Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Saskatchewan will both be making vaccination status a big part of their return to campus this fall. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Vaccination rules on campus

Sask Polytechnic and U-Sask draw line in sand on vaccination

Aug 25, 2021 | 1:00 PM

Universities across the country are starting to unveil their plans for the school year ahead, and most of them include some form of vaccine requirement.

This will be true for both the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

For Sask Polytechnic, the rule is very simple: if you’re attending classes in person, you will need to have at least one dose of the vaccine when classes begin and you’ll need your second dose not long after.

“In light of the emergence of the Delta variant, Sask Polytech requires students, employees and visitors on campus to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” reads the official policy on their website. “The first vaccination is required by September 17, 2021 and the second vaccination by October 22, 2021.”

While Sask Polytechnic is prepared to make exceptions on human rights grounds (notably for those who medically cannot receive the vaccine), they will require anyone not vaccinated to undergo “regular and frequent COVID-19 testing and daily health checks”.

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A similar policy is in place for the University of Saskatchewan, with one notable difference. They’ll be requiring everyone (students, staff, and faculty) on their Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert campuses to disclose their vaccination status, which will determine the protocol for them from there.

“You will have options to say yes, I am fully vaccinated, no I am not, or I prefer not to say,” said Patti McDougall, vice provost of teaching, learning and student experience with the University of Saskatchewan. “There is a timeline worked in there. We know some people may need more time, so the first dose by September 7, second dose by October 18.”

If you are not vaccinated or prefer not to say, the university will require you to test twice a week using rapid testing for the rest of the fall. Fully remote students will need to fill out the disclosure but won’t need to do rapid testing. McDougall wasn’t sure exactly how many tests they would need, but she felt it was safe to say thousands of people will be asking for them.

“For estimate purposes, you could look at the rate of full vaccination for the province of Saskatchewan in that 18-29 age range, which is a vast proportion of our population,” she said. “It’s not looking great. That’s why we’re doing this in part, because it’s not looking great and it needs to increase.”

McDougall added that they’re compiling a list of high-risk activities that will require vaccination to take part, including living in residence and being part of Husky athletics. Neither residence nor Husky athletics are part of the Prince Albert campus, however.

The university also stated on their website that three-ply single-use masks will also be required in all indoor spaces on campus in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP