UCN’s policy on children on campus is still the same.
We love having kids on our campuses, but unfortunately COVID has changed the way we can include them in our community. While we have never allowed children in classrooms during class, our focus must now be on our internal learning community and the safety of everyone working and learning at a UCN location. We want to keep kids safe and the pandemic is reminding us how important it is to protect our little ones. Data is showing our youngest residents now account for largest share of new COVID-19 cases in Manitoba.
As of November 1st, unvaccinated people (including children) cannot enter a UCN location.
For the next few weeks, brief visits with minors to our campuses to pick up materials from the bookstores or short visits with Enrolment Services staff are allowed. However, UCN is moving to a full vaccination requirement. As of November 1st, everyone coming to a UCN location will need to meet UCN’s vaccination requirements. If faculty, staff, or students wish to bring a minor to a UCN location, that minor must be fully vaccinated and show proof of full vaccination. This policy will apply to everyone, at all UCN locations, and includes school tour groups and the children of our students, faculty and staff.
We love having children on our campuses. It supports and promotes education and can plant the seeds of opportunity in a young mind. We are looking forward to when we can include our young learners more fully in UCN’s community once vaccinations for them are available.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Please email communications@ucn.ca.
As of November 1, 2021, all students, faculty, staff, and visitors must be vaccinated if they intend to be physically present at a University College of the North (UCN) facility. Students, faculty, and staff who are working remotely and will not be coming into a UCN facility do not require vaccination.
This mandate prioritizes the health and safety of faculty, staff, students, and the broader community which has been UCN’s goal since the beginning of the pandemic.
The decision to mandate vaccination for the campus community was made in collaboration with other Manitoba colleges and universities with support from the Government of Manitoba.
The University will provide additional information to our faculty, staff, and students in the coming days.
“The goal is simple,” said President and Vice-Chancellor, Doug Lauvstad. “The University College of the North will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our students, staff and communities that we serve. The Fall 2021 term will see an increase in on-campus activity and in-person classes. It’s well known that vaccines are an important and effective tool in reducing the transmission and effects of COVID-19.”
Health and safety protocols including masks on campus, physical distancing and self-wellness checks are ongoing. UCN’s detailed shared space protocols will continue to be followed until at least when the vaccine mandate becomes effective at the end of October, and likely beyond. Those protocols are updated regularly and can be found at ucncovid.ca/sharing-space-safely.
UCN will host on-campus vaccination clinics in partnership with public health for faculty, staff, and students.
Watch the newest Academic COVID-19 Video Newsletter
Read UCN's Sharing Space Safely plan. The plan contains guidelines for safely reopening UCN
Everyone who is working on campus is required to self screen before coming to work. Click here for the UCN self screening tool.
If you feel sick or have COVID-19 symptoms, follow the Manitoba Shared Health COVID-19 screening tool found here.
If you or someone you work with tests positive for COVID-19, go to the Sharing Space Safely web page to download COVID Positive Checklists. Those checklists are also attached to this email.
From time to time, some UCN services may be limited due to how we are managing pandemic issues in an abundance of caution.
Any questions? Suggestions? Please ask! Many ideas for UCN protocols come from communicating during this pandemic. Email us at communications@ucn.ca
A flowchart is available to show next steps when a UCN student, staff or faculty member is not feeling well or advised to self isolate because of COVID-19.
COVID Alert is Canada's free exposure notification app. You can download it here.
There is no shortage of information at presentwith regard to COVID-19; however, you will want to ensure that you seek information only from valid and authorized sources. Included below are a numberof links torelevant and respected training and information about COVID-19:
Keeping Students, Faculty, and Staff Safe, Healthy, and Engaged in Education
The Government of Manitoba released on March 30th a list of provincial-wide closures, and UCN is exempt from that closure order.
Manitoba Economic Development and Training advises that provision 3(4)(b) of the Public Health Order means that University College of the North is not impacted by the closures noted in the order or accompanying schedules. Specifically, this section states:
3(4) Nothing in this Order prevents operations or the delivery of services by any of the following, regardless of whether they are listed in the schedule:
(a) the Government of Canada, the Government of Manitoba or a municipality;
(b) any person or publicly funded agency, organization or authority that delivers of supports government operations and services, including health care operations and services.
However, while UCN remains open, UCN is adhering to physical distancing, intensified cleaning routines, encouraging handwashing, and advising students, faculty, and staff that they must stay home when ill, and following other direction from Manitoba’s chief public health officer to restrict transmission of the virus.
UCN is digitally open for learning. Our faculty and staff are working hard from different locations to ensure that northerners have ongoing access to high quality, relevant education! UCN will maintain essential staffing in its two main campuses and some Post-Secondary Education Access Centres to ensure that online and other resources remain available to support student learning. The vast majority of our courses and programs are taking place using alternative methodologies. In some cases, practicums, clinical and other work-integrated learning placements will continue in consultation with the partners offering those placements.
UCN is practicing physical distancing to ensure that students still have access to computer labs and library resources to support their ongoing education. Additionally, and as of today, 19 students live in residence, staying in single rooms. Security and minimal administrative and support activity is occurring on site. UCN is as near to closed as it can be given the current circumstances, and continues to work to move all activity online and off site.
Travel
All University College of the North work-related travel, whether out of province or out of country, is suspended until July 1, 2020. Please remember to cancel any travel arrangements (hotel, airfare, etc.). UCN staff working out of Access Centres are to check local travel advisories or restrictions before leaving or travelling to and from their community.
MB Government is advising no out of province or out of country travel. If a UCN employee chooses to travel into another province on personal time, they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days when they return. If work from home arrangements are possible for the employee’s job, such arrangements must be approved by the supervisor before travelling. Employees will need to use personal leave if arrangements weren’t made in advance of travel.
Campus Hours
UCN campus doors in The Pas and Thompson will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Outside those hours, the campus doors will be locked.
Library Hours (for student/staff access only)
· The Pas: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
· Thompson: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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