As you know, the Ontario government has declared that Ontario is in a second state of emergency, and that new measures have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19. A stay-at-home order will come into effect on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. in response to the rise in COVID-19 cases across the province and increased pressures on our health care system.
Security and Emergency Services would like to take this opportunity to welcome all employees and students for the 2021 Winter Term. At this time, we would like to take a few moments to provide some basic safety and security information to help contribute to a safe and successful semester for everyone.
While Algonquin College is a very safe place to work and learn, it is important that everyone is mindful that it is a large public environment. On campuses, taking basic precautions and ensuring you are aware of general emergency procedures are easy ways for everyone to contribute to the safety and preparedness of the College community. You should always take care to be aware of your surroundings and of the various services and measures in place to help ensure your safety while on Campus. The College also maintains an emergency number, ext. 5000, as well as emergency phones throughout the Campus should you require immediate assistance of any kind. You can also contact Security staff by phone at ext. 5010 or feel free to visit the security office located at room A149 at the Ottawa Campus. Continue reading Safety and Security Information for the Winter Term
Welcome to our 2021 Winter term! To our new learners and employees, my sincerest thanks for joining our Algonquin College community.
When the clock ticked down to its last moments of 2020 and we turned the page on a challenging year unlike any other, many of us began looking ahead in earnest with renewed hope for better days on the horizon. My immediate hope is that the holiday break provided all of us time to relax and recharge.
While the evolving nature of the pandemic continues to create many unknowns ahead, we are more prepared than ever to face any additional challenges together. This is thanks to the diligent health and safety measures in place on our community campuses and the dynamic approaches being taken to deliver our programs, as well as the tremendous amount of COVID-19 resources we have created to support our learners and employees. Most of all, this is due to your extraordinary efforts to keep our college community, and the broader community we serve, safe while meeting our primary mission – to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success.
We also know for certain that the threat posed by COVID-19 remains at its highest level, given the presently reported COVID-19 statistics and trends. There are difficult months in front of us that will require our continued collective resolve. Maintaining our vigilance around health and safety – wearing our masks, social distancing, washing our hands, following the directives set out by public health officials and using our College COVID-19 App, remain critically important to achieving our goals.
As such, we should expect that the health and safety measures and protocols we’ve put in place may require some adjustments as we continue to respond to evolving orders and regulations from government, as well as updated recommendations from public health authorities. This will require all of us to remain flexible and resilient, and I am confident that we will prevail. After all, everyone in our entire College community has repeatedly demonstrated how adaptable and creative we can be in the face of adversity. I look forward to seeing what we will accomplish together in 2021.
I wish everyone all the best as we embark on the start of this new year and our 2021 Winter term.
As we head into the Winter term, I have a few important updates and reminders. First and foremost, the provincial shutdown is expected to continue until Saturday, January 23.
As the President outlined before the holidays, the College will continue to minimize face-to-face instruction and promote the delivery of remote academic instruction whenever possible. That said, our campuses will continue to operate within the new restrictions for academic activities and services. Continue reading Message from the Senior Vice President, Academic
To help curb the spread of COVID-19, a province-wide lockdown will go into effect on Saturday, December 26 at 12:01 a.m.
At this point, the lockdown in our three campus communities is scheduled to last four weeks until Saturday, January 23. Non-essential businesses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth will be closed – including gyms, salons and indoor dining. However, our campuses will continue to operate within the new restrictions for select academic activities and services.
As previously announced, Algonquin College’s campuses will close for the holidays at noon on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 and re-open on Monday, January 4, 2021. Our plan for the Winter term continues to minimize face-to-face instruction and promote the delivery of remote academic instruction whenever possible: Continue reading Message from the President – December 22
The Ontario government has announced a province-wide lockdown effective Saturday, December 26 at 12:01 a.m. in response to the spike in reported COVID-19 case across many regions of the province.
Algonquin College is undertaking a review of today’s announcement, and the associated regulations, to determine the impact on our operations and services. In consultation with Colleges Ontario, Algonquin is determining the best course of action for the College and its campuses.
As soon as we have a concrete, detailed plan, we will share additional information with the entire College community. Please watch your College email address and social media channels for updates in the days ahead. Continue reading Provincial Lockdown Announcement
On the most recent episode of Ciena’s monthly podcast—The Ciena Network Insights Podcast—host Rodney Wilson, Ciena’s Chief Technologist of Research Networks, discusses Algonquin’s new state-of-the-art Optophotonics Lab.
Ciena recently invested in upgrading the lab by providing it with the same cutting-edge technology used by the top corporations in the world, including the largest telecommunication carriers in Canada and abroad. The upgrade solidified Algonquin’s long-standing partnership with Ciena, which has hired many Algonquin grads over the years. Continue reading Ciena Podcast Discusses Algonquin’s Upgraded Optophotonics Lab
As the Fall Term 2020 draws to a close, it is important to reflect on our experience related to the ongoing management of COVID-19 on our campuses. The Ottawa Campus is still in the Orange Level of the provincial re-opening framework and Ottawa continues to be challenged by fluctuating rates of infection in the community. Our Perth and Pembroke campuses are in Yellow and Green Zones, respectively – while the latter campus is experiencing an outbreak under assessment by the local health unit. Overall, the Eastern Ontario region is experiencing concerning increasing rates of infection.
OTTAWA (Dec. 16) – Algonquin College is leading the $7-million expansion of a national project to help Indigenous youth obtain trades training while attending school.
The three-year project, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, is mandated through Indigenous YouthBuild Canada, a national job-readiness program that brings First Nations communities together with educational institutions, government, and corporate partners to help Indigenous youth acquire job-ready skills while extending their education.
Earlier this year, Algonquin oversaw a $1.2-million demonstration project that supported 80 Indigenous youth in receiving trade skills and schooling. The project’s success set the stage for the more long-term program. With the renewed funding, Algonquin will team up with four post-secondary institutions and two Indigenous organizations spread across Canada to provide First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth with earn-as-you-learn opportunities. Continue reading Algonquin College leads expansion of Indigenous YouthBuild program
Earlier today the Renfrew County District Health Unit confirmed a student at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This positive case is in addition to the three employees who tested positive for the virus earlier this week.
We continue to wish that the affected employees and student make a prompt and full recovery from the virus.
Algonquin College is committed to the health and safety of our community. Thank you to everyone for continuing to help us protect our employees and students.
The media release issued by the Renfrew County Health Unit can be found here.