U of T is meant to be an institution of innovation and higher learning, but instead of finding long-term solutions, the university’s response to the pandemic has been largely reactive. I recently read the university’s statement on returning to in-person learning starting February 7. Personally, I’m nervous about attending in-person lectures, especially as epidemiological studies show that COVID-19 deaths have increased in the past month. On the other hand, students are dropping out at unprecedented rates and facing mental health barriers as a result of online education. The choice of preferred mode of education delivery has remained unclear throughout the pandemic, but I wonder if we can do better than that.
