Staff and Student Communication

Dear St. Clair College at Ace Acumen Staff and Students,

As the Ontario Ministry of Health relaxes pandemic requirements, St. Clair College at Ace Acumen will continue to evaluate those changes, update the applicable policies and communicate changes to the College community.

At this time, St. Clair College at Ace Acumen will continue to require active screening (daily questionnaire) through designated entrances, mandatory mask wearing and enhanced cleaning to continue for all staff, students and visitors.

Please find below the link to the updated policies which reflect our most current protocols:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Policy
• Pandemic Policy

Dear New First Semester Students,

I would like to communicate our plans for the delivery of the Spring 2022 curriculum.  Based on current admission statistics for Spring 2022, St. Clair College at Ace Acumen Academy has postsecondary programs that are populated with international students who may not be able to arrive on campus by May 9, 2022, due to current COVID-19 restrictions and uncertainties.

St. Clair College at Ace Acumen Academy has determined that all Spring 2022 first semester courses (AAL 01) will be delivered online.  For a complete list of all Spring 2022 first semester programs confirmed for online delivery, please see Appendix A below.

Please note that all Spring 2022 second to fourth semester courses (AAL 02 to AAL 04) will continue to be delivered in a traditional face-to-face format.

Please ensure you check for further emails and posts on our website and social media outlets throughout the coming weeks regarding announcements and COVID-19 safety updates.  For further information regarding COVID-19 and its impact on our campuses, please refer to the College’s website: https://canadaacumen.ca/coronavirus-info/

John Wu

Principal, Ace Acumen Academy

Appendix A

Spring 2022 Programs Confirmed for Online Delivery at St Clair College at Ace Acumen Academy

1. Business (M977)
2. Computer Systems Technician – Networking (M979)
3. Data Analytics for Business (M018)
4. Human Resources Management (M802)
5. International Business Management – Logistics Systems (M999)
6. Social Service Worker – Gerontology (M995)
7. Office Administration – Health Services (M228)

Prior to the holidays, the College communicated its intentions to resume in-person instruction for almost all programs on Monday, January 24, 2022, and that the first week of classes, commencing January 17, 2022, would be online.

Like all of you, we do remain concerned about the pandemic. And we assure you that we will revise our plans if public health authorities advise us to do so. We have received significant input, feedback and requests from those that want to remain face-to-face and those that wish to proceed online. It is a divisive topic. It is not possible, for many reasons, for the College to offer thousands of students an individual personal choice of delivery for thousands of courses.  

As previously communicated in September, “Emergency Alternative Delivery Plans” (online, hybrid or in-person) have been created and are currently posted on the website for Winter 2022 in the event the College must move in that direction if advised by public health agencies. Based on current information, we will invoke these Emergency Plans for the week of January 24, 2022, with plans to resume in-person classes for everyone on January 31, 2022. Please access your Emergency Alternate Delivery Plans found on your program webpage.

Please be assured that the College continues to follow all public health regulations and consults with all public health authorities on a regular basis – with all our existing COVID precautions still firmly in place. The school’s administration will continue to monitor trends and obtain recommendations from those agencies as January 24, 2022 approaches (and afterwards as well).

To support your academic needs and provide flexibility on when you attend classes, your faculty members will continue posting their lecture notes and other classroom materials on Google Classroom throughout the semester. We hope this will accommodate some of the unique circumstances of our students while limiting gaps due to missed classes. This has been communicated to your faculty. They will also stay home if they are not feeling well.

The following information is to help all of you who need to access our campuses and continue to navigate the requirements that are in place to help keep everyone safe.  

1. Designated Entrances/Campus Access

You will be required to show your Granted Access email from the College as well as your College or Government-issued photo ID to gain access to campus. There are designated entrances set up at all campuses with door screeners. Maps are available on the College website under COVID-19.

If you are new to coming on campus this semester, please reference the campus access instructions on the College website under COVID-19.

You will need to ensure that you complete your vaccine election before you have access to any other requirements.  Please reference Policy #5.25 COVID-19 Vaccine Policy. This policy is also on the College website under COVID-19 for reference.

