Message from the President – July 15

Posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2021

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

The Province of Ontario has announced that it will be proceeding to Step 3 in its Roadmap to Reopen starting Friday, July 16 at 12:01 a.m. The announcement is welcome news and comes a week ahead of schedule, as key public health indicators continue to improve and the province-wide vaccination rate reaches set targets.

Recently Chris Janzen, the College’s Senior Vice President, Academic, provided an update on the Fall Term, which indicated that while plans for academic programming have been determined, a loosening of public health restrictions could allow for more service and activity options on our campuses.

Ontario’s transition to Step 3 includes many changes, such as the reopening of indoor dining and permitting outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people. The College’s leadership team is currently examining these regulations to determine how they could impact our existing plans by increasing the number of learners and employees that could safely be accommodated and supported on our campuses. The health and safety of our learners and employees will remain the top priority, and any updates to our current plans will be communicated to the entire College Community.

Step 3 changes to campus services include the re-opening of Restaurant International for indoor dining on Friday, July 16 – at 50 per cent capacity – and the re-opening of The Observatory while supporting social distancing. For the latest updates on service restrictions on all our campuses, please visit here; and for an update from the Students’ Association on the Fitness Zone, visit here.

As for employees, in mid-August we will be in a better position to update you on what activities and who will be returning onsite for the Fall Term. For now, if you are working remotely, your position will continue to work remotely until your manager communicates the plans for your program or service area.

Moving into Step 3 does not change the longstanding requirement to maintain all public health safety protocols. We must continue to follow physical distancing and mask-wearing requirements, and practice hand-washing. All COVID-19 health and safety protocols at the College remain in place, including the use of the College COVID-19 App to self-screen before attending onsite for anyone required to be on campus.

You have made countless sacrifices since the start of the pandemic to help prevent COVID-19 transmission in our broader community, and it is encouraging to see restrictions beginning to ease. However, with variants continuing to pose a serious threat, it is essential that we maintain our collective resolve and do everything we can to push across the finish line.

This includes being vaccinated. Many of you are doing your part to help us reach community immunity, and I strongly encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated. While Fall academic plans have been established, receiving your first and second shots as soon as they are available will help us protect each other and allow the College to continue a gradual return to a vibrant campus life we have been missing – including potentially expanding services and non-academic activities over the coming term. It is also the surest way to protect each other and make a full return to a more normal way of life – including seeing our loved ones and travelling.

Individuals aged 12 and over in 2021 across Ontario are now eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. All Ontarians aged 18 and over who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine are eligible to book an appointment to receive their second ahead of schedule. Appointments can be made through the provincial booking system and call centre.

You can find local vaccination information at the websites for Ottawa Public Health, the Renfrew County District Health Unit or the Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit. Algonquin College’s Vaccination Clinic on the Ottawa Campus is currently fully booked for July, but you can watch for updates on possible openings here. If you reside in Québec, you can find vaccination information here.

I know that many of us are or will shortly be taking some well-deserved time off to spend precious moments with family, and enjoy simple summer pleasures – made that much more enticing and pleasant after the long months of shutdowns and restrictions. At the same time, we continue to move forward with caution – each of us doing our part – knowing how challenging it has been to reach this promising point, and that a full recovery is now within our reach.

Stay well everyone.

Sincerely,

Claude Brulé

President and CEO

Algonquin College

 


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