Message from the President, December 8

Posted on Wednesday, December 8th, 2021

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

When we turn our calendars over to the month of December and daylight hours grow shorter, snow shovels make their first appearance and our neighbourhoods begin to be lit up at night for the holiday season, we know the winter season is upon us.

In these last few weeks before we take a well-deserved break, there will be a flurry of holiday-related activities and final preparations for the fast-approaching Winter Term 2022. On this last point, the Integrated College Development Planning Committee released its Transitional Return to Campus Plan last week.

The Transitional Return to Campus Plan aims to provide a general planning framework to administrative and academic leaders to achieve a coordinated, coherent and safe campus continued reintegration and gradual resumption of in‐person, on‐campus activities for the 2022 Winter Term and beyond. You can read the full plan at this link here. The coming Winter Term will mark another step toward a return to a more vibrant and engaging on-campus experience, as we invite even more activity back to our campuses, as well as a corresponding increase in the level of on-campus student supports. You can find more information on Winter Term plans at this link.

The College has safely increased activity on campuses since July of 2020 through reliance on infection prevention and control measures, and adherence to the range of regulatory requirements. With the additional protection of strong vaccination rates that have been achieved by the entire College community, we are confident that our campuses will continue to be safe environments for learning and working.

As we have throughout the pandemic, all of our planning will continue to be guided by public health guidelines. We continue to monitor all updates from the Provincial and Federal governments, including those on case counts, the status of the Omicron variant and the emergence of the use of ‘booster’ vaccinations. If policy directives are announced that impact College operations, they will be communicated to all learners and employees. If you are planning to travel this holiday season, please be aware of certain risks and updates as per the latest information from the Government of Canada, including the Canada Border Services Agency and Public Health Agency of Canada.

A reminder that the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, classmates and colleagues is to be fully vaccinated. Looking ahead to the Winter Term, all those planning/or required to attend campus in January should submit their proof of full vaccination or exemption attestation by December 10, 2021 to ensure that your application can be reviewed or assessed without delay. During the holiday closure from December 24, 2021 until our reopening January 3, 2022, delays in processing time should be anticipated. Please check this link for other important deadlines around vaccination status ahead of the Winter Term’s start.

Our College community calendar remains busy for the month of December, and I encourage all learners and employees to take part in the many events that will be offered. I would especially like to invite all employees to join me during my upcoming December 22 Holiday Coffee Break. Be sure to wear your favourite holiday sweater. You can register at the link here. Until then, stay safe and keep warm.

Sincerely,

Claude Brulé
President and CEO
Algonquin College


Comments

Comments are closed.