Important update for start of JIBC winter term

To the JIBC community,

Today I am writing to share our plans for the start of the new school term. 

We are proceeding with all in-person applied, experiential and clinical training at our New Westminster, Victoria, Kelowna, Pitt Meadows, and Chilliwack campuses effective Jan. 4, 2022 (with appropriate COVID-19 safety protocols in place). In-person fire training at our Maple Ridge campus (MRC) is temporarily postponed due to required facility maintenance.

Programming that does not explicitly require in-person attendance (i.e., select academic programs) will shift to online for the next few weeks. This will provide an opportunity to assess any impacts on class attendance and/or delivery based on illness or isolation that may be required due to the Omicron variant. JIBC staff will contact students regarding any change from in-person classes to online learning via e-mail with specific information applicable to each situation.  

It is important to note this is a precautionary measure only as there has been no change in the B.C. public health order regarding post-secondary in-person return to campus. Based on experience in B.C. and internationally, educational settings are low-risk for COVID-19 transmission. I want to reassure you that the COVID-19 safety measures we have in place at JIBC have supported us exceptionally well over the past 21 months and continue to do so.

Given the current challenges of increasing numbers of the Omicron variant, combined with not having as much information and communication through the holiday closure period, we feel it is prudent to move to this hybrid model for an interim period to mitigate any potential impacts proactively. 

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep you updated. 

Key points

• Our goal is to ensure students continue to access programming in safe, positive, and reliable ways and minimize impacts wherever possible.  
• Applied/experiential learning will resume on all campuses, except for Maple Ridge, effective Jan. 4, 2022.
• Some academic programming will move online until Jan. 24.
• For students attending Maple Ridge campus and/or academic programs temporarily shifting to online learning, your program staff member and/or instructor will contact you via e-mail with further information.
• On-campus services to students, such as the library and cafeteria at the New Westminster campus, will re-open as scheduled on Jan. 4, 2022. The gym is closed.
• We are confident that current COVID-19 safety measures and your dedication to respecting them will continue to serve us well.

As we are all learning to live with this virus, it is essential to remain diligent and mindful of the protocols necessary to keep our community safe. We thank our student safety ambassadors for the excellent job they are doing in keeping protocols top of mind. Maintaining safety is a shared responsibility so let's all work together! 

We look forward to welcoming many of you back to campus on Jan. 4 and having our entire community on campus in the coming weeks. We wish you a safe and happy new year. 

Mike Proud
Acting President and CEO

Here is a refresher on current protocols and expectations:

Stay home if sick/have symptoms, wear your mask, and respect personal space while on campus. 

• 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.
• Masks are required in

1. Public/common areas – such as the atrium, cafeteria, hallways.
2. Classrooms and learning spaces - including the theatre, Aboriginal Gathering Place and library.
3. Vehicles with >1 person used for training on or off-site, or transport between sites.
4. Administrative and operations areas, including meeting rooms.

Face shields are not equivalent to masks - they can be used in addition but not instead. 

• Masks can be removed temporarily provided:

1. One instructor or presenter at a time, when also 2m distanced from everyone else.
2. While seated and actively eating in designated eating areas. Masks must be replaced when finished – even if still sitting at the same table.

• Respect personal space and maintain/encourage physical distance when possible.
• 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.

All current protocols are kept up to date here.