Clubs and Course Unions will be happy to be able to return to in person activities on campus and in our community this fall!

On April 30, the province of BC released a Return to Campus Primer, which outlined expectations of what activities would be permitted this fall and what kinds of protections and safety plans would be necessary in order to do those things. Much has changed since this document was circulated, and there are strong indications that the Go Forward Guidelines that will be released on August 1 will contain a relaxation of some of the more restrictive public health measures.

After August 1 we will have more specific information available for clubs and course unions about what will be possible to plan this fall. That being said, we do have some hints of this from the discussions at the Post Secondary Student Student Leader Town Hall with Dr. Bonnie Henry, but please remember that all of this information is subject to change for better or worse depending on what happens in the coming months.

Based on information from the Student Leader Town Hall, it is expected that restrictions on activities will be gradually lifted this summer. Large gatherings inside will not be likely, and outdoor events will be preferred or encouraged. How we do things has changed over the last year and a bit, and we will be encouraged to avoid unnecessary crowding, and to remind students not to come to campus or events if they are sick. By the time September comes around (assuming everything goes well), we aren’t expecting restrictions on events or safety requirements that prevent most activities of student union’s and clubs. It may be that we will need to arrange tables in a different way than before, or avoid unnecessary close contact. Additionally, we will be urged to not have events that are uncontrolled and very crowded indoor activities, thinking about how you can know who was at an event, and considering how to control entrances and exits.

Lastly, things that will allow club events and activities to occur in a “normal” way will be having most people immunized, and institutions making sure students have the opportunity to have both doses of the vaccine.

*Photo from outdoor Math Club Pi Day activity in 2018.