Employee Information

As you are aware, on September 15 the Government of Alberta announced new vaccine requirements and measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the strain on the health care system. These measures took effect September 16 and 20. All employee and student communications were issued last week based on information available at the time.

Since Friday September 17, there have been new developments, specifically:

• a change to the Alberta Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) that categorizes post-secondary institutions as out-of-scope
• introduction of CMOH Order 042-2021 (attached) that gives Post-secondary institutions the authority to implement a student proof of vaccination program on September 20
• individuals can now access a convenient card-sized proof of vaccination on alberta.ca/CovidRecords

College leadership has reviewed CMOH Order 042-2021 and intends to implement a student proof of vaccination program that will permit resumption of in-class learning on October 4. Classes will continue to be delivered on-line for the next two weeks to allow for planning and implementation.

We have sought clarification from Advanced Education as to whether CMOH Order 042-2021 is applicable to employees of an institution as some language in the Order has created confusion. I want to stress that we cannot rule out that proof of vaccination for employees may be a requirement under CMOH 042-2021, albeit unlikely, or become a requirement at some future date via provincial measures or introduced by the College. However, I advise all faculty and staff to get vaccinated if they have not done so already. This is an important action that will enable the campus to remain open and protect our community.

Some students will refuse to get vaccinated and their options will be limited:

• get vaccinated
• obtaining a medical exemption or exemption on charter protected grounds
• withdrawal from program
• produce a COVID-19 negative test at their own expense
• produce a COVID-19 test at the College expense if the student received a first dose after September 20 and second dose on or before October 18. Students must be fully immunized by November 1

On Friday September 17, College Leadership approved implementation of a proof of vaccination program for SSWC recreation patrons and student athletes.  This will permit practices and competition to continue.

We want to thank Academic Leadership and Faculty for their quick pivot to get programs on-line for today. We also want to thank everyone involved in navigating the new measures thus far, knowing more work is to be done. We are committed to information sharing and answering employee and student questions. We are working on a frequently asked questions guide and messaging. Details are being worked and we will share information as soon as possible. 

Last evening, the Government of Alberta declared a state of public health emergency and introduced new public health measures that came into effect at 12:01 Thursday September 16 with additional measures coming into effect Monday September 20. As a result, we are taking steps to safely implement the new restrictions.  To do so, the following actions will be taken:

• Where necessary, for preparation purposes, most classes and learning activities will be cancelled the afternoon of Thursday, September 16 and all day Friday, September 17. Please check with your instructors.

• Where physical distancing is not possible, classes will shift to online delivery for a minimum of two weeks starting Monday, September 20. Please check with your instructor to determine the format your instruction.

• Social distancing and mask wearing is REQUIRED when on campus.

• Cancelling classes today and tomorrow where necessary will provide staff and faculty the opportunity to shift to online classes.  This is a temporary situation and we will be moving back to on-campus.

• We will be adopting the Government of Alberta’s vaccination exemption program where proof of vaccination will be required for in-class study. More detail will be provided as available.  It is in everyone’s best interest to get vaccinated in anticipation of implementation of this program.

• The health and safety of our students and employees remains our foremost concern and the College requires everyone to adhere to the mandated AHS restrictions.

We are taking this opportunity to remind our students and employees to be diligent about the day-to-day measures we can do to help prevent the spread. 

• Get vaccinated
• Mandatory masks in public spaces
• Hand hygiene
• Social distancing/2 metres apart
• Coughing or sneezing into a tissue/or elbow
• Work and stay at home as much as possible

It is imperative that you follow these guidelines to help stop the spread and protect yourselves and those around you.  

The Alberta Government announced today that starting September 4 at 8 a.m. masks will be mandatory for all indoor public spaces and workplaces. This is due to increasing COVID-19 transmission and rising hospital admissions, overwhelmingly amongst unvaccinated Albertans, temporary measures are needed to reduce transmission and prevent the health-care system from being overwhelmed.

What does this mean for Keyano College?

• Wearing a mask will be required in all indoor spaces. This includes classrooms, common areas, and certain areas in residences. 
• Classes that are currently face-to-face delivery will continue that way.
• Staff that are currently working on campus can continue to do so but they must wear masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• Staff that are still working remotely are encouraged to remain working remotely.
• At the Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre wearing a mask will be required before and after your work out. Please adhere to posted signage.
• Masks will be made available to all employees free of charge.

As part of the returning to campus and your work areas, a hazard assessment should be conducted in accordance to the College safety program.  Please ensure this includes a COVID-19 risk assessment. 

The Province has initiated a new vaccine incentive program.  A one-time incentive of $100 is now available for all Albertans age 18 or older who receive a first or second dose of vaccine between September 3 and October 14. Click here to see more details.

Keyano College will be hosting another on-site vaccination clinic.  More details will be available shortly.

The health and safety of our students and employees remains our top priority and we are taking this opportunity to remind our students and employees to be diligent about adhering to the day-to-day measures. Let’s do all we can do to help prevent the spread. 

• Wearing a mask in public spaces
• Hand hygiene
• Social distancing/2 metres apart
• Coughing or sneezing into a tissue/or elbow
• Work and stay at home if you are not feeling well

For the latest information about COVID-19 and Alberta Health Services guidelines, please visit the AHS Website.

In response to resuming campus operations for Fall 2020, Keyano has created a COVID-19 operational planning committee.  This committee has worked tirelessly over the last few months to create a comprehensive COVID-19 Institutional Operational Relaunch Plan. 

Please view our re-entry plan page for all the information you need to know about returning back to the College. 

Dear Colleagues,

In this time of uncertainty and change, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Keyano College teams that continue to provide vital services to our staff, students, and community.

In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to support our students through virtual means, with the goal of completing the Winter Semester. This important transition is proceeding through the use of online tools and through the hard work going on behind the scenes by faculty and staff.

This is a situation with many unknowns, but we are all learning together and as such, I appreciate your patience. I encourage you to continue to find new, creative ways to continue to serve our students and communities.

We don’t have many answers about the future as yet, but I very much look forward to a day when we can open our physical doors to students once again. In the meantime, please continue your good work, stay safe, continue practicing social distancing and healthy habits, and keep in touch with your colleagues through virtual means.

I encourage anyone struggling with this situation, to access available community resources and our EFAP (Employee and Family Assistance Program).

More information on the College’s response to COVID-19, including information for employees and students can also be found on our informational webpage. For official information on the COVID-19 outbreak please visit the Government of Alberta webpage.

Thank you,

Trent

Please note: Students and staff who need to retrieve belongings, will have access to the main campus on Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Important: After Tuesday, March 24, staff (other than executive, facilities, and some IT) will require approval from their VP or an Executive Committee member for access. All will need to sign in and out with Security at Entrance F in the Main Clearwater Campus. Facilities will begin the process of shutting down buildings after Tuesday. 

Students requiring access to computers for course completion will be accommodated through Housing.

We apologize for any inconvenience. As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our staff and students, as well as community. We encourage all to continue to practice social distancing and proper personal hygiene (proper and regular hand washing) at all times.

For the most up to date information on Keyano’s response to the pandemic, visit Keyano.ca/coronavirus. For the most up-to-date information about COVID-19, please visit the Government of Canada and Alberta Health websites.

Please also opt in to our messaging system, SchoolMessenger, for urgent and important messages. 

As Keyano College responds to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are now requiring all non-essential employees to work remotely.

Beginning tomorrow (Friday, March 20) access to College facilities will be limited to essential employees (those required for building maintenance and safety). We will provide more communication on Monday regarding access.

For all who work remotely, please follow the attached guide in detail as it outlines the requirement and expectations for remote work. Your supervisor is your first point of contact as you transition to remote work.

• As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our staff and students. We encourage all to continue to practice social distancing and proper personal hygiene (proper and regular hand washing) at all times.

For the most up to date information on Keyano’s response to the pandemic, visit Keyano.ca/coronavirus. For the most up-to-date information about COVID-19, please visit the Government of Canada and Alberta Health websites.

• Please also opt in to our messaging system, SchoolMessenger, for urgent and important messages. 

We understand this may be a difficult and uncertain time for employees. We hope employees who require it, will utilize our EFAP (Employee and Family Assistance Program)

• Homewood is our EFAP provider and provides health resources/supports. You can sign up to the platform via www.homeweb.ca . This is more than crisis counselling, and is a holistic approach with resources for legal, financial, health coaching, health promotion, and more.

More information on working remotely can be found here.

Please view this document to allow staff and faculty to remotely access college resources.

There are two methods of connecting:

• VPN (Virtual Private Network): Users with Keyano issued laptops will to be able to connect using VPN and use college resources.

•       VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or just Virtual Desktops) Allows people with personal devices, including computers, laptops, and tablets, to be able to connect into college resources.  Most people will use this method to connect.

The quick instructions for connecting to the VDI are as follows:

• Go to https://desktop.keyano.ca
• Select the “VMware Horizon HTML Access”
• Log in using your normal credentials
• Select the “Keyano Staff Desktop”

If you have any questions please contact the ITS Helpdesk. 780-791-4965

In response to COVID-19 and to protect the health, safety and wellness of our College community, Keyano College is issuing an important update to its travel directive.
Effective March 18, 2020, rules on international travel for College employees are being changed. Employees who leave Canada after March 18 for any reason, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days and will be on unpaid leave. Leave for self-isolation due to international travel can also be covered by vacation time or accumulated comp time.

Employees already returning from international travel, or those self-isolating now, will continue to receive pay and benefits without interruption.

• Also please note the important information for employees from our benefits provider about international travel.

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