Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Amandalina Letterio

COVID-19

Professor disappointed with TRU’s lack of vaccine verification

Sep 8, 2021 | 4:52 PM

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University (TRU) professor Katie Sykes has decided to conduct her big lectures virtually, despite the university’s expectation of in-person instructing.

It comes after TRU sent out an email to faculty stating proof of vaccination is required for students and staff accessing non-essential services on campus, but it’s not required to attend classes.

Sykes is asking TRU to implement a strict vaccine mandate. The university is trusting anyone who is unvaccinated to self disclose their status or voluntarily take frequent rapid tests on campus – in good faith, with no verification process.

“I would like to know on what basis, with what evidence, they determined something like being in residence, which does require vaccination, is not low risk, but being packed into a classroom is low risk. It doesn’t make sense to me,” Sykes says.

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Before school started, Sykes wrote an open letter to the university, pushing for vaccine verification or mandatory rapid testing for anyone unvaccinated. Her letter was acknowledged but her recommendation for proof of vaccine was ignored.

Now, she says she worries for her students.

“My first-year class, I believe the enrollment is 65 students, and the room is just barely big enough, or not even big enough for that. So that seems like a very risky situation to me. Social distancing is not possible at all,” she explains.

Christine Adam, the associate vice president of students, says her office is the place students go to voice their concerns and it has hardly heard any complaints about the protocols the university has in place.

“We have an environment with masking and frequent handwashing and monitoring for symptoms. And of course, we’re expecting students to be vaccinated and hoping that they do that,” Adam says.

CFJC News asked students if they are confident in TRU’s decision to trust that students will be honest about their vaccine status – and the responses were split down the middle.

“I’m double vaccinated, but still, it’s not something you can just get out of your mind,” said one student.

“I don’t know how successful the vaccine is. But personally, I don’t feel nervous at all,” said another.

Sykes has made the decision to teach her large classes virtually, defying the university’s expectation to teach in-person.

“We have been told that we are not to do that. And I think that as professors, we have the academic freedom to decide how we deliver our classes, and we have an obligation to look out for the safety of our students,” she says.

In an email to faculty, TRU says the process to declare vaccine status is still under development.

In a statement to CFJC News, TRU President and Vice-chancellor, Brett Fairbairn said:

“We are working closely with the provincial health office and interior health, as well as other universities to both monitor the current state and adjust our approach. With the provincial proof of vaccination program and mandatory mask order, our on-campus vaccine clinic, on-campus covid-19 rapid testing clinic, and increased ventilation and cleaning of buildings, we believe the combination of all measures provides a safe learning and working environment.”