WINDSOR, ONT. -- On top of cleaning measures and safety guidelines, St. Clair College has hired people to patrol, the halls and classrooms to make sure everyone is following the rules.

The Safety Ambassador program was launched as a pilot project in early July and has proven to be a successful part of college life during the pandemic.

“I have to say it’s been really good to see how compliant a lot of people are,” said Irene Moore Davis, manager of continuing education at the Windsor campus.

The program currently has four ambassadors combing the campus to ensure everyone is following the rules.

The ambassadors are college administrators.

“They have experience in helping staff and students understanding their responsibilities, that’s been an important aspect of this definitely,” said Rebecca Demchuk associate vice president, safety, security and facilities management at the college.

There have been around 300 students on campus this summer and numbers are expected to balloon to 1,000 in the fall.

“Every now and then we see some lapses,” Moore Davis said.

Compliance with the new protocols has been high, but not perfect.

“We have had a couple of people that we’ve had to ask to leave the college because the reminders became redundant,” said Demchuk.

“This is a very special time we’re all living though and we’ve got to be super careful,” Moore Davis noted.