The University of Toronto is preparing for a gradual and safe return to our campuses for faculty, librarians, staff and students. Today, we are happy to share that the provincial government has developed a plan for the resumption of in-person instruction at Ontario postsecondary institutions.

The province is proposing a limited number of pilots over the summer to allow students who have been unable to graduate in essential frontline areas to complete their studies. We are awaiting further details on the pilots. The province will also be releasing further guidance to aid the reopening of our sector.

While we evaluate how this will impact our existing reopening plans, we want to remind you that we are collectively guided by a commitment to the health and safety of our community, to maintaining academic excellence, and to ensuring that our students feel a part of U of T’s caring community. Our return to on-campus operations will be flexible, gradual, in line with these commitments and will follow the advice of public health authorities.

The University recently released a Roadmap providing guidance documents in the areas of research, environmental health & safety, student experience, residences, and more. As we evaluate the impact of the provincial announcement, we will update our community and guidance documents as needed.

We are continuing to plan for a safe return to campus in alignment with public health advice. Nevertheless, we anticipate that most of our employees will continue to work remotely for the duration of the summer and into the fall.

The University of Toronto community has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with outstanding courage, creativity and generosity. As we enter our fourth month of this unprecedented global challenge, we thank our faculty, librarians, and staff for doing their part to ensure that our teaching, research, and operations continue.