Dear King’s Community,
On December 8, Dalhousie provided important clarification and additional details about changes to the vaccination requirement (announced on November 23) that will apply at Dalhousie in the winter term. Under these changes, the testing option will no longer be available to those who either have not participated in Campus Check, or who opted for the testing option but who have not fulfilled their obligation by uploading twice weekly test results. Only those who opted for testing in the fall and who have fulfilled their obligation to submit test results will be permitted to continue with this option during the winter term. With the exception of this group, Dalhousie will be requiring everyone who has not already confirmed they are fully vaccinated to provide proof of full vaccination in the winter term by the dates set out below unless they apply for medical accommodation by December 23 and are subsequently granted the accommodation.
Dalhousie’s revised full vaccination requirement, with these limited exceptions, will apply to King’s students, faculty, and staff accessing the Dalhousie campus.
As I communicated on December 8, the King’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee has recommended that King’s should adopt the same proof-of-full-vaccination requirement as Dalhousie for the winter term. This recommendation accords with the recommendation the committee gave at the beginning of the academic year, which was that the vaccination and testing requirement of King’s should mirror that of Dalhousie. This recommendation, which was accepted, was based on the importance of “clarity and concord” within our highly integrated association with Dalhousie.
As recommended by the committee, King’s will for the winter term adopt the same proof-of-full-vaccination policy for the King’s campus as Dalhousie has adopted for the Dalhousie campus. This means that in the winter term, proof of vaccination is required of all students, faculty, and staff of King’s, except for those:
- who apply for and receive a medical exemption and;
- those who opted for testing in the Campus Check process in the fall term and who have submitted test results during the fall term as required by that option.
As at Dalhousie, applications for medical exemptions amust be made by December 23. Information on how to apply for an exemption is found below.
Dalhousie has also decided that, beginning May 1, 2022, it will require full vaccination of everyone except those who receive a medical exemption. This will mean that those permitted by Dalhousie to use the testing option through the winter term will no longer have that option after May 1. The King’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee has recommended that King’s make no decision at this time on what will be required by King’s as of May 1, 2022, to allow this decision to be made closer to that date. This recommendation has also been accepted. There will be a further announcement before May 1 as to what King’s will require after May 1.
Instructions and next steps
The following table summarizes the Winter term 2022 vaccination requirements for participation in on-campus activities (courses, employment, services, programming & events, etc.), based on information compiled through the Campus Check process.
For those who have not provided proof of full vaccination, there are important deadlines below that need to be met through the winter term. Please review these deadlines carefully.
| Campus Check status | Action required | Next steps |
| You have already provided proof of full vaccination through Campus Check. | No action required—your Campus Check submission from the fall is still valid for the winter. | n/a |
| You answered “No” in Campus Check to the question about being on campus during the fall term. | You will need to complete Campus Check again, identifying whether you plan to partake in on-campus activities this winter by December 23, 2021.
If the answer is yes, you will be required to provide proof of full vaccination or request an accommodation. If you are applying for an accommodation, you should do so by December 23, 2021. You will be required to undertake and confirm through Campus Check twice-weekly testing beginning January 4 until your application can be reviewed. |
Visit campus-check.dal.ca as soon as possible to complete your Campus Check.
For information on accommodations, see below or visit the Campus Check website. |
| You indicated through Campus Check you were not fully vaccinated or preferred not to disclose,
AND we have confirmed that you have been consistently submitting your twice-weekly test results. |
If you have been consistently uploading your twice weekly testing results through Campus Check throughout the fall term, you will be allowed to continue with twice-weekly testing in lieu of proof of full vaccination for the winter term. You will not need to request a formal accommodation provided you continue to successfully report your testing results.
We strongly urge you to consider getting vaccinated. Testing will remain an option through the winter term for those who have remained compliant, however this policy will be reviewed and is subject to change following the winter term. If you have become fully vaccinated since completing your Campus Check, please update your Campus Check data immediately. |
Please check your King’s email regularly. Specific instruction will be sent to you shortly.
