Fall 2021 Return to Campus – Concordia University
Q&A
The aim of this document is to be both a summary of the recent CSU Town Hall on the Return to Campus (August 4, 2021) and an accessible resource with relevant information for students about the return to campus in Fall 2021. It will be updated as we obtain more information, so please check periodically to see if your question has been answered.
Don’t see an answer to your question(s) on this page? Submit your question to campaigns@csu.qc.ca and we will look into it as soon as possible.
Last updated: 2021-08-11
Topic Directory
- University facilities
- Courses
- Public health procedures/Vaccination
- Housing
- Student events
- International students
- Resources
University facilities
Q: Will the library be open?
A: Yes, the libraries on both campuses will be open with no pre-registration required. (Source: Guylaine Beaudry, University Librarian)
Q: Will student spaces such as the Hive Coop Café and Reggies Bar be open?
A: As of now, both the Hive and Reggies plan to be open again as of the Fall term. However, the capacity of both will be limited according to current public health restrictions. Specifically, they must be able to seat people 2 m apart, which equates to an approximately 25% capacity. This may change as the public health situation continues to evolve.
Q: Can I rent a locker?
A: Yes. The locker rental procedure is virtually unchanged, except for the fact that inquiries about lockers must currently be sent by email because the staff are working remotely. You can rent a locker here as of September 1st for the regular period (September 1-July 31).
Q: Will Le Gym and the PERFORM Centre be open?
A: The PERFORM Centre (Loyola) hopes to reopen its fitness facilities in approximately October 2021 (this is tentative, not yet confirmed); its staff plans to begin returning to assess equipment and prepare for the reopening as of the end of August. Le Gym (SGW) has informed us that they are hard at work preparing to hopefully reopen the fitness facility in the fall as well, though they do not yet have a specific reopening date set. No in-person classes will be offered at Le Gym in the fall term, however – they will instead be offering a 12-week online session similar to what was offered over the summer. We will update this section as we receive more information from both facilities – stay tuned for updates!
Courses
Q: Will all departments be fully in-person?
A: No, it depends on the department. Some departments have chosen to remain remote for the Fall 2021 term, while others will be going back fully in person. Some departments may also opt for a hybrid method, with some classes remote and some in-person. If you have not yet received communication from your department as to the status of your Fall courses, we recommend reaching out directly to your department advisor or your department’s reception staff.
How to find your department advisor
- Log in to My Student Centre
- On the main Student Centre page, scroll all the way down.
Q: One or more of my classes has a physical room number attached to it. Does that mean my class will be in person?
At this point, most likely yes, unless you have had a communication from your professor or department stating that your class will be remote. There may still be minor changes to the course schedule for Fall 2021, but it is now mostly finalized. Similarly, if your class says “remote,” it will most likely take place online.
How to tell if your class has a room number attached to it
- Go to My Student Centre
- From the main page, go to the Enrollment tab -> My Class Schedule
- Select Fall 2021. You will receive a list of your classes.
Note: If your class is to be delivered online, it will say REMOTE under Room.
Q: Will there be accommodations available if I have to miss class because I have tested positive for COVID-19?
A: The university administration is working on general guidelines for accommodations for students who need to miss class for 14 days due to a Covid diagnosis or being exposed to the virus. Specific accommodations will be decided on the departmental/course level, as different courses have different methods of delivery. That being said, the administration expects that professors will be able to provide course materials remotely to students in this situation.
Q: Will Concordia be offering an online option for students who do not feel comfortable attending in-person classes?
A: As of now, in-person classes do not have an online option offered. The university is working on general guidelines for reasonable accommodations for different situations in which students cannot attend class in-person, but beyond that, accommodations will be decided on a departmental/course level. If you want to be certain about accommodations for specific courses, we recommend contacting your departmental advisor or the professor giving your course.
Q: Can professors record in-person lectures (like they did for remote lectures) so that students can choose whether or not to attend in-person?
A: The CSU agrees that this would be an easy, ideal solution in order to prioritize the health and safety of students who, for health or other reasons, do not feel comfortable attending in-person lectures this term. The administration has stated that they cannot mandate professors to record lectures, namely due to concerns about intellectual property. Professors will therefore record (or not record) lectures at their discretion.
Q: Will Fall 2021 exams be delivered in-person for in-person courses?
A: That seems likely, but here’s what we know so far from Concordia’s most recent communications: exams for online courses will be delivered online, exams for in-person courses will be delivered online or in-person. We expect that course syllabi will clear this up at the beginning of courses – if not, we recommend asking the professor right away to clarify the format of your exams in order to avoid stress and confusion later on.
Q: My professor refuses to provide reasonable accommodations for me in a health/COVID-related situation. Do I have any recourse?
A: If you feel that you are being unfairly penalized or not reasonably accommodated by a professor in a situation that is out of your control, we highly recommend getting in touch with our CSU Advocacy Centre. Advocacy is a free, confidential service that helps undergraduate students assert and defend their rights. They are now able to help graduate students as well.
