By Julia Lawrence
All Ryerson community members—including students, faculty and staff—were required to submit their COVID-19 vaccination status for the winter 2022 semester by Nov. 1. Some students, however, said they received “error” messages when submitting through the RyersonSafe app and website.
The university reported that 38,858 people successfully submitted their proof of vaccination through RyersonSafe, with about 70 per cent of submissions coming from students. The university currently has 36,465.4 full-time equivalent students as of the 2020-21 school year.
Ryerson also said within the group of students that submitted their status, 98 per cent indicated they are fully vaccinated.
However, some concerns about the web portal and app were posted on Reddit, where an alleged student shared a video clip illustrating how they were unable to process their proof-of-vaccination document.
The video shows that whenever they would attempt to submit their vaccination status, the website would lead them to an error page where the only option was returning to the RyersonSafe website and logging out of their account.
They also commented in the thread, explaining they had originally attempted to submit their records through the mobile app, but received the same response.
“When I called on Friday, no one knew what to do and I was given a web link on how to access the portal,” the user said.
A spokesperson for the university said issues with vaccine submission can take place for a number of reasons. Some factors include the authentication process of usernames and passwords as well as the delay in uploading digital attachments, such as proof-of-vaccination receipts, causing timeout issues.
The university added that it has reached out to the RyersonSafe app developer to determine the cause of technical difficulties within the app.
“We will be working over the course of the next two months to ensure all students are compliant with the vaccine policy in advance of the winter term, including contacting these students directly,” the statement reads.
The Eyeopener previously reported that vice-provost, students Jen McMillen sent out an email to students on Oct. 20 saying those who didn’t make the Nov. 1 deadline to submit will receive follow-ups from the university.
“We take this matter very seriously and are working to ensure all students, staff and faculty are fully vaccinated before the winter term,” McMillen said.
“Understand that students who fail to get vaccinated and/or attend campus while unvaccinated will face consequences, up to and including de-enrollment from your classes or suspension.”
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