Dear Campus Community,
I share this message with you today to provide some important reminders regarding COVID-19 protocol changes that recently went into effect beginning Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Please keep reading to view additional details about the recent changes as we get the summer term underway.
Testing
Beginning Tuesday, May 31, we will be suspending all voluntary surveillance testing and the drop boxes at Peggy Ryan Williams, Farm Pond Road, and Emerson Residence Hall will be removed.
Students and employees who are actively experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who simply wish to test to monitor their health status can continue to do so at our new primary testing location at Boothroyd Residence Hall. Our hours through the summer will be Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
We are also updating testing guidance for students and employees who currently are unvaccinated. Unvaccinated students and employees who will be on campus during the summer will be required to test twice weekly at Boothroyd Hall.
For employees unable to access Boothroyd Hall during regular business hours, we will have take-home testing kits available. Employees will be able to test at home and submit their results online via the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form. Please contact testing@ithaca.edu to request testing kits as soon as possible.
Throughout the summer months we will likely continue to see some COVID-19 cases effect our campus community. For employees who test at home, or who receive a positive test result through a licensed testing facility, please notify the college immediately using the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form. Students who access campus over the summer who test positive through at home testing or a service provider should contact caremanager@ithaca.edu immediately. In order to contain spread of COVID-19 in our Ithaca College and greater Ithaca communities, it is vital to begin isolation procedures as soon as you become aware of testing positive.
Isolation and Quarantine
For the past two years we have been fortunate enough to use Emerson Hall as our isolation and quarantine space for students on campus. As we shift into the summer, we will be moving our on-campus isolation and quarantine operations to Boothroyd Hall, which will continue to operate in this capacity during the upcoming 2022-23 academic year. Students who need to enter quarantine and isolation at Boothroyd Hall will continue to receive full wrap-around care and 24 hour on-call support throughout the summer months.
Employee protocols for quarantine and isolation will remain unchanged at this time. Please refer to the college's human resources protocol manual for additional information.
Vaccination Requirements
As we look ahead to the Fall 2022 semester, I am extremely hopeful that we are able to replicate the success we enjoyed this past academic year in limiting the impact of COVID-19. For that to occur, Ithaca College will continue to implement a vaccine mandate for students during the upcoming 2022-23 academic year. All new incoming and transfer students, unless having received a college-approved exemption, will be required to be fully vaccinated with a one-dose (Johnson & Johnson) or two-dose (Pfizer or Moderna) vaccine series by the time classes start in August.
Employees are also STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to choose to be vaccinated and continue to stay up to date on any booster shots that they may be eligible to receive. Employees can submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination, as well as additional boosters doses received, via the human resources online submission form.
At this time, the college will not be mandating any further booster shot requirement for new or returning students. However, I ask any individual who may be eligible to receive a booster to pursue getting theirs when available.
Please join me in continuing our commitment to practicing good public health measures throughout the summer, including:
- Physical distance from others, particularly if experiencing symptoms of illness.
- Wear a face covering in all situations that require them, especially if attending large unstructured gatherings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- Seek immediate testing if you begin feeling unwell.
- Practice good and frequent hand hygiene.
As always, we remain #ICinThisTogether.
Sincerely,
Samm Swarts
Assistant Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response