COVID-19, public health procedures, and vaccination
Q: Will I still be required to register for access to my building(s) online or present my ID to security to check in as I come in?
A: The plan is currently for open access to buildings to be restored as of the Fall 2021 term. Unless that changes, you will no longer need to register online prior to attending class or to check in/check out of buildings.
Q: Is Concordia considering a vaccination mandate (eg. requiring all students to be fully vaccinated in order to come back to campus)?
A: No vaccination mandate is being actively considered at Concordia as of now. However, you may need to be vaccinated to participate in some extracurricular activities, including sports – we will update this section as we receive more information.
Q: What proportion of students will be fully vaccinated when the Fall 2021 term begins?
A: Concordia’s administration expects that around 80% of students will be fully vaccinated at the beginning of the Fall term. According to preliminary data collected by the CSU, the figure may be closer to 70-75%. It is clear that the majority of students will be fully vaccinated, but we do not have exact numbers.
Q: Will masks and social distancing continue to be mandatory on campus?
A: Concordia’s most recent communication, which was sent out after the town hall (August 11, 2021), states that students will be required to wear a procedural mask (ie. the blue medical mask that you can buy in boxes at the pharmacy) in classrooms and all other indoor shared spaces, such as hallways, elevators, the library, etc. We commend Concordia for making the responsible decision to mandate masks at all times in indoor spaces on campus.
Social distancing is encouraged, but not required in classrooms where everyone is wearing a mask. In classes where significant movement or interaction is required, students may remove their masks as long as a minimum of 2 m social distance is maintained at all times. Masks can also be removed in labs and studios when 2 m social distance can be maintained at all times.
Q: Will Concordia provide masks to students who do not have one when they come to campus?
A: Yes, extra procedural masks are available for free at the entrance of buildings (in many cases near the security desk).
Q: Am I allowed to wear my own cloth face mask, bandana, etc. to school?
A: No, only procedural masks will be allowed on campus.
Housing
Q: I’m an out-of-province/international/new student coming (back) to Montreal for Fall 2021 and I’m having trouble finding housing. What resources are available to me at Concordia?
A: We strongly recommend getting in touch with our Off-Campus Housing and Jobs Resource Centre (HOJO)! HOJO is a free resource that helps connect Concordia students with housing and job opportunities, as well as information and resources pertaining to living and working in Montreal. You can visit their website or contact them by email at hojo@csu.qc.ca.
Q: Will student residences be open in Fall 2021?
A: Yes, but at reduced (~⅓) capacity.
Student events
Q: Who is allowed to organize in-person events in the Fall term?
A: In terms of student events, only events hosted by student groups registered with the university (ie. the Dean of Students office) will be allowed. This includes fee levies, student associations, Faculty Associations, and registered CSU clubs. No in-person events hosted by external groups will be authorized. Go here if you are unsure whether your group is registered with the Dean of Students’ office or want to register a new group.
Q: I want to organize an event for my club/student association in the Fall term. Am I allowed to organize an in-person event on campus?
A: Authorized in-person events on campus (see the previous question for who is allowed to organize an event) will be allowed, but they must adhere to a set of public health guidelines set by Concordia’s Environmental Health and Safety Office. These guidelines are likely to evolve; we will add the most recent version of the guidelines to this page on the first week of class. If you need the information beforehand, we recommend contacting EHS, the Dean of Students’ office, or Harrison at internal@csu.qc.ca (for CSU Clubs).
International students
Q: I’m an international student who studied remotely outside of Canada in 2020-2021. My Fall 2021 classes are going to be entirely remote. Do I still need to be physically in Montreal for Fall 2021?
A: International students must come back to Montreal for the beginning of the Fall term, but accommodations will be available to students who cannot return on time for certain reasons (eg. there are processing delays with your student visa). Out-of-province Canadian students are also expected to be in Montreal for the Fall term.
Q: Who can I contact if I have questions specific to my international student status and coming back to campus, eg. travelling to Montreal and quarantine requirements?
A: For any questions specific to international students, the best place to start is typically by contacting the International Students’ Office (ISO). They exist to help you and provide useful resources in terms of navigating your studies at Concordia as an international student.
Resources
Q: Will there be resources for second-year students who are on campus for the first time, similar to available resources for first-year students?
A: Check out the resources for new students offered by Concordia’s Student Success Centre!
Q: What accommodations and resources are available to student-parents?
A: The CSU Daycare & Nursery is fully operational for student-parents looking for childcare options in advance of the return to campus. When it comes to in-person classes, Concordia’s administration currently has a team looking into accommodations for student-parents in situations where they need to complete coursework online (eg. if an unvaccinated child is exposed to COVID and cannot attend daycare/school). While no specific information was given, it was understood during the town hall that reasonable accommodations will be made available in such situations.
Q: I still have questions about what the return to campus will look like. Who can I get in touch with?
A: Environmental Health and Safety is providing a series of drop-in sessions prior to the beginning of the Fall term. You can also get in touch with us at campaigns@csu.qc.ca with any outstanding questions and we will refer you to the appropriate resource person or look into your question(s) on our end and get back to you.