With careful consideration for the ongoing health and safety of those required to attend our campuses – and in line with Ontario’s 24 Colleges – Algonquin College will be maintaining its vaccine policy until at least the end of Winter term 2022. This includes maintaining our proof of vaccination requirement.
This decision comes after thorough discussions with local public health officials and the Chief Medical Officer of Health over the past week. As the Province lifted capacity limits in all remaining indoor public settings and discontinued vaccine passports as of March 1, it also provided businesses and other settings the choice to continue to require proof of vaccination.
Until further notice, our vaccination policy will remain unchanged – this includes providing proof of vaccination (two approved doses) or a valid exemption (as set out in our policy) and continued screening before being permitted entrance to our campuses. Masks also continue to be required until further notice. Please see this link for details on our policy and its requirements.
OTTAWA (February 28, 2022) – Algonquin College has formed a new partnership with CDI College. The partnership licenses CDI College to deliver select Algonquin College programs to students at its four campuses in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, beginning in Mississauga in the fall of 2022.
CDI College, a private career college, opened its first campus in Toronto in 1969 and operates campuses across Canada with over 14,000 students. “We change lives through education” has remained its founding principle after over 50 years delivering hands-on, applied learning programs in the fields of business, technology, education, health care, legal studies, and arts and design.
“We are excited to be entering this agreement with CDI College, a partner with a commitment to educational excellence and sharing the same core values of caring and respecting learners that we adhere to at Algonquin College. The potential for positive outcomes with this agreement is significant and includes collaboration in recruitment and innovative program delivery,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin College President and CEO.
The news and images coming from Ukraine are devastating and I want to reach out to all those in our College Community who may be affected by this unfolding tragedy.
We have learners from both Ukraine and Russia currently enrolled and registered at the College. I know that some of our learners and employees also have friends and/or family directly affected by these events. I can confirm that our International Education Centre has directly connected by email with all of our students from Ukraine and Russia, and has offered them support.
If you or someone you know needs assistance – counselling services and supports are available. Please reach out to this link to find College supports for both learners and employees and the Government of Canada information page. AC Resources and Supports | Student Support Services (algonquincollege.com)
February 24, 2022 OTTAWA PEMBROKE and PERTH, ON –Claude Brulé, President and CEO, Algonquin College, announced today five names of Ottawa community leaders who will be awarded honorary degrees at the College’s Spring Convocation.
“We are proud to recognize and celebrate this accomplished group of community leaders”, said Mr. Brulé. “Their contributions to their individual fields have enriched the lives of many and we are pleased to recognize their incredible achievements.”
The honorees are:
Faculty of Arts, Media and Design
Catherine Clark, Co-Founder, The Honest Talk
AC Online
Goldy Hyder, President & CEO, Business Council of Canada
Faculty of Health, Community Studies and Public Safety (Health)
Alex Munter, President and CEO, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Faculty of Health, Community Studies and Public Safety (Community Studies)
This week, the Province of Ontario announced that it is moving forward with its next step in their reopening plan to cautiously lift some public health measures a few days earlier than expected, with additional restrictions being removed effective today (February 17, 2022).
The changes include increasing social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, and increasing organized public event limits to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoors. The Provincial announcement can be found at this link.
The Province has indicated that its decision is based on COVID-19 positivity rates falling and new admissions to hospitals and Intensive Care Units declining week over week.
The Province also announced this week – that if indicators continue to improve – it intends to take additional steps to ease public health measures effective March 1, 2022. This includes lifting capacity limits in all remaining indoor public settings. Ontario also plans to lift proof of vaccination requirements for all settings at that time. Should that be the case, this means that as of March 1 – as per Provincial direction – vaccine passports at the College will be discontinued. However, all screening requirements will remain in place for those who need to attend our campuses.
Like many of you, I have been monitoring the situation in downtown Ottawa as it continues to unfold and affect the City.
Last week, the College issued a post over social media to encourage all of our learners and employees who may be adversely impacted by the situation to reach out. I want to reiterate and extend that message today – to ensure that the entire College community is aware that we understand that the circumstances downtown can be distressing for some and we are here to help.
Learners, including those on work placements, should contact their faculty/placement support officers regarding any issues they may be experiencing. I urge faculty to show understanding and compassion to learners whose ability to engage in their studies is being limited by the protests.
If any employee or learner needs support, or simply needs to connect, please see the list of resources available at this link.
OTTAWA (FEB. 8, 2022) – Algonquin College is announcing the launch of two new bursaries that will be available to students in the Practical Nursing and Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs.
The new bursaries — established by a generous gift of more than $50,000 from longtime community volunteer and philanthropist Susan Prior — support and encourage student enrolment in the PSW program and support health care workers who wish to upgrade their education to become a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN).
The “Semira Saba Kifle Practical Nursing Bursary” honours Semira Saba Kifle, who, after 18 years working as a PSW and with four children at home, returned to school to advance her education. She graduated from the Algonquin College Practical Nursing diploma program in 2018. The bursary will be awarded annually to a student in financial need who is a health care worker and enrolled in the first semester of the Practical Nursing program.
A second bursary, the “Thank You PSW Bursary,” will be awarded to a student with a financial need registered in the second semester of the Personal Support Worker program.
