Dec. 31, 2021-COVID-19 Return to Campus Update-Spring 2022 Updates in Response to Omicron Variant

Dear students,

I hope that each of you have had a wonderful holiday season thus far. Our COVID Task Force continues to monitor the Omicron variant and have been in communication over the break as we monitor this rapidly evolving situation.

This email contains a number of important updates moving into the spring semester.

Student Booster Verification Requirement and Upload

Our COVID-19 vaccination policy remains that students must remain up to date with a vaccination. In response to the Omicron variant and guidance from institutions such as the ACHA, we are requiring a verified booster dose of an FDA approved COVID-19 vaccination for all students who are six (6) months post the second dose of either Pfizer or Moderna and two (2) months post the second dose of Johnson and Johnson.

Please make plans to obtain this booster dose by January 15th, 2022. For ease of scheduling, we will be hosting a vaccination clinic on January 10th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the McGlothlin Center for the Arts parking lot and a clinic on the Marion campus TBD.

For students on the Emory Campus, please visit this link to upload your COVID-19 Booster Vaccination information.

For students at the School of Health Sciences, please upload your COVID-19 Booster Vaccination information into eValue.

For students at the School of Nursing, please upload your COVID-19 Booster Vaccination information to Castlebranch. If you are an undergraduate nursing student, please also upload your information via this link.

Spring 2021 Entry Tests

For all unvaccinated students on the Emory campus, you will be required to submit a negative PCR test prior to returning to campus. This test must be completed no earlier than 72 hours prior to your arrival on campus, please use this link to upload your negative entry test. Please contact Dean Tracey Wright, copied onto this email, with any questions that you may have.

For unvaccinated students at the School of Health Sciences, please plan to test on Tuesday, January 4th, from 7:15 to 8:00 am in Smyth Hall. Please contact Dr. JP Barfield, copied onto this email, with any questions that you may have.

Information about required testing for unvaccinated students will be forthcoming.

Masking

Per the most recent guidance from the CDC for Institutions of Higher Education, we will continue with a mandatory indoor mask policy to begin the spring semester. We will continue to monitor CDC guidance and case trends as we look to make policy decisions during the 2022 spring semester.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding any of the above items.

Sincerely,
Ryan Bowyer
Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives