Vaccination
University College of the North employees and students are no longer required to provide proof of vaccination at a UCN facility.
Masks
UCN will continue to require everyone to wear a face mask whenever indoors on any UCN campus or learning location if you could be in the company of other people. For example, if you are alone in your office, you may not need a mask. But at all other times, a mask shall be worn. This includes shared working spaces, hallways, and common areas.
Getting Together on Campus
Organizers of on-campus events no longer need to request permission to hold on campus gatherings. We encourage organizers to still follow COVID-19 protocols when bringing people together.
Self-reporting
It is important to continue to report positive COVID-19 cases to your supervisor. Stay home if you are sick. Public health officials strongly urge anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms, such as a cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, headache, or any of the symptoms listed in the MB Shared Health screening tool to isolate.
Living and Working with COVID-19
As COVID-19 restricted the way we live, UCN transitioned to new ways of working. We will continue to modify the way we do our jobs based on the pandemic. For now, we are lifting some requirements. As COVID-19 numbers change, we may return to familiar safety practices. Thank you for helping us keep our students and employees safe during the pandemic.
University College of the North is planning for the 2022 Convocation Ceremonies in both The Pas and Thompson locations to be held in person. A virtual ceremony will be produced in the event that the pandemic prevents us from gathering because of renewed restrictions. A virtual ceremony will be produced for July, 16 2022. We are excited to celebrate our graduates’ achievements.
When and Where (subject to change):
The Pas Campus
• June 28, 2022 / Time: 1 pm
• Location: UCN Gymnasium
Thompson Campus
• June 30, 2022 / Time: 1 pm
• Location: Letkemann Theatre (RD Parker Secondary)
Graduates should check their official UCN email accounts often for more details.
UCN employees will no longer be required to fill out the online screening tool before coming to campus beginning on March 15. Visitors to a UCN learning facility will also no longer need to fill out the paper screening form.
UCN will keep the vaccine and masking requirements until the end of the current term (April 23).
In response to the pandemic, UCN moved many courses online. It was communicated early on that we would finish the term as we started to avoid as much disruption as possible for our students.
UCN facility capacity limits are lifted. In light of recent announcements by Manitoba Public Health, University College of the North is lifting capacity limits on its campuses and learning centres. While capacity limits in learning, working, and recreation spaces are lifted, UCN will continue with remote learning plans and policies already in place.
Changing direction and rules around self-isolation and monitoring can sometimes cause confusion. You can find the latest updates from the province at:
Self Isolation: https://manitoba.ca/covid19/fundamentals/self-isolation.html
Monitoring: https://manitoba.ca/covid19/testing/monitoring/index.html
University College of the North delays classes until January 10, 2022 and many courses will be delivered remotely.
UCN’s first day of classes for the Winter Term will be one week later than initially planned. The first day of classes will be Monday, January 10, 2022.
UCN will also adopt remote delivery for most courses. While some courses that demand face-to-face learning will continue to be delivered in person, many others will convert to remote learning.
The decisions resulted from the Omicron variant, which Manitoba Public Health says poses a significant risk to our health and healthcare system.
"We know that remote learning is not the best for our students' academic success or mental health. However, remote learning is the responsible option we have before us given the circumstances," said Dan Smith, Vice-President of Academic and Research. "While UCN will seek to maximize stability and predictability for students, as circumstances warrant, UCN may consider a return to in-person learning for selected courses and programs."
UCN's official vaccination policy can be found here.
Effective November 1, 2021, UCN Indigenous Centres can begin having sweats following UCN’s safety protocols/guidelines.
Watch for further information about upcoming sweats in your email and UCN’s Student Life Facebook pages for The Pas and Thompson.
For further information or clarification, contact:
Karl Laubmann
Centre Coordinator (Thompson)
Ininiwi kiskinwamakewin Centre
Marcia Chartrand
Centre Coordinator (The Pas)
Mamawechetotan Centre
Memorandum
From: Doug Lauvstad, President and Vice-Chancellor
To: All Students, Faculty, and Staff
Date: 29 September 2021
Subject: COVID Management Plan for UCN’s Winter Term, January 2022
UCN’s Winter Term 2022 COVID Management Plan
Guided by the requirements of Manitoba’s Public Health Orders, and based on the recommendations and the ongoing work of UCN’s Return to Site Steering Committee, beginning on Tuesday, 04 January 2022, UCN’s students, faculty, and staff will return to campus for the Winter Term and deliver courses and programs face-to-face at UCN’s teaching and learning locations.
UCN will continue to keep students, faculty, and staff safe, healthy, and engaged in education by managing the risks associated with COVID-19 throughout the Winter Term as follows:
Student Housing
Carroll Hall and other student housing will operate at full capacity. Any student residing in UCN housing must be fully vaccinated.
Faculty and Staff Are Expected to Return to Work On-Site at UCN
All staff are expected to be back at their UCN worksites as of Tuesday, 04 January 2022. Faculty are expected to be available to students and teach in the classroom similar to prior to the pandemic.
UCN is developing flexible work policies that may, in the future, allow some faculty and staff members the option to work remotely for a period of time. However, these policies are still in development and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Our Future, Together
Vaccination changes our relationship with COVID-19. Public Health officials advise that this illness will become endemic, meaning that we will have to live with COVID, like other illnesses, for the long-term. The significant protection afforded by vaccination and other precautions means that we can manage more safely in this new environment, allowing a return to full campus operations for the Winter Term in 2022.
We look to our future with optimism and hope to be safely together once again.
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.
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