You can also visit the Campus Check website for more information. Information on how and where to book your vaccination appointment while in Nova Scotia can be found here. |
| You indicated through Campus Check you were not fully vaccinated or preferred not to disclose
AND You have NOT been consistently submitting your twice-weekly test results. |
If you have not been consistently uploading your twice weekly testing results, you are required to provide proof of full vaccination or request an accommodation to take part in on-campus activities.
If you have become fully vaccinated since completing your Campus Check, please update your Campus Check data immediately. |
Please check your King’s email regularly as specific instruction will be sent to you shortly.
For information on accommodations, see below or visit the Campus Check website. Information on how and where to book your vaccination appointment while in Nova Scotia can be found here. |
| You did not complete your Campus Check for the fall term. | You are required to provide proof of full vaccination or request an accommodation to take part in on-campus activities.
|
Please check your King’s email regularly as specific instruction will be sent to you shortly.
For information on accommodations, see below or visit the Campus Check website. |
| You are a student, staff or faculty member who is new to King’s this winter. | You are required to provide proof of full vaccination or request an accommodation to take part in on-campus activities.
|
New students will be receiving more information via their ukings.ca email.
For information on accommodations, see below or visit the Campus Check website. |
Consequences for non-compliance with vaccine requirements
Students
Students who do not follow the applicable actions outlined above or as outlined in subsequent communications will not be allowed to attend in-person classes or on-campus activities in the winter term as per the timelines outlined above. It is important to note that instructors and faculty members will not accommodate non-compliant students who are unwilling to get vaccinated or who do not have an approved accommodation.
Based on the deadlines outlined in this memo, if you do not comply with revised Campus Check requirements as set out above, action will be taken to prevent you from attending classes or being on campus for any other purpose, up to and including suspension or revocation of your registration as a King’s student. Depending on the circumstances, disciplinary action may also be taken in accordance with the University’s Code of Conduct.
Faculty and staff
Employees (faculty/staff) who do not follow the applicable actions outlined above or outlined in subsequent emails will not be allowed to work on campus or be present on campus for any other purpose. Depending on the circumstances, disciplinary action may also be taken in accordance with all applicable contracts of employment, collective agreements and laws, up to and including unpaid leave and termination of employment.
Accommodations
Individuals may seek an accommodation from King’s vaccine requirements for valid medical reasons. Accommodations will be handled through the standard accommodation process. If an accommodation for vaccine exemption is approved, testing will be required in the majority of cases. It is anticipated that most accommodations will be a result of medical exemptions and that accommodations based on other grounds will be infrequent. Members of the King’s community with questions related to grounds for accommodations can contact Human Rights and Equity Services at Dalhousie for more information.
If you are applying for an accommodation, you should do so by December 23, 2021. You will be required to undertake twice-weekly testing beginning January 4 (confirmed through Campus Check) until your application can be reviewed and a decision is finalized.
Students: Please refer to the Student Accommodation Policy [PDF]. If you have specific questions about impacts on your progress of study, please contact the registrar’s office.
Faculty and staff: Please contact Dalhousie’s Accessible Employment branch of Human Resources at accessible.employment@dal.ca.
More information
Further details and FAQs regarding the updated vaccination process can be found on the Campus Check website. You can also email campuscheck@dal.ca with questions.
Final Thoughts
In the Nova Scotia provincial government’s press briefing of December 13, Dr. Strang emphasized that, with the emergence of the Omicron variant and confirmed cases now in Nova Scotia, regular screening and vaccination for everyone who is medically able are the best tools we have as the pandemic persists. Everyone at King’s is encouraged to visit the regular screening clinic, where you can access both on-site and take-home tests. For the sake of your own health and the safety of those around you, we urge you to make use of this or other testing options, even if you are vaccinated.
Sincerely,
Bill
William Lahey
President and Vice-Chancellor
