EVERY STUDENT HAS A STORY.
Read how 2022 College Return-to-Campus plans are impacting college students across the province.
The only reason I was able to go back to school after years of yearning is because it was finally offered online and accessible. In Winter 2022 I will no longer be able to attend school due to financial and health reasons. I cannot afford to commute four hours to classes, keep my part-time job and manage my health problem. During the pandemic Humber has displayed a great deal of flexibility, adaption and inclusiveness; so opting to revert back to what we can now recognize as exclusionary practices is unfortunate.
– 2nd Year Media & Creative Arts student, Humber College
I am concerned about balancing school and work. If work happened to be scheduled during a lecture time often I could conveniently watch the lecture on my own time to catch up on school. Other concerns are commuting to school, not being able to afford leaving my house, and making social connections at school in a safe manner.
– 2nd Year Media & Creative Arts student, Humber College
Registering for courses for Winter 2022 has been difficult for many students in my program and I am unsure if it is related to the fact that we are back in person next semester but this hasn’t made going back in class any more exciting with these difficulties.
- 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
The college could provide more hybrid options. They offer minimal class sections forcing students to travel to campus daily and no online opportunity to offset the inconvenience.
- 3rd Year Business student, Humber College
"It is also no fair that students don't have a choice."
The announcement of return to campus gave a very short time frame to be prepared. I think they should announce that the fall 2022 semester will be fully in person and then the winter semester should be fully online, any summer courses should be a hybrid and then back to fully in person in fall of 2022.
– 2nd Year Business Student, Humber College
I think that with the covid cases rising again, my college should be abandoning an in person return to campus in means of protecting our lives. We are not out of covid yet and so many high schools have closed in the month of november alone. Humber needs to take note of this and continue with online learning until it is fully safe to return.
I do not feel comfortable with having to return in person and risk my health and as well as my family's health during an unpredictable pandemic. Humber is a great school. However, if they really do decide to return to in person learning during this time, it will make me really lose some respect for this institution. I hope Humber makes the right choice and continues online learning for some programs.
– 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
47%
of respondents indicated their college is mandating in-person learning for Winter 2022
Please listen to their students’s wishes. The pandemic have not gone yet, we are unsecured if we go to school. Although school just allows anyone who got the vaccinations come to campus, there are still some cases are positive with Covid-19 whether they got fully vaccinations. Also, the school give us only 2 months to arrange our lives before back to school. I’m living in my country and our country are just blooming the pandemic and the country are in lockdown. There are no flights.
– 4th Year Business student, Humber College
They should have delayed the return to campus until fall 2022. They did not provide students with the proper amount of time to readjust their lifestyles to attend in person classes full time.
– 3rd Year Business student, Humber College
Humber College's Faculty of Business should offer online or hybrid classes, and not require all their students to return campus right away. I personally communicated with my Faculty Associate Dean he responded with, and I quote: "all business programs will return to in-person classes". When I asked once again to reconsider, Associate Dean James Cullin suggested that I defer a semester or two and return on September 2022 instead. This is not the best solution to the problem. He is suggesting that I delay my education and my future. This is very unacceptable and very poorly accommodating for domestic and international students alike. It is also no fair that students don't have a choice and be demanded to return to campus with very short notice.
– 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
Offer more online options and have more scheduling options for in-person classes. A lot of my courses are only offered at 8 am, for those of us that have to travel to campus by public transport this puts us more at risk to Covid since we would be traveling during rush hour. Having a combination of online options and in-person classes allows education to be accessible. It would also allow anyone who has children or is a caregiver the ability to have more flexibility to be able to complete their education.
– 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
They could have provided more than 10 weeks notice. They could have listened to a 4200+ signed petition from us students asking for choice/flex/hybrid. Ignite doesn't even advocate for us nor did they share this, I found it on your feed. We feel lost and completely ignored by our college. I regret having chosen them. It's pretty despicable.
– 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
Keep in-person classes on the same day. Especially in the winter semseter when we were only notified we'd have in person classes halfway through the fall semester, it's very very hard to find housing last second in the winter. As well, very hard because of return to canada restrictions at the border for students abroad right now to return home last minute/over the busy holiday season where testing times increase. Having a transition to in person classes would have been better for the fall semester.
– 3rd Year Technology student, Humber College
"In Winter 2022 I will no longer be able attend school due to financial and health reasons."
