Dear Students,

It has been wonderful to see our campus come back to life and to have so many students returning to campus after a year of largely remote learning. We know that connecting with friends in person is so important to your learning and to your wellness. As we continue to navigate the fourth wave of the pandemic, I want to take a moment to remind everyone of the importance of continuing to follow public health guidelines.

Last weekend, a number of U of G students took part in an unofficial gathering on campus, including activities that broke health and safety protocols for masking and physical distancing. Our Campus Safety Office responded promptly to the situation to maintain public safety, and the gathering was quickly disbanded.

We know that several individuals involved were not our students, but we are continuing to investigate the situation and will administer the University’s Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct as necessary for U of G students.

Over the past year, we have learned that individual actions have the potential to compromise the health and safety of everyone. As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we must all do our part to protect the collective well-being of the University community and the greater Guelph community.

We encourage you to take advantage of the good weather and to gather with friends outdoors as much as possible. Please remember that even if you have both vaccinations, you need to continue to follow public health guidelines. To protect everyone, visitors currently may not access our residences and campuses during this stage of our fall plans.

The last 18 months have shown us how quickly the pandemic can change. We encourage you to keep up to date on the latest guidelines on the U of G COVID-19 website.

Wishing you all the best for a successful fall term, and I’ll look forward to saying hello when I see you on campus.

Sincerely,

Charlotte A.B. Yates
President and Vice-Chancellor