Friday, July 23, 2021

Waterloo now requires vaccination for students living in residence

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Waterloo recently received new advice from the Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Waterloo that strongly recommended a change to our plans for students living in residences. In response to the advice, Waterloo will now require that students living in our residences for the 2021-2022 academic year be vaccinated against COVID-19.    

“We need to make this change as we know that people who live in congregate living spaces face unique risks for transmission of COVID-19,” says Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor. “The Delta variant has had a significant effect on our region and we know that during recent weeks, overall case volumes have been highest among those age 20-29 years. Making sure that students who live in residences have very high rates of vaccination helps protect them and our whole community.”   

Students in residence should aim to be fully vaccinated with both doses before their move-in date and provide the University with proof of vaccination. If the timing is challenging for some residents to meet, the minimum requirement is that students have received their first dose of a Health Canada approved vaccine, or World Health Organization approved vaccine before they move in. Students must also get a second dose of an approved vaccine as soon as possible within the recommended time period and provide proof that they have done so by November 1, 2021. International students should be aware that World Health Organization-approved vaccines meet the requirement for approval to live in residences. International students can reach out to the International Experience Team for support.

Residents who can’t get a vaccine due to medical reasons or other grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code will be able to submit a request for accommodation. 

“On-campus residences are high density, contain shared common spaces, and may present challenges to effective isolation should a student become infected,” stated Hsiu-Li Wang, Waterloo Region’s Medical Officer of Health in a letter that outlines the advice. “For these reasons, the highest two-dose vaccination coverage achievable among the student population will be our strongest tool to prevent local outbreaks, including in such settings, in the upcoming academic year.”  

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) has also expressed support for the new vaccination requirement. “We are confident that these decisions are grounded in the best available evidence and will prioritize the health, safety and well-being of our communities,” says Stephanie Ye-Mowe, vice-president education on behalf of WUSA. “As a representative for students, we will continue to collaborate with the Region and the University of Waterloo to understand the impact of these guidelines and mitigate undue burdens, especially on immuno-compromised and international students.”  

While the University doesn’t require a vaccine to come to our campuses, public health strongly recommends vaccination for all community members at post-secondary institutions. University leadership is also urging everyone in the UWaterloo community to get first and second doses as soon as possible. Health Services is offering COVID-19 vaccines to everyone on campus.    

As Waterloo Region entered the third step of the province’s reopening plans last week, some public health measures were relaxed in response to positive trends in vaccinations and a drop in transmission rates. The University will continue to work within guidelines to expand in-person experiences in the fall. However, the academic plans for the fall term remain in place.   

For additional information and FAQs, visit the COVID-19 information website, where the most up-to-date information is posted.

Safety Office offers new courses

The Safety Office has released new health and safety programs for first aid and contractor safety management.

First aid

The purpose of the new First Aid Program is to consolidate first aid resources from the Safety Office website (such as first aid procedures, kits and training) into one central document. The program also specifically states the roles and responsibilities of certain groups on campus such as departments, supervisors and first aiders.

All supervisors and researchers should review the program so they are aware of what is expected of them. Supervisors and researchers are also strongly encouraged to discuss the following key information with their workers and students: 

• The locations of supplemental and departmental first aid kits
• Who are the certified first aiders in their departments or work areas
• What to do in the event of an incident or injury and who to contact
• Any additional emergency procedures specific to their location

Contractor safety management

The purpose of the Contractor Safety Management Program is to manage the risks of contracted work at the University of Waterloo and to reduce the occurrence of accidents, injuries and illnesses involving contractors. This new program establishes processes that ensure contractors and their employees perform their work in a manner that protects the health and safety of themselves and the broader university community, while also ensuring compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to the contracting and execution of work by contractors.

All contractors that conduct work and/or provide services on premises occupied or owned by the University of Waterloo must follow this program. University employees who manage work performed by contractors should become familiar with this program. 

See the Contractor Safety Management webpage for more information and contact Robert Mullins with questions.

See the First Aid webpage for more information and contact Doug Dye with questions. 

Remembering Professor Terry Gough

Former University of Waterloo Chemistry Professor Terence “Terry” Gough passed away on June 28 in Sidney, British Columbia.

Born in Portsmouth, England in 1939, Gough obtained a B.Sc. and PhD at the University of Leicester and started his career at the University of Waterloo in July 1965 as a Lecturer in the Chemistry department. In 1970 he was appointed Associate Professor and in July 1979 he was appointed full Professor.

