Asked and answered: Focus on Fall videos share information about fall planning

How much on-campus activity can we expect at UTM in September?

What health and safety measures has U of T put in place?

How does UTM plan to build on its momentum from the vaccine clinic as a community leader?

What options for flexible or remote work will continue at UTM in fall 2021?

You asked; she listened.

Using questions collected during May’s community reflection forums, UTM’s Vice-President & Principal Alexandra Gillespie has created a new video series: Focus on Fall. The series puts a twist on the conventional format of FAQs, recognizing the challenge of providing certainty amid uncertain times, especially as the science, planning and public health guidelines for COVID-19 continue to evolve.

Rather than providing definite answers, the series focuses on the processes by which answers will emerge. It foregrounds the value of transparency, providing an inside look at work in progress: it shows the various ways in which the university’s teams have started thinking about key issues, even if they don’t yet have a final resolution to report.

The videos can’t dispel all uncertainty. But they can explain who is working on a question; they can describe how problems will be solved; and they can engage feedback and expertise in the process. The series premiere, posted below, addresses the UTM community’s most popular questions from several angles, all of which remain anchored by a commitment to follow the science as it develops: will U of T mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all faculty, students, staff and librarians on campus? Subsequent instalments in the series will appear on the VPP video page weekly throughout July and August.