Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Amandalina Letterio

Thompson Rivers University

TRU gets ready for in-person classes, welcomes international students

Aug 4, 2021 | 2:43 PM

KAMLOOPS — Since the start of the pandemic, Kamloops has been feeling empty without students flooding in from out-of-town.

But all of that is about to change, as Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is getting ready to go back to in-person classes in September.

“The post secondary sector put together a return to campus implementation plan, and that includes full capacity in lecture halls and hallways, so we’re essentially going back to what we were in September 2019,” said Steve Pottle, Risk Management Director at TRU.

The university says restrictions will be looser as long as cases stay low. Good hygiene is encouraged, and sanitizing stations will be set up around the school. But the message remains the same if you have symptoms: stay home.

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It has also become a ‘mask-friendly environment,’ meaning mask wearing is up to personal choice.

“It is not being mandated and we’re here to support that,” Pottle explained.

COVID-19 signs are being removed around campus and students can now share common spaces, such as kitchens and lounge areas.

International student recruitment agency, IDP Connect, recently conducted a survey that shows students from other countries are itching to come to Canada and are even willing to get vaccinated upon arrival.

“We’ve got a generation of students and young people who have really suffered in terms of their education and their opportunities during the pandemic and who are desperate to do all they can by vaccinating, by quarantining,” said Jonah Duffin, Director at IDP Connect. “Really, they want to have the opportunities that were available to them 16 to 18 months ago, before the pandemic arrived.”

That rings true for international student, Diego Sarmiento, who flew from Colombia to New York City just to get vaccinated, so he could come to Kamloops without having to quarantine.

“We took our first semester online, but having classes over zoom, it’s not it. So being on campus is going to be great,” Sarmiento told CFJC News. “We already invested in coming here to do our studies, so if you have to get vaccinated, it’s just one more hurdle to hop on.”

For unvaccinated students, TRU says it will provide all the support they need. It will have a pop-up vaccination clinic at the TRU Welcome Back barbecue on Sept. 10.

If new COVID-19 cases begin to rise, the university is prepared.

“We’ll follow the guidance of Dr. Bonnie Henry and the PHO office for sure. We can’t anticipate what the future is going to hold, but we are planning for everything,” Pottle said.

Right now, TRU is feeling optimistic, and Kamloops is about to get a bit more vibrant.