2. Rapid Tests

If you elect option 2 – 5 on your vaccine election, you will need to rapid test every 72 hours (or 72 hours before coming on campus, each time you come on campus). You will need to attest to your result in the SIS. Instructions for doing so are on the College COVID-19 website. Only after you have completed your attestation will you have access to the Screening Questionnaire.

Reception staff  have a list of those eligible to pick up rapid tests (your vaccine election is not shared).  Please pick up your rapid test (after you make your vaccine election on the SIS) from the Reception at your home campus, either Toronto Campus, 1440 Don Mills Rd, or Mississauga Campus, 131 Brunel Rd. They can be picked up between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.  Please let the door screener know that you need to pick up a rapid test.  

3. Safety Protocols

All students should read through Policy #3.35 Pandemic Policy – Safety Procedures to Mitigate the Impact on Campus. This is also posted on the College website under COVID-19 for a complete review of safety protocols on campus. A brief synopsis is included here:

• If you are ill, please stay home. There are new isolation rules in place from the Ministry of Health. These are included in the above policy. Please inform your faculty of your illness and faculty will assist you with making up the time missed. We are committed to supporting and accommodating students, where necessary, due to COVID absenteeism.  
• Masks must be worn at all times.  Procedure masks are encouraged as fabric masks do not provide the same level of protection.
• Eating areas have been set up in certain areas of each campus and are clearly marked. Strict limited capacity is required per the current public health rules.  Once seated, this is the only acceptable time to remove your mask.  This will greatly limit the capacity of current eating areas and we ask that once you eat, you vacate your seat so that others can eat as well. Once restaurants are permitted to open again by the government, we will add seating capacity.
• Cleaning materials are located in all classrooms, lounges, eating areas, etc. While the College cleaning staff are working hard to clean all areas frequently, we encourage everyone to use the cleaning materials to clean their workstation before they start.  
• Your faculty will continue to establish seating plans to help identify close contacts if needed by Public Health.

Dear Saints:

We hope this letter finds you well, as you enjoy the holiday season with your family and friends.

St. Clair College at Ace Acumen is thankful for your efforts in following the safety protocols that were in place throughout the Fall semester. These efforts have allowed us to successfully complete the semester on campus. We continue to ensure compliance with all public health regulations and protocols. The same amount of preparation and strategy has gone into planning your Winter semester.

Unfortunately, our intentions have now been complicated by the outbreak of COVID’s new Omicron variant. Its high degree of transmissibility merits a temporary pause in our in-person gathering on campuses, until vaccinations (particularly boosters) and other control methods help to bring this current outbreak under control.

In St. Clair at Ace Acumen’s case, that pause will be two weeks in duration. For all returning post-secondary students, please note that classes will be delayed one week and commence on January 17, 2022; however, in-person classes and labs will be delayed until January 24, 2022. To be clear, all post-secondary classes and labs between January 17 to January 23, 2022, will be held online synchronously following the course schedules that have been posted on your SIS. During this period all online classes will be recorded and posted to Google Classroom.

At this time, March Break will continue as planned and the Winter semester will end on April 29, 2022.

Please note that all placements will continue, as scheduled, unless otherwise communicated. In addition, all faculty will continue to upload their teaching materials to Google Classroom and will ensure it is posted for the duration of the semester.

For all first year, first semester post-secondary students, your start date will also commence on January 17, 2022. As communicated to you on December 3, 2021, your program will continue to remain online for the entire semester.

The St. Clair College at Ace Acumen website will continue to be updated regularly as information becomes available. We ask all of you to please review the College’s policies to ensure that you continue your efforts in following the health and safety protocols while on campus.

As a reminder, we are advising all staff and students that if you are feeling unwell, to please stay home.

Thank you for your efforts and we look forward to seeing you all safely back on campus on January 24, 2022.

With thanks – and, again, the College’s best wishes for a happy holiday,

John Wu

Principal St Clair College at Ace Acumen Academy

Dear New First Semester Students,

I would like to communicate our plans for the delivery of the Winter 2022 curriculum. St. Clair College at Ace Acumen’s programs are primarily populated with international students who may not be able to arrive on campus by January 10, 2022, based on current travel restrictions due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Due to the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus and the associated travel restrictions, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, just recently announced on November 26, 2021 further measures to support international students by allowing them to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP).

