LU students in Sudbury have packed their bags and are heading home

Laurentian students moving out of dorms early Mixed feelings as Laurentian students move out of dorms early after in-person classes cancelled for rest of the year. Molly Frommer reports.

Sudbury — Belongings are packed and students at Laurentian University who live on residence are making the trek home a few weeks early.

University officials sent an email to students encouraging them to return home if they are able to.

Parents were on campus to help, and many say they have mixed feelings.

"As a parent, it's concerning because you've got your kids away from home and you don't know what's happening, they're closing the school down are they not?  What about food and all that? So having two of them here it's pretty tough as a parent," said parent Lillian Bowhey.

"I'm from London. I've got twin boys, one goes to Windsor, and the other goes to Laurentian, and I am kind of surprised that school is done early and I have to go pick them up and it's far away," said Chinh Nguyen, parent

One student impacted by these changes is Mamadou Giallo. He made the big move from Africa to Sudbury in January to study at Laurentian.

"All my friends are leaving,  so that will be boring to stay learning in residence so I have to leave, but I don't have any family or relatives in Canada here,  so I will live in Sudbury and wait for better situation."

Giallo says he will be using the money he gets as a reimbursement from the school to rent another place to live.

Students were also given the news that there will be no in class exams this semester.

"All of those formal exam settings have been transformed into an alternative method, so that could mean that students now have a take home exam, that could mean that the final exam is changed from a multiple choice essay based question to simply an essay that needs to be returned so each instructor will determines what that looks like," said Serge Demers, Vice President of Laurentian University.

Laurentian officials say instructors will contact students with more details about alternative evaluation methods by Mar. 25.