Hamilton post-secondary schools see full live return for winter semester 2022 – Hamilton

An executive for one of Hamilton’s major post-secondary institutions said the school is working with the Ontario government’s push to reopen facilities for in-person learning during the winter semester of 2022.

Sean Van Koughnett, vice chancellor and dean of McMaster University, said the school is ready and has completed a number of infrastructure improvements to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19, which has kept the virus from spreading. the majority of educational schools online.

Van Koughtnett told 900 CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton.

“So we did everything we could to put health first.”

Much of McMaster and Mohawk College’s learning is still a long way off, especially for courses that don’t require face-to-face delivery.

It’s a different state from their counterparts in London, where both Western and Fanshawe have essentially seen the majority of students return to their normal fall semester.

Last week, during a session of the Ontario legislature, Radical Conservatives used high vaccination rates, low number of cases and student health as excuses to send college students to college. and colleges don’t return in September for classes this January.

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Colleges and Universities Minister Jill Dunlop referred MPPs to the $26 million Ford government medical aid for post-secondary students last year and $8.7 million to come based on Autumn economic report.

“Students don’t have to worry about uncertainty during the winter semester,” says Dunlop.

“That’s why we’re funding with our post-secondary partners to provide support to academies as they prepare for the winter of 2022 to safely reopen.”

Hamilton’s two largest post-secondary institutions, McMaster and Mohawk College, have joined the list of Ontario schools requiring COVID-19 vaccinations as schools are expected to return in the fall. last year.

All students, faculty, staff, and visitors attending facilities must have proof they have been fully immunized with certain exemptions for medical conditions and who can provide “background.” confirmed human rights foundation”.

As of the end of October, more than 99% of faculty and 96% of students at McMaster had uploaded proof of immunization through the MacCheck reporting tool.

Van Koughtett said those who qualify for the exemption will have to test every 48 to 72 hours during the winter semester at McMaster.

“There are a handful of cases out of our 35,000 students that we have, but the rest are fully vaccinated,” said Van Koughnett.

Mohawk College President Ron McKerlie said he expects the majority of incoming students to return to campus in January with continued adherence to COVID safety protocols such as social distancing, mask wearing and vaccinations.

The university’s immunization rate is approaching 90% and is expected to exceed 95% by the end of the fall semester.

However, McKerlie admits the emergence of the Omicron variant in recent days paints another unspecified picture of what could happen next semester.

“You know, this is a moving target, and I think that’s what we’ve seen,” McKerlie said.

“We just don’t know what’s going to happen next, so we have to prepare.”

Van Koughtnett said that the winter semester will still have some online learning for those who want it from asynchronous courses, but in general limited remote activities are scheduled for the winter semester.

“If you’re a full-time student, for the entire course, you’ll need to be on campus,” says Van Koughnett.

“As soon as you start trying to say, okay… whoever wants to stop, we design the curriculum around you, the whole model… starts to fall apart a bit.”

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