College
• Durham College
• Ontario Tech University
• Cape Breton
• McMaster University
• University of Ottawa
• University of Waterloo
• Western University
• Sault College
• Cambrian College
• Wilfrid Laurier
• Sheridan College
• University of Ottawa
• University of Saskatchewan
• University of Regina
• University of Windsor

Dozens of other universities will continue their vaccination campaigns, while others offer mobile clinics or leave paid leave policies for staff in place this fall.

Health and safety protocols recommended by health authorities in each region will continue to be top of mind for all institutions. Health screening and education procedures, approved by provincial or territorial governments, will be in place. Masking, physical distancing requirements and mandatory self-screening, as well as enhanced cleaning, will be the new reality on campuses.

As Dianne Rinehart reported for CourseCompare, a number of U.S. colleges moved quickly to make vaccination a requirement for students returning in September. Others, are using a carrot approach, holding on-campus vaccination blitzes or dangling incentives in front of student to get the vaccine.

In Canada, Trent, Western, the University of Toronto, Fanshawe College, Ryerson University, Durham College, and Ontario Tech University were among the first to require first-dose vaccinations, but only for students living in residence. Durham and Ontario Tech also require students to have scheduled their second dose. Only Seneca College has so far announced students attending in-person classes will need to be vaccinated.

Generally, students will need to be vaccinated within 14 days of arriving on campus, and institutions will help students book appointments locally. The exception to this rule is Ryerson University, which “recommends” students get their first dose at least 14 days before their move-in date.

“Requiring vaccines for students living in residence will be an important way to ensure that we avoid residence outbreaks and are able to offer our residence students the transformative on-campus experiences students have learned to expect from Trent,” said Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University in a June news release.

In a move publicly endorsed by the Middlesex-London Health Unit, Western University will also require students living in residence to have at least one dose of an approved vaccine. The University will set up vaccination clinics on campus, giving students who arrive in London, Ont., without a shot 14 days to get vaccinated.

On June 8, the University of Toronto was the third institution to announce that students will need a first shot prior to moving into residence. The University will help students access vaccines, subject to supply.

At Lethbridge University, vaccinated students will be entered into a contest to win free tuition. Nine students will have their tuition paid by the University in 2021, while others will win gift cards and prizes. A draw will take place September 10.

Similarly, Assiniboine Community College is offering students who can prove they’ve been vaccinated a chance to win free tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year, with $100 book store gift cards available to runners up.

Other schools, like the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Northern British Columbia, are offering staff paid leave to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, Brock University and Vancouver Community College were among the first to announce that on-campus vaccine clinics would be available to students and faculty.

“Without enough vaccine supply, a mandate wouldn’t really make much sense and would be unfair to those who are willing, but unable to be vaccinated,” said Maxwell Smith, co-director of the Health Ethics, Law and Policy Lab at Western University in a May interview with CourseCompare.

That’s not to say it would be unethical to require a vaccination for students to be on campus if there was enough supply available, says the assistant professor who is also an associate member of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy.

“We know that Canadian universities and colleges have been able to offer educational offerings online over the past year,” he says. “Consequently, vaccination mandates should not deny students education opportunities, but may change the modality in which they receive those education opportunities.”

In addition, he points out that vaccination mandates “do not force people to get vaccinated, nor do they usually come with criminal sanctions in cases of non-compliance.”

Instead, they impose conditions on those who are not vaccinated. For example, students could be barred from attending classes in person through registration holds or refused rooms in residences. In rare cases, they could face expulsion.

Increase in applications in 2021 

Plans to return students to campus this fall are being made as the country’s colleges and universities experience an increase in applications for September 2021, with some universities reporting record-breaking numbers.

Statistics released by The Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) show increased activity over the previous year, with applications from high school students jumping to 477,472 in 2021 from 467,651 in 2020. Applications from “non-secondary” students, which include mature and international students, as well as students transferring from colleges or other provinces, also increased to 230,977 in 2021 from 212,460 in 2019.

Reports from other provinces suggest a similar trend. In British Columbia, post-secondary institutions have so far seen a greater than 20 per cent increase in applications, lead mostly by domestic students. In Quebec, universities are reporting increases of eight to 14 per cent over the previous year, although final numbers have yet to be released.

International student enrollment 

Many Canadian colleges and universities rely on international student enrolment and the high tuition it represents to remain financially viable.

Last year, Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., suspended admissions for 17 of its courses, citing low demand. The University went on to file for creditor protection in 2021 for reasons many attribute to a failure of governance — by Laurentian’s administrators and the Ontario Government. But reports suggest low enrollment from high-paying international students was a contributing factor. Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S., said in June 2020 that it expected a decline of up to $37.8 million in tuition revenue and another $12 million in other losses. July 2020 projections at the University of British Columbia showed the University could lose $77 million in international student fees. In aggregate, some speculated Canadian universities could lose billions, not millions, due to COVID-19.

New preliminary data from Universities Canada show a decrease in international student enrollment at Canadian universities for the fall of 2021, but also that higher education performed better overall than expected.

