To all SGPS Members,

I am writing this note as my final communication as President of the SGPS and hope that it finds each and everyone of you well and thriving. As some of you may know, I have resigned from my role effective September 30th with our VP Graduate, Rohit Shukla taking over as interim-President. As my term ends and we near closer to October 2021 I find myself reflecting on how much all of us have overcome since March 2020. Since the pandemic began, I have been working with the saying “unprecedented, not impossible” and the incredible strength of the graduate and professional students have forged this into reality. Students have been faced with increased pressure since the beginning of the pandemic; folks have faced job loss, education delays, funding uncertainty, family struggle, financial precarity, and wellness concerns, just to name a few. I take comfort in the fact that, in the face of all of this I have seen such strength from my peers, strength that shows the future is strong with you folks at the helm. With that strength, however, often comes additional burden and I hope that each of you takes time to ensure your ‘cup’ is full and know that supports are available should you recognize you need them.

It has been my absolute honour to support such an incredible population of students and I am incredibly excited to see the work that will continue to be done at the SGPS. I have the upmost confidence in Rohit and the whole SGPS team as they transition into this interim-structure and into the pending election. While the team will be maintaining the regular levels of support during this time, we do ask for patience as everyone settles into new roles and responsibilities. A link to the official statement can also be found here: News – SGPS @ Queen's

Once again, thank you all so very much for trusting me in this role and for being so open to providing feedback and advocating for yourselves and peers. It has been an honour.

Opt-Out Period

If you are looking to opt out of optional fees or the SGPS Health and dental plan you must do so by September 30th 2021. The optional fee opt-out procedure can be accessed on your SOLUS account, more information can be found here: Ancillary Fees | University Registrar (queensu.ca). Further information on options to add dependents or opt-out of the SGPS Health and dental plan are available here: Opt-Out / Opt-In – SGPS @ Queen's

Enhanced Precautions

A recent updated to the Campus Operating Guidelines webpage (Campus Operating Guidelines | Office of the Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration) (queensu.ca)) sees the inclusion of “enhanced precautions”. Under this tab there are different precautions listed for “students, faculty, and staff” and “employees”; it is important to know that any student, while preforming duties of an employee (eg. TAing) must abide by these precautions. Additionally, student employees need to register their vaccine status with both their student NetID and employee NetID. At this time you should have been contacted if your status has not been declared.

Vaccination Requirements

All individuals (students, staff, faculty, contractors, and visitors) must be vaccinated to use on-campus services and to participate in in person activities. As per the vaccine mandate, after October 15th “individuals who have not received their final required dose of vaccine will not be permitted to participate in in-person university activities.” The Safe Return to Campus webpage also outlines important information regarding bi-weekly testing which is required if one of the following statements applies to you:

• You are in the process of getting fully vaccinated;

• You have a vaccination accommodation that has been approved by the University; or

• You are in the process having your request for vaccination accommodation reviewed by the University.

More information on how testing works, when you should be testing, and where to receive testing kits please visit: At-Home Rapid Antigen Screening | Queen's University (queensu.ca)

Student Guides- Gordon Hall

Wondering how to access student services this fall? Come talk to student guides Monday-Friday from 10:30-2:30pm at Gordon Hall, 74 Union St. They can direct you to services online or in the building and provide you with directions to anywhere else you may need to co on campus!

Library Availability

All campus libraries have fully re-opened with access to most public computers now available. Curbside pick-up will no longer be available as regular campus retrievals has been re-instated. Students must be vaccinated before coming to campus and wear a face covering while using the library.

Bus-It Program 2021-22

Post-secondary bus passes are available for purchase for the Fall 2021 semester. If you have evaluated your needs and require a pass, here is the link to the city transit page (Post-Secondary Student Pass - City of Kingston). The SGPS continues to offer the bus subsidy program to eligible students (those who have been assessed and have paid the mandatory fee slate) and the fall 2021 application will be available until October 3rd at 11:59pm.

The subsidy application can be found here: sgps.click/f21bps

SASS Services Fall 2021

Queen’s Student Academic Success Services (SASS) remain available to graduate students with appointments occurring online. The best way to contact SASS remains through email, however they also have a reception desk in Stauffer Library. Students can receive assistance with reservations or ask questions about their services Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30pm.

Health and Wellness Supports

If you need any supports (academic, mental health, wellness) the SGPS can help. A number of supports are listed below and more can be found on our website.

Student Wellness Services:

• Website: https://www.queensu.ca/studentwellness/home

• Reception: 613-533-2506 (M-F 8am-4:30pm)

Empower Me:

• 24/7 Hotline: 1-844-741-6389

• As of September 1st, 2020 this service has been extended to serve 20 countries outside of North America and has removed the 3 session limit that previously existed.

   

Thank you all again for your continued support of the SGPS. As always, the content of this letter is not all inclusive, so if you are missing an update or need more information on a specific cause, please reach out to the SGPS team at any time.

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Justine Aman BAH, MSc(c)
President, Society of Graduate & Professional Students (SGPS)
Queen’s University

Note: All events are subject to change at any point and without warning as Queen’s or public health recommendations change.
This is especially true for the in-person events.