Memorial University is excited to soon welcome all students, faculty and staff back to its campuses.
The Memorial experience is about a vibrant, engaged campus community coming together to advance teaching, learning and research. This cannot happen without collaboration, consultation and action to live up to the aspirations of our strategic plan, Transforming our Horizons. This plan specifically calls for Memorial to prioritize care, wellbeing and support for students, faculty and staff and recognizes our commitment to the communities in which we operate.
As a part of this commitment and our shared responsibility to keep each other and our extended families safe during the upcoming school year, we are implementing two new measures for the university community:
- COVID-19 vaccines are required for all students, faculty and staff.
- As of Aug. 23, masks will be required on all Memorial campuses in all indoor spaces.
More information related to the details of these measures will be shared as soon as possible. This includes the deadline for first and second vaccination doses and the process for exceptions based on medical, religious or cultural reasons for those that are unable or unwilling. More information will also be shared soon on the process by which Memorial will be requesting vaccination information.
Details on how to get a vaccination, on and off campus, are available online. The Student Wellness and Counselling Centre and the School of Pharmacy Medication Therapy Services Clinic can also address concerns or questions that individuals may have about vaccinations.
Masks
Thank you to the members of our community who provided feedback in the recent consultation on mask usage at Memorial. The consultation showed the overwhelming majority of respondents support this course of action.
Non-medical masks will be mandatory beginning on Aug. 23 for faculty, staff, students and visitors. These must be worn in public spaces and common areas or any time a two-metre physical distance cannot be maintained. This applies in classrooms and laboratories, while at university facilities or while conducting Memorial business off-campus. Masks are not required in student residence rooms, offices or cubicles, or while seated to eat or drink. Instructors able to maintain two-metre physical distancing will be able to teach with a mask off.
Exceptions to the mask requirement may be made for medical, trauma-based, religious and cultural grounds. In some courses or programs, where specific learning outcomes would be inhibited by a mask, there may be exceptions based on an approved health and safety plan. More information is forthcoming about the process for exceptions.
Work is ongoing to develop guidelines and resources to help students, faculty and staff navigate this changing environment. Please continue to refer to Memorial’s COVID-19 website for up-to-date information.
For the latest update, visit our website.
