As we prepare for AC Day 1 to kick off our 2022 Winter term, the Province of Ontario has recently announced new public health measures aimed at slowing the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. This is in addition to the safety measures we had already put in place for the Winter term.
The announcement temporarily moves the province into Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen with modifications and comes as Ottawa Public Health reported this week that we are facing a significant challenge with Omicron “rising exponentially” across the city.
Included in this week’s Provincial announcement is that social gathering limits have been reduced to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors, capacity at organized public events is limited to five people indoors, and employees are required to work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.
December 20, 2021, Ottawa, Ontario —Algonquin College has entered into an official partnership with the Canadian College of Health Information Management, which will benefit learners and faculty in the health information fields.
The Canadian College of Health Information Management is a national, not-for-profit corporation that sets the accreditation standards for educational institutions and certification standards for health information professionals in Canada. Together with the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA), Algonquin student’s institution-wide are now welcome to become CHIMA student members.
Our College leadership team is closely monitoring all recent government-issued responses to rising COVID-19 case counts, with particular emphasis on the risks associated with the highly transmissible Omicron variant of concern.
As we have done throughout this pandemic, we need to adapt quickly to these changing circumstances and ensure the safety of all employees and learners, particularly those who are required to be on campus. As a result, I want to convey some important messages and decisions.
The majority of our academic programming for the Winter term will begin as scheduled on January 10, but in a primarily virtual (remote) delivery mode. Every class where remote delivery is possible will begin as a virtual class. For those learning activities that cannot be delivered virtually, on-campus delivery will continue, but with physical distancing requirements in place for the entire campus. We will continually review the need for virtual delivery, but it is expected to continue in this manner until March 7, i.e. until the end of our Winter mid-term break.
Similar to the direction that was provided in the Fall, only those learners and employees required to be on campus should be attending campus in-person. If you are not required to be on campus, we strongly encourage you to work remotely from home. The more we can limit unnecessary in-person activity on our campuses, the more we can reduce the risk of transmission. Managers can help answer employees’ questions should further clarification be required, and students can speak with their professors – please do not hesitate to reach out.
We will also be pausing all in-person, non-academic events and social gatherings on our campuses until it is safe to gather again. I would like to strongly encourage you to consider extending a pause to college-related off-campus activities as well. I can confirm that our upcoming AC Day 1 activities will be conducted virtually, however there will be individuals in-person, operating our Here-2-Help booths.
These are difficult times, and as such, can impact us all differently. If you are looking for support, there are numerous resources available to employees and learners. Learners can access program, financial and personal supports via this link, and employees can find a full range of resources here.
We are continuing to monitor all developments and public health directives, and review our policies accordingly. Any further changes to operations will be communicated immediately to all employees and learners.
Over the past year and a half, you have been called upon to make more sacrifices, to exercise more patience and adapt to new and challenging sets of circumstances. I know it is not easy; thank you for your ongoing commitment and resiliency.
OTTAWA (December 15, 2021) – WPBS will be airing a series of short documentaries produced by Algonquin College Film and Media Production students this Saturday night, Dec. 18, starting at 10 p.m.
Students have been creating the short films over the past number of months, and PBS has agreed to give them each a world premier this Saturday. For those wishing to watch the events online, WPBS will be also be airing them over Facebook Live using this link. Some of the documentaries featured include:
The Show Must Go On(line) shows the versatility of artists during the COVID-19 pandemic by exploring the long-running musical career of Algonquin College professor and New York Times interviewee Danielle Allard. This documentary follows Prof. Allard as she increases traction on social media/streaming sites during the pandemic and serves as an example to the public to show the direction in which modern day entertainment is going. The Show Must Go On(line) is directed by Min (Lexie) Hsu.
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.
December 8, 2021, Ottawa, Ontario —Provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results released today across the province show that Algonquin College continues to provide its learners with a highly effective path to employment upon graduation and that employers remain very satisfied with their performance.
The results, which were released by Colleges Ontario earlier today, indicate that nearly 80 per cent of Algonquin’s graduates found work within six months of graduation. Graduate and employer feedback placed Algonquin above the provincial average among large Ontario colleges in key indicator categories.
OTTAWA (Dec. 3, 2021) — Thanks to generous grants from the Fletcher, MATT, and Leacross foundations, Algonquin College will be producing a series of marketing videos and establishing a new mentorship program to help recruit more women into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs.
The College is actively seeking role models in STEM fields to come forward and lend their voices to the video series, which will feature them working in their area of expertise and encouraging students to follow their career dreams. Algonquin will consult with The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) and the broader technical community to attract the role models and produce the video series.
December 2, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario —Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk today released the 2021 Annual Report which included a value-for-money audit on Ontario’s Public Colleges.
The Office of the Auditor General is an independent Office of the Legislative Assembly that conducts financial audits of the provincial government, its ministries and agencies including the oversight of Ontario’s 24 public colleges.
“We welcome the findings and recommendations contained in the Office of the Auditor General’s report,” said Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé. “They continue to shine a light on the financial pressures facing public colleges in Ontario and ensuring we are able to provide quality cutting edge and relevant programs to our learners. We look forward to continued conversations with the provincial government around issues like attracting international students, public/private partnerships, skills shortages and bridging the funding gaps in post-secondary education at Colleges.”
All College community members require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination – unless exempted – in order to attend in-person activities at our campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth at present and for the start of the Winter ’22 Term.
Looking ahead to the Winter ’22 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 – January 3, 2022 delays in processing time should be anticipated due to the College holiday closure.
For Immediate Release
for-money audit on Ontario’s Public Colleges.
our campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth at present and for the start of the Winter ’22 Term.