U of T, Sheridan College say vaccinations not mandatory for in-person learning

The University of Toronto and Sheridan College say vaccinations will not be mandatory for students returning for in-person classes this fall.

This contrasts U of T’s mandate for students living on residence, as vaccinations will be necessary for those staying on campus.

“The University of Toronto is planning for a safe return to our campuses in the fall. We welcome the uptake of vaccinations and recent memos from the provincial government, which provide the opportunity to shape learning experiences to best fit our students and programs of study,” a spokesperson said in an email to 680 NEWS.

“We look forward to receiving further details from the provincial government and will continue to follow public health guidelines as we safely open up our classrooms.”

U of T announced on June 8 that students should have their first dose before their move-in date and strongly recommend receiving it at least 14 days before.

“U of T encourages all eligible members of the community to get a COVID-19 vaccine and we are partnering with local public health authorities and hospitals to host vaccine clinics on our campuses,” the university adds. 

Sheridan College also confirmed with 680 NEWS on Thursday that they’re not requiring students attending class in person or living on residence to be inoculated against COVID-19.

“A recent survey of our students indicated that 90 per cent plan to be vaccinated by the fall,” a spokesperson said.

“We encourage our community to refer to public health recommendations pertaining to vaccination, which suggest that vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves and our communities against COVID-19.”

Ryerson University wouldn’t comment, redirecting 680 NEWS to the “Housing COVID-19 Information and Updates” section of its website.

UofT, Ryerson, George Brown College, all have a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for living in student residences for the 2021/22 school year. Sheridan College does not, saying 90% of their students already plan to be vaccinated before school. @680NEWS (pic courtesy UofT) pic.twitter.com/KZ27667dlx

— Mark Douglas (@DouglasCityNews) July 22, 2021

On June 15, Ryerson announced it would require students living in residences for the 2021-2022 school year to be vaccinated.

The university says students must have received at least one dose of a World Health Organization-approved vaccine and, similar to U of T, is recommending they get the dose 14 days before moving in.

George Brown college says it’s asking “students living in residence and students participating in varsity sports” to be fully vaccinated for the fall semester.

“We’re requiring students in residence and varsity athletes to complete an attestation, meaning they sign a form to indicate they have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine approved by the Government of Canada – AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech,” a spokesperson for George Brown said in an email.

“Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines (approved by the World Health Organization) are accepted for our international students.”

George Brown says it will not require medical records or Ontario Ministry of Health vaccine receipts.

Western University in London became one of the first institutions to require students living in residence to be vaccinated against COVID-19 come September.

Several schools have since followed suit.

With files from 680 NEWS reporter Mark Douglas