Dear Ithaca College Community,
I share this message with you today to provide an important new update to Ithaca College’s COVID-19 testing protocols, as well as some reminders about the college’s current public health procedures and practices.
Testing Update
Effective immediately, Ithaca College will be suspending the surveillance testing requirement for all unvaccinated students and employees. These populations will no longer be required to submit weekly surveillance testing in order to access campus.
As a reminder, Ithaca College will continue to require that all students – unless having received a college approved exemption – be fully vaccinated with either a two-dose vaccine series (Pfizer or Moderna) or a single dose (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine for the upcoming 2022-23 academic year. Students can visit this COVID-19 vaccine webpage for more information.
Employees are also STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to be fully 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 all as additional booster doses received via the human resources online submission form.
Testing Reminders
We have moved our on-campus testing location to Boothroyd Hall and this location will continue to be our hub for testing as well as quarantine and isolation during the 2022-23 academic year.
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 Boothroyd Hall. Hours of operation continue to be Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. throughout the remainder of the summer. Please note that testing will be closed on Monday, July 4.
We continue to require that employees or students accessing campus this summer to notify Ithaca College if they receive a positive test result via an at-home self-testing kit or through an off-campus licensed testing facility. Employees can notify the college through the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form. Students should notify the college by contacting caremanager@ithaca.edu immediately following a positive test result. In order to limit spread within our community, it is vital to begin isolation from others as soon as you become aware of testing positive.
Isolation and Quarantine Reminders
As mentioned above, Ithaca College’s primary quarantine and isolation location has now officially been moved to Boothroyd Hall. Residential students accessing campus this summer who need to enter quarantine or isolation will continue to receive full wrap-around care and 24-hour on-call support.
Employees should continue to refer to the college’s human resources protocol manual for additional information on quarantine and isolation procedures.
Responsible Health Practices
Maintaining a commitment to responsible public health practices continues to be the best way to minimize risk of contracting COVID-19 and other communicable illnesses. Please continue to keep the following practices in mind:
- 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.
If you have any questions or concerns related to Ithaca College's current public health policies and protocols, please direct outreach to caremanager@ithaca.edu.
Sincerely,
Samm Swarts
Assistant Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response