Message from the President (September 15)

Posted on Wednesday, September 15th, 2021

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

Once again, the excitement of AC Day 1 and the flurry of first week activities has re-energized our College Community and has fully engaged everyone for the fall term after some well-deserved summer vacation. A big thank you to those of you who were either teaching during the spring/summer term, were busy supporting our learners or preparing our campuses for the fall term.

We are now seeing that our gradual and safe approach to returning our campuses to their full vibrancy – and your continuing commitment to following public health guidelines – is paying dividends for everyone.

Half of the College’s programs now have an in-person component this term. We will also see a return of a limited number of organized events and an increase in support services on campus this fall, such as the re-opening of our libraries. This is another positive sign of the progress we are making together.

As always, we continue to closely monitor and respond to any changes in public health policy and guidelines. This included developing our Mandatory Vaccine Policy and user guide, and updating our Mobile Safety App to serve as the primary vehicle to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19. To date, over 9,500 College Community Members have used the App to register their vaccination status. Of these applicants, over 90% are either fully or partially vaccinated.

It is encouraging to see that many of our College Community have rolled up their sleeves to be fully vaccinated, and we will continue our vigilance to keep our Algonquin community healthy and safe. Algonquin College Health Services is now booking appointments by phone to administer first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines to students and employees at its Ottawa Campus clinic. You can check here for details, and other for opportunities to book a vaccine appointment. For details at Pembroke and Perth campuses, please check here.

In previous communiqués, it was indicated that October 12, 2021 is the deadline by which College community members are expected to have achieved full vaccination (required dose regimen plus a 14-day wait period).

The College recognizes that this policy has been prepared and implemented with very short notice for many of our College Community members in response to recent changes in the provincial mandate. This has posed a challenge for many of our learners and employees, who may now be pursuing vaccination in order to comply with the policy requirements to meet the October 12^th date.

We strongly support those College Community members who have responded and who have now received their first dose of the vaccine and are waiting the required period to receive the second dose. Following the second dose, there is a requisite wait period of 14 days for immunity to build before one is considered fully vaccinated. These required time periods will extend beyond the October 12^th deadline that has been previously communicated, and we want to assure these College community members that their access to campuses and in-person activities will not be disrupted as a result.

Therefore, to recognize the required turnaround times and wait periods, the deadline for College Community members who are actively pursuing vaccination is being extended until October 30^th, 2021. Please note, in order to reach this deadline, you must have your second shot no later than October 16, 2021. In addition, the College reimbursement policy for COVID-19 testing for these persons will also be extended to October 30th, 2021 to encourage continued participation in the vaccination program.

Please note, however, until you are fully vaccinated, the requirement for regular rapid antigen testing to be able to access campuses and in-person activities still applies, and if you are not fully vaccinated as of October 30th, you will be unable to access campus after that point. Until this deadline, a reminder that eligible learners and employees can access rapid tests on campus at no cost, or be reimbursed for approved tests accessed elsewhere.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a successful, safe, and healthy Fall Term.

Sincerely,

Claude Brulé

President and CEO

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