Ottawa’s Post-Secondary Institutions COVID-19 preparedness press conference

Posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2020

The prepared remarks of President Claude Brulé.

September 02, 2020

Thank you Catherine.

It is a pleasure to be here today with Mayor Watson, Dr. Etches and my fellow post-secondary leaders to discuss the unprecedented fall term – and the important part we must all play in keeping each other safe.

I know a big part of the normal campus experience is people – discovering friends, mentors, and peers. COVID-19 has changed the way we live our lives; this year we must exercise caution in all our interactions. We must make the health and safety of our College community – and the greater Ottawa community – our number one priority.

That’s why Algonquin College’s plan for the Fall minimizes face-to-face instruction and promotes remote learning whenever possible. Access to our campuses will be limited to only those employees and learners who will be starting or continuing their academic journey and are required to be on site.

Around 10 per cent of our total students will be on campus on any given day – with our learning environments and hands-on curriculum adapted to minimize risk.

Algonquin learned so much from our successful summer pilot program – which saw over 600 students return to campus for learning activities during July and August.

That experience has helped us build a plan for the Fall term that considers every detail. Some aspects of that plan include:

  • Students attending campus must complete mandatory online health and safety training;

  • We created a “Return-to–Campus” site and “Campus Access Guide” for students, which includes policies and health and safety guidance. It answer questions students might have on everything from how to safely use the elevators to the proper etiquette for coughing and sneezing;

  • The majority of our campus services, student supports and resources are available virtually;
  • And in-person events on campus have been suspended until Dec. 31, 2020.

We are confident in the safety-first approach all our departments are taking – from Facilities Management and Security Services, to Student Services, and to our academic teams.

But personal choices remain the key to ensuring the safety of all. The choices we make at home, in the city and on our campuses remain critical.

We are a community, and we are all in this together.

So my message to all students and employees is: Please follow public-health guidelines: wash your hands thoroughly, don’t touch your face, make sure you practice physical distancing, and wear a mask. We must continue to be vigilant.

COVID-19 is still present in the Ottawa region, and cases among the 20-29 age group have been on the rise. We must do all we can protect ourselves and those around us.

This Fall term will be filled with new challenges. But I believe challenge also brings the opportunity for innovation and resilience.

These times of adversity show us how vital community is to our collective well-being. We need to support one another … to keep our institutions, our city – and our people – safe. Thank you. Merci. Miigwetch.


Comments

Comments are closed.