As a result of this new development, St Clair College at Ace Acumen will deliver all Winter 2022 first semester courses online.

For a complete list of all Winter 2022 first semester courses confirmed for online delivery, please see Appendix A below.

As previously communicated, all Winter 2022 second to sixth semester courses (AAL02 to AAL06) will continue to be delivered face-to-face.

Please look for further emails and posts on our website and social media outlets throughout the coming weeks regarding COVID-19 safety measures and precautions. A Q&A has been posted on the College’s website to help with answering questions. Please visit our webpage at: https://canadaacumen.ca/coronavirus-info/

John Wu

Principal, St Clair College at Ace Acumen Academy

Appendix A

Winter 2022 Programs Confirmed for Online Delivery

1. Architectural Technology (T020)
2. Business (B600, K600 & D600)
3. Business – Accounting (B010)
4. Business Administration – Accounting (B007)
5. Business Administration – Finance (B851)
6. Business Administration – Human Resources (B880)
7. Business Administration – Marketing (B009)
8. Business – Marketing (B012)
9. Computer Systems Technician – Networking (T860)
10. Construction Engineering Technician (T036)
11. Construction Project Management (T046)
12. Data Analytics for Business (B018)
13. Early Childhood Education (B101)
14. Electromechanical Engineering Technician – Robotics (T974)
15. Event Management (B908)
16. Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant (B940)
17. Human Resources Management (B802)
18. International Business Management – Logistics Systems (B999)
19. Mechanical Engineering Technician – Industrial (T855)
20. Mechanical Technician – CAD/CAM (T867)
21. Office Administration – Executive (B226)
22. Office Administration – General (B227)
23. Office Administration – Health Services (B228)
24. Social Service Worker – Gerontology (B895)
25. Web Development and Internet Applications (B950)

Dear SAINTS:

After just over two weeks back, we want to take some time to review some important messaging with you on safety protocols. 

✔  DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS IF YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS – This is by far the most important safety protocol.  Do not make assumptions about your symptoms or assume it is not COVID-19.  If you have symptoms, do not come on campus until you are symptom free.  Communicate your absence to your faculty and they will work with you. Ace Acumen Academy will endeavor to accommodate medical absences. 

✔  SCREENING – Screening at designated entry doors will continue until further notice.  Be certain to have your “Granted Access” email and photo ID to gain entry.  If you get a Denied Access email, follow the directions on the email provided. Students must receive clearance through the St. Clair College Health Centre before returning to class if the absence is COVID-19 related due to a test, isolation direction, quarantine direction, positive result or travel.

✔  DESIGNATED ENTRANCE DOORS – Screening personnel are posted at designated entrances.  If you allow people in through any other door, this is a violation of the safety protocols and will result in an interim suspension pending investigation. Such a violation can lead to dismissal or expulsion from Ace Acumen Academy and St. Clair College.

✔  MASKS/PERSONAL HYGIENE – Masks must be worn at all times while indoors and while outdoors when within 2 metres of anyone.  Eating areas are set up at each campus and are clearly marked.  While in eating areas, masks may be removed ONLY when eating or drinking.  Keep your mask in these areas when not actively eating or drinking.  Do not congregate or move chairs to other tables. There is also an expectation that everyone on campus wash their hands thoroughly several times each day and/or sanitize their hands several times each day. Proper cough/sneeze etiquette must also be adhered to.

✔  RAPID TESTING – If you are not fully vaccinated, continue to rapid test at least 72 hours before coming on campus.  You need to attest to a negative or positive result every day before you come on campus.  If positive you must go for a PCR test to validate the result (you will not be permitted to enter the facility).  This is Ace Acumen Academy and St. Clair College policy.  We ask that all students disclose their testing positive test result in the interest of College safety.  Rapid test availability will be communicated.

✔  VACCINATION STATUS – When you become fully vaccinated (14 days past second dose), please go back into SIS and change your election.

✔  CASE MANAGEMENT – If you are affected by a case on campus, you will be notified by Ace Acumen Academy at the direction of the Public Health Unit.  Follow the direction provided. 

Please continue to follow these and all safety protocols on campus.  Ace Acumen Academy and St. Clair College are working hard at keeping classes on campus but we need all of you to be part of the plan.

