Still questions around Back-to-Campus Plan

Aug 25, 2021 | 3:40 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – One sure thing to come of the news yesterday is that masks will be worn on campus while students are indoors. That includes hallways, stairwells elevators, classrooms, and labs.

“The return to campus for this fall is still happening,” explains Dennis Johnson, President of the College of New Caledonia. “So the idea is that much more of the learning will happen in person. And we know that students, for the most part, wanted that and were missing that. So we’re working with the authorities and continuously adjusting the guidelines.”

But that is the only certain thing. There are many questions and there will be changes in the coming days. For instance, the Province wants to make proof of vaccination a requirement to live in residency. But there are still some unknowns around that. As there are around where proof of vaccination will be required to attend non-essential activities.

“It’s one thing to say ‘proof of vaccination to attend a Timberwolves games’ or something along those lines,” says Dr. Geoff Payne, Interim President of the University of Northern BC. “But what does that truly mean for us at UNBC? And how would we implement that? Again, working with the Provincial Health Office and government about what would be the resources and what we can and cannot do.”

University and college officials held a meeting late Wednesday to iron some of those wrinkles.

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