From the Emergency Response Committee

Dear Ambrose Students,

As we continue to navigate the Alberta State of Public Health Emergency, the Emergency Response Committee (ERC) has been meeting regularly to discern a path forward that meets government standards and prioritizes the safety of this community. Underlying this work has been the desire to have as few restrictions as possible for both the classroom and community life.

As you know from our last update on September 17, the Emergency Response Committee (ERC) had planned for November 15 to be the start of our Proof of Vaccine Program (PVP)—originally known as the Restrictions Exemption Program or REP. Since then the ERC has continued to deliberate within the context of complex and changing guidelines, seeking to determine the best way to implement this program for both students and employees. We have concluded that introducing this program mid-semester would be very disruptive and logistically challenging. As a result, we have moved the implementation date to January 1, 2022 and aligning the start of this program with the beginning of the winter semester, we expect to experience less disruption overall and to be in a better position to support the implementation.

In adopting the Proof of Vaccine program, Ambrose will be one of only a few Alberta post-secondary institutions that will allow options beyond mandatory vaccinations. Moving to a PVP program allows us to continue in-person learning, enjoy recreation and eating together, and reduce physical distancing in classrooms. We do this because we want everyone to safely participate in on-campus learning.

In order to be ready for January 1, 2021 all Ambrose students who intend to be on campus will need to present one of the following prior to that date:

• Proof of double vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization;
• Proof of medical exemption (see attached);
• Proof of a negative COVID test administered within the previous 72 hours by a medical health professional (pharmacy or negative AHS test).

Note: Ambrose has determined that we are unable to provide on-site rapid tests due to the logistical challenges of managing all that is required to ensure the safety of the campus.  Only rapid tests that have been performed by a health care provider (a pharmacy or other health care provider) will be accepted under the PVP. The cost for these tests is the responsibility of the student.

We are testing a tool that we anticipate will be a portal through which students can upload their vaccination status or weekly rapid test results. This information will be used to provide access to the campus, and will not be stored by Ambrose but used solely for verification of status. Please continue to check your email for further instructions. (More specific details for residence students will be provided in a later email.)

Until January 1, all present restrictions remain in place, including:

• Masks are required indoors at all times except when you are actively eating.
• Physical distancing is required indoors at all times.
• We encourage you to move meetings to video conference where possible.
• Outdoor social gatherings are now limited to 20 people.
• Indoor social gatherings are not permitted on campus at this time.

A reminder: If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home and isolate, as well as book a government issued PCR test.

We know this has been a hard time and that COVID is having a significant impact on everyone. Ambrose Counselling continues to be available for all students. Community and online resources are also available. For more information on these services, please visit our wellness page.

We pray for you as you continue your studies this semester and please do contact hss@ambrose.edu with any questions surrounding our PVP plan.

Monique Verhoef
Associate Vice President, Student Life