Apps, color-coded stickers just a few of the hoops students have to jump through to get to campus

To get back on campus, Canadian post-secondary students are facing new COVID-19 vaccination guidelines – many of which have only been announced or confirmed by school officials in the past few weeks.

The guidelines vary between institutions and range from full mandates that require verified evidence of vaccination to campus-wide rapid tests with exceptions for those who are fully vaccinated. And what the students greet on the way to their lectures and laboratories also differs from school to school.

While some systems have been praised for getting students and staff back to campus safely, others leave questions about how the new guidelines are enforced.

Here’s what some students shared with CBC News about the new steps required to show up in person on campus this year.

Green means go

The University of Winnipeg has put in place a straightforward process to allow students, faculty, and staff access to the school, says Kirt Hayer, president of the University of Winnipeg’s Student Union.

CLOCK | “A very extensive review”, color-coded stickers:

At the beginning of the semester, the university opened a large center where students and employees bring their school ID and vaccination card with them. Many flashed new Manitoba COVID-19 vaccination cards or pulled up a QR code on their smartphones, but staff were also willing to accept other documents, Hayer noted. They had references ready to show what evidence of vaccination looks like in other Canadian jurisdictions or international regions.

Once verified, a green sticker was stuck on a person’s school ID giving them full access to campus. Partially vaccinated or missing vaccination cards will receive an orange sticker by October 15, which will allow access until October 15. Individuals who are not vaccinated due to medical exemptions must submit a special application.

“It was a very simple process … it takes less than 30 seconds,” said Hayer, who volunteered at the review center at the start of school.

The story goes on

“To gain access to campus, show your sticker to a security guard and they’ll let you in if you have a sticker. And if you don’t have a sticker, they’ll deny you access to campus. “

Hayer believes the system has so far been a safer way to make campus safer for returnees. About 40 percent of the courses are held in person, he said.

Students “want to stay safe and they don’t want another breakout or break in class,” he said.

“It’s a good initiative so that students can get the on-campus experience that they really want.”

There is an app for that

At Seneca College in Toronto, the school’s announcement in mid-June of a strict vaccine mandate on campus meant officials had the summer to tweak logistics. The school’s technology-forward plan is based on a new smartphone app that includes both proof of vaccination and a mandatory daily health check-up.

This app is linked to Seneca’s existing student and ID card system, explained Aidan D’Souza, a student mentor who also volunteered at the beginning of the semester to guide his colleagues through the new process.

CLOCK | Seneca Student Outlines How Students Access Campus This Fall:

After students submit their vaccination records on the app and get approval from a secure Seneca team, they use it daily for health screenings before coming to campus. The app is tied to student ID, which they’ll need to scan at one of several new kiosks at some designated entrances on campus, D’Souza said. Guards stationed at these doors monitor the entrance scanning.

“We have student ambassadors everywhere at our entrances to support us,” he said. The system had only experienced a few breakdowns, he noted.

“It’s quick and easy. This is my second week on campus and a lot of students are getting used to the new everyday life.”

D’Souza says he has heard a lot of positive feedback from fellow students about the school’s mandatory vaccination policies, and personally appreciates some of the other new campus life improvements from the pandemic-era, such as the ability to pick up at the roadside bookstore or place a food pickup order to avoid queuing in the cafeteria area.

“The students are just happy to be back on campus and to return to normal everyday life.”

Rely on “personal responsibility”

Madeline Fleming started her freshman year at the University of Ottawa and moved into her dorm just four days before the fall semester began. Soon Madeline Fleming had a glitch with the school’s new vaccination policy.

As of September 1, she was required to provide proof of vaccination and received an “approved” message. However, days later an email came in saying it was her not Residence permit due to missing vaccination certificates. She was quick to resubmit and crossed her fingers that her information is now properly verified.

CLOCK | Mandatory action, but who is checking?

U of O has also required students to fill out a health screening form online each day, but Fleming wonders how mandatory a guideline is, but apart from a couple of reminders that serve as a reminder: has completed it.

“They start from a point like personal accountability,” Fleming said. “[School officials] claiming through their emails and posts that they should enforce this and that it is mandatory. However, there is no physical enforcement on campus. “

U of O did not respond to CBC’s request for comment on its system.

Whether the review by anyone actually turns out to be a sticking point, even with larger institutions that are directly integrated into the city district and tend to have a large number of entry points.

For example, at the University of Toronto – whose main campus spans much of downtown Toronto – everyone must be vaccinated, upload proof of it, and also complete a daily health check-up on their dedicated UCheck online system to get into the game . Campus.

According to a U of T spokesperson, “community members may be asked to provide evidence that they have met these requirements.” The university declined to be interviewed.

However, some students and faculty have pointed out that inconsistent review – or lack of it, which relies largely on an honor system – is a major problem.

“This is very worrying as other important measures – including occupancy restrictions and physical distancing – have been lifted,” Terezia Zoric, president of the University of Toronto Faculty Association, said in a statement.

“This security with little real security is another broken promise.”