Though more than 24,000 students are usually on campus each year, only 6,600 are expected to be present in the fall term.

Acknowledging health and safety requirements that have reduced its ability to accommodate students in-person, the University released more information this week about its priorities for the fall term.

About 4,400 students are expected to participate in on-campus academic activities, such as labs or limited in-person lectures. 

The University intends to hold most academic activities remotely to keep campus density low and has completed a detailed mapping of current building capacities to better enforce physical-distancing and cleaning protocols.

READ MORE: Will first-year students be remote in the winter term? Provost says yes, with some exceptions

On-campus delivery has been prioritized for programs requiring on-site access to specialized facilities, including professional programs in Medicine, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences, research graduate master’s and PhD programs, and some professional graduate and second-entry programs. 

These programs will be conducted through a combination of on-campus and remote delivery models. 

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Faculties and shared service units are each required to submit a formal request to resume on-campus activities. Once a faculty has received approval, departments and other units can apply to return some individuals to specific buildings in August and September through their faculties.

The University hasn’t released specific plans for the winter term, though some faculties have acknowledged first-year students will remain remote throughout the entire academic year.

Residences are also planning to house approximately 2,300 students—100 of these students are accounted for in the 4,400 who are actively participating in the in-person activities. 

READ MORE: Residence to offer ‘household model’ in the fall to limit contact between students

Public health officials approved residences to operate at 50 per cent capacity in the fall term, with only single rooms being offered to students. 

Students admitted under the Indigenous and first-generation admissions pathways, first-year students with on-campus programs, and students with learning needs or extenuating personal circumstances that create barriers to off-campus learning were given priority access to rooms.

The University had previously shared that residences will be organized in a “household model,” with students living in floor-based communities alongside other students in the same program of study.