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Mandatory student vaccination policy at Aurora College effective March 1, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 17, 2021

FORT SMITH, NT – Aurora College is committed to the health and safety of students, employees and residents of the NWT. To meet the commitment to safety, all students and volunteers onsite at any of the College facilities will be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 starting on March 1, 2022. A similar policy was put in place earlier this year for College staff and contractors.

Students and volunteers are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible so that they will have time to have both doses required to meet the policy by the March 1 deadline. A person is considered “fully vaccinated” 14 days after receiving their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis for medical reasons or based on protected grounds under the Human Rights Act.

Students who choose not to be vaccinated, who do not have both doses, or do not provide vaccination will still be able to come to classes at the College but will be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). COVID-19 testing kits and PPE will be provided to students and volunteers by Aurora College.

Early in the new year the College will engage with students to get feedback on how to make the implementation of the vaccine policy as student-centred as possible. Discussion is expected to focus on how the policy can be made to work in the most effective way possible for students while still achieving the goal of having students fully vaccinated by March 1, 2022.

Quotes:

“Aurora College is committed to ensuring a safe teaching, learning, and working environment for everyone. Considering the new COVID-19 variants in Canada and the world, introducing a student vaccination policy at this time will help keep students, employees and the communities we serve safe and healthy.”

–            Andy Bevan, President, Aurora College

— 30 —

Aurora College delivers academic upgrading, trades and industrial training, certificate, diploma and degree programs to more than 3,000 full and part-time students at three campuses, 21 Community Learning Centres and other community sites in the Northwest Territories. Community-centred post-secondary programs reflect Northern culture and the needs of the Northern labour market. Aurora College’s research division, Aurora Research Institute, conducts, supports, and licenses research in the NWT. Research centres are located in Inuvik, Yellowknife and Fort Smith.

For more information, please contact:

Jayne Murray

Manager, Communications & College Relations Aurora College

Phone: 867-872-7021

Email: jmurray@auroracollege.nt.ca

POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE

17 décembre 2021

La politique de vaccination obligatoire des étudiants entrera en vigueur le 1er mars 2022

FORT SMITH, TNO – Le Collège Aurora s’engage à assurer la sûreté des étudiants, des employés et des Ténois. Pour respecter cet engagement, à compter du 1er mars 2022, tous les étudiants et bénévoles qui étudient en personne à l’un des campus du Collège Aurora devront fournir une preuve de vaccination contre la COVID-19. Une politique similaire a été mise en place plus tôt cette année pour le personnel et les entrepreneurs travaillant au Collège.

Les étudiants et les bénévoles sont encouragés à se faire vacciner le plus tôt possible pour qu’ils puissent être doublement vaccinés et respecter la politique avant le 1er mars 2022. Une personne est considérée comme étant entièrement vaccinée 14 jours après avoir reçu sa deuxième dose d’un vaccin contre la COVID-19.

Les exemptions pour des raisons médicales ou pour des motifs protégés par la Loi sur les droits de la personne seront étudiées au cas par cas.

Les étudiants qui choisissent de ne pas se faire vacciner, qui n’ont pas reçu les deux doses ou qui ne fournissent pas de preuve de vaccination pourront tout de même suivre leurs cours en personne au Collège Aurora, mais devront passer régulièrement un test de dépistage de la COVID-19 et porter de l’équipement de protection individuelle (EPI) particulier. Des trousses de dépistage et de l’équipement de protection individuelle seront fournis par le Collège Aurora aux élèves et aux bénévoles.

Pour faire en sorte que la mise en œuvre de la politique de vaccination soit la plus axée possible sur les besoins des étudiants, le Collège Aurora recueillera leurs observations sur le sujet au début de la prochaine année. Les discussions porteront sur la façon de procéder à la vaccination le plus efficacement possible pour que tous les étudiants soient entièrement vaccinés le 1er mars 2022.

Citations

« Le Collège Aurora s’engage à assurer un milieu d’apprentissage, d’enseignement et de travail sûr pour tous. Compte tenu des différents variants de la COVID-19 circulant au Canada et dans le monde en ce moment, la mise en place une politique de vaccination nous permettra de garder les étudiants, les employés et les résidents que nous servons en sûreté et en santé. »

– Andy Bevan, président du Collège Aurora

— 30 —

Le Collège Aurora donne des cours de perfectionnement scolaire et des formations aux métiers et dans les domaines techniques par l’intermédiaire de programmes postsecondaires menant à un certificat ou à un diplôme. Il compte plus de 3 000 étudiants inscrits à temps plein et à temps partiel dans trois campus, 21 centres d’apprentissage communautaires et d’autres établissements communautaires des Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Les programmes postsecondaires axés sur la collectivité reflètent la culture du Nord et les besoins du marché du travail dans le Nord. La division de la recherche du Collège Aurora, appelée Institut de recherche Aurora, mène et soutient les recherches et octroie des licences de recherche aux TNO. Les centres de recherche sont situés à Inuvik, à Yellowknife et à Fort Smith.

