A message from Ramona Lumpkin, CM, PhD, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, Mount Saint Vincent University
First, a sincere thank you for your support of MSVU’s vaccine requirement, as announced last week. The response has been overwhelmingly positive – I’ve heard from many individuals grateful for this additional protection as they return to learning, working and living at MSVU during the pandemic.
I am pleased to share an update on the system we’ve developed to support this protocol.
In short, there are three forms in this system – you need only complete those that apply to you. These forms will be available starting Wednesday, September 8 and you are asked to complete those relevant to you by September 15.
A reminder that all those coming on campus must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 13 or undergo regular testing. Those who are exempt from the vaccination requirement (for medical, religious or cultural reasons) will continue to submit regular proof of negative rapid COVID-19 test results throughout the semester.
The three forms are:
- Vaccination and testing verification form – Every student, faculty and staff member should complete this form, either to submit proof of your vaccine status (one or two doses) and/or to submit results of your regular COVID-19 rapid tests if you choose not to be vaccinated for medical, religious or cultural reasons. If you are fully vaccinated, this is the only form you need to complete and you need only complete it once. Starting, September 8, the vaccination and testing verification form will be available here.
Important notes:- You’ll be able to upload your proof of vaccination or testing in PDF or JPEG format (when using the vaccination and testing verification form). The Help Desk is preparing tips on converting your documentation to one of the required file formats (to be available at the link above).
- If you only have one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, you will need to participate in twice weekly rapid COVID-19 testing and provide your negative test results until you receive your second dose. When you receive your second dose (by October 13), you will need to submit proof of that vaccination.
- Vaccination exemption form – Only complete this form if you are a student, faculty or staff member who is choosing not to be vaccinated, including if you are studying exclusively online. Starting September 8, the vaccination exemption form will be available here.
If you are attending campus only once per week and are exempt from the vaccine requirement, you only need to be tested once each week (within 72 hours prior to coming on campus). You must indicate that you will be only attending campus once a week in the comments section of the vaccination exemption form. - Visitor declaration form – We are expecting all those who come to the MSVU campus to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo twice weekly testing, including broader community members. Complete this form if you are coming on campus and you are NOT a registered student, faculty or staff member. This form will be completed by, for example, parents of students, contractors and vendors, external Library and Athletics facility users, visiting researchers, parents of day care children, campus tour attendees, external event attendees, alumni and Board members, Art Gallery attendees, etc. (this is not an exhaustive list). Starting September 8, the visitor declaration form will be available here.
Students, faculty and staff completing the forms outlined above will be prompted to first log-in using your MSVU credentials. Once verified, the documentation you provide will be deleted. We will only record your overall status of compliance with the university’s vaccine mandate (or testing protocol). These records will be kept strictly confidential and only accessed by authorized individuals. The University will follow-up with those who do not submit their information.
Online students
Online students who may come on campus at some point this semester must also use the vaccination and testing verification form either to submit proof of vaccination or to submit a negative rapid COVID-19 test result received within 72 hours before coming on campus. Online students who may come to campus at some point, but who choose not to be vaccinated (for medical, religious or cultural reasons) must complete the vaccination exemption form. Online students requesting vaccination exemption should indicate their status (i.e. planning occasional visits to campus or not planning to attend campus at all this semester) in the comments section of the vaccination exemption form.
Visitors
External community members visiting campus are expected to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo twice weekly testing (within the 72 hours prior to coming on campus) if they choose not to be vaccinated (for medical, religious or cultural reasons).
Visitors include all those who are NOT registered students, faculty members or staff. Visitors must note their compliance with this mandate via the “visitor declaration form” and bring with them to campus a copy of their proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result, in case requested. See above for more information and a link to the form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to many frequently asked questions are available on the MSVU website. For more information, including when and where you can get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19, please review the FAQ.
Contacts
If you have questions not answered via the FAQ, please be in touch:
– Having technical problems with the form? Contact the IT&S Help Desk at helpdesk@msvu.ca or 902-457-6538
– General contact for students: MSVU Office of Student Experience at OSE@msvu.ca
– Contact for faculty and staff support: Human.Resources@msvu.ca
Wishing you a wonderful (and safe!) start to your fall semester,