Update to Campus Health Guidelines and Policies

This message was sent to members of the ��̳ community on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

While we are still waiting for a few individuals to upload their vaccination documentation, we are pleased to report that it looks like over 95% of our College population has been vaccinated. This high level of vaccination is protective of individual and community health, and it contributes to overall public health efforts.

Given our high rates of vaccination, we are in a very different situation on campus than we were last year. Despite increased cases in our area, new cases are also currently lower than they were at almost any point in the spring semester. However, as we have learned, there can be some COVID infection and transmission by vaccinated individuals with the Delta variant. We are thus amending our campus policies accordingly. For at least the next several weeks, we will require indoor masking in public buildings (e.g., classrooms, libraries, gym) as we transition people back to campus and as rates of new COVID infections remain “substantial” in our area according to the CDC. Please see the Fall 2021 Guidelines and Mitigation Plan for more specifics on the amended policy, as the policy does provide for some flexibility.

We also reiterate that any individual who is symptomatic should stay home and seek medical guidance. To support this behavior during this current period of higher infection, we are extending the modifications to our sick pay policy that we introduced last year for faculty and staff until October 1. Through that same period of time, student employees will be allowed up to 15 hours of paid sick time. Please note we also are making some changes to our visitor policies during this time, and we have worked to align our policies with Haverford to create a more seamless BiCo experience. Please be on the lookout for further communications, as these guidelines will likely change as the semester progresses and conditions evolve.

Added measures of protection will help protect the health of our community, contribute to public health efforts, and preserve our ability to come together to provide a robust in-person educational experience for our students. I look forward to a year in which we have the tools and strategies to work and live together. I thank everyone for the work they have done and will do to create a safe environment for learning, teaching, residential life, and student activities in the coming year.

Best,