Community members complain about lack of enforcement of UCheck – The Varsity

Community members complain about lack of enforcement of UCheck – The Varsity: 

UCheck is how the university is asking for proof of vaccination status, with students being asked to submit proof of vaccination or get tested before coming to campus, and fill out a questionnaire. 

 In an email to The Varsity, University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) President Terezia Zorić wrote that, in conversation with the UTFA’s members, it has determined key spots of concern regarding U of T’s reopening strategy.  These concerns include that most buildings don’t have security personnel checking vaccination status, students who haven’t filled out UCheck are still being allowed on campus, and individuals with easily altered paper UCheck forms are being allowed to enter libraries.  Zorić added that the university claims it cannot afford security personnel whenever pushed on the topic. 

 Zorić noted that these observations were distressing for community members because the university has omitted other measures, such as capacity limits and physical distancing, because of its “heavy reliance on a deeply flawed proof of vaccination strategy.” 

 Similarly, Sherri Helwig, an arts, culture and media professor at UTSC, wrote in an email to The Varsity that the university seems to have relaxed certain security measures since the vaccine mandate was placed into effect.  She elaborated that until August 2021, there were check-in desks across UTSC, where community members were required to show their TCard or scan a QR code for contact tracing purposes. On August 20, U of T announced that these desks would be removed, and that community members would not be required to check in as of August 23.  Helwig agreed with Zorić that the university’s current vaccine policy was effectively no different than its previous one, which asked all community members to self-report their vaccination status.

 “In both cases, there is no way to know, no way to trust, that the people sharing the same air have followed the rules,” Helwig wrote. Helwig and Zorić also said that the vaccine mandate was essentially useless if no one was checking it at all campus access points. “People are rightfully angry and upset that campus reopening plans lack effective safety protocols and do not align with the advice of U of T’s public health scientists,” Zorić concluded.