“Susan’s service in the community is impressive and makes a difference not only for our community members, but also for our learners. Her generosity and keen support for effective health care, the need of which she has long recognized, will transform the lives of many students for years to come,” said Algonquin College President and CEO, Claude Brulé. “In honouring one of our graduates and PSW workers everywhere, Susan makes the important connection between our students’ learning and the health of our communities. This has become especially important over the past two years as we cope with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Susan’s own experience with health challenges and that of her late husband, Jack, a pioneer in the computer software industry, as well as witnessing the care her 99-year-old mother receives at her retirement home, drives her commitment to health care. She also recognizes that supporting student practical nurses and PSWs means more care in retirement homes, long-term care facilities, home care agencies and hospitals.
“These health care workers are phenomenal. They don’t have much time right now because of pandemic protocols, but they’re always really good to my mother,” she said. “We need more of them and providing bursaries will help them get the training they need.”
These new bursaries come at a time when the province is facing a critical shortage of RPNs and PSWs, especially in home and long-term care. The Ontario government recently announced an investment of up to $100 million to train an additional 2,000 nurses, RPNs and PSWs by 2024-2025.
The Personal Support Worker Ontario College Certificate program prepares students for work in a range of healthcare settings. Students develop the ability to engage with persons and families of various ages and health-related needs while deliver person-centred care, encouraging independence and improving the quality of their clients’ lives.
About the Registered Practical Nursing Program:
The Practical Nursing Ontario College Diploma program prepares students for work in the health care system, providing nursing care to those of all ages. Students learn through theory and applied experiences, lab work, and independent study. They gain hands-on experience in school and through placements in community settings such as retirement homes, long-term care homes and hospitals.
About Algonquin College:
The mission of Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 185 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario.
I am proud to announce that Algonquin College has been named a National Capital Region’s Top Employer for 2022, making this the ninth year in a row that the College has been recognized for this accomplishment.
Now celebrating its 22nd year, Canada’s Top 100 Employers is an annual competition organized by MediaCorp Canada Inc., which awards exceptional workplaces on both a national and regional basis. Algonquin College has won an award in the National Capital Region category every year since 2014.
This is a meaningful achievement for our institution. One of the foundational goals in the College’s Strategic Plan is to be recognized as an exceptional place to work by our employees – and because of all of your contributions, we have been recognized again.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the College continues to focus on the health and safety of our employees and learners. Our award was driven by a number of key initiatives focused on supporting our employees during these challenging times.
Focus on Employee Learning and Resources:
Learning and Teaching Services offers innovative training and resources for faculty needing to transition to virtual learning activities at a high level of excellence. The Centre for Organizational Learning also provides resources for all College employees through various learning sessions, workshops, programs, conferences, activities and one-on-one support.
Employee resource sites keep employees up-to-date about matters relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a Human Resources Employee Toolkit with tips for making remote work (and working at home with children) a success, as well as access to wellness resources in a stressful time. The Communications department maintains a Coronavirus Information page that continues to be updated with the latest news affecting the College community through the pandemic.
Leveraging Technology to Integrate and Collaborate:
Virtual activities also allow the College to engage, encourage and inform employees. One unexpected result of the pandemic is that employees from all three campuses (Ottawa, Perth and Pembroke) are able to participate in one another’s events virtually. They also have access to many student activities and events.
Maintaining Our Commitment to Inclusion and Diversity:
At Algonquin College, we strive to anticipate our employees’ needs and meet challenges head on. We were the first college in Ontario to adopt an equity, diversity and inclusion policy. We demonstrate our ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation by embedding Indigenous knowledge in everything we do as an organization.
More than anything, this award speaks to the efforts of each and every one of our employees. It is your continued dedication to our learners, your colleagues and the entire College community that drives our unique, inclusive and dynamic culture. You inspire the College to keep building on our strengths and finding ways to do better.
In a time of unique challenges, I am proud that the College continues to build on its record of accomplishment for engaging the strengths of our employees, offering opportunities for further performance and professional growth – building a vibrant, resilient and diverse workforce.
Most importantly, thank you to our employees working on-campus and remotely for your hard work, continued focus on learners and our people, and for preserving our community.
As you know, Algonquin College is currently providing academic programming in a hybrid delivery mode until March 6, 2022, with the majority of theory courses being delivered virtually, and applied learning activities continuing in-person on campus.
Last week the Ontario Provincial government outlined the incremental steps it will take to lift public health measures between January 31 and March 14, 2022.
2022 Winter Term The College leadership team has weighed a range of recommendations and factors to decide how the second half of the winter term will be delivered. These factors included:
Provincial regulations
Public health recommendations
The impact of physical distancing on the capacity of instructional spaces
The availability of our learners including our international learners to come to their campus
The results of the recent pulse survey on learner preference for the end of the term
The need for consistency and stability for the remainder of the term
We recognize there is no one single decision that will satisfy everyone’s desired approach. The recent pulse survey conducted with our learners indicates that the vast majority of students would prefer to remain virtual or hybrid for the remainder of the winter term.
To commemorate the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust, Algonquin College is raising awareness for the next generation of leaders. The pedestrian link between the ARC building and the Student Commons will be lit up in yellow on Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.
“Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the 77th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp,” said Hillel Ottawa Director Sasha Kathron. “As we move further away from the Holocaust it is frightening to see instances of antisemitism continue to rise. Jews are the most targeted victims of hate crimes in Canada. Now more than ever we must uphold our vow to remember the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust so they may never be forgotten and history may never repeat itself. Education continues to be the most valuable tool we have, it is the key to keeping our promise: Never again.”
leaders. The pedestrian link between the ARC building and the Student Commons will be lit up in yellow on Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.