Private: COVID-19 Updates and FAQs
for Newly Admitted Students
Welcome to Our Incoming Students!
Message from the Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Dear Incoming Students,
We look forward to welcoming you to the Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto and our exciting academic and co-curricular learning opportunities in September. As part of our preparations, we are very carefully considering the implications of the current COVID-19 worldwide pandemic on the learning environment in the Fall Session. We understand this is a stressful time for everyone – a time of many questions, challenges and uncertainties.
Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. Changes are occurring as the province and its municipalities adjust to new data about the virus. Due to these circumstances, you have been advised that changes to the manner of delivery of courses in the program have been made for the Fall Term. Additionally, changes may become necessary in the Winter Term. We thank you in advance for your flexibility during these challenging times as we work together to maintain the standards of excellence that are the hallmark of the M.H.Sc. Speech-Language Pathology Program.
Your health and the health of the community remain our priorities during this pandemic and throughout the gradual lifting of current restrictions. We will continue to deliver educational content remotely for the Fall Session, as advised, with the exception of November 23, 25 and 26, for clinical skills education. Fortunately, as a world-class university, we have high-quality resources available to instructors and students to teach and learn effectively in remote environments.
Academic Orientation sessions will continue to go ahead. Student-led social orientation events are being planned on-line as well. There will also be many valuable opportunities for you to interact and collaborate with your peers and to engage in important co-curricular activities to round out an exceptional student experience.
The School of Graduate Studies has posted a FAQ page that you may find helpful https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/covid19/
Although there is uncertainty today about the extent of disruption we will all face before normal activities can resume, we assure you that we are committed and well-equipped to provide you with an exceptional graduate student experience.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Martino, PhD
Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Message from the Chair
As Chair of the Department of Speech-Language Pathology I want to extend a very warm welcome to our incoming students, who will be officially joining us in September. This will be a year that is different from previous years due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we want to assure you that despite the challenges associated with a different learning environment, we will make sure that we continue to deliver a high quality educational experience that will meet your needs and our requirements as an accredited speech-language pathology program in Canada.
Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. Changes will likely occur as the province and its municipalities adjust to new data about the virus. In these circumstances, please be advised that changes to our program, including the manner of delivery of courses, services and possible limits on co-curricular and clinical opportunities, may become necessary. We thank you in advance for your flexibility during these challenging times as we work together to maintain the standards of excellence that are the hallmark of the MHSc program in speech-language pathology.
In the meantime we look forward to meeting you online and to getting you started on your path to an exciting and rewarding career in our profession. A profession that has had a positive impact during the pandemic and will continue to do so for people recovering from COVID-19 and those with communication and /or swallowing disorders.
Below you will find helpful information and answers to questions you may have as you make plans to join us in the fall.
Stay safe and well over the summer!
Pascal van Lieshout, Ph.D. Professor & Chair
Changes to the Department Admission Requirements
2020 Winter Term Grades & Credit / No Credit (CR/NCR)
For the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, the Department of Speech-Language Pathology will accept a CR notation for prerequisite courses completed in the Winter 2020 term only (this includes Fall/Winter 2019-2020 year and Winter 2020 term courses). A CR notation for a Summer 2020 course will be accepted only if no other option was offered by the university where the course was taken. Since a CR notation is excluded from GPA calculations, we encourage you to choose a high grade over CR, especially if it affects your GPA positively.
Message from the School of Graduate Studies
We look forward to welcoming you to exciting academic and co-curricular learning opportunities. In preparation for welcoming you, we’re carefully considering the implications that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the Fall term’s learning environment.
This is a stressful time for everyone – a time of many questions, challenges and uncertainties. We’re committed to finding ways to allow newly enrolled students, including international students, to begin their studies at the University of Toronto in the 2020-21 academic year, regardless of potential restrictions that may be in place in September.
Your health and the health of the community remain our priorities during this pandemic and throughout the gradual lifting of restrictions. We would very much like to return to in-person education in September, but if our public health officials recommend against this, we will continue to deliver educational content remotely. As a world-class university, we have high-quality resources available to instructors and students, allowing effective teaching and learning in remote environments. Our outstanding faculty members will continue to work with students, offering the high quality of teaching and mentorship for which U of T is known.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
For some students access to placements, internships and other experiential learning opportunities may continue to be restricted in the fall term. If this occurs, your graduate supervisor or graduate coordinator will be able to provide you with an alternative plan of study such as postponing these endeavours until a later date or meeting the learning outcomes of these experiences in alternative ways. If your placement or internship is required for accreditation purposes, your graduate unit will develop an alternative plan for you to meet these requirements.
Quality of Student Experience
We’re working closely with public health authorities to determine when and how to facilitate a safe return to campus, classrooms and research spaces this fall. Although on-campus activities may be modified, your U of T experience will begin this September. There will be many valuable opportunities for you to interact and collaborate with your peers and to engage in important co-curricular activities to round out an exceptional student experience. Additional academic supports will be provided remotely through the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication and the Graduate Professional Development program.
The Division of Student Life will provide remote opportunities to orient you to university life, help to develop a sense of community, and bolster your personal health and well-being. For international students, the Centre for International Experiences provides high-quality programming to welcome you to Canada and the University of Toronto. Although there is uncertainty today about the extent of disruption we face, we’re well-equipped and committed to providing you with an exceptional graduate student experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Newly Admitted Students are posted on the SGS COVID-19 webpage.
General questions regarding admissions can be found on the SLP department FAQ webpage here.