Best Regards,

John Wu 

Dear Saints:

I wish to communicate that the Ministry of Colleges and Universities has finalized the Postsecondary Education Health Measures Framework for Fall 2021, and instructions have been issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMO) requiring every post-secondary institution to have a COVID-19 vaccination policy in place by no later than September 7, 2021. The instructions recognize the importance of keeping students in school to the fullest extent possible, and that vaccines provide the best protection against COVID-19.

Our recently announced Vaccination Policy currently meets the requirements established in these directives, but the College will continue to monitor all provincial and local health regulations as safety protocols and guidelines continue to evolve to remain responsive during this pandemic. As a reminder, it is imperative that all students declare their vaccination status by selecting one of the five (5) categories noted in the previous letter provided on August 20, 2021. For reference, that letter can be found below.

Part of our overall pandemic control policy involves ongoing vigilance, on all of our parts; such as the wearing of masks by staff and students while on campus. Yes, the College has policies, protocols and procedures, developed in conjunction with public health authorities, to track trends and oversee our collective well-being. But you, as an individual student, also have a role – a simple but essential role – to play in COVID control.

To address your academic needs, your faculty members will be posting important information on Google Classroom throughout the year. We are endeavoring to support you with the academic tools to be successful as we transition back to face-to-face.  The provision of online communication is not to be equated to your in-class instruction. It is merely a limited backup to it, in the case of illness/emergency.

We’re very hopeful that any supportive addition to our academic methods will give you a sense of security when/if you are ill, while it simultaneously protects the collective health of your classmates and the entire St. Clair community.

We thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding during these times and look forward to welcoming you to campus within the next few weeks.

Until then, Saints, stay well!

John Wu, M. Ed & M.A

Principal

Dear Students:

Pursuant to the memo dated August 13, 2021 regarding emergency delivery plans, in the event that an emergency lockdown is initiated by the local or provincial Public Health due to COVID-19 during the Fall 2021 semester, St. Clair College at Ace Acumen has prepared an emergency remote delivery plan which will include fully online or hybrid delivery of your program. The Fall 2021 Emergency Remote Delivery Plans are posted on your program webpage via the College website.
You are encouraged to review the plans now so you are prepared. The following process will take effect in the event that St. Clair College at Ace Acumen must invoke the emergency remote delivery plans:
⦁ An email communication will be sent by the Board of Directors to all St. Clair College at Ace Acumen staff (part-time and full-time) identifying the date that the emergency delivery plans will commence.
⦁ An email communication will be sent by the Vice President, Academic of St Clair College to all students (via St. Clair College email or preferred email) identifying the date that the emergency delivery plans will commence.
⦁ Faculty will post an announcement on the Google Classroom course site to inform students. The communication from your professor will confirm the delivery of your course as per the plan whether it will be in-person, online, or in a hybrid format.
⦁ A formal communication will be sent to all media outlets from the Marketing and Recruitment Department at St Clair College.
⦁ A copy of the communication will be sent to all St. Clair College stakeholders including the Board of Governors, Student Representative Council, Thames Students Inc., Saints Student Athletic Association Inc., etc.
⦁ St. Clair College’s Marketing and Recruitment Department will utilize social media to make the above announcements.
⦁ St. Clair College at Ace Acumen’s website will be updated with all information and communication.
Please note:
⦁ Your course schedule will not change. This alternate delivery plan will remain in effect until the end of the semester.
⦁ If your course is converted to 100% online delivery, your professor will deliver the course material via video conferencing and record the session utilizing Google Classroom at the same time your course was scheduled face-to-face.
⦁ If your course is converted to hybrid delivery, your professor will advise you via a Google Classroom announcement when to attend the face-to-face portion of your course. However, your scheduled time and date of your course for both the face-to-face delivery and online delivery will not change.
⦁ If your course is to remain in the face-to-face format, please attend the campus as per your scheduled date and time.
As we navigate through our first in-person semester since the start of the global pandemic in March 2020, we ask that you are diligent in keeping yourselves informed of all announcements and communications by monitoring your St. Clair College at Ace Acumen email and the College’s website for all up-to-date information.
Thank you,