University of Regina students head back to campus for first day of fall 2021 semester

Halls at the University of Regina (U of R) are once again filled with students, following months of pandemic learning.

The U of R fall semester began Monday with about 20 per cent of classes resuming in-person, while the rest remain online.

“You’re going to see a lot of people floating in and out, and it’s good because we’re starting to normalize operations,” said U of R president Jeff Keshen.

Depending on the day, there will be roughly 4,000 to 5,000 students on campus, according to Keshen.

The university is using the fall semester as a “transitional term” in the hopes of getting back to near-normal activity in the winter, which would be about 80 per cent in-person classes, Keshen said.

However, if students want to continue with remote learning, some professors are offering both options for classes.

“Some will be in person because that’s the way that they were advertised back on the day when they were created,” Keshen said.

“But some students, if they check, they’ll see that there is the hybrid option and they can make their choices accordingly.”

Student athletes are resuming Canada West competition, and in-person services and facilities are open, including the Student Wellness Centre, the campus store, the Fitness and Lifestyle Centre and the Archer Library.

Masking, physical distancing and sanitization are still required inside the university. Students are also required to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of October.

Students and staff are asked to perform daily wellness checks and to stay home if they don’t feel well.

1:45
Saskatchewan universities announce mandatory vaccines