“I just want to know why [were the requirements changed]with statistics and a more in-depth reason, instead of being, “Too bad, you have to put on your mask and get your booster,” said Nathalia Aranda, a sophomore who feels the school. has not given students a solid answer. According to Western’s website, the deadline for freshman tuition was August 2nd. for seniors, it was August 15. Western announced the new COVID-19 orders on Monday. They apply to students, faculty and staff for the fall. They must be immunized three times (the two initial vaccines plus at least one booster of any combination of COVID-19 vaccines recognized by Health Canada) and wear masks in classrooms and seminar rooms. The university said it is going to ensure face-to-face learning after classes start this fall. Despite opposition from some students, others, including some faculty members, applaud the new measures, saying the university is a public health leader and is trying to avoid a return to distance education in case the numbers of COVID-19 cases rise this fall. The university said the decision to use a mask and give a booster shot was based on extensive consultation with science experts and the Western community. “This decision supports the safety of our students, employees and community while maintaining our personal experience,” said Dr. Sonya Malone, Western’s occupational physician. Nathalia Aranda, a sophomore at Western, believes the university has not provided a strong case for the new coverage and aid measures. (Submitted by Nathalia Aranda) Aranda, who has a booster shot, said she understands the importance of coverage and vaccines. She and other students interviewed by the CBC said they would have paid the tuition to continue their education, but would have preferred to have been able to consider other options. “I chose to receive my souvenir. However, I don’t understand why we need it to receive training,” Aranda said. “Why is it harder to get a Western education than to travel to another country? Because you don’t need that booster to travel.” In June, the Ontario government withdrew its mask mandates in most settings. And while the province strongly recommends getting a booster, it’s not mandatory. “I was really pleased and relieved to hear what the university is enforcing. They acted with integrity and did the right thing,” said Beth MacDougall-Shackleton, a professor in the biology department. “People were on edge. We were waiting to see what it would take to start school. The order protects public health. It protects us.” Going online puts a strain on educators and students, and anything to prevent that is a good thing, he added. Maxwell Smith, a bioethicist at Western, calls the university’s move “sensible.” “I think it makes a lot of sense given the goals the university is trying to achieve,” Smith said. “Most Ivy League schools in the states have mandated booster shots. Western has a choice and is choosing to add protections rather than remove them.”
“Unjustified order”
Justin Alla, who is in the health sciences program, was looking forward to enjoying his fourth and final year starting in September. “I was very excited to be back at Western. My friends and I saw the restrictions lifted this summer and thought we could have some normalcy for our senior year. University is an experience and we want to have at least a little bit of that.” Alla, who was at the end of his first year when the pandemic hit in March 2020, said there have been COVID-19 restrictions for most of his university experience. He believes the new COVID-19 measures are unjustified and questions why Western abandoned its mask mandate in June, only to reverse it two months later. “It just came out of left field,” he said. “They did a 180. They should have talked to their students and staff to see where we are and how we feel about the situation.” Third-year student Mya Kestle feels cheated that the university announced its updated COVID-19 policy after the fall tuition deadline. (Submitted by Mya Kestle) Mya Kestle, a third-year student in the food and nutrition program, feels cheated. He believes the university could have informed him earlier because right now, students feel very unheard. “They could have said that at the beginning of the summer so that we would have had the summer before paying tuition to decide if we wanted to go to a school that required that mandate,” she said. For Kestle, if a third tranche is required from the government, it would be easier to adapt or take alternative options such as online courses, but right now, the only place she needs a booster is the university she pays to attend, she said. Western will require students living in residence to get their booster shot before moving in, but will offer a two-week grace period — and easy access to the campus vaccination clinic — for students who can’t get a booster before they arrive. “Mitigating the risk of transmission of COVID-19, as well as serious outcomes from infection, can be effectively achieved through a combination of coverage and vaccination,” said public health physician Dr. Saverio Stranges. The updated policy requires all students, faculty and staff to submit current proof of vaccination to the university by October 1st.
