Here’s what’s open on campus this fall
During the fall semester, the university will continue to adhere to safety protocols. Photo by Alyssa K. Faoro.
With summer almost behind us and orientation week in full swing, students are thinking about the upcoming fall semester and what’s open on campus.
More on-campus classes and student activities will be available this fall as the university prepares for the transition to on-campus activities in January 2022.
If you are heading into class on campus this fall, check out how facilities on campus will be operating and what you’ll need to come to campus.
Health and safety measures are in place; masks and face coverings are required for indoor settings. All students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to complete a health screening before accessing campus each day, via the RyersonSafe app or web browser. Ryerson also requires all students, faculty, staff and contractors and visitors coming to campus to be fully vaccinated. For more information, visit the university vaccination policy site.
OneCard
In addition to a health screening, anyone coming inside campus buildings requires a OneCard.
The OneCard office will be open by appointment only and community members may schedule an appointment using the QLess appointment management system (external link) . Appointments are available Monday to Friday, from August 23 to September 10. After scheduling an appointment, students can pick up their OneCard between August 23 and September 10 from POD-52A during specific time slots:
- Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All new undergraduate, graduate or continuing education students who have never had a OneCard must apply online by November 30. Second-year students who have applied for their OneCard but have not received it due to COVID-19 restrictions to campus are not required to complete another application.
Students, faculty and staff will need to use their OneCard to enter Ryerson buildings and the following campus services:
- Borrowing resources from the Library
- Borrowing portable equipment from Media Services
- Accessing parking garages through University Business Services
For more instructions about how to pick up your OneCard and access POD-52A, visit the Get Your Card page.
Student Learning Centre (SLC)
The SLC will be open to general bookings for all Ryerson students starting September 7 and the Collaborative and Group Work Room will be available at 50% capacity. The operating hours will be Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Students need to book a desk on Skedda (external link) before arrival. As with all Ryerson spaces, once inside, students must wear a mask or face covering and proceed to one of the check-in desks in the Amphitheatre. SLC staff will verify their booking, and ask to see their RyersonSafe screening status.
Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC)
Students who wish to use MAC facilities must reserve workout slots and follow health and safety measures that have been in place since November, in addition to the following important measures:
- Masks are always required, including while exercising. Like other fitness centres in the city, the MAC opted to exceed the current Toronto Public Health regulations in an effort to increase the safety, comfort and confidence of students and staff.
- A health screening is required to be completed via the RyersonSafe app or web browser within 24 hours prior to arrival.
The Library will provide onsite and virtual services for students, instructors and researchers. Photo by Alyssa K. Faoro.
University Library
The Library will continue to provide onsite and virtual services for students, instructors and researchers. Starting in the fall, the Library will expand onsite access to academic supports and bookable study spaces, including computers, and interdisciplinary research and specialized experiential learning labs and collections.
Onsite services available throughout the fall include:
- Digital Media Experience Lab
- Library Collaboratory
- Geospatial, Map and Data Centre (GMDC) labs
- Archives and Special Collections
The Library is still working through the details for students to enter the space but for now, anyone entering the Library will require a mask, their health screening through the RyersonSafe App or webpage, and their OneCard.
Meanwhile, virtual workshops on research and digital skills are available. Students can learn to navigate the Library’s electronic resources, how to conduct literature and systematic reviews, and how to search for patents. They can also learn to use Photoshop, Illustrator and other Adobe Creative Suite products. To find out more information including dates and times, visit: library.ryerson.ca/workshops.
Virtual research help including the Library’s live chat service and one-on-one research appointments will continue throughout the fall.
Campus Store
The Campus Store is open for in-person shopping and access to the interior of the store will be by appointment only. The hours of operation are as follows:
- August 23 to September 3, 2021
- Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Closed Saturday to Sunday
- August 29, 2021
- Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Fall 2021 hours: September 7, 2021 onward
- Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Closed Saturday to Sunday
Students are strongly encouraged to order textbooks, course books, ebooks and access codes for fall 2021 classes online via the Campus Store website. Learn more about delivery and curbside pick up options by visiting the shipping information page.
The Campus Store will also be offering a new curbside pick-up program to students who placed orders online for fall 2021 course materials. You can learn more about this new program here.
Food Services
The university is planning to open both the Pitman and ILC dining halls in the fall to meal plan holders for dine-in and take-out meal service. All stations that were previously self-serve will now be staffed by a Food Services attendant. For the most up-to-date information, check out the 2021-2022 dining model and operations page.
Food Services will also be operating three additional campus eateries this year: the Kinetic Café, Starbucks at the SLC, and a new retail location in the Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex called The Market. Like the dining halls, any stations that were previously self-serve at these locations will now be staffed by a Food Services attendant.
As the university prepares for an increase of in-person activity on campus this fall, there will be enhancements to the health and safety processes to minimize the risk of COVID-19 on campus. Photo by Alyssa K. Faoro.
Housing and Residence
Students living in residence for 2021-2022 will be required to have received a World Health Organization approved COVID-19 vaccine (external link) . Students in residence who cannot get vaccinated before moving in will have two weeks following their move-in date to get vaccinated. Students who are not fully vaccinated may be subject to additional public health restrictions.
To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, health and safety measures will be in place for fall:
- Faces masks are required in all common spaces in residence
- Regular self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms
- Capacity limits in common spaces, laundry areas, elevators, etc.
- Closure of some common spaces depending on provincial regulations and public health guidance
- Limits on in-person dining
- No guest policy for all residences
This story has been updated to include the information that anyone coming to campus must be fully vaccinated.
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