In the past two years, due to the pandemic, studying abroad has more or less turned into staying at home, with no campus experience to speak of.
We thought 2022 would be better, but the global surge of Omicron and the newly discovered IHU variant have made the already bleak study-abroad life even worse. At the start of the new year, Zoom University is probably unavoidable.
Spring semester is about to start soon. What are the reopening policies of various schools? What campus epidemic prevention measures will be adopted?
CheersYou（清柚教育） has compiled a summary of the latest 2022 spring semester plans for universities in the US, UK, and Canada for your reference.
US: Booster Vaccine Required for Return to Campus
Harvard University
Harvard University announced on Tuesday that despite the Omicron surge, the spring semester will start as planned on January 24. The first three weeks will be conducted remotely, after which in-person teaching will resume.
During the first two weeks of the spring semester, the school will also limit on-campus dining to "grab-and-go" (takeout) only and restrict indoor gatherings. In addition, all faculty and students are required to receive a booster dose by January 31.
Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow said, "We can expect to see positive cases on Harvard's campus, but vaccination will effectively protect patients from severe illness."
The university also stated that through reduced contact, mask-wearing, social distancing, and regular testing, they are confident in providing a safe teaching and research environment for all faculty and students.
Columbia University
New York has again become a hotspot for the epidemic, so Columbia is also cautious about its spring opening. Currently, it plans to adopt remote teaching for the first two weeks, after which students will be allowed to return to campus, provided they meet COVID testing requirements and comply with prevention measures.
The university said that the two-week remote teaching period will give students reasonable time to return and quarantine, and ample time to complete COVID testing.
Yale University
Yale University stated that given the severity of the pandemic, the 2022 spring semester will be postponed, with the first two weeks shifted to online classes and spring break shortened.
January 18 to 21 will be used for online make-up exams, and the spring semester will officially begin on January 25. To compensate for the one-week delay, Yale will shorten spring break by one week, moving it to March 18-28.
Yale will conduct remote teaching from January 25 to February 4. On-campus housing will be available for returning students starting January 14, with the latest move-in date being February 4. Under special circumstances, such as needing to take online make-up exams, students may return slightly later.
In-person teaching will resume on February 7.
Additionally, the university requires students to strictly follow epidemic prevention regulations, including:
-
Wear masks indoors and wash hands frequently
-
All students should get a booster dose by January 18 if possible
-
If diagnosed, must isolate from others
Stanford University
Stanford University's spring semester started on January 3. The school said the first two weeks will be conducted remotely, and returning students are required to receive a booster shot.
Except for a small number of students who cannot be vaccinated due to personal health reasons or religious beliefs, all other students must receive a booster dose by January 31. In addition, the school will impose certain restrictions on outdoor activities and dining on campus during the first two weeks.
New York University
New York University's spring reopening policy is also cautious, announcing that all courses in January will be conducted remotely.
Additionally, the school mandates COVID testing for faculty and students and requires a booster dose by January 18.
University of Southern California
USC says it plans to reopen its campus for the spring 2022 semester and resume in-person classes. However, given the raging pandemic, remote teaching will be used as a transition at the beginning of the semester.
The university stated that it will closely monitor the campus epidemic situation and make timely adjustments.
Regarding whether returning students will be required to receive a booster dose, the school said it is "possible."
University of California System
Additionally, at least five campuses in the UC system have announced plans to delay students' return to campus and conduct online classes for the first two weeks.
Canada: In-Person Classes Postponed
As variant viruses rage globally, the Canadian government has recently stated: avoid non-essential international travel.
We also advise students studying in Canada to pay close attention to travel policies while monitoring school notifications.
UBC
UBC's new semester will start on January 10, but in-person classes for most programs will be postponed until January 24.
The school has also reminded that starting January 15, international students must be fully vaccinated to enter Canada. Once in-person classes resume, the school strongly recommends that remote-learning students return to campus.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto stated that most courses will resume on January 10, but in-person learning for all courses will be postponed until January 31.
For students who cannot return to campus in time, they should contact the university as soon as possible to see if online course options are still available.
Additionally, the school requires returning students to be vaccinated and upload relevant proof.
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo recently announced that online classes originally scheduled to last until January 24 have been further postponed to January 27.
The school will provide faster testing and sell medical masks on campus, and recommends that students get booster shots, wear masks, and conduct self-testing.
McGill University
McGill University's new semester started on January 3. The university said that due to the pandemic, most teaching activities are conducted online, with only a few programs such as medicine and music having in-person classes.
Starting January 10, the school will prepare two plans based on the situation:
-
Plan A: Plan to resume all in-person teaching starting January 10
-
Plan B: If in-person classes cannot restart as planned, most teaching activities will remain online, with only Tier 1 courses (labs, clinical medicine, etc.) allowed to resume in-person; a re-evaluation will be made after two weeks.
The university stated that regardless of whether in-person teaching resumes, all students must return to Montreal by January 10 to prepare for the campus reopening.
UK: In-Person Teaching Expected to Resume
The Omicron virus is also rampant in the UK.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that the Plan B measures will continue for another three weeks: work from home where possible, wear masks in most public places, and use vaccine passports for entry to certain venues.
Recently, UK universities have been gradually resuming work, and many have already announced their spring semester plans.
University College London
UCL's 2022 spring semester will start in January and will continue with a hybrid model of in-person and online. Seminars, workshops, labs, and other small-scale teaching can be conducted in person, while large lectures will remain online.
Additionally, the school expects that most faculty and students will be fully vaccinated, and international students can also get vaccinated at UCL.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford stated that the 2022 spring semester will mainly be in-person. However, the school will closely monitor the campus epidemic situation and make timely adjustments.
The school requires returning students to undergo COVID testing and strongly recommends that students receive a booster dose.
For international students, the school advises closely monitoring local travel policies.
University of York
The University of York's spring semester will start on January 10, and exams in January will be conducted online.
The school has set the following rules for returning students:
-
Get a COVID test before returning to campus
-
Schedule a vaccination, preferably a booster shot
-
Wear masks in indoor public areas
-
Vaccine passport required for large social events
London School of Economics and Political Science
LSE plans to resume in-person teaching for the spring semester starting January 17.
However, considering quarantine, travel restrictions, etc., some students may not be able to return to campus on time. Therefore, some transitional arrangements will be made in the first 1-2 weeks. Students unable to attend in-person classes should communicate with their departments promptly.
The school also noted that even fully vaccinated students must take a COVID test upon arrival and self-isolate until a negative result is confirmed. International students are advised to allow sufficient time for quarantine before returning to campus.
The pandemic is still ongoing. We advise students overseas to get vaccinated promptly, minimize travel recently, pay attention to epidemic prevention, and put safety first.
For students taking online classes in China or planning to return to campus, it's best to closely monitor school policies and travel restrictions. Good luck with the spring semester!
