Dear U of G students, faculty and staff,

During the last 17 months, the University of Guelph community has worked together to manage a complex and rapidly evolving situation. We have done this knowing that the health and wellness of our community must be the top priority.

Front of Johnston Hall
Johnston Hall, U of G

Throughout this pandemic, the leadership team has continued to monitor and respond to new information, including government and public health directives. As we develop our responses, we have consulted with public health experts, discussed best practices for the sector with other universities, and listened to feedback from our community. After announcing a vaccination mandate last week, we continued to monitor the situation. With emerging information about the Delta variant and modeling showing that we have entered a fourth wave of COVID-19, we are refining our vaccination requirements.

Beginning Sept. 7, faculty, staff and students who intend to access U of G buildings at both the Guelph and Ridgetown campuses and all University-managed facilities must register their proof of vaccination. Details on how to provide proof of vaccination will be available soon.

Exemptions for staff, students and faculty will be granted based on medical and other grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Students wishing to request an exemption may access the Statement of Exemption Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination for Students form online. The exemption process for faculty and staff will be communicated soon. Those granted exemptions must receive a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours before accessing indoor spaces.

We will also require all visitors to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to access our buildings and managed facilities. Those over the age of 12 who are not vaccinated must receive a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours before accessing our indoor spaces. We strongly encourage the University community to limit visitors to campuses. Colleges, departments and units who must host visitors for essential reasons are responsible for ensuring all visitors understand and comply with all COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, including the vaccination requirement.

Operationalizing this requirement takes considerable effort and we are working quickly to finalize details. We appreciate your patience. Please continue to read the COVID-19 updates sent to your uoguelph.ca inbox and review our COVID-19 Vaccination FAQs for the latest details and information.

Everyone who accesses our spaces must continue to follow all of U of G’s COVID-19 safety protocols, including daily screening, wearing a mask, keeping distance when possible and cleaning their hands regularly.

This pandemic has challenged all of us in ways that we could not have imagined. We want to ensure that our students, faculty and staff are aware of the supports that are available to them. More information can be found on our Gryphon Family portal.

Thank you for your patience as we navigate the complexities of this pandemic. We know that things are changing quickly, and we also know that we must continue to be prepared for more change in the weeks and months ahead.

Sincerely,

Charlotte Yates
President and Vice-Chancellor

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