Message from the President – May 14
Posted on Thursday, May 14th, 2020
Dear Colleagues and Learners,
As we wind down our ninth week of physical distancing, it is reassuring to see signs of spring and also indications that we are gradually and safely in the process of easing the lockdown. Just this week, select retail stores with a street entrance were able to offer curbside pickups, following the good news that hardware stores and garden centres could also open for business with modified operations to ensure the health and safety of staff and customers.
Here at Algonquin, we are also seeing encouraging signs that life at the College is moving forward, most notably with the beginning of our Spring Term. Our Ottawa Campus will be making history with our first-ever virtual AC Day 1 on May 19. Just as in the past, our learners will be able to get involved in social activities, meet their professors, sign up for orientation, and learn about the many supports we offer to guide them on their academic journey — and everything will be accessible from the comfort and safety of their own homes. You can find more information about our virtual AC Day 1 here. (Note that this programming is only available to our Ottawa Campus students. Our Perth and Pembroke Campuses do not have Level 1 intakes this term and so there are no orientation activities scheduled at those locations.)
We also recognize that our learners need more than academic and extra-curricular support — many are also in need of financial support. Last month, we were proud to announce our COVID-19 Emergency Student Fund and I am pleased to report that the spring allotment of these funds will be open from May 15-25. The application will be available through ACSIS by logging in and clicking on the Bursary Portal, which is under the Financial Aid heading. (This fund will also be available to Fall term students starting on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.) You can find more information here and in the letter that Laura Stanbra, Vice President, Student Services, sent to all our learners yesterday.
We continue to look ahead to the Fall term and our academic teams are working hard to build a framework that will support our learners. This framework is built on guiding principles and a phased approach aligned with key documents and directions from the provincial government, public health authorities, and the Ontario College system’s Committee of Presidents. This framework is flexible and can be adapted to a variety of scenarios, such as being able to resume normal operations; opening with some restrictions regarding face-to-face instruction; or not being able to conduct any in-person instruction.
At the present time, we believe the most likely scenario, based on current provincial planning, is a restricted face-to-face model. This would involve a mixture of remote and face-to-face learning. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution but we know that our learners, employees, and applicants are looking for clarity to help them plan for the future. For this reason, Chris Janzen, our Senior Vice President, Academic, yesterday released details to both employees and learners about our Fall term planning principles and assumptions so far. He will continue to provide additional information in the weeks ahead as detailed plans are developed. You can find both of Dr. Janzen’s letters on this subject here.
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that our campuses are still closed. Only employees who have received permission from their supervisor to attend campus for a valid purpose are permitted on site, and written authorization must be provided to Security Services by your Chair/Manager in advance of your visit. Security can be reached at security@algonquincollege.com. At this time, students are asked not to attend the College for any reason. All lockers and their contents will be kept secure, and we are working on a curbside pick-up program so that you can retrieve any items you left behind. We hope to have more information about this program very soon — please check your email, our social media channels and our information site (www.algonquincollege.com/coronavirus) for updates.
We all continue to face many challenges at this time and our “new normal” is still requiring significant adjustments both at work and at home. I would like to give special recognition to the many parents in our College community who are juggling work, studies and the demands of childcare, homeschooling and so much more. As difficult as things are at this time, I would like to thank you for the extraordinary job that you are doing — at work, in your classes, and with your children. You are raising a generation that will understand the importance of resilience and, I am sure, the value of caring.
Stay healthy and well, everyone, and please enjoy the Victoria Day long weekend.
Sincerely,
Claude Brulé
President and CEO
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