Algonquin College Residence Welcomes Students for 2022 Winter Term

Posted on Friday, January 21st, 2022

The team at Algonquin College Residence welcomed back students last week for the 2022 Winter Term.

Residence staff just under 200 students move into a 1000-person residence this January, remarkably high number in part due to a growing waitlist as students delayed their move-in from last fall. To connect with new student residents and share on-campus resources information, the Residence Life team held a welcome ceremony before AC Day 1 – the first for a winter semester.

“We wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity for the students to get to know the Residence Life team, including their RAs and management team,” says Brittanie Walker-Reid, Residence Life Manager. “We also shared opportunities for engaging in the community virtually, whether it’s the college or residence community, in terms of programming and support resources we have available for them.”

The Residence Life Program within the residence hosts a number of resources for new and returning students. As with cross College campuses, safety is a top priority in Residence. At the welcome ceremony, information about the Residence Community Living Standards and COVID-19 guidelines was shared with students. Safely living in a congregate residence while studying and participating in the community was also discussed.

Several processes are in place to limit person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. Students who come into contact with COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms can text Residence management for instructions on how to isolate and receive campus supports. Menu order forms are delivered to students via text, Food Services then delivers the meals to Residence where residence staff bring them directly to students’ doors, so they can continue to self-isolate. For details on what to do if experiencing symptoms in Residence, click here.

Virtual events continue to engage students living in Residence. Events in January include “make it in a mug” cooking demonstrations, games nights, and “make your own” craft workshops. Along with regular virtual events, several new initiatives are taking place this term.

“We’re running a pilot with Project Lighthouse and library staff who support Brightspace to run a sexual violence prevention training program, where students living in Residence go into their Brightspace account and do some training on sexual violence prevention,” says Walker-Reid. “The goal is to hopefully make it an across-campus initiative.”

Walker-Reid highlights the support Campus Services and Student Support Services continues to offer students living in Residence through virtual engagement. Health Services, Counselling Services, Algonquin Students’ Association and the Wellness & Equity Centre are only some of the College services partnering with Residence to connect with students.

“I just want to thank the College for their constant commitment to keeping residents front of mind…it’s really wonderful to feel the support of the College community for those students that are physically on campus,” she says. “It’s something for Algonquin to be really proud of.”

To learn more about Residence visit www.algonquincollege.com/residence.


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