Information Regarding Changes to Student Vaccination Requirements

As part of recent removal of COVID-19 restrictions, the Victorian Government confirmed that students are no longer required to show proof of vaccination status when attending any Higher Education facilities in Victoria.

Box Hill Institute has been monitoring the response within the community and sector and is now in a position to update our requirements for students to attend on campus.

From Monday 18 July, students no longer need to be vaccinated to attend Box Hill campuses and will no longer be required to show evidence of their vaccination status.

Please note: students on placement must continue to adhere to the vaccination mandate that applies to their sector.

All employees still need to meet the existing vaccination requirements.

Box Hill Institute has not had any confirmed student or employee outbreaks due to on-site exposures to COVID-19. We have a COVID Safe plan in place to ensure we are maintaining cleaning and hygiene protocols as we have done so throughout the pandemic to keep our campuses safe.

Other important reminders for students attending campus:

  • If a student is unwell or have any symptoms associated with COVID, please undergo a COVID test and advise to stay at home until they have received a negative test result.
  • If a student tests positive to COVID and has been on campus (or working outside your primary residence) 48 hours prior – teachers or coordinators will need to report the case on OurSpace
  • Close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases are strongly encouraged to isolate at home for 7 days.
  • If needed on campus the close contact must undertake a RAT test daily for 7 days and if negative can attend campus and must wear a face mask while on campus.
  • Booster vaccinations are strongly recommended by the government as an effective control against COVID-19, individuals should speak to their doctors about vaccination (including Boosters) recommendations.
  • Face masks are strongly recommended indoors where 1.5 meter physical
    distancing cannot be maintained

We will continue to provide COVID-19 information where guidance is revised by the Victorian and/or Federal Governments.

Testing positive for COVID-19

If you test positive for COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone who tests positive to COVID-19, you must follow the COVID-19 Test and Isolate National Protocols. This includes isolating at home for at least 7 days, or longer if you are still presenting symptoms.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you must notify your Course Manager if you were on campus within the 48 hours prior to testing positive. There is support available for students required to isolate.

COVID-19 Response

Box Hill Institute and the CAE are closely monitoring the evolving situation regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The health and wellbeing of our community is our highest priority.

Student Life

If you require support during this time, please contact Student Life on (03) 9286 9891 or email studentlife@boxhill.edu.au.

For International Students, please contact the International Student Wellbeing Officer, Nikki Singh on (03) 9286 9445 or via email at nikita.singh@boxhill.edu.au.

If you have questions about your academic progress and would like assistance with your assessments, please contact the International Academic Advisor, Faz Maghami on (03) 9286 9734 or via email at f.maghami@boxhill.edu.au.

Campus Security

If you are concerned for your safety at any time while on campus you can call security. For those students who are on campus extremely late or early, having someone with you to walk to your car and see you off can be a relief.

You will see our security staff in the student lounges and around campus, sometimes driving their bright little hatchbacks. So, if you’re feeling uncomfortable or afraid, talk to them, call them, make them aware of what is going on. They are here to help you and help the Institute to manage any safety issues that occur. See phone numbers for Box Hill Institute campuses listed below.

Box Hill – Elgar, Nelson & Whitehorse Campus’s
03 9286 9286

City Campus
03 8892 1700

Lilydale Campus
03 8892 2555

Health and safety measures on campus

Cleaning

An increased level of cleaning and hygiene is occurring in high-traffic areas including building entrances, hallways, lifts, stairwells, bathrooms, and libraries. There is also a focus on high-touch surfaces, this includes tables, benches, handles, switches, railings, taps, toilets and sinks.

We are using hospital grade cleaner and sanitiser, and cleaning staff are required to wear gloves and follow all necessary hand hygiene and OHS protocols.

Hand sanitiser is available on campus, as part of the entry screening process, at most entrance points and is also available in all classrooms. As part of daily cleaning, all soap dispensers are checked and refilled when empty.

Hygiene caddies are also located in classrooms for students and staff to use should they need to clean surfaces, in particular high-touch, shared surfaces such as keyboards and computers.