6.5/10
the average student rating of Ontario college
return-to-campus plans
Give students better chances to share their expectations, provide increased support for students who have to move to attend in-person classes, reach an agreement with staff so education is not undermined amidst extremely fragile circumstances, and reform fees so college becomes truly affordable.
– 4th Year Business student, Humber College
More clarity is needed for students to be able to understand why decisions are being made the way they are and to help them buy-in to the process. The college should have announced its decision, or at least teased that there would be a change in delivery, sooner so that students who needed/wanted to relocate in order to attend in-person would be able to do so. The college's current stance on in-person delivery is attend as scheduled or withdraw, no remote learning/asynchronous options will be offered to students who cannot relocate.
– 1st Year Applied Arts student, St Lawrence College
There is no return to school yet.Worried about their own health and that of their classmates and teachers. The challenge of getting back to normal learning and socializing with peers.
- 2nd Year Business student, Georgian College
The only reason I was able to go back to school after years of yearning is because it was finally offered online and accessible. In Winter 2022 I will no longer be able to attend school due to financial and health reasons. I cannot afford to commute four hours to classes, keep my part-time job and manage my health problem. During the pandemic Humber has displayed a great deal of flexibility, adaption and inclusiveness; so opting to revert back to what we can now recognize as exclusionary practices is unfortunate.
- 2nd Year Media & Creative Arts student, Humber College
I am concerned about balancing school and work. If work happened to be scheduled during a lecture time often I could conveniently watch the lecture on my own time to catch up on school. Other concerns are commuting to school, not being able to afford leaving my house, and making social connections at school in a safe manner.
- 2nd Year student, Humber College
"The college's current stance on in-person delivery is attend as scheduled or withdraw."
I currently work 2 part time jobs (one on campus and the other off campus). I’m concerned that with the shift to more in person classes, I’ll have to quit one and that will cause further financial stress as an international student.
- 1st Year Business student, Humber College
One of my major concerns is transportation for the semester. It will snow and I commute by bus or car which is a lot of extra money than I spend during the fall semester (because I usually walk places) However, it takes a much longer time due to the weather conditions so I will have to accommodate for that and choose times to commute as to not interfere with my class schedule(s).
- 1st Year Applied Science student, Guelph-Humber
23
total number of Ontario's colleges with students reporting concerns
Because we are going back to class, I am most concerned with the financial aid the school can offer as now I would have to cut back my hours at work which leaves me short for my living expenses including the roof over my head. This becomes a huge burden for me when going back to class winter 2022.
- 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
I’m a student with type 1 diabetes which is a disease that requires tight managing and is heavily impacted by routines and movement. Being able to do my program online has allowed me to have much better control of the disease and makes it so much easier for me to manage without running into serious complications. Going in person requires a lot of preparation and making sure I have enough snacks and medical supplies with me. I also have celiac disease, which means I have strict dietary restrictions, so making sure I have the proper meals to bring with me is important. All this luggage I bring, including books, effects my blood sugars because of the weight and when I have to commute, run around campus I’m susceptible to serious and fatal complications. Another major concern about going fully in person is the time spent commuting that can be used towards working on assignments and school work or for employment. Also the more money spent on commuting and buying food. It’s more feasible for a student to stay online. Also concerned about contracting COVID while on the long commutes to and from Humber.
- 2nd Year International Business student, Humber College
I am a mature student and have "special needs" children at home with weaker immune systems. Going to campus on a daily basis adds stress to my everyday life when thinking about compromising their wellbeing.
– 3rd Year Business student, Humber College
I am anxious and stressed out with the decision of Humber College of returning to school for Winter 2022. I experienced severe migraines most of the time and my travel time is 4hrs each day. I am not sure how will I be able to concentrate on my studies knowing I have severe migraines and high chance of being expose to covid. As much as they want students and faculty members to have social distance, it is impossible to do this especially for students.
– 4th Year Business student, Humber College
My major concern is getting the virus on campus since there will be too many people on campus. I don't feel safe returning to campus right now because cases are on the rise every day and if they make us go to take classes I a classroom with 35+ students with no ventilation we are going to get sick and not be able to study.
