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COVID-19 information and screening Learn how we’re keeping our campus community safe, healthy and engaged during our gradual return to campus.
Note: The university’s mandatory vaccine directive is now in effect. Learn more about vaccine requirements.
Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

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Planning framework

As we manage our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and transition into a recovery state, we’ll continue to deliver on the academic and research mission of our university, while prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of all members of our community.

Education and research

As we look ahead, we remain committed to providing high-quality education and research, and an engaged campus.

Many of our decisions regarding the mode of delivery for Fall 2021 courses had to be made before summer to ensure our students could make arrangements regarding housing accommodations and travel. We will continue with these original plans, which include the majority of our Fall 2021 courses having a component (e.g. labs, tutorials and graduate seminars) take place on campus, and larger lectures being held online. 

Recognizing that some students may continue to face health or travel restrictions that prevent them from attending in-person classes, we will offer both online and in-class options for some courses. This approach will ensure:

  • We meet the needs of as many members of our university community as much as possible.
  • Flexibility if we experience a subsequent wave of COVID-19.

Decisions on the mode of delivery for Fall 2021 courses will only be modified if public-health guidelines necessitate changes. Planning for Winter 2022 course modes of delivery will be undertaken during the upcoming Fall term.

Health, safety and wellness

We know the disruption of student life and academics brought about by COVID-19 has led to much uncertainty and emotional disruption within our campus community.

The health and safety of Ontario Tech University’s campus and the broader community has always been the university’s top priority. As we consider everything that is required of us to safely return to campus, we recognize that COVID-19 vaccination rates are going to play an important role in re-establishing a new sense of normalcy, allowing more in-person activities to take place, and reducing the likelihood of on-campus transmission. Vaccination against COVID-19 is the single most effective public-heath measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Following discussions surrounding the ongoing risks posed by COVID-19, including the emergence of new variants, Ontario Tech will now require all students, faculty, staff and all other individuals coming to any campus location to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Visit the Vaccines section of the Ready for You website for details.

It is important to acknowledge that returning to campus isn’t solely about vaccinations; it is also about recognizing the very real anxieties of our students, faculty and staff. All of us have gone through a very difficult experience, and we need to be empathetic, caring and compassionate.

The health and well-being of our community is critical, and requires long-term effort and commitment. This plan will change and evolve as we move toward a post-pandemic period. The following principles will guide our approach to our gradual return-to-campus:

Ontario Tech guiding principles

Our plan will:

  • Follow directives from multiple government levels and public health.
  • Concentrate on the health, safety and well-being of our university community.
  • Support the primary values and advance the mission of our university.
  • Remain adaptable in order to respond to public-health recommendations for temporary closure in the event of an outbreak or identified exposure, or if additional waves of COVID-19 infection occurs.
  • Integrate risk-management strategies and support our campus community to make informed decisions, while promoting personal and public responsibility. 
How to report a possible COVID-19 case