Cleaning is conducted in accordance with the government’s COVID-19 cleaning guidelines, as per Australian Government Department of Health’s Environmental cleaning and disinfection principles for COVID-19.

Physical Distancing

Physical Distancing – maintaining 1.5 meters between yourself and others on campus – reduces close personal contact and has been identified as an effective measure for reducing the potential spread of COVID-19. As part of our approach to provide a safe environment for everyone on campus, Box Hill Institute has adopted the government guidelines re: COVID-19. Please see FAQs for more details.
The more space between you and other people, the harder it is for the virus to spread and infect people.

Feedback

While we are working through this phased transition back to campus, we’re interested to hear from you and get your feedback.

We encourage all students to share their feedback with us. We are interested in hearing about any feedback you have regarding our processes and procedures on campus in response to COVID-19.

Please send your feedback to customerrelations@boxhill.edu.au

By collecting and reviewing this feedback, our project team will be able to ensure that our processes and procedures are working effectively in our goal to keep you safe. Thank you.

Useful Links

Department of Health and Human Services (Victorian Government)

Department of Education and Training (Victorian Government)

Department of Education, Skills and Employment (Australian Government)

World Health Organization

Smart Traveller

Worksafe guidelines

Translated resources for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

FAQs

Box Hill Institute and the CAE are open for students to return to on-campus learning for 2022. Box Hill and the CAE campus facilities are open and available for students to access, provided they comply with vaccination requirements as outlined above.

If you are feeling unwell or have cold or flu symptoms, please do not attend campus.

Increased health and safety measures have been introduced to ensure the safety of all people on site at each campus. This includes increased cleaning schedules and wiping of shared surfaces.

To assist with contact tracing, each building is marked with a QR code – either on the outside of the building or inside the building – which you must scan and complete the QR code before or when you enter a building.

  • Scan the QR code – this will be on the outside of the building or inside the building – with the camera or QR code scanner app on your Smartphone
  • Go to the link contained in the QR code
  • Complete your details and press Submit

Your information will not be released publicly or shared with any third party, except the government agency responsible for contacting people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 or where otherwise required for the purposes of contract tracing.

Your details will only be kept for the period specified by the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

Face masks are no longer required for students and employees attending campus for on-site work and study, although they remain highly recommended in all indoor settings.

All students are required to scan the QR code on a poster on the outside of each building or inside the building, before or when they enter that building. You will need to scan the QR code with the camera or QR code scanner app on your Smartphone. Then go to the link contained in the QR code, complete your details in the form and submit.

If you are unable to scan the QR code, please make sure you record your details at the administration counter in the area you are visiting. One of our team will be able to assist you in the manual recording of your visit to campus. Please advise our team member of the building or buildings you will be accessing while you are on campus.

All details collected via the QR codes are collected for contact tracing in the event of a suspected Covid-19 case on campus.

Your information will not be released publicly or shared with any third party, except the government agency responsible for contacting people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 or where otherwise required for the purposes of contract tracing.

Your details will only be kept for the period specified by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The café at Elgar and Nelson café are open from 8:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday.

Lilydale Point of View Café is open from 8:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday.

All library branches (Elgar, Nelson, Lilydale and City) are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Box Hill Institute and the CAE have implemented an increased level of cleaning across campuses in response to COVID-19. Cleaning is conducted in accordance with the Victorian Government’s COVID-19 cleaning guidelines.

Victorian DHHS Cleaning and disinfecting to reduce COVID-19 transmission

This includes:

  • Increased frequency of cleaning in high traffic areas including building entrances, hallways, lifts, stairwells, bathrooms, canteens, and libraries
  • Increased focus on cleaning high-touch surfaces including tables, benches, handles, switches, railings, taps, toilets, and sinks
  • Use of hospital grade cleaner and sanitiser
  • Hand sanitiser available in many building entrances, high traffic areas and classrooms
  • Cleaning staff are required to wear gloves and follow all necessary hand hygiene and OHS protocols
  • Increased signage around the campus to encourage good hygiene practices

We are continuing to monitor and review our cleaning measures to ensure strong standards and the health and safety of our community.