Following 2.5 weeks of online classes spurred by the Omicron wave, the administration’s decision to transition back to campus for the remainder of the Winter 2022 term has stirred up both positive and negative reactions amongst staff and students. Many eating spaces on campus do not respect provincial health guidelines and there is currently no compulsory distancing in classrooms—factors which have fostered ongoing discussions of how McGill could better protect the health and safety of those returning to campus. Despite this, students are appreciative of the opportunity to once again learn in person.. 

In an attempt to aid in the transition back to in-person teaching, the administration offered professors the option to spend up to 20 per cent of the term—two weeks—teaching remotely. The grace period ended on Feb. 7 for professors who continued teaching solely online after the Jan. 24 return to campus. 

Samuel Guertin, U2 Management, noted that many professors in his faculty have opted to make material available both in-person and online, even after the grace period elapses. With factors such as zoom fatigue, isolation, the inability to concentrate, and a lack of mental health support, Guertin finds that grasping course material can be more difficult over Zoom than in person.

“A lot of profs in the management faculty teach hybrid, so they have Zoom open and students can either go online or in-person, but you are missing some things if you don’t go in person,” Guertin explained. “I feel like in-person is better for the learning, it’s better for the atmosphere, it’s better for the participation. You feel like you’re a real student.” 

Not all students, however, have found the transition to in-person instruction comforting. Executives from the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS), and the Post Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) feel that there has been a lack of preventative safety action on the part of the administration, creating a sense of distrust between the student community and administration. Claire Loewen, a McGill media relations officer, stressed that the administration is persistently working to implement protective measures for those on-campus.  

“The health and well-being of our community remain our top priority, and all necessary health and safety measures will continue to be implemented to ensure that our campuses remain safe places to learn and to work,” Lowen wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “Throughout the Summer and Fall semesters, ventilation in classrooms (and exam spaces) was optimized, and CO2 levels were measured in rooms without CO2 monitors already built-in.” 

The current ventilation system, MERV 13, was implemented prior to the pandemic and is capable of trapping less than 75 per cent of air particles that are 0.3-1.0 microns in size. Coronavirus particles are 0.1 microns in size. 

In an interview with the Tribune, Loïck Lépin, U2 Arts, explained that it has been difficult to remain on campus for extended periods of time due to the regulations around eating. In the few spaces designated eating spots on campus, social distancing is often not adequately practiced due to overcrowding and a lack of table separators. The administration has also removed many microwaves on campus, adding another barrier for students who pack food.

“Eating on campus seems like a logistics operation,” Lépin said. “You would think that more than two microwaves would be available to the 40,000 students on campus.” 

Library security, tasked with enforcing proper masking and “no eating” regulations, have faced disrespect from select students who do not wish to, or care to, comply with COVID-19 rules. 

As Quebec begins to loosen COVID-19 provincial restrictions, the administration plans to follow suit. Starting on Feb. 14, gyms in Quebec will be allowed to reopen at 50 per cent capacity and in-person extracurricular activities with up to 25 participants will be able to meet. It is currently unclear when, and to what extent, McGill will act in accordance with these provincial relaxations. At this time, SSMU continues to advocate for increased safety measures and accommodations directly from the administration. SSMU has compiled a crowdsourced list of accommodations provided by professors in over 60 courses, and continues to accept submissions for more.