Full Vaccination Required For Access To Centennial College Campuses Beginning September 7 2021
A message from President & CEO, Dr. Craig Stephenson
Following our pivot to online learning in March 2020 and only minimal activity for essential labs, Centennial College is thrilled to be welcoming more of our community back on campus for Fall 2021.
While we are strictly only open for students and colleagues who are scheduled to be on campus for classes* or work, we will truly enjoy the sense of community that being together physically brings refreshing steps after 18 months of being off campus .
A short while ago, Centennial College was focused on encouraging members of our community to become immunized and supported that through extensive awareness campaigns as well as our onsite vaccination centre at Progress Campus. However, as we have monitored the impact of the new Delta variant over the summer, there is an increased realization that we are experiencing a pandemic of the unvaccinated according to the Centre for Disease Control.
Providing you with a healthy and safe learning and work environment is not just my ethical and legal obligation it is what I truly care about for you to thrive in this time of unknowns. As a College that values social responsibility, I also deeply care about how we protect those who cannot be vaccinated and swiftly end this pandemic.
As a result, Centennial College will require proof of full vaccination to access campuses and satellite locations.
Colleges Say Students Must Get A Covid Vaccine But No Not That One
Vaccine requirements were designed mostly for American students. That is presenting hurdles for international students without access to one of the eight W.H.O.-approved vaccines.
Milloni Doshi, a 25-year-old student from India who is supposed to start her masters degree this fall at Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs, has a problem.
Although Ms. Doshi has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, she received two doses of Covaxin, which is made by an Indian manufacturer and is not currently approved by the World Health Organization, as required by the university.
Columbia has told her she will need to be revaccinated with a different vaccine once she arrives on campus, but no one can say for sure if it is safe to do so.
I am just concerned about taking two different vaccines, she wrote via a messaging app. They said the application process would be the toughest part of the cycle, but its really been all of this that has been uncertain and anxiety-inducing.
Since March, more than 400 colleges and universities in the United States have announced vaccine mandates, requiring students to be immunized against the coronavirus. But the rules have been designed primarily with domestic students in mind, leaving international students scrambling particularly those in India and Russia.
It is hard enough just to get an appointment, but even more so to secure one for a vaccine that will be accepted by American campuses.
Are Residence Employees Required To Be Vaccinated
Yes. On August 16, Niagara College announced that it will require students, employees and contractors who are learning or working on campus in September to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Students, employees, contractors and those visiting a Niagara College campus for college business will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated or have received a first dose of a Health Canada or World Health Organization approved vaccine by September 7, and a second dose/full vaccination by October 18.
Also Check: How To Get Your College Loans Forgiven
Vaccination Protocols For Teams
Earlier this month, the NCAA recommended that unvaccinated college athletes should be tested weekly for COVID-19, wear masks in most situations and be quarantined if exposed to the virus, while vaccinated individuals can avoid routine testing.
The policies throughout each conference have followed that guidance, but the leagues have approached it differently.
The Big Ten presidents and chancellors agreed in June on a “decentralized process,” which allows each school in the league to develop its own COVID-19 policies. At Ohio State, where coach Ryan Day said only about 10 Buckeyes remain unvaccinated, vaccinated players are required to be tested only if they have symptoms or were in close contact with someone who tested positive. If symptomatic, the individual will need to isolate until receiving COVID-19 test results.
Vaccinated players at Ohio State are not subject to quarantine through contact tracing, which should cut down on the number of players forced to miss game time. Instead, if a vaccinated player at Ohio State is exposed to an infected person, he has to monitor symptoms and be tested within three to five days.
The SEC has beefed up its vaccination policy by eliminating its previous benchmark of an 85% vaccination rate for teams. Under the earlier policy, anyone who was a part of a team that was 85% vaccinated no longer had to participate in the COVID-19 testing surveillance, as long as they were asymptomatic.
I Have Received A Vaccine That Has Not Been Approved By Health Canada Or The World Health Organization What Do I Do
The province of Ontario has recommended that individuals receive a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. However, a waiting period of 28 days will be required after receipt of a previous COVID-19 vaccine not approved by Health Canada or the WHO.
You can contact the Niagara Region Public Health COVID-19 Info-Line Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. 4:15 p.m. by calling 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074, press 7 or contact the Info Line via the Chat Online function for information on your situation.
If you have an Ontario Health Card, you can schedule an appointment for vaccination through the province of Ontario booking system.
If you do not have OHIP you can schedule an appointment through a local pharmacy. You can find all pharmacy locations on the government of Ontarios website.
