Important update from Mohawk College regarding plans for Winter 2022
The following message was sent to all employees and students on Wednesday, December 17.
| Office of the President |
MEMORANDUM
To: All Faculty and Staff
From: Ron J. McKerlie, President & CEO
Date: December 15, 2021
Re: Important update from Mohawk College regarding plans for Winter 2022
Dear Colleagues:
In light of the recent developments with the COVID Omicron variant, Mohawk College is making some temporary modifications to our plans for the Winter semester. We are making these changes to help keep our campus community safe until more is known about the impact of the new variant.
We know that many students and employees will be disappointed with this announcement. Our goal remains to bring students back to campus for in-person learning, and we continue to work towards this goal. We are monitoring the situation with the pandemic closely. We will re-evaluate these plans as the path of the variant becomes more clear.
Below is a summary of the steps we are taking for January. A more detailed summary of the protocols and measures for the Winter semester will be sent to all students and staff through email and posted to the college’s COVID-19 website. Please watch for this email and visit the website to make sure you are familiar with the requirements for the Winter semester.
Temporary modifications to classes for January.
Until January 30, the college will continue with the academic format we have been using for the Fall semester. This means all required in-person learning will continue in January, but all other learning that was to be done in-person will be delivered using virtual and remote delivery for January. The approach will vary according to academic program requirements. Your academic program area is developing these plans now and will share the details with you directly as soon as they are available. Courses that were previously identified as being entirely online for the Winter semester will remain online for the duration of the semester.
Employee work arrangements.
All other employees should continue with work arrangements that were set forth at the beginning of September. If there is an opportunity to work remotely, please speak to your manager to confirm and determine the arrangements for you and your teams.
In-person events and activities cancelled (other than required in-person learning).
All in-person events, internal and external, will be cancelled until the end of January. Any in-person holiday events or celebrations should be cancelled or moved online. This includes the Holiday Hellos for employees that were scheduled for next week. Some external academic bookings will be permitted such as MCE and the testing centre. To verify, please confirm with your Vice President.
The DBARC and Student Residence will remain open to students and employees. Please refer to the website for details on how to access these facilities.
No visitors allowed on campus.
Visitors and external guests will not be allowed access to campus for the month of January unless it supports academic programing. The process for guests coming to campus remains the same as was in place during the Fall 2021 semester.
Controlled access and vaccine requirement to remain in place.
Mohawk will continue to control access to all campuses for the Winter semester with designated entrances and security screening checkpoints. Anyone coming to a Mohawk College campus will not be permitted access, or able to attend in-person classes, until they have uploaded their proof of vaccination and have it verified by Mohawk or have an APPROVED exemption from the college.
Masks are required on campus.
Anyone attending a Mohawk campus will be required to wear a college-supplied mask while on campus. Masks must be worn regardless of a person’s vaccination status. The masks will be available at the Check-in Desks.
Vaccinations remain our best defence against the COVID pandemic. If you are not already vaccinated, I encourage you to get vaccinated to protect yourself and those you care about. If you are fully vaccinated and have the opportunity to get a booster, please book your appointment as soon as you are eligible.
I want to thank our faculty and staff for their commitment and hard work over the past several months. I also want to thank our students for their continued patience and understanding. We know the timing of this announcement and the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant heightens the sense of anxiety everyone is feeling right now. The college is here to support you. If you need help, please ask and if you know someone who needs help, please reach out and offer it.
Counselling services are available, Monday to Friday. Students can email: counselling@mohawkcollege.ca or call 905-575-2211.
Employees who require support can access the college’s Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP). For instructions on how to register for an EFAP account, please refer to the guide located on the Employee Resource – COVID-19 page on MyMohawk, under the heading Employee and Family Assistance Program.
I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.
Regards,
Ron
Ron J. McKerlie
President & CEO, Mohawk College
