COVID-19 Information

Return-to-Campus Testing for the Spring 2022 Semester

Return-to-campus testing will consist of two elements: 1) pre-arrival testing that is the responsibility of each student and 2) post-arrival testing that will be conducted by the Bard Health Service. All students must participate in both pre-arrival and post-arrival testing. 

• Pre-arrival testing: Students who left campus for the holiday break, including those who live off campus and remain in the local area, will need to provide proof of a negative test before returning to campus for Citizen Science or the spring semester. Similar to previous return-to-campus periods when we have required pre-arrival testing, students should arrange to get a PCR test that must be conducted no more than 72 hours before you arrive on campus. PCR tests are available at most local pharmacies, medical testing companies such as Quest Diagnostics or Labcorp, as well as local and state healthcare facilities. You can find local community testing facilities in your state here and through your state health department. We encourage all students and families to look into available testing sites and schedules well in advance of returning to campus. If you are unable to access a PCR test in your area in the required timeframe, proof of a negative antigen test conducted no more than 24 hours before your arrival on campus is also acceptable.
  
  Please return your proof of a negative test (documentation from the testing site or a clear photo of your test result) before returning to campus to covidclearance@bard.edu. Any student who receives a positive result on their pre-arrival test should not return to campus until they are medically cleared to do so, and should notify the Bard Health Service. Any student unable to access either a PCR or antigen test during the break should notify covidclearance@bard.edu to make arrangements for testing and sheltering in place upon arrival. The small number of students remaining on campus during the break or returning early for athletics team practice will receive separate instructions.
   
• Post-arrival testing: Each student will be required to take a COVID test approximately four days after returning to campus. The College will schedule and administer this test to all students—whether they live on or off campus—via the same MIT/Broad Institute testing program that we have used throughout the pandemic, and that typically delivers results in less than 24 hours. 

Vaccination Requirements for the Spring Semester

Bard College is a fully vaccinated campus, requiring that all students, faculty, and staff be fully vaccinated. In accordance with the recent CDC guidance that everyone 18 years and older should receive a booster, we are updating our vaccine mandate to require that all students, faculty, and staff receive a vaccine booster. Students are required to be fully vaccinated with a booster by January 18 or within 30 days of eligibility, whichever comes first. Faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated with a booster by February 3 or within 30 days of eligibility, whichever comes first. Individuals who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are eligible to receive a booster dose six months after their last dose. Those who received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine are eligible to receive a booster dose two months after your original dose. Boosters are widely available at vaccination sites nationwide. 

Once you have received your booster, students should upload the date and submit proof of the vaccine (a screenshot of your vaccine card) to the medical portal at bard.medicatconnect.com (if you are unable to access the portal, students may send this information to covidclearance@bard.edu). Employees, once boosted, must provide updated vaccination cards here. 

Mask Guidelines

All students, faculty, and staff are currently required to mask in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status. Please see the Mask Policy page for details.

This decision is consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New York State Department of Health, American College Health Association (ACHA), and Commission of Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU). 

Along with vaccinations and boosters, masking remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID. Please wear a well-fitted mask wherever masking is recommended or required on and off campus. The most important detail of masking is that whatever the type, it fits well: it should completely cover your nose and mouth, and not allow infiltration around the sides. The better the fit, the greater the protection. 

Isolation Protocols

In accordance with updated CDC guidance, anyone who tests positive can be released from isolation after five days if they are not experiencing symptoms. Bard will also require a negative test to be released from isolation. If current COVID trends continue, there is a strong possibility that the number of students testing positive at any given time could exceed the number of single rooms with private bathrooms. Therefore, designated isolation rooms will be prioritized for the vulnerable and symptomatic. Any residential student who tests positive will be given two options: 1) Return home or to another safe place off campus to recover, and after 5 days, if the student is not experiencing any COVID symptoms and has a negative antigen test, they can return to campus; or 2) Recover in their dorm room following already established isolation protocols. The College’s COVID case management team, in coordination with the Bard Health Service, will support all students in isolation with regular check-ins and access to College resources and food. Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, medical experts have advised us that roommates of positive cases are likely positive as well, even if there is a slight lag in test results. Many of our peer institutions have been successfully using this isolation protocol.

Visit the Testing and Contact Tracing FAQ page for detailed guidance.

College-Sponsored Trips and Off-Campus Travel

We ask members of the Bard community to be mindful of your behavior off campus, where rates of COVID continue to be significant and vaccination rates are much lower than on campus. Mask-wearing is required in all indoor settings, including public transportation, as are all of the familiar protocols, such as frequent hand washing and avoiding large crowds, particularly in areas where vaccination levels are low. Act judiciously, wear a mask, and practice physical distancing where directed and recommended, and remember that our collective efforts support campus health. 

With a fully-vaccinated campus community, students and faculty may resume course-related and club day trips off campus by following common sense safety protocols. Student clubs and organizations wishing to organize activities off-campus should register their event with SPARC to be sure they understand and are following all current guidelines and expectations. Anyone hoping to plan an overnight trip off campus should consult with the Response Team as part of the planning process. All students, faculty, and staff planning to participate in or organize trips off campus are asked to abide by the travel guidelines below, and to follow the guidelines in place at your destination.

• Masks worn at all times on shared transportation
• Meals should take place outside if possible, or in private quarters. Groups should refrain from eating in restaurants.
• Masks indoors at all times

Visitor Policy and Event Planning

1. Fully vaccinated household family members of Bard employees may enter campus facilities without needing approval for each individual campus visit. Bard employees who wish to have their fully vaccinated household family members granted long-term access to campus facilities should fill out this simple form to upload proof of vaccination. Approved family members are free to visit campus facilities that are otherwise already open to visitors. The residence halls, gymnasium, and library remain closed to family members and other visitors in order to ensure the continued safety and comfort of our community. 

2. Academic and faculty-sponsored events may now be opened to fully vaccinated members of the community under the same protocols used by such campus venues as the Fisher Center and Hessel Museum. All visitors must demonstrate proof of vaccination in advance and wear a mask in any indoor campus setting. Event organizers will be responsible for planning and staffing for advance registration, including proof of vaccination confirmation, obtaining names and contact information, and enforcing audience mask wearing indoors.

Individuals who do not fall into either of the above two categories and are planning to enter any campus facility must receive advance approval via the “Request for Non-Bard Visitors to Campus” form, which is available to Bard employees. Students wishing to sponsor a visitor should contact their dean for more information. 

Approved visitors to campus facilities must remain masked while indoors, with the exception that speakers who are physically distanced (for example, at a podium) may be unmasked while speaking. Anyone experiencing COVID symptoms, whether they are an employee or an approved visitor, should refrain from coming to campus.

The campus grounds remain open to visitors without advance approval needed.

What Guides Our Planning during the Pandemic

Bard’s COVID-19 response plan is informed by current national, regional, and local conditions and best public health practices. We are following New York State guidance, which includes specific mandates for higher education, and guidance from the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health.

The College has a formal agreement with Nuvance Health, one of the largest health care providers in the region, and with them has created detailed protocols for testing and screening, daily monitoring of symptoms, contact tracing, quarantine practices, and physical distancing in the classroom and across the Bard campus. Bard also has a contract with The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard for its Safe for School testing program. The Broad Institute has been at the forefront of developing and providing cutting-edge COVID-19 testing and has created this program specifically designed for higher education. Our Health Services Team is following guidance from the American College Health Association and is in close contact with local and regional health officials.