University-Sanctioned International Activities for Fall 2020

To: All faculty and instructors

May 28, 2020

Hello everyone,

I would like to thank each of you for your tremendous commitment and understanding as we continue to work through the many changes brought about by COVID-19. As President Lachemi stated on May 14, the majority of Ryerson’s fall semester will be offered virtually as we follow guidelines from the ministry, the provincial and federal governments, and local health agencies in the best interest of our community.

Fall 2020 University-Sanctioned International Activities

Since travel remains uncertain, many of you have inquired about the status of international activity. While we plan for the fall term, I would like to provide you with some important reminders and considerations when speaking with students and colleagues:

On March 13, Ryerson suspended all university-sanctioned international travel for students and staff, and urged all faculty to avoid it through August 31.
As an extension of the March 13 update, all university-sanctioned international activities scheduled for fall 2020 have been cancelled through the end of the calendar year. This includes, but is not limited to, university-sanctioned activities connected to faculty-led trips, study tours, internships, placements, student research, conferences, competitions, student group travel and Letters of Permission (LOPs).
- Domestic experiential learning is not impacted by this decision, and will continue to take place remotely until it is safe to do so in person. We are assessing these opportunities according to advice from public health officials and will make any necessary adjustments as appropriate.
The academic exchange program has been cancelled for fall 2020, with the exception of virtual options, depending on individual academic programs and spaces available.
The winter 2021 exchange semester will be assessed over the summer.
Due to the Government of Canada’s ongoing Official Global Travel Advisory (external link) to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada, we urge all faculty and staff not to make any financial commitments for upcoming programming. Please note that travel insurers will no longer provide coverage for travel booked on or after March 13, when the official global travel advisory came into effect. This will continue as long as the advisory remains. (See the Government of Canada's website (external link) for details).

For More Information

If you have any questions or concerns regarding upcoming student international activities, please reach out to Emma Wright, Manager of Global Learning and Engagement. For faculty and staff international activities, please connect with Sara Berman, Director of Ryerson International. For information about experiential learning, please contact Anita Abraham, Director of Experiential Learning.

Thank you for your ongoing patience and flexibility. As we continue to monitor this situation and to make adjustments to our programming, the safety and wellbeing of the Ryerson community remains our number-one priority.

Sincerely,

Michael Benarroch, PhD
Provost and Vice-President, Academic