SUDBURY -- Hallways, classrooms and labs are nearly empty at Laurentian University due to changes brought on by COVID-19

One of the few locations on campus where students are present is the cafeteria. Visitors say things are very different now compared to before.

"We're not allowed to touch certain things anymore. The utensils, at first they would start handing it out where as before, we could just grab them ourselves, and today they've switched to single use plastic utensils so they're already wrapped in plastic, “ said Sadie Smith, a Laurentian University student.

“And the things like drinks, we can't get ourselves anymore they have a table blocking out that area and someone serves it to us."  

"There's a fusion bar where we used to get our own vegetables and they would fry them, but now they have to do that for us. So it's been a very drastic change but I think it's better to help stop the spread of germs," said Aspen Vekved, a Laurentian University student.

Almost a week ago, Laurentian suspended all in person classes as a precautionary measure. Most of the classes were moved to online, and officials say it will stay that way until further notice.

"I think we're getting to be most of the way there. There are things that we can do but it depends on the nature of the course and so forth, but remember, we are 75% of the way or 80% of the way through term already so the amount of the material that still needs to be communicated is relatively small," said Robert Haché, President of Laurentian University.

Some students have mixed feelings about learning online.

"It's a little but different, you're use to always going into class. A lot of the professors just ask you to do a zoom class so almost like a Skype call kind of. I know a lot of my classmates and friends are doing that kind of stuff. I guess the biggest worry with it is exams, presentations, thesis defence all that kind of stuff," said Awab Ramadan, student at Laurentian University.

"It's a bit strange, like I don't really know what to do with myself. It's hard to gage time management but especially for my program, doing classes online is hard because it's supposed to be hands on so it's hard to learn," said Madeline Jefferies, student at Laurentian University.

Haché says university staff have been taking the necessary steps to minimize the density of people in the facility.