The COVID-19 pandemic through its health, social, political, and economic effects is having a tremendous impact on us all. The breadth of our experiences and response to this crisis are key to how we will come to understand this historical moment and the many transformations to come.
The University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services (UTARMS) is actively collecting documentation of U of T’s institutional response to the COVID-19 pandemic through our records management programme for University Record transfers, capturing selected institutional websites and social media, as well as tracking the research and teaching environment as faculty adapt to new requirements and considerations. UTARMS is also interested in capturing first-person testimony from U of T’s community of students, staff, alumni and faculty to document the perspectives and lived experiences of the many individuals who shape the University.
We are inviting individuals to participate in our COVID-19 Collecting Community Experience Project by filling out this questionnaire. These submissions will be collected and preserved for future researchers to gain insight into the concerns, reflections, and reactions of U of T’s community. We are seeking personal reflections that capture how this pandemic has shaped your life and speak to what you are experiencing in the classroom, at home, through your work, and research.
Stay tuned for further details on how to access the collection.
Our COVID-19 Collecting Community Experience Project asks participants to answer six broad questions, however we also encourage you consider the following questions based on your association with the University and experience during the pandemic.
Students
- Tell us what it was like to finish the semester while dealing with a pandemic?
- How has the transition to online learning been?
- How are you sustaining your studies during this period of social distancing and self-quarantine?
- Has the pandemic altered your plans for your future studies?
Faculty
- What are some of the effects of moving to a virtual learning environment?
- What supports are you being asked to provide from students, colleagues, and collaborators?
- How has the pandemic impacted your research, either in concept, through constraints or changing relationships?
Staff
- Have you been able to continue working, or has there been a shift in your daily University-related work responsibilities?
- Are you working from home, or does the nature of your work require you to work on campus?
- How has your daily work-routine changed?
- Do you still feel connected to your colleagues and the University?
All U of T Community Members
- How are you balancing your work with your other responsibilities, whether you are working from home, on the front-line or otherwise?
- Has the pandemic shifted your some of your priorities and interests?
- How are you thinking about your role within a community or your civic responsibility?