Individuals who have received any other type of vaccination will be required to wait a period of 14-days before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Read Also: Can You Take Online College Courses In High School
Confusing Rules Loopholes And Legal Issues: College Vaccination Plans Are A Mess
When the coronavirus began to spread around the country last year, most colleges and universities shut their doors. And when they began to reopen in the fall, they did so in piecemeal and convoluted ways.
In some cases, students could live in dorms but had to take classes online. Dining halls were reservation-only. Singing was banned. While some schools avoided major outbreaks, others became hot spots.
The introduction of three Covid-19 vaccines early this year to college populations seemed to present an exit from these patchwork reopenings, which robbed students of a traditional college experience. But an NBC News analysis of rules across the U.S. found that vaccination requirements for students have proven to be just as complicated as the frenetic fall 2020 semester, if not more so.
In Texas, public universities cant require a vaccination, but private ones can. In Massachusetts, where colleges and universities can mandate Covid-19 vaccinations, 43 of more than 100 had agreed to do so by mid-May. In New York, public universities cannot allow for religious exemptions, while a majority of the states private universities can.
Measles Mumps And Rubella
Most people born after 1957 in the U.S. are immunized against measles, but sometimes they missed a dose in childhood. Without both of the required shots, your college student may not have full immunity. Check your childs immunization records, and schedule a booster if necessary.
RELATED: Do you need a measles booster?
Don’t Miss: Do Illegal Immigrants Get Free College
Staying Updated On Vaccinations On Campus
AffordableCollegesOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Governors Push To Reopen Schools
The number of students across the country attending school in person has increased significantly in recent weeks. One reason: Governors from both political parties have , schools back in session.
In Ohio, DeWine offered school districts a deal: early access to vaccines for their staff members if they committed to opening classrooms by March 1.
In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee banned fully virtual instruction starting in April.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker required most elementary schools to offer full-time in-person instruction by April 5, and most middle schools by April 28.
Democratic governors in Oregon, California, New Mexico and North Carolina, and Republicans in Arizona, Iowa, West Virginia and New Hampshire, have also gotten in on the action.
Obviously, we like community and local control, Inslee said, but it wasnt cutting the mustard here ultimately.
Also Check: What Is The Average Price Of College
I Cant Be Vaccinated Because Of My Health Or My Religion Will I Or My Child Still Be Required To Get The Vaccine To Attend Class
Generally, no, but expect to follow extra rules when you’re on campus. Unvaccinated students may be expected to wear masks, while vaccinated students may;not. Those who forgo inoculations may also have to continue taking coronavirus screening tests.
In some cases, students without vaccines may be barred from the campus. For example, Brown University is requiring students who refuse the shots and dont qualify for a medical or religious exemption to continue studying remotely.;
Are All Students Living In A Niagara College Residence Required To Get The Covid
All Niagara College students living in residence starting in the Fall 2021 semester must be vaccinated against COVID-19. Before moving into residence this fall, students must show that at minimum, they have received a first dose of an approved vaccine and have an appointment scheduled for a second dose.
Don’t Miss: Do Technical College Credits Transfer To University
Bow Valley College Institutes Mandatory Vaccination Policy
Bow Valley College has announced that students and staff;will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to be on campus as of Oct. 22, or be subject to rapid testing.
“After careful consideration, overwhelming feedback, and scientific evidence that strongly supports the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, we have decided that vaccinations are essential in keeping our college community safe and healthy,” stated a press release from the Calgary-based college, which has campuses in Airdrie and Cochrane.
The college’s press release further explained this means students and employees will be required to have two doses of a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine, with the second dose administered at least two weeks prior to Oct. 22.
Students and employees will be required to upload proof of vaccination through an online tool, according to the release. Those who choose not to get the jab will be subject to weekly rapid testing. Details of this program have yet to be released.
After Oct. 22, proof of vaccination will still be required for anyone attending campuses, but the rapid testing program will no longer be in place.
Exemptions to the vaccine requirement will be made on medical grounds or other protected grounds under the Alberta Human Rights Act, according to the release.
“Students and employees are encouraged to remain on campus only as long as necessary and are asked to socially distance where possible, as well as wear;a mask,” the release stated.
The College Vaccine Debate
Most U.S. colleges and universities already require on-campus students to show proof of vaccines for illnesses, like bacterial meningitis, that can spread rapidly in close quarters. But Covid-19 is a much more complicated story.
A growing number of schools will require proof of a coronavirus vaccination for on-campus students this fall, including Cornell, Rutgers, Oakland University in Michigan, Brown University in Rhode Island and St. Edwards University in Texas. Other schools are not requiring vaccines but will offer incentives, such as an exemption from the campus mask mandate.
