Welcome to a new academic year at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE)! The start of a new academic year is always an exciting time, rich with potential for new experiences, friendships and scholarship, as well as new research opportunities and collaborations.
A tremendous amount of work has been underway over the summer to ensure that this year will again provide U of T students with the exceptional academic and co-curricular opportunities for which our University is known around the world. As summer draws to a close and we look forward to the semester ahead, I’d like to take this opportunity to share some updates for the coming term.
In general, KPE programs and services will be ramped up in a careful stepped approach over the course of the fall.
Our undergraduate academic courses will, primarily, be delivered online through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous delivery. The majority of graduate student courses will also be delivered online, with a few graduate classes being offered in person. We have made a commitment that all students will be able to access their courses remotely, as needed.
Because the majority of KPE courses will be delivered online and we are not expecting many KPE students to be accessing our facilities in person for academic reasons, student support services will continue to be delivered remotely, e.g., KPE registrarial services, academic advising, counselling services, and the Health Science Writing Centre. Technical support will be available to assist students in accessing and using technology for their academic courses. A decision regarding our approach to delivery of winter term courses and these student support services will be made mid-fall.
KPE’s research activities have also adapted and resumed throughout the summer. Some research was quickly adjusted to take place remotely, while some equipment-intensive research has already resumed on campus with protective measures in place. Research with human participants is gradually resuming, carefully balancing the University’s principles of Health & Safety, Academic Excellence, and Academic Continuity.
Our Sport & Rec division is also looking forward to welcoming the U of T community back through our doors. Co-curricular programs will resume the week of September 7, 2020, both on campus and online. Broad-based physical activity programs, including group fitness, strength and conditioning, lane swimming, and some limited intramurals programs will be offered on Back Campus fields and in the Sports Gym and Field House at the Athletic Centre. For the fall term, the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport and Varsity Centre will operate on limited hours for intercollegiate student athlete training. This will ensure more space and time for the broader U of T community at our largest athletic and recreation facilities.
As we move to re-open our facilities and spaces for academic, research and sport and recreation programs and services, we will continue to follow the guidelines for public health and safety set out by the city and the province, as well as the University’s guidelines and protocols. These guidelines currently include physical distancing of 2 metres between individuals, particularly when indoors, and the use of non-medical masks or face coverings inside buildings.
We look forward to proceeding with these re-entry plans and are ready to respond should circumstances change. As always, our decisions and actions will continue to be guided by consideration for the health and safety of all students, faculty and staff; excellence in academic programming and the co-curricular student experience; and supporting the success of all members of the KPE community.
Best wishes for a successful and productive academic year,
Ira Jacobs, DrMedSc, FCAHS
Dean, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
Archived Updates for Current Students
July 20 - Update on fall 2020 from Dean Jacobs
May 20 - Update on KPE academic planning for fall 2020 from Dean Ira Jacobs
May 19 - Message from U of T President Gertler, "Looking ahead to September 2020"
May 13 - Academic Updates for current & future students
May 9 - Video message to the community from U of T President Gertler, "This is U of T"
March 17 - Update re: information on final exams, online courses and resources available to students
March 15 - Update re: academic courses, final exams, accessibility services and travel