News

Dear Colleagues and Learners:

We are taking this opportunity to remind all members of the College community of the importance of the need to continue practicing all of the COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures.

While the vaccine rollout strategy is well underway, our communities continue to deal with the threat of a third wave of COVID-19 and we are currently seeing rising case rates and the emergence of variants of concern, which bring additional complexities and concerns. The circumstances in Ottawa are grave and it is entirely likely that increased restrictions will be implemented in the coming days. Perth Campus is still operating in the Red Zone of the reopening framework and our Pembroke Campus is operating in the Yellow Zone. Continue reading →

March 25, 2021

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

The ongoing rise in Ontario COVID-19 cases and hospital ICU admissions are a clear reminder of the need for our continued vigilance in the face of this pandemic – especially when engaging in any kind of activity outside of our households. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to keeping our college community healthy and safe.

As you may be aware, Ontario has introduced less restrictive capacity guidelines for restaurants in its red-control zone – allowing for 50% capacity for indoor dining spaces subject to appropriate social distancing and table capacities. This change impacts food service operations at our Ottawa Campus (you can review current capacity details here). Continue reading →

The Ontario government’s 2021 budget includes multiple investments in post-secondary education, including $21.4 million for a new Virtual Learning Strategy, and funding for facility maintenance and new equipment.

The Provincial Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy, was released on March 24. It included several measures to bolster the post-secondary sector, including expanding OSAP to students in eligible programs at Indigenous Institutes and in micro-credential programs. Post-secondary spending included $493 million in capital funding over three years – starting in 2021–22 – to help colleges and universities across Ontario address the ongoing need for the maintenance, renovation and modernization of their facilities. Continue reading →

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

Due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, Ottawa is moving into the red-control zone on Ontario’s pandemic response framework as of Friday, March 19 at 12:01 a.m. (Pembroke and Perth Campuses continue to operate in the less restrictive yellow-protect zone.)

Ottawa’s status change, announced Thursday by the provincial government, increases various local restrictions relating to gatherings and capacity for a range of facilities. (You can review the full list of red zone restrictions here.) Continue reading →

Algonquin College’s Vice President Advancement, Mark Savenkoff, has been recognized with the 2021 ‘Professional of the Year Award’ by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

“This recognition acknowledges the generosity of our donors and the pride demonstrated by our graduates during an unprecedented year,” he said.

Savenkoff, who joined the College in 2019 as its first Vice President of Advancement, attributes his success to the hard work of his team and the vision and leadership of College President and Chief Executive Officer, Claude Brulé. Continue reading →

Algonquin College began accepting applications to Ontario’s new accelerated training program for Personal Support Workers this week. The program is part of the Ontario government’s $115 million investment to train up to 8,200 new personal support workers (PSWs) for high-demand jobs in Ontario’s health and long-term care sectors. In collaboration with Colleges Ontario, all 24 publicly assisted colleges will offer this innovative, fully funded program. This is part of the government’s Long-Term Care Staffing Plan, one of the largest recruitment and training drives in the province’s history.

This week, colleges across Ontario began accepting applications for this new program. This includes Algonquin College’s campus in Ottawa. Continue reading →

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

Nearly one year ago, on March 13, 2020, the College temporarily suspended classes due to COVID-19 in order to give time for our faculty and staff to pivot and start delivering curriculum and services remotely. In those early days of the pandemic, we faced many unknowns, ever-evolving public health recommendations, and difficult decisions. In fact, the Prime Minister has designated today, March 11, a National Day of Observance to commemorate those who have died and the significant impacts we have all felt because of COVID-19.

While much has changed, those core challenges remain the same. Since last March, COVID-19 has had a major impact on our College community. In particular, Campus Services has been significantly impacted due to limited on-campus activity, and because the level of on-campus activity is anticipated to remain limited over the spring/summer term, we have made the difficult decision to close Food Services at the Ottawa campus as of May 1, 2021. This closure is indefinite until there is more clarity for planned campus activities. Food will be available at Students’ Association locations. Continue reading →