Student Mask, Vaccination, and/or Rapid Test Exemptions

• the medical basis on which the student cannot wear a non-medical mask.
• a date by which the exemption expires and/or a date for reassessment.
• any other relevant information.
• PLEASE NOTE: students must upload supporting documentation completed by their qualified healthcare practitioner. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has issued guidance for physicians regarding requests for COVID-19 vaccination exemptions and guidance for physicians regarding requests for mask exemptions.

• the tenets of the student’s faith/religious beliefs which are contrary to wearing a non-medical mask.
• how long the student has been a member of the faith group/religion.
• a personal statement that addresses this information. 
• any other relevant information.
• PLEASE NOTE: It is highly recommended that students also upload a statement from leaders of their faith group/religion that addresses this information.

• the protected ground on which their application is based.
• how and why this protected ground makes them unable to wear a non-medical mask.
• any other relevant information.

• their relationship to the individual(s) to whom they are providing assistance or care (e.g., parent, caregiver of sibling or parent, caregiver of friend, paid personal care attendant).
• how and why the assistance they provide hinders the use of a non-medical mask. 
• any other relevant information.

• the condition that makes them unable to place, use, or remove a mask without assistance.
• how and why they are not able to place, use, or remove a non-medical mask without assistance.
• any other relevant information.
• PLEASE NOTE: The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has issued guidance for physicians regarding requests for mask exemptions.

If you need to access the form in an alternate format or have questions, please email doshelp@ualberta.ca.

To complete the Student Non-medical Mask Exemption Application,  

• Review the Required Exemption Application Supporting Information & Documentation and, if applicable, prepare your documentation before completing the form.
  • Any supporting documentation must be submitted as a PDF. If you do not have a scanner or cannot access electronic copies of your documentation, you can use a smartphone to take a picture of each individual page of your documentation and convert the images into a PDF document using applications/programs such as Adobe, iScanner, or Cam Scanner.
  • Use the following format to name all PDFs: last name_first initial_yyyymmdd (e.g., Smith_J_20200125). IMPORTANT: use the date on which the documentation was completed (as listed on the documentation) in the file name.
• You must be logged into your University of Alberta email account to access the application form.
• You will need to provide your University of Alberta Campus Computing ID (CCID) and Student ID Number.
• Plan to spend about 5 to 10 minutes completing the form.
• Remember to click the SUBMIT button at the end of the form to submit your form.

A copy of your completed form will be automatically emailed to you. Please check your University of Alberta email account regularly for communications about your application.

• Access the Student Non-medical Mask Exemption Application

• While applications may be submitted at any time, we highly recommend that students submit their applications in advance of the academic term or academic activities for which they require exemptions. Otherwise, students may experience unavoidable delays or consequences in their academic programs.
• You are NOT approved for an exemption from the Directives until you receive email notification of your exemption approval. Students approved for exemptions from the Directives will be notified by email and are advised to save the email notification in order that they may provide the email notification as proof of the exemption.

• All components of student exemption application procedures (including information submitted in student exemption application forms) are subject to the policies and regulations of the University, including the Code of Student Behaviour. 
• Requests for exemptions will be considered only upon submission of complete student exemption application forms. 
• Incomplete student exemption application forms will not be reviewed.
• Supporting documentation uploaded as part of student exemption application forms must be completed in English or French.
• Students are not approved for exemptions until they receive email notification of exemption approval via their University email accounts. 
• Students approved for exemptions are advised to keep their exemption approval email notification as proof of exemption. 
• The University reserves the right to make appropriate inquiries to verify the authenticity of applications, including review by applicable medical specialists for applications based on medical protected grounds in accordance with the University's Discrimination, Harassment or Duty to Accommodate Policy or consultation with applicable specialists for applications made on other protected grounds under the University's Discrimination, Harassment or Duty to Accommodate Policy. The University may require that students applying for exemptions provide additional information in order to consider and decide on a request. 
• The University reserves the right to request statutory declarations from students applying for exemptions in order to verify information submitted in their student exemption applications.
• Where students are approved for exemptions, the University will make efforts to reasonably accommodate. As part of reasonable accommodation plans, students may be required to comply with other measures, modifications, or adjustments, or conditions may be required in order to protect the health and safety of the university community. To continue to protect the health and safety of the campus community, at the sole discretion of the University, students approved for exemptions to the Directives may be accommodated through measures other than being granted access to campus.
• The duration of exemptions is at the sole determination of the University, and may be cancelled or require reapplication upon reasonable notice in the event that the Directives or other University policies change. Students approved for exemptions may request extensions to their exemption durations, if required. 
• Students approved for exemptions who no longer require their exemptions must immediately notify the University via email to doshelp@ualberta.ca.
• Students are permitted to reapply if new documentation and/or information becomes available, but students are responsible for ensuring that they provide all available, relevant information at the time of application.
• Approved exemptions apply to requests for exemptions from the University’s mask, vaccination and/or rapid test Directives only. If students are seeking accommodations for other purposes, they need to make separate applications in accordance with existing accommodation registration procedures. If students have previously approved accommodations, they must still submit student exemption applications as detailed on this webpage if they wish to be considered for exemptions from the Directives.
• Approved exemptions apply to University of Alberta campuses and properties only. If students’ University programs of study include any in-person experiential learning components (including, but not limited to, co-op placements, internships, education or clinical practica, field placements, and community service-learning placements) with non-University of Alberta organizations, the health and safety guidelines of the non-University of Alberta organization apply to students’ experiential learning components that occur at non-University of Alberta organizations. Approved University exemptions do not apply to non-University of Alberta organizations. Students are responsible for contacting their Faculties/programs of studies in a timely fashion in order to determine any additional health and safety requirements for experiential learning placements with non-University of Alberta organizations. 
• Student exemption application decisions may be appealed using the process outlined in the University’s Duty to Accommodate Procedure (see ‘Accommodation Process,’ s. 3).

The personal information you provide in University of Alberta student exemption applications is confidential.

The personal information requested is collected under the authority of Section 33(c) of the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPP) Act and will be protected under Part 2 of that Act. It will be used for registration and administrative purposes in the above program offered by the University of Alberta Office of the Dean of Students. This information may be shared as needed to facilitate your exemption with other University of Alberta faculties, departments, or units. For further information, contact Dr. Mebbie Bell, Manager, Universal Design and Accessibility Facilitation, c/o: 5-02 Students' Union Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2J7; phone: 780-492-4145; email: doshelp@ualberta.ca.