University of Calgary drops vaccine requirement, keeps mask mandate for Winter Term
When University of Calgary students return to in-person learning on Feb. 28, proof of vaccination will no longer be required for staff and students at the institution.
Mandatory masking, however, will continue at the school for the rest of the winter semester, despite Alberta's mask requirement expected to be dropped on March 1.
Other Calgary post secondary institutions, such as Mount Royal University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), are keeping current vaccine and mask rules in place for now while reviewing the government's Feb. 8 announcement.
U of C made its announcement Thursday, a day after Alberta's advanced education minister wrote to the board chairs of the province's institutions, urging them to follow the government's phased approach to lifting measures.
"It is my expectation that all of Alberta's universities, colleges and polytechnics will align their COVID-19 policies and practices with that of Alberta's Government," wrote Demetrios Nicolaides.
"Like you, I am eager to see students returning to in-person learning without masking and proof of vaccination requirements this March," the minister wrote.
The University of Calgary says 99 per cent of its students, staff and faculty are fully vaccinated. But the students' union says it has heard from many who worry that lifting restrictions now is too early.
"The bottom line here is that students do not feel safe returning to campus without common sense health measures in place, such as masking and vaccination," said Nicole Schmidt, the Students' Union President at the U of C.
"Students are already divided on their preference to return to in-person learning versus continuing online and the only real comfort they had before with in-person learning was that there would be protective measures in place," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How many COVID-19 vaccine doses should you have by now?
Here is a summary of the current COVID-19 vaccination guidelines from NACI, for both children and adults who are at increased risk of serious illness and those who are not.

Victims identified as police reveal Nashville school shooter had drawn maps, done surveillance
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
From silicon to brain cells: How biology may hold the future of computers
As artificial intelligence software and advanced computers revolutionize modern technology, some researchers see a future where computer programmers leap from silicon to organic molecules.
Freeland's budget to include grocery rebate for lower income Canadians, here's what else to expect Tuesday
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Gender-affirming care bans expanding, access being cut: U.S. laws now targeting transgender adults
In some U.S. states, proponents of gender-affirming care bans have argued for the last few years that minors are too young to make these medical decisions — but in 2023, legislative attempts to limit the health-care options for transgender youth have expanded to a new age group: adults.
Getting an extra consultation before surgery might not give you a better outcome: Canadian study
A new study that looked at more than 300,000 patients found that a medical consultation prior to a routine surgery wasn’t connected to a better surgical outcome, suggesting these consultations might not be necessary.
Quebec girl, 9, dies after snow fort collapses behind residence
A nine-year-old girl has died after a snow fort collapsed in a forest behind a rural Quebec home.
Gwyneth Paltrow accuser calls Utah ski crash 'serious smack'
The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing collision at one of the most upscale resorts in North America took the stand Monday, saying he was rammed into from behind and sent 'absolutely flying.' The trial in Utah hinges on who crashed into who.
'It's horrific': Calgary house explosion injures 10 people
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.