Vaccines are our way of ensuring that we can be together for a normal fall semester, Tom Stritikus, the president of Fort Lewis College in Colorado wrote in a letter to the school.
Many more schools have yet to set a policy, or have explicitly said they would not require proof. And the issue of requiring vaccinations is shaping up to be yet another political debate.
A day after Nova Southeastern University in Florida announced it would require vaccinations, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, issued an executive order banning businesses and government agencies from requiring vaccination documentation.
The universitys president and chief executive, George Hanbury, said the Fort Lauderdale-based school was caught off guard, but was reviewing the order. Some Florida counties are working feverishly to inoculate college-age people.
Also Check: Is Taylor College In Belleview Fl Accredited
What Does It Mean To Have An Exemption And An Accommodation Under This Policy
Exemption: Where an individual has a medical condition, or religion/creed beliefs as defined in the Ontario Human Rights Code that prevents them from being vaccinated, once validated, the college will consider available accommodation options for a persons work, study and/or desire to live on a Niagara College Campus. The College reserves the right for validated exemptions to be accommodated through measures other than being granted access to campuses.;
Accommodation: When an exemption has been validated and approved, an accommodation plan will be considered which will determine what alternatives are available up to the point of undue hardship as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code. The College reserves the right for accommodation plans to include measures other than access to campuses.
Accommodations whether existing or new for students or employees outside the requirements of this vaccination policy include Academic and Employment accommodations.
Faq Mandatory Vaccination Policy
IMPORTANT NOTE: ACs Mandatory Vaccination Policy can be viewed here. Please also check here for a user guide on implementation. Any updates will be communicated to the College community and new FAQ questions will be added to this site based on the latest information available. For the Presidents original announcement visit here.
You May Like: How To Be Debt Free In College
What Vaccines Do You Need Before College
31 May 2016
College-bound students are about to make the transition to adulthood, but that doesn’t mean that they’re done with vaccines. In fact, lifestyle changes and dormitory living can put college students at higher risk for certain infections.
Here’s a list of vaccines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for young adults before they go off to college:
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine: In addition to the CDC’s recommendation that students get vaccinated against meningococcal disease before starting college, some states actually make the shot mandatory.
Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can cause meningitis, or a swelling of the membranes that cover the brain or spinal cord. The bacteria that cause the disease can spread from person to person, and the illness can be life-threatening.
People living in close quarters, including college dorms, are at higher risk for becoming infected with meningococcal disease. Outbreaks of the disease have also been reported on college campuses over the last several years, the CDC said. For this reason, the CDC recommends that the vaccine be given to first-year college students.
Whooping cough vaccine booster: Adolescents should get a whooping cough vaccine booster shot when they are 11 to 12 years old. But if they didn’t get this booster shot as a preteen or teen, they should get one dose of Tdap before college, the CDC said.
Will More Organizations Require A Vaccine In The Future
Its likely. Mr. Friedman, who anticipates that more businesses will require vaccinations in the future, maintains that the legal precedent for mandating vaccines is already there, its just up to these entities to decide to act on it.
Its not a legal decision, he said. Its a political and economic judgment that these companies are making.
Also Check: Does The Army Pay For College
Immunization Requirements For Students
Note: The UO requires students who learn, work, or live on any UO campus location to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the start of their fall 2021 academic term. Students will be able to record their vacination records and/or request an exemption in myUOHealth.
In an effort to maintain a healthy campus, the University of Oregon has required vaccines and highly recommended vaccines. These vaccines address vaccine-preventable diseases that are often seen on college campuses including COVID-19*;;measles, mumps, rubella;;chickenpox;;tuberculosis;;whooping cough;;meningitis;;and influenza.;Students are encouraged to satisfy UO immunization requirements before arriving on campus. University Health Services can also administer most of the required and highly recommended vaccines to students once students are enrolled and attending classes. Please see Costs for Services for vaccine prices at UHC. Immunization for measles is required by the State of Oregon.
See the Oregon Health Authority’s “Vax to School” brochure and immunization resources webpage to learn more about vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases.
* Note that the University of Oregon will require students, faculty, and staff who learn, work, or live on campus to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the start of their fall 2021 academic term. Individuals will be able to request an exemption.
Are College Employees Or Contractors Attending Residence Required To Be Vaccinated
Yes. On August 16, Niagara College announced that it will require students, employees and contractors who are learning or working on campus in September to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Students, employees, contractors and those visiting a Niagara College campus for college business will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated or have received a first dose of a Health Canada or World Health Organization approved vaccine by September 7, and a second dose/full vaccination by October 18.
Don’t Miss: What Degree Do You Get When You Graduate College