A message to all Trent staff and faculty

The start of fall term is just around the corner and our campuses will soon be busy with activity. Here are a few things you should know as we work to maintain a safe and healthy campus environment for everyone this academic year:

• Vaccination requirement and testing upon arrival for residence students – all students living in Trent residences are required to be fully vaccinated (two doses), as defined by the Province of Ontario. COVID-19 testing will also be required upon arrival for all residence students.
• Vaccinations strongly encouraged for all members of the Trent community – While vaccinations are not a requirement for faculty, staff, or students not living in residence, all members of our campus communities are strongly encouraged to stay up-to-date with your vaccinations and get your COVID-19 booster doses as soon as you are eligible.
• On-campus vaccination clinics – If you need your next shot, the GO VAXX mobile vaccination clinic will be on Trent’s Symons Campus on September 10. On September 10, a clinic will also be held at the Oshawa Centre, close to our Durham GTA Campus. You can also book an appointment anytime through Ontario’s online booking portal or through your local public health unit. Walk-ins are also welcome at the vaccination clinic at Peterborough Square. Trent University is also in communication with local public health units to host future vaccine clinics as well as Monkeypox PrEP vaccine clinics on campus. Eligible students will be able to receive a dose of Imvamune to prevent infection or prevent the development of severe symptoms. Watch the Trent Forward site for more details about all on-campus clinics.
• We are mask-friendly. Masks continue to be optional on Trent’s campuses and we respect the decision of students, staff and faculty regarding their choice on masking. The University strongly encourages wearing a mask in spaces that have high-capacity limits and limited ability for physical distancing. Masks are available at college offices, the libraries on both campuses, as well as the Student Centre. Faculty and staff can email healthandsafety@trentu.ca to request N95 or medical masks.
• All employees who test positive, and have been on campus, should continue to use the self-declaration form, submitted confidentially to HR. An online self-reporting tool is available to students who have attended in-person classes.
• A number of additional health and safety measures continue to be in place on our campuses including wastewater testing and improved ventilation systems throughout our buildings on both campuses.

Stay home if you are unwell

If you are feeling unwell or are required to self-isolate, please do not come to campus. If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, be sure to review this helpful guide from the Province at ontario.ca/exposed. Faculty, if you have a scheduled in-person lecture or lab, and cannot come to campus, consider one of the following options:

• If well enough, transition your class/lab online while you finish your isolation period.
• Have your teaching assistant fill in where appropriate.
• Cancel the class/lab and assign readings.

Student absences

All instructors are encouraged to be accommodating and flexible with students who are ill or required to self-isolate. Following the University’s policy on student absenteeism, missed tests and examinations:

• If a student misses a class or lab where no evaluation is scheduled, instructors may advise students to request notes from a fellow student or through a course note taker, if there is one. Instructors are not expected to make notes or recordings of class (if in-person) available to the student, but you may do so if you wish.
• If a student is missing an assignment, test, midterm, or exam (or other evaluation piece of the course that has an impact on final grades), instructors are encouraged to be flexible and work with students to offer an alternative or option to make up the grade.

As always, the University continues to monitor conditions and will advise our campus communities of any changes to plans. Check the Trent Forward website for updates.

Be sure to connect with your manager, chair, dean, or Human Resources if you have questions or require support. Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus communities safe.

Wishing you the best as you prepare for the fall term.