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Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane hosted a virtual town hall for Queen’s faculty and staff to discuss the ongoing planning and efforts for a safe and effective transition back to on-campus learning this fall. Attended by over 1300 employees, the meeting covered a wide range of topics, including vaccinations, public health procedures and safety measures, building ventilation, travel, human resources, and more.

Following an Indigenous welcome delivered by Kanonhsyonne Janice Hill, Associate Vice-Principal (Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation), Principal Deane delivered his opening remarks.

“I want to start by thanking all of those present for your extraordinary efforts over the last year and some months as we’ve negotiated our way through this COVID-19 challenge. It’s been very difficult for our whole community, nevertheless there is a lot to be proud of in what has been achieved,” he says. “We now find ourselves at an interesting time. We’re in the business of imagining what the fall could look like if the vaccine rollout goes as we expect it will. But this is a difficult thing to do while we’re still in the grip of some of the immediate challenges of COVID-19. So at this moment, as we have done throughout the pandemic, it will be important for the university to stay very close to public health.”

Principal Deane was joined by Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Officer of Health, Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health, who fielded questions regarding public health directives, vaccinations, and health and safety in the region.

“We will be entering the fall much better prepared. We have better understanding of the virus, more knowledge, refined skillsets, and now with the powerful tool of immunization,” says Dr. Moore.

Dr. Moore went on to say that he is confident the immunization rate in the Kingston region will be very high by September thanks to an increased supply of vaccines over the summer.

From Queen’s, Dr. David Walker, the Principal’s Special Advisor on COVID-19, and senior leaders, including Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Mark Green, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration) Donna Janiec, and Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning) John Pierce, were also present to answer questions on an array of subjects.

Fall planning will continue throughout the coming weeks and months, and important updates will be shared on Queen’s COVID-19 Information website, as they become available. Questions and concerns about returning to campus can be directed to campus.restart@queensu.ca.

View a video recording of the Principal’s May 27, 2021 virtual town hall for faculty and staff below.