Dear Campus Community,
Let us begin this message by first expressing our sincere thanks for your diligence and commitment to prioritizing public health during our first two weeks of the Fall 2021 semester. Maintaining good public health practices including proper use of face coverings, physical distancing, good hand hygiene and responsible behaviors, both on and off campus, continue to be vital ways to preserve the collective health of our campus community from the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Since we last communicated with you prior to the start of the new academic year, Ithaca College’s Health and Safety Advisory Group has been vigilantly monitoring the trending rise of positive COVID-19 cases both within our own campus community and the greater Ithaca area. As we shared at that time, Ithaca College continues to evaluate all available data to make timely and informed decisions regarding the public health policies utilized by the college. We remain committed to doing everything in our power to preserve a vibrant and engaging experience for our students, while also prioritizing the collective well-being of our community. It is with this paramount goal in mind that we share with you today an important update related to Ithaca College’s surveillance testing program.
Beginning on Monday, September 13, Ithaca College will be instituting a modified surveillance testing program for vaccinated individuals on campus. This new program will be utilized to test a randomized subset of Ithaca College’s vaccinated student and employee populations, in addition to mandatory testing for unvaccinated members of the campus community, in an effort to better identify and mitigate the potential for community spread on campus this semester. Further details on Ithaca’s modified surveillance testing program can be found below.
Randomized Population
Individuals who are asked to take part in surveillance testing will be selected on a randomized basis. Please note that faculty and staff who are working fully remote and have indicated to the college that they are not accessing campus this semester will be exempt from the selection process.
Communication
Individuals who are randomly selected to participate in surveillance testing will receive a direct message to their IC email address on Monday morning of each week notifying them of their selection.
Please note that this message will only be sent to vaccinated individuals if they have been selected. Vaccinated individuals who do not receive a message on Monday morning will not need to submit a surveillance test during the ensuing week.
This message does not apply to unvaccinated individuals who are required to test each week.
Testing Method
Ithaca College will be utilizing the saliva self-collection test kit method for its surveillance testing this semester. Cayuga Health System (CHS) has slightly modified its collection process - no longer requiring the use of the second tube of preservative buffer solution. Please follow all instructions provided in the test kit, which includes no eating, drinking, chewing gum or smoking within 30 minutes of providing your sample.
Testing Locations and Pick-Up/Drop-Off Frequency
Ithaca College will place large blue collection bins at the following locations which should be utilized for test kit drop-off. Additional test kits will also be available for pick-up at these locations.
- Campus Center Lobby
- Peggy Ryan Williams Lobby
- A&E Center Lobby
- Farm Pond Road (Employees Only Location)
Test kits will be picked up on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week. Selected individuals will only have to submit a test collection once during the week in which they are selected.
Unvaccinated Individuals
In continuance of the current policy, all unvaccinated individuals accessing campus must continue to participate in mandatory surveillance testing each week. Unvaccinated employees (faculty and staff) can now complete this required testing on campus and do not need to utilize the Cayuga Health System (CHS) site at The Shops at Ithaca Mall.
Ithaca College continues to strongly encourage individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as the best way to mitigate the most severe impacts of the pandemic on our campus. The vaccine webpage is a great place to start to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, how to secure an appointment near you, as well as information on how to submit your completed COVID-19 vaccine documentation to Ithaca College. Thank you to our students and the large number of faculty and staff who have already answered this call to action.
Please note that while we are implementing this expanded surveillance testing program, at this time Ithaca College continues to operate in the “Green: Lower Risk” COVID-19 Alert Status. The COVID-19 Alert Status is a broad guide of the operational policies currently employed by the college and is based on the incidence of COVID-19 and other indicating factors tracking community spread. The Health and Safety Advisory Group will continue to meet regularly and make informed, data-supported recommendations about any future modifications to the college’s public health policies.
As we prepare for the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend it is crucial for us to remember our collective commitment to good public health practice. Proper use of face coverings, physical distancing, good hand hygiene, and responsible actions both on and off campus will be important in helping us keep our incidence of COVID-19 low within our campus community. Thank you for your understanding and dedication to protecting the health and well-being of our campus and greater Ithaca community.
Sincerely,
Melanie Stein
Interim Provost
Rosanna Ferro
Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life
Hayley Harris
Vice President for Human Resources and Planning
Samm Swarts
Assistant Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response