Just over a week ago, Western University in London, Ontario announced that students will be required to have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before being permitted to move into residence this Fall. No such plans have been announced at George Brown College (GBC) up to this date, but conversations are ongoing, according to Chris McGrath, GBC’s vice-president of Student Success.
“We have not yet made a decision on vaccine requirements for students living in The George. We are consulting with various stakeholders, including the Student Association (SAGBC) on what approach we will take going forward,” said McGrath in a recent statement to the Dialog.
Although vaccines are not currently required for students living at the George this Fall 2021, other health and safety protocols have been set in place. These include posting educational signage, increasing facility sanitization, reducing capacity, closing common areas, promoting and monitoring all public health and safety guidelines are maintained at all times. Move-in days will also operate on a schedule to promote increased social distancing and sanitation efforts, says Erica Fearnall, General Manager of GBC Residence.
“It is hard to predict and speculate what our new ‘normal’ will look like. We will continue to align ourselves with the public health and safety measures in order to keep our residence community as healthy and as safe as possible. We hope that it won’t be much longer before we can do things such as host in-person events, open up common areas and reinstate guest privileges,” says Fearnall.
Fearnall says that students moving into the George will also be prohibited from visiting each other’s rooms until further notice. Behaviour that is non-compliant with the current health and safety measures that have been set in place will have strict consequences; so much so that if students violate any of these rules, they risk having their residence contracts terminated and having to find other living situations.
“If and when health and safety measures change, we will update our students via email notices,” says Fearnall.
As students eagerly anticipate their new chapters of moving into residence at GBC, hopes are high that normalcy will soon return to post-secondary life. For this to happen, however, students must continue to comply with the current orders in place, for the health and safety of both themselves and the rest of the College community.
For more information, please visit COVID-19 Information for Current Students.