More than 1.4 million domestic students enrolled in Canadian universities in 2021, representing 2 per cent overall growth (more than 22,000 additional students). This is consistent with the rate of growth over the past five years. First-year enrollment dropped 4.6 per cent, but universities did see an increase in part-time enrollment of 4.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, 205,000 international students enrolled in full-time studies at Canadian universities. This is a decrease of about 2.1 per cent, compared to an average 10 per cent growth over the past 5 years. Fifty-one institutions saw a decline in international student enrollment. Of those, 26 institutions lost more than 10 per cent of their international students, and 14 institutions lost more than 20 per cent of their international students compared to last year.

Universities are optimistic these numbers will continue to rise, hoping the current backlog at visa centres is quickly addressed and that study permits for international students will be delivered on time.

ONTARIO

Provincial highlights: 38 per cent of classes will be held in-person; 53 per cent will be hybrid; six per cent will be online. Four per cent of schools are yet to formally announce their intentions.

The Ontario Government reduced tuition by 10 per cent in January 2019 and at the time the province indicated it would remain frozen until 2021. Universities such as Lakehead University and Windsor University increased international tuition by between 5 and 15 per cent, causing concern for students from abroad, some of whom stayed in the country when COVID-19 hit and may not have had a chance to work throughout much of 2020.

BRITISH COLUMBIA 

Provincial highlights: 81 per cent of classes will be in-person; 19 per cent will be hybrid; zero per cent will be fully online.

The province had one of the lowest average tuition increases for international students last year at three per cent.

ALBERTA 

Provincial highlights: 62.5 per cent of classes will be held in person; 25 per cent will be hybrid; 12.5 per cent will be online.

Universities and colleges in Alberta announced tuition increases in 2020, but these are not related to COVID-19. As of Jan. 1, 2020, post-secondary schools in Alberta were allowed to raise tuition by seven per cent, up to 10 per cent over the next three years. The current government cancelled a five-year freeze on tuition in the fall of 2019. Changes also included cutting $225 million in education and tuition tax credits over the next three years and increasing interest on student loans.

MANITOBA

Provincial highlights: 43.8 per cent of classes will be held in person; 43.8 per cent will be hybrid; 12.5 per cent will be online.

The University of Manitoba will offer predominantly online delivery with reduced class sizes.

Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology will welcome no more than 40 per cent of its student population on campus. The school will provide a phased approach; from August 31 to December 31 there will be no more than 40 per cent of campus population by campus/building. Some blended delivery for targeted academic programs will begin as well. All in-person learning will be augmented by hybrid, online learning tools.

The Canadian Mennonite University will provide on-campus living and in-person classes in the fall. It claims to be the only “fully accredited Manitoba university to do so.”

NOVA SCOTIA

Provincial highlights: 55.6 per cent of classes will be held in person; 44.4 per cent hybrid course delivery.

Dalhousie University has moved to a virtual environment and has launched Together@Dal to connect upper-year students with cohorts of new students in their area of study and a new student life app will be launched.

Cape Breton University is closed to the public and courses are being provided online only, while St. Francis Xavier University is offering a mix of online and classroom learning this fall with 72 per cent of undergraduate courses offered in-person.

NEW BRUNSWICK

Provincial highlights:  45.5 per cent of classes will be held in person; 36.4 per cent hybrid course delivery; 18.2 per cent have yet to formally announce plans for the fall. 

QUEBEC

Our fall 2021 data for Quebec is coming soon. The following information reflects colleges’ and universities’ plans for the fall of 2020. 

Most of Quebec’s universities and CÉGEP junior colleges plan to offer their courses online.

There are a few exceptions such as the Université de Sherbrooke which will be turning to outdoor venues from September to October to provide an alternative learning environment.

“The Univesité de Sherbrooke plans to hold face-to-face educational activities in the fall term, to allow as many students as possible to do as many activities and experiences as possible on campus,” says Isabelle Huard, a media-relations officer with Université de Sherbrooke.

Huard says between 40 to 100 per cent of the baccalaureate programs will be in-person for the fall term, depending on the program. The school has acquired additional facilities to accommodate the plan, including churches.

In addition to planning outdoor classes, some courses will be given at the Cultural Centre and in churches in Sherbrooke. Twelve outdoor sites that can accommodate between 16 and 100 students each are located on the main campus. These will be grassy spaces, at the campus open-air theatre and along the edges of pavilions, including the School of Music.

“If everything goes as planned, and as long as the weather permits, outdoor classes will be offered during the months of September and October. Perhaps also in the spring of 2021, depending on the evolution of the pandemic,” says Huard.

In 2018-2019, the Université de Sherbrooke welcomed 2,648 international students from 102 countries and territories. Huard says it is unclear at this point how many of the 400 international students who were offered the opportunity to start with distance learning from their home country for the fall session will avail themselves of the offer, or postpone admission.

“We have a total of 31,727 students. On average, we welcome nearly 1,000 new foreign students per year. With the travel restrictions currently in place, unfortunately, we do not expect to receive many of them,” she says.

Bishop’s University indicates in-person classes will be held “in classrooms which will respect the physical distancing guidelines of the public health authorities.”