Pour en savoir plus, communiquez avec :

Jayne Murray

Gestionnaire des communications et des relations du Collège

Collège Aurora

Téléphone : 867 872-7021

Courriel : jmurray@auroracollege.nt.ca

Frequently Asked Questions

Student and Volunteer Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

 

How does the new policy affect students and volunteers of Aurora College?

Starting on March 1, 2022, proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required to enter any building or facility for any reason – including classrooms, labs, libraries. 

Students who choose not to be vaccinated, who do not have both doses, or do not provide proof of vaccination will still be able to come to classes at the College but will be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear specified Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). COVID-19 testing kits and PPE will be provided to students and volunteers by Aurora College.

Why did Aurora College decide to implement a student and volunteer vaccination policy? Why now?

Aurora College is committed to ensuring a safe teaching, learning and working environment for everyone. Introducing a student COVID-19 vaccination policy will help keep our students, employees and the communities we serve safe and healthy. In light of the new developments in Canada and the world, and the recent implementation of a mandatory vaccination policy for all employees of the GNWT, it makes sense for Aurora College to make this decision now.

We want to ensure you were aware of the new policy before the upcoming holidays to give you additional time to get fully vaccinated before March 1, 2022.

What does “fully vaccinated” mean?

A person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose of a Health Canada authorized COVID-19 vaccine or an approved combination of Health Canada authorized vaccines.

When will the policy come into effect?

The policy will come into effect on March 1, 2022.

Will students get a chance to voice their opinions or give feedback about this policy or how and when it is being implemented?

We want to hear from students about how to best implement the policy before we finalize the details of how the policy will be rolled out. 

Early in January, we will let students know how and when you can help inform the implementation of the Student and Volunteer Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

Sign Up for Class 1, Class 3 or HEO!

Class 1 Driver – Aurora Campus – Inuvik

Prepare to write and pass the written and practical GNWT Class 1 driver’s exam.

Location: Aurora Campus – Inuvik

Dates: January 17 – February 25, 2022

Application Deadline: December 17, 2021

Requirements:

  • 18+
  • Math 130 & English 130 (or equivalents)
  • Valid Class 5 Driver’s licence

Applicants may be eligible for funding through ISETS with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation or Gwich’in Tribal Council.

How to apply: 

  1. Download and complete the application form. Click here to download the form.
  2. Once completed, scan and email the form to tait.training@auroracollege.nt.ca

or

  1. Obtain the application form from your local Community Learning Centre. 
  2. Once completed, scan and email the form to tait.training@auroracollege.nt.ca

Class 3 Driver – Thebacha Campus – fort smith

Prepare to write and pass the written and practical GNWT Class 3 driver’s exam.

Location: Thebacha Campus – Fort Smith

Dates: January 17 – February 25, 2022

Application Deadline: December 17, 2021

Requirements:

  • 18+
  • Math 130 & English 130 (or equivalents)
  • Valid Class 5 Driver’s licence

Three seats are being held EXCLUSIVELY for Sahtu residents!

How to apply: 

  1. Download and complete the application form. Click here to download the form.
  2. Once completed, scan and email the form to tait.training@auroracollege.nt.ca

or

  1. Obtain the application form from your local Community Learning Centre. 
  2. Once completed, scan and email the form to tait.training@auroracollege.nt.ca

Heavy Equipment Operator – Thebacha Campus – Fort Smith

In this full 15-week program, students receive compulsory/core training in first aid, introduction to heavy equipment operation, introduction to the knowledge and use of heavy equipment, introduction to equipment systems, preventative maintenance procedures, interpretation of construction surveys, and air brake systems. This program also includes up to 185 hours of training on each of two pieces of heavy equipment (crawler, motor grader, front-end loader, track excavator swing rig, Class 3 tandem axle dump truck, or Class 1 tractor tri-axle side dump).  

Location: Thebacha Campus – Fort Smith

Dates: March 7 – June 17, 2022

Application Deadline: December 17, 2021

Requirements:

  • 18+
  • Math 130 & English 130 (or equivalents)
  • Valid Class 5 Driver’s licence

Four seats are being held EXCLUSIVELY for Sahtu residents!

Click HERE to apply!

ONLINE LEARNING JANUARY 10-21, 2022

Northern Nursing Scholarship Day

Congratulations to the 4th year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students for the presentation of their northern nursing research posters, presented at the 2021 Northern Nursing Scholarship Day.

This year more then 100 students and staff of the School of Health and Human Services registered to the event and took a reflective break on Dec 1st to think about improvement of health care in NWT.

For this day, we had the honor of welcoming Dr. John B Zoe, Maggie Mercredi- Knowledge Holder and Erica Abel, Alumni of Aurora College BSN program and Indigenous nurse clinician working at Stanton Territorial Hospital. We would like to thank the Fourwaves event platform (https://fourwaves.com (opens in a new tab)) for their support to the event!

We would like to congratulate the recipients of 2021 Northern Nursing Scholarship Day awards :

  • Kathleen Scarf for People’s Choice Award
  • Erin Moore for Scientific Rigor Award
  • Teala Gonzalez for Creativity Award

Congratulations to all the recipients and all students for their beautiful research projects!