– 4th Year Business student, Humber College
6 weeks
the average amount of time students were given to find housing before Winter 2022 in-person learning
I am currently living in a different city from the college I attend. As a result of the pandemic, I no longer needed to be in Toronto for work or school and thus moved back to my home city. Seeing as online learning is very feasible, my main challenge is wasting money on accommodations just be close to campus when I can realistically do classes from anywhere if a hybrid delivery was in place.
- 3rd Year Business student, Humber College
I have no time given such short notice, to change my living situation to go back to campus. I wish I was told this in the fall or that in person was for summer 2022/ fall 2022. It’s disorganized and too fast for my comfort , it’s winter and flu season as well as I don’t live in a non pandemic world. My family was hit hard cuz of covid and although others can return back to normal I’m still waiting for this pandemic to end.
- 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
"I have no time given such short notice, to change my living situation to go back to campus."
I’m currently living with immunocompromised family members who can’t take the vaccine and I fear I can still spread it the Covid-19 virus to them. I also feel that we should have had a bigger notice because now I have less than two months for my family to rearrange our schedules and jobs and find daycares. I believe that until the numbers go down and variants stop fully we should not fully go back in person. I would like flexibility and choice.
– 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
I have a sister who is immunocompromised, if I am at all exposed I will not be allowed to see her. I also have a grandfather who we see very often who is 88 years old. I am also worried about my own health and well-being. I am currently also working from home. I am worried about being able to balance workloads between school and work, especially as someone who does need to work.
– 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
Main concern is commuting. Because we are going into the second semester there is difficulty with me finding a place on campus for only 4 months so I am forced to commute which will take up a lot of my day
– 3rd Year Social Science student, Humber College
I am currently unvaccinated for health reasons, however because I haven't taken one of the shots and had something bad happen to me, I can't get a medical exemption. I am currently stuck deciding whether I should take the risk to my health and get vaccinated or be forced to defer the next semester of school/drop out of my program?
– 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
70%
of students reported experiencing negative mental health due
to COVID-19
"Very concerned for social distancing, academic stress, and mental health aspects."
I'm concerned about going back to campus fully in-person. The students have made a case to faculty and the school about providing us with hybrid options, however we have been ignored. It made me realize how much Humber does not care about students individual concerns, mental health or education. I wish I had chosen a different school
– Business student, Humber College
Full-time student, 2 part-time jobs, mortgage and household expenses are manageable now. Moving from online to full in-person programming means commuting 3 hours to and from campus daily! It is highly stressful, expensive and time consuming. Very concerned for social distancing, academic success, and mental health impacts.
- 4th Year Business student, Humber College
I feel really concern to return to campus on the Winter 2022 because COVID-19 cases are rising everyday and I don't feel safe going to campus where the ventilation is not good enough. Even with the vaccines and masks, half cases of COVID-19 are in people fully vaccinated. There is no guarantee from the vaccines and I my mental health is at risk because I feel really stressed by thinking I have to return to campus and I might get COVID-19. There are too many students in a closed space class with no ventilation for 3 hours.. very concerning. I wish my school reconsider their decision to make everyone safe.
– 3rd Year Business student, Humber College
I feel uncomfortable if i have to back to school. Because I’m living in my country and the pandemic is blooming seriously. There are no flights to overseas or even entering. My country is in lockdown. Also, i feel unsecured when coming back to school because the pandemic has not gone yet. In spite of getting full vaccinations, there are still some cases are positive with Covid-19 or new viruses. What if I’m back to school and someone else get the virus but they don’t know and spread it to others fellow??? My live will be in dangerous!!! I don’t wanna back to school at this time. Please take a serious look and consideration on this.
– 4th Year Business student, Humber College
20
maximum number of hours an international student can work off-campus per week
I am an international student who live in Ontario with two kids. Winter 2022 In person Update made me very difficult situation. I have no relative here and we are still in ongoing pandemic. My house, kids, our routines and lots of things. Lots of college and university still has online option and when I check my program, I only have in person options. I have two kids who doesn’t have covid vaccine. When they have runny nose or coughing what should I do. How am I going to isolate myself with in person classes, in person presentation or test/exams? It will be my last semester and I already attend all my classes like in person all those semesters. Today I have lots of friends who want to take classes online. Students should still be able to attend classes remotely if they are able to engage completely. We should be able to make our own decisions. It should be possible to engage in class remotely
- 2nd Year Business student, Humber College
My biggest concern is being able to pay rent and my bills while going to campus full time. My work situation has changed due to COVID and I need to work full time to support myself. In addition, I am still concerned about becoming ill due to being on campus. I have family members who have had serious life threatening reactions to contracting COVID and has made me concerned I will have similar side affects or get them sick again.
