Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,
As ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ prepares for the return of students on Friday, Jan. 21., I write to share some of the measures that the University is taking to support the health and safety of our entire community this spring. These plans are the result of close collaboration between ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ leadership, the Task Force on Reopening the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Campus, and the Emergency Operations Center.
Next week, we will offer employees an opportunity to participate in baseline testing, and we have strongly recommended that students obtain their own pre-arrival test. Regardless, all students — including those who have remained on campus during the winter break, live off campus, arrived early for athletics or other programs, or have recently tested positive and completed isolation — will be required to check in upon arrival. The check-in process will include baseline COVID-19 testing for all students, unless they have tested positive within the past 90 days.
¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ has made boosters mandatory for all employees and students, and we will hold regular booster clinics throughout the spring semester to support that requirement. The University also continues to follow the New York State requirement that masks be worn in indoor public spaces. We strongly recommend that everyone on campus wear medical-style masks rather than cloth masks or face coverings. Given the current prevalence and contagiousness of the omicron variant, diligent mask wearing, especially in the arrival period, will be critical to minimize transmission and prevent disruption.
We are realistic about the increased spread of COVID this semester, and in light of updated guidance from the CDC and ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s Task Force on Reopening, ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ will be altering its quarantine and isolation policies for the spring. Close contacts who are not yet boosted or who are exempt from vaccination for medical/religious reasons must quarantine for five days and wear a high-quality well-fitting mask while around others for the following five days. No quarantine is required for asymptomatic close contacts who are fully vaccinated and boosted or not yet eligible for a booster.
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must isolate for five days, according to Madison County Department of Health (MCDOH) and CDC guidance. A negative test will be required to leave isolation. Anyone who lives within 300 miles of Hamilton and tests positive while on campus must return home for isolation — students who cannot return home will be assisted by ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ in identifying an appropriate isolation space. Employees are required to notify their department chair or supervisor and human resources if they test positive for COVID-19. Employees who are not able to work from home will be paid for their time out while in isolation or awaiting their day-six test.
During the first week of classes, Jan. 24–28, in order to accommodate the potential for students being absent from in-person classes due to isolation protocols, faculty members have been asked to incorporate flexibility into their classroom instruction. We continue to make ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ classrooms safe and secure environments for students and faculty, especially given our highly vaccinated and boostered community.
¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ continues to adhere to CDC and New York State guidelines regarding events and gatherings. We strongly recommend that event organizers review best practices for in-person gatherings and implement additional steps as much as possible, particularly for gatherings with outside guests.
As I have noted, we are realistic about the prevalence of COVID-19 everywhere and the possibility that we will experience more positive cases on campus than we have in the past. ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ is doing its very best to mitigate the spread and to support community members who test positive and become ill, while also carrying on with teaching and learning. We thank you for your support in this effort and wish you all the best in the days and weeks ahead.
Be safe and well — and if you have friends in the community who would like to receive these messages, encourage them to .
Sincerely,
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications