Students will receive communication applicable to specific areas directly from program staff
To the JIBC community,
I am writing to let you know that academic programming that temporarily shifted online on Jan. 4, 2022, will return to on-campus instruction effective Jan. 24. The temporary shift provided us with an opportunity to evaluate operational impacts of potential absences due to increased occurrence of community illness.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry continues to strongly recommend the continuation of on-campus instruction at post-secondary institutions given educational settings are low-risk for COVID-19 transmission, including the Omicron variant. High-immunization rates and masking requirements enable a low-risk setting, and we have both at JIBC. Our COVID-19 safety measures have supported us exceptionally well over the past 22 months, and with everyone’s ongoing commitment to following them, they will continue to do so.
We continue to monitor impacts on class attendance and instructor availability due to isolation requirements and have identified strategies to ensure ongoing on-campus instruction while supporting those who must be absent with the least impact. Students will receive communication specific to their areas of study from their program areas.
Dr. Henry has announced that gyms and fitness facilities are allowed to reopen with specific protocols in place. We will be reviewing those protocols in detail to determine plans for our fitness room. Until then, the fitness room remains closed.
Key points
- Our goal is to ensure students/staff continue to access programming/work in safe, positive, and reliable ways and to minimize impacts wherever possible.
- The cafeteria at New Westminster campus reopened on Jan. 17 with new operating hours of 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. with limited menu service. Food service will be adjusted based on demand.
- Fitness areas remain closed. Re-opening is dependent on review of the new protocol requirements announced by Dr. Henry.
- We are confident that current COVID-19 safety measures and your dedication to respecting them will continue to serve us well.
We are grateful to the JIBC student community for your efforts in maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment and will be excited to see more of you on campus next week!
Colleen Vaughan
Vice President, Academic
Reminders
Stay home when you have symptoms
- Perform a personal health assessment each day before coming to a JIBC campus; stay away from JIBC campuses and in-person activities if symptoms are present until they resolve.
Wear your mask
- Masks are required in:
- Public areas - such as atrium, cafeteria, and hallways.
- Classrooms and learning spaces – including the theatre, the Aboriginal Gathering Place, and library.
- While in the classroom, we are recommending instructors continue to wear a mask while teaching. The current provincial health order does allow for a speaker to remove a mask while presenting to a class (while 2m physically distanced from everyone else in the room), however, our health guidance suggests keeping your mask on if possible.
- Vehicles with >1 person used for training on or off site, or transport between sites.
- Administrative or operations areas, including meeting rooms.
- Masks can be removed temporarily in these circumstances:
- While sitting and actively eating in a designated eating area. Masks must be replaced when finished – even if still sitting at the same table. This is to limit the duration of potential exposure.
NOTE: Eating is not allowed in classrooms or meeting rooms during class or meeting times. Beverages are allowed, but masks must be replaced between sips.
- While sitting and actively eating in a designated eating area. Masks must be replaced when finished – even if still sitting at the same table. This is to limit the duration of potential exposure.
Respect personal space
- Respect personal space and maintain physical distance whenever space/activity allows.
- Work pods: For JIBC classes that require physical contact or very close proximity to achieve their learning outcomes, participants may be assigned to small "work pods." Close contact activity partners are then limited to your specific "pod." Even these partners should move apart when they can.
Monitor guidance
- All current protocols are kept up to date here.