– 3rd Year Business student, Humber College
I have a 5 year old who goes to school 5 minutes walk away from my home, getting her in the day care is next to impossible because I am on a very long waiting list. If I am to return on campus my husband will have to leave his job to take and pick up my daughter from school as well as take care of her when she is home which will put us in a financial strain. Travelling on the bus to and from campus will put me and my family at risk in contracting the virus.
– 2nd Year International Business student, Humber College
I moved out of province during the pandemic, found worthwhile employment, increased my savings. All of that will be gone if I need to return to campus for the winter semester. I had arranged to do my co-op at this employer for the summer of 2022. Now I need to move back to Toronto, find suitable housing, new employment and a new co-op that is in line with my career goals and financially rewarding. All in all, the potential to go back to campus for this 1 semester is going to cost me over $10,000 outside of tuition.
– 3rd Year Business student, Humber College
64%
of all students indicated personal finances was their #1 concern for Winter 2022
I need to work to provide for my family, with the current pandemic it's been really hard. It would make it a bit easier if the school continues online because I won't be wasting time in the public transportation to get to school, instead I'll be working. If is in person, I can't work, I can't pay for living expenses
– 3rd Year Business & mature student, Humber College
I’m concerned because I don’t think the college is actually listening to our returns. Many students are abroad, uncomfortable with in person learning or can afford to rearrange their lives in order to attend in person learning. I live with several vulnerable family members and I am scared that the school isn’t being considerate.
– 4th Year Business & BIPOC student
I live on my own and I pay my own bills. Because of the pandemic I decided to return to school since all courses are online. After a year that I've adjusted my entire lifestyle to online learning and also working full-time, the last-minute demand to return to in-person learning next semester is very inconsiderate of Humber College. I am a domestic student who needs to work full-time to fund my living situation, who is also under OSAP Full-time. If I defer my education, I will lose my OSAP funding by a semester. If I lose my OSAP funding, I will not be able to help fund my living space. I have nowhere else to live if I leave my apartment and go homeless. The adjustments I've made to do online learning and work full-time works very well, and now that the requirement to return to campus next semester not only affects me but my peers as well. Some single parents now have to worry about babysitters or day-care to look after their young child(ren), a few friends of mine that are international students are on student visas that would either lose their visas if they aren't able to return to campus, or some had revoked their visa applications because of COVID-19 restrictions of their home countries and Canada, and are not able to rush into their visa applications, and many more reasons to address. This decision by Humber College is inconsiderate and we hope they would reconsider adding options to online/hybrid/flex/choice classes.
– 2nd year Business & mature student
I live 3 hours away from college, and i cannot commute to college every day. Would be great if they listened to students.
- 4th Year Business & International student, Humber College
I'm terrified of going to school. I have a mother with cancer and even though we are all fully vaccinated i know that the virus can kill her. I dont know how exactly i will be able to avoid getting the virus when i will be using public transportation 3hours per classday, to get into a classroom full of students. Humber's classrooms are tiny.
– 4th Year Business student, Humber College
"I'm terrified of going to school. I have a mother with cancer and even though we are all fully vaccinated I know that the virus can kill her."
I currently reside in Cambridge Ontario, still haven’t found a place closer to campus - i am a full time single mom, full time student, and not vaccinated due to religious restrictions - i have been denied for an exemption - i am on waiting lists on every licensed daycare centre surrounding campus - i have been given almost no choice but to drop out, and hope to make ends meet without OSAP.
– 1st year Business & BIPOC student, Humber College
I'm personally in another country at the moment for my Fall semester and due to last minute changes in the Winter semester location (in person, not just online), I'm struggling to return home in time. Especailly with the holiday travel testing time increasing, making a 72 hour test hard to acquire.
– 3rd year Business & LGBTQ+ student, Humber College
The biggest concern I have sometimes is being able to pay for my tuition. I work a part time job and sometimes its hard to balance school and work.
– 3rd year Early Childhood studies student & BIPOC student, Humber College
