Covid-19 Update

Gradual Reintroduction of Programs and Services over the Summer: On June 2nd, North West College received authorization from the Ministry of Health to gradually reintroduce services over the summer months.

• Some programs impacted by COVID-19 will have an opportunity to return in June. Students in those programs will be contacted by the College.
• Safety Ticket training will be gradually reintroduced in the month of June. Please visit northwestcollege.ca for full details.
• Exam invigilation will recommence next week with a limited number of sittings available to ensure the health and safety of students and staff. Please call the Battlefords Campus mainline at (306) 937-5100 or the Meadow Lake Campus mainline at (306)234-5100 for full details.
• Adult Basic Education and EAL testing for Fall programming will recommence with a limited number of sittings. Please visit northwestcollege.ca for full details.

All students and staff who come to campus will be required to complete a COVID-19 Screening Form and adhere to the social distancing practices and other College protocols that are in place.

Access to Campus will remain limited to those directly engaging in the aforementioned programs and services. Employees must continue to acquire permission from their Director to gain access to any College facility. Once permission is granted, the employee must discuss details with Harvey Anderson, Facilities Manager to ensure your request is properly accommodated within expected health and safety protocols in place. When on campus, staff are asked to limit their movements to their individual work stations. However, during this time, most, most services are still available. For more information, please call our main office at (306) 937-5100 or please visit our COVID-19 Update Page on how we can best support you.

 State of Emergency Continues: On June 8, Saskatchewan will enter Phase Three of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, however, the Province of Saskatchewan remains in a State of Emergency. 

 Phase 3 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan includes:

• The re-opening of remaining personal services, along with the re-opening of restaurant-type facilities, gyms, and fitness facilities, licenced licensed establishments, and childcare facilities.
• Capacity limits will remain in some facilities, such as limits to 50 per cent of regular capacity for restaurants and licenced establishments.
• All businesses and customers will be expected to maintain physical distancing practices, guidelines and recommendations. 
• The size of indoor public and private gatherings will increase to 15 people in Phase 3, while the size of outdoor gatherings will increase to 30.
• All businesses that are eligible to re-open must follow the guidelines in the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan and the current public health order. However, businesses are not required to open at this time and can determine when they are ready to open and operate in a safe manner.

Fall Semester: Planning for the Fall semester is well underway. Although students’ learning experiences may look different this fall, the quality of education remains the same. North West College intends on delivering programs in a blended model – a combination of in-person and distance instruction pending the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the Chief Medical Health Officer of Saskatchewan.  Students of North West College already benefit from small class sizes and lower student to teacher ratios than at most post-secondary institutions. As we prepare for fall programs, we want to reassure our future students and staff that we are well positioned to meet all recommendations including physical distancing, of Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer while offering high quality programming within our region.

Educational Pathways Guide: A newly created Educational Pathways Guide will be launched this June to assist students through the post-secondary process: from pre-requisites, to available programs, to career opportunities. Please visit the College website for further details on the opportunities available to you.

Free Application Week: Between June 15th and June 19th, the College is waiving the application fee for students applying into our Fall Programs! We also encourage all students to apply before August 1st to receive their Choose North West Scholarship valued between $200 and $3000! (based on entrance average and scholarship criteria.)

Prospective Students: Current applicants will receive a call from the College before the end of June to discuss your fall program.  New applicants are encouraged to continue to monitor the North West College website at https://northwestcollege.ca/ for additional details about specific programs and classes.

Canada Emergency Student Benefit – Applications Opens Today! The Government of Canada is offering a number of programs to support students and recent graduates during this unprecedented time. The Canada Emergency Student Benefit program opens May 15th and offers students $1,250 to $2000 per four-week period from May to August 2020. Please go to Canada Emergency Student Benefit site for full details.

Student Services – Here for You: Our Students Services teams are here to help you. Services available include job coaching, counselling and Student Emergency Fund resources and more. Please reach out by phone, Facebook, and check out the Battlefords Campus newsletter for the latest information from that Campus’ team. Extended isolation in a time of uncertainty can be extremely challenging to personal mental health. Please make sure you continue to check on your friends and colleagues. As always, our Student Services staff remain available for students in need.

If you are in crisis and need urgent mental health support, Crisis Services Canada is available by phone at 1.833.456.4566 and text 45645 or dial 911 for immediate support. 

From the Executive Management of the College, thank you for your vigilance as we continue to flatten the curve of COVID-19.