Welcome home, Golden Hawks

Hello Golden Hawks,

What a pleasure it is for me to finally say welcome home!

Last year, while students navigated the challenges of living and learning in a pandemic, it was abundantly clear how important on-campus, in-person interactions are for student success and well-being. Working with health and safety professionals to prepare for a gradual return to our campuses, we have done all we can to make the coming semester as much of a normal university experience as possible.

One of the strongest memories I have from last year is how responsible students were about following the health and safety protocols. Time and time again, I saw students doing what was needed to protect each other, their families and their communities. I know in the coming year, you will all continue to be vigilant, especially with the Delta variant moving across Canada.

To ensure you have all the information you need to keep everyone safe, we have collected together some resources and reminders for you here.

• Read about Laurier’s approach to COVID-19 on our return to campus webpage so you are up to speed on your individual responsibilities while on campus.
• Review Laurier’s vaccine policy so you know how to post your proof of vaccine prior to coming on campus.
• Become familiar with Laurier’s 12 ways to stay safe when you return.
• Read the guidelines laid out in Step 3 of the Ontario Roadmap to Reopen plan so you understand your broader responsibilities, such as limits that will impact capacity for gathering together and public health recommendations around physical distancing, masking, hand washing and staying home when sick.
• If you live in residence, note that Laurier’s Department of Residence will maintain existing COVID-19 guidelines and the “no guest” policy will continue to apply.
• Finally, I know you will strive to ensure that the respect, safety and consideration evident in our campus communities extend to your interactions in the wider Waterloo/Brantford community.

Thank you for doing your part to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

I look forward to seeing you all on campus soon, and I am delighted that the time has come for us to finally move forward together.

Ivan Joseph
Vice-President, Student Affairs