Dear Parents and Students,
With the start of our Fall 2021 academic year less than a week away, this message is to share a few updates and provide health & safety reassurances, as you likely have many questions about what campus life will look like come August 30, when classes begin.
We are so appreciative that our Post community supported the vaccine requirement, which we announced in early May. As of today, we expect 99% of our campus community will be fully vaccinated (there is a small portion, less than 1%, of our community that is not vaccinated due to an approved medical or religious accommodation). We will keep you informed of COVID-19 updates as well as other campus news items via our Parent and Family Post emails. For parents of our incoming first-year students, these emails provide you with a snapshot of our community as well as important updates, and helpful information on what your child needs to be successful.
The high vaccination rate on campus allows us to ease most of the mitigation measures from this past year while still providing the safest possible environment for both the University and the surrounding communities. For the Fall semester, we are following updates and policies centered on the guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as local health officials in Connecticut.
Masking
- Masks are not required outdoors.
- For fully vaccinated faculty, staff, and students, masking indoors is encouraged.
- While no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals, all community members who feel more comfortable wearing a mask are encouraged to do so, whether indoors or outdoors.
- Vaccinated individuals may wear masks in classes, or offices, and when meeting or traveling in groups (e.g., on the Post shuttle bus). The University expects everyone to be respectful of these decisions. The reasons why individuals may choose to wear a mask can vary widely, so I ask that you show kindness and respect in these situations.
- Regardless of vaccination status, all community members are expected to carry a mask with them at all times.
- Faculty members may require students to wear masks in their individual classrooms.
- Students, faculty, and staff who are not fully vaccinated (those partially vaccinated and/or those who have an approved religious or medical accommodation) are required to wear masks inside campus buildings. The only exceptions are when these individuals are alone in a private office/space, in a personal residence hall room, or eating or drinking.
- All visitors to campus, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside campus buildings (except when eating and drinking) to help protect our community.
- Given that vaccination rates in the local community are considerably lower than the rate on campus, we urge everyone to wear masks when shopping, dining or otherwise interacting in the local community, for your protection and that of our neighbors in and around Post University.
We will continue to monitor the most recent guidance from the CDC and local public health departments to adjust our masking policies as needed.
Classes and Academic Calendar
Classes will be taught in person and synchronously online. Post University will observe its traditional fall breaks — Thanksgiving and Christmas. The full academic calendar is here.
Daily Symptom Checking:
Continuing to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, flu-like symptoms, and other health-related issues will continue in Fall 2021. Main campus students must use the Post Mobile App on their smartphone or access the tool through a web browser to report symptoms experienced. The Post Mobile App will also support contact tracing and students are expected to scan the QR codes as they enter classrooms and other buildings on campus.
Testing
Unvaccinated individuals are required to participate in testing three times a week throughout the academic year. These community members will also need to quarantine and/or isolate in a designated residence hall or at home if they have a positive COVID-19 test.
Testing will continue to be available for students at the Student Health Center for the 2021 academic year. Any student regardless of vaccination status, who experiences any COVID-19 symptoms should promptly contact the Student Health Center for evaluation. Any faculty or staff member who experiences these symptoms should stay home and reach out to their primary care provider for a COVID-19 test.
Contact Tracing
Post will continue to contact trace any students with a positive COVID-19 test result. Students, faculty and staff who are “close contacts” and who are fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine. Students, faculty, and staff who test positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate, regardless of vaccination status. Additional information about contact tracing and isolation/quarantine can be found on the Return to Campus webpage.
Capacity
All campus spaces—classrooms, labs, residence halls, dining hall, offices, the library, common spaces, administrative offices, etc.—will be at full capacity.
Student Activities
The majority of student activities will take place without restrictions as we begin the Fall 2021 semester. Many will also be streamed virtually for those students learning synchronously online.
Events and Visitors to Campus
Events that include visitors will once again be permitted. Visitors are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated and, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks inside campus buildings (except when eating and drinking) and at any other time designated by the University. Our community continues to be creative around the use of technology to facilitate virtual programs and speakers as well as how to incorporate outdoor spaces as appropriate.
We look forward to students returning to campus. The University leadership is so grateful for your cooperation with these measures and ask for your continued patience and flexibility over the coming weeks and months as we make adjustments based upon the most recent guidance. Please know the health and safety of our University community will be at the center of our decision-making.