McMaster University fall semester to be fully online amid COVID-19 pandemic

The fall semester at McMaster University will be fully online as the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty it has caused persists.

In a letter to students, president David Farrar explained the decision was based on public health advice.

"We know there are very real concerns regarding the evolution of the pandemic in the fall term and what that could mean for the health and well-being of every member of the McMaster community," read the letter.

"We believe that by making these decisions now we will create as much certainty as possible for students, faculty and staff at a time when it is impossible to predict how the pandemic will unfold."

The letter notes that students will rarely need to be on campus to take courses and most research will also not take place on campus.

The spring and summer semesters are still underway, with higher levels of enrolment than the year before.

The move to go fully digital this fall was foreshadowed by the introduction of the Archway program, acting as a virtual alternative to residence life.

The university also recently decided to use a lottery system to decide which applicants gained entry into its medical school.

"These are not easy times and they require us to work through difficult decisions.  We all need to take care of ourselves and watch out for each other as colleagues and friends," Farrar said.