Dear Colleagues,
Please find my 24 August letter to President Ono and the Chair of the Board of Governors, Nancy McKenzie, at this link. In it I reiterate that the FA believes, contrary to what the Public Health Officer said yesterday, that UBC has the legal authority to institute a vaccine mandate for employees and students and that it should do so. The FA is still trying to understand the legal, scientific, and moral arguments against a much more robustly precautionary approach to health and safety on campus. To this point all those arguments seem either weak or unarticulated.
We know that our members have many detailed questions about what will happen in their workspaces as term begins. We are attempting to get the University to answer these questions. Many of these questions have gotten more complicated with the recent announcements, which despite providing more protections do not articulate well with the work spaces or activities of a University.
We have attempted to work cooperatively with the University and will continue those attempts. Our primary responsibility is, however, to our members, and we will be considering all available options to look after the health and safety of our members as well as their ability to perform their jobs to the high standards expected of UBC faculty.
Alan Richardson
President
Links to previous correspondence to the University and the University’s response on the issue:
- May 20 – Faculty Association to M. Quayle, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic Affairs
- July 12 – Faculty Association to M. Quayle, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic Affairs
- August 9 – Faculty Association to President Ono and Ms. Nancy McKenzie, Chair, UBC Board of Governors
- August 9 – Response from M. Quayle to UBCFA