Through his research he became an international leader in molecular dynamics, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, laser spectroscopy and photochemistry, running Waterloo’s Molecular Spectroscopy lab. He worked closely with Professor Giacinto Scoles, then-graduate student Roger Miller and Arthur Carty at the Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry to land the first National Research Council grant ever given to University of Waterloo researchers in 1976, and helped establish the Centre for Molecular Beams and Laser Chemistry with Professor Scoles.

In 1985 he won the Herzberg Award of the Spectroscopy Society of Canada, which was awarded annually to outstanding spectroscopists who made significant contributions to the discipline while working in Canada.

After 24 years at Waterloo, in 1989 Professor Gough was recruited as Chair of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Victoria and led the department for several years, also serving as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science. During his time in Victoria, Gough was the program leader of a national network of Centers of Excellence in Molecular and Interfacial Dynamics (CEMAID) which involved a group of about 50 researchers from around Canada. He retired from the University of Victoria in 2005.

Gough was a Fellow of the Chemical Society of London.

He is survived by his two daughters Kirstie and Rebecca and his four grandchildren.

The future is virtual for glaucoma patients

The University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science (UWOVS) is launching a new pilot program to ensure patients suffering from glaucoma can access the health care support they need through a virtual platform.

In collaboration with NexJ Health Inc., a provider of advanced virtual care solutions for chronic disease prevention and management, the partnership will deliver a new hybrid approach to glaucoma care – including the combination of virtual personalized health coaching sessions alongside in—person visits with their faculty optometrist. Patients will meet virtually with a health coach to address common questions about their glaucoma treatment plan, medications, and lifestyle changes to enhance their quality of life.

The goal of the pilot program is to determine whether personal health coaching is an effective tool in monitoring and managing a patient’s glaucoma care and adhering to treatment.  If successful, the platform may be scalable and leverage technology to enhance access for underserved communities across Canada.

Preventing irreversible blindness

Glaucoma is a common eye disease that irreparably damages the optic nerve. The disease affects Canadians of all ages, and without proper intervention, will lead to irreversible blindness. There is no cure for glaucoma — patients must engage in ongoing management and monitoring of their disease throughout their lifetime to slow the progression and protect their vision.

“Collaborating with NexJ Health to deliver health coaching is a unique opportunity to improve glaucoma care by increasing patient engagement in the management of their own care,” said Dr. Woo.

Zoom now available for employees and students

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

The campus-wide Zoom license is now available for employees and students; pro/educational licenses are available for employees and graduate students, and basic licenses are available for undergraduate students. 

• IST is continuing to migrate existing University of Waterloo Zoom users to the campus-wide license. 
• The integration of Zoom with LEARN is currently underway and is expected to be complete during the first week of August.

If you do not have an existing Zoom account: Faculty, staff, and students can create an account by going to https://uwaterloo.zoom.us, clicking Sign In, and logging in with their username@uwaterloo.ca credentials. 

If you have an existing Zoom account:  Migrate your account to the campus-wide license using the steps below. 

1. If your Zoom account username is not username@uwaterloo.ca, update your username.
2. Go to https://uwaterloo.zoom.us and click 'Sign In'. Enter your username@uwaterloo.ca login credentials. The first time you login, you will be asked to migrate your existing account. Follow the prompts to migrate your account. 
3. If you have a paid Zoom account, Zoom will update your account balance and you can request a refund by calling Zoom Support: +1.888.799.9666 ext 2.

Notes on credentials and migrations

The ability to log in with Zoom credentials will be disabled at a later date and users will be required to log in with their University of Waterloo credentials. To optimize the reimbursement of your remaining account balance, it is recommended that you create or migrate your Zoom account as soon as possible. If you have an upcoming Zoom event, you can create or migrate your Zoom account at your convenience after the event date.

Additional resources

• For Zoom Support, visit the Zoom Help Center or call +1.888.799.9666 ext 2 for account balance inquiries
• Zoom Support Guidelines
• University of Waterloo Zoom licensing information - for information regarding licensing, email rt-ist-itms-collab@rt.uwaterloo.ca 
• Zoom support articles - IST Knowledge Base (will be expanded on as resources are created)

If you have questions or concerns, please send them to the IST Service Desk at helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca.