COVID-19 Announcements

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A Message about Testing Protocols, Pre-travel Guidance, and College-sponsored Trips

Friday, August 6, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

The Response Team acknowledges a lack of clarity in the August 6 update and provides edited text, below, 08/27/2021.

• Testing protocols
• Pre-travel guidance
• College-sponsored trips
• Stevenson Gymnasium update

To the Bard College Community,

Thanks to our vaccination mandate, Bard College is now considered a “fully vaccinated campus” by CDC standards. This is a special status that enables the College, and our peer institutions that have achieved fully vaccinated status, to return to full capacity in-person learning without requiring masking or physical distancing for people who are fully vaccinated, in accordance with CDC’s Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People and New York State requirements. Vaccines have been shown to be very effective at preventing illness, including from the Delta variant (the article at the link was written by Bard alum Nsikan Akpan ’06, a biologist who is health and science editor at New York Public Radio and recipient of this year’s John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service).

As previously discussed, for the fall 2021 semester, all students, faculty, and staff are required to provide proof of vaccination, bringing us to a vaccination level of over 99 percent. The fewer than 1 percent of students and employees who remain unvaccinated through the semester have received prior approval for medical or religious reasons. Any unvaccinated student or employee, for as long as they are not fully vaccinated, must continue to follow the same protocols that kept our community safe last year when we were all unvaccinated, including masking and physical distancing at all times indoors or in group settings on campus. 

In order to maintain our campus as fully vaccinated, for the fall semester the College will require all visitors to show proof of vaccination before being approved for access to College facilities, as described in last week’s Response Team update. Although the community around Bard has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, there is still a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people in public spaces beyond Bard, so we ask all Bardians to follow the protocols in place at off-campus locations, many of which require masking. Any Bardian who prefers to remain masked in places where it is not explicitly required, on campus or off, is welcome to do so. 

Testing
Because we have a fully vaccinated campus, we are able to adjust our testing protocols from last year’s broad and continuous surveillance testing to a system that identifies symptomatic individuals and initiates CDC-advised protocols to minimize risk to the broader community. Therefore, the College plans to test the small number of unvaccinated students and employees regularly, and will also make testing available to vaccinated students who experience symptoms. 

Any fully vaccinated person who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate themselves from others by remaining out of in-person activities for 10 days, or until 48 hours after all symptoms resolve or they have received a negative test result. Students in a single room may remain in their room; however, students with a roommate will be placed in isolation housing for the duration of their isolation period.

Any fully vaccinated person who has come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should be tested three to five days following the date of their exposure and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result. They should follow the above restrictions if they test positive.

If an unvaccinated member of the Bard community tests positive, they will be moved into isolation housing (if they are a student living on campus) or will be asked to remain in their off-campus home until they are medically cleared to return to campus.

Pre-travel guidance
For students preparing to travel to campus, we ask that in the days immediately prior to arriving at Bard you observe safe travel practices, such as masking in public places where the community is not fully vaccinated as well as on planes and other forms of public transportation. This, combined with full vaccination prior to arrival, will help us to begin the fall semester safely.

College-sponsored trips
With a fully vaccinated campus community, students and faculty will be able to resume course-related and club day trips off campus by following common sense safety protocols, such as masking in any indoor public space and avoiding large gatherings. Participants on these trips and events will also be asked to abide by the guidelines in place at your destination. Anyone hoping to plan an overnight trip off campus should consult with the Response Team as part of the planning process. Please email responseteam@bard.edu for more information about off-campus trips including the application form.

Stevenson Gymnasium update
The Stevenson Athletic Center is currently open to students and staff, with hours posted on bardathletics.com. Users should present their Bard ID at the front desk when entering the building. The pool is available for lap swim on a reservation basis. Please visit the website for more information.

Starting on September 1, the Stevenson Athletic Center will reopen for community use through a membership system; all patrons will be required to show proof of vaccination. Hours will also be reduced for community use; more information will be available in the coming weeks on bardathletics.com. All fans at indoor sporting events will also be required to show proof of vaccination to be allowed entry to the building.

We’re looking forward to returning to a more normal in-person, on-campus experience this fall, starting with our first-year students arriving today for L&T! Last year, our community showed great mutual support and care in our collective careful adherence to behaviors that kept us safe and enabled us to engage in in-person learning throughout the year. This year, we must continue to be mindful and flexible as the public health situation evolves, with the knowledge that vaccination is a powerful tool that together we have all brought to our community.

Sincerely,

Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director of Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Vice President and Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office, Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Assistant Vice President of Operations, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean of Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski,  Associate Dean of the College
David Shein, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Professor of French, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Early Colleges

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A Message about COVID-19 Campus Protocols for the Fall

Thursday, July 29, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

• Mask guidelines
• Proof of vaccination requirement
• Arrival protocols for first-year, transfer, and returning students
• Visitor policy, including for residence halls, and event planning

To the Bard College Community,

With the fall semester approaching, we would like to share arrival protocols for first-year, transfer, and returning students, as well as updated policies for visitors and student spaces. The key to our successful return to normalcy is vaccination and, wherever indicated, mask-wearing. As previously announced, all students, faculty, and staff are required to be vaccinated by August 1, with exceptions only for pre-approved medical or religious reasons. 

Mask guidelines
Throughout the previous academic year, when we were all unvaccinated, our community kept each other safe through personal behaviors including mask wearing and physical distancing. Now that vaccinations are available and we will be close to a 100% vaccinated community at the start of the semester, mask wearing and physical distancing are not our only defenses against illness and are no longer required by vaccinated people in many situations, under current health conditions. 

This week, the CDC updated its mask recommendations to say that fully vaccinated people should wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high risk of transmission. In addition, the CDC stated that fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, especially if they are at increased risk for severe disease or have someone in their household who is unvaccinated or at increased risk. 

COVID cases continue to be much lower than they were a year ago in the area around Bard, which has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. Dutchess County is not currently considered an area of substantial or high risk, according to CDC data. Vaccines have been shown to be effective in greatly reducing both illness and transmissibility, making it much less likely that a vaccinated person who catches COVID will either become sick from the virus or spread it to others. For these reasons, the College does not currently require vaccinated individuals to be masked indoors on campus. Wearing a mask is optional for vaccinated students and employees, while all unvaccinated individuals must remain masked inside campus facilities. We will continue to monitor the public health situation, as we have for the past 18 months, and will update College policy as necessary, and we ask all members of our community to continue to monitor their own health.  

Proof of vaccination requirement
All students are required to submit proof of a World Health Organization-approved vaccination to healthservice@bard.edu or upload it to your Medicat portal as soon as possible, so that we can verify your vaccination status prior to your arrival on campus for the fall semester. All employees have received instructions from the Human Resources office for submitting your proof of vaccination prior to August 1. You may send a scanned copy of your vaccination card or a copy of the New York State Excelsior Pass. If any student is unable to access a WHO-approved vaccine before returning to campus, misplaced your vaccination card, or will not yet be fully vaccinated before the start of the semester, you must contact the Bard Student Health Service immediately so the College can help you make arrangements to complete the vaccination process. 

Arrival protocols
On arrival days, two people will be allowed to accompany each student to any indoor event or activity. Additional family members accompanying a student are allowed on campus grounds, but guests are restricted to two per student at any indoor event. Any unvaccinated person accompanying a student must wear a mask at all times. 

Please note:

• If a student does not have access to a vaccine where they live, they can get vaccinated locally upon arrival, but must make arrangements in advance of arrival to do so. Contact the Bard Student Health Service as soon as possible to be informed about local options for vaccination in the Bard area. Until fully vaccinated (two weeks after single dose vaccine or two weeks after second dose), a mask must be worn at all times.
   
• If a student arrives unvaccinated, has not previously made arrangements with the Bard Student Health Service for local vaccination upon arrival, and is not pre-approved or pending approval for a vaccine exemption, they are not eligible to be on campus. Their account will be frozen, and access to course registration and College facilities including dining and residence halls will be denied.

• Any student or employee with a College-approved exception to be unvaccinated, or who is not yet fully vaccinated, must be masked at all times and remain physically distanced.

Visitor policy and event planning
For the fall semester, our aim is to keep our community safe by maintaining the College as a fully vaccinated campus. Guests remaining outdoors do not need to register in advance, but any essential visitors needing access to College facilities, including guest lecturers and all conference participants, must be approved in advance by the Response Team and must be vaccinated to enter any College facility. Any Bard employee may apply to host individual visitors by using this form. Bardians interested in organizing a large group event such as a conference should contact the Response Team for additional guidance. Visitors will be required to show proof of vaccination and complete a health screening prior to arrival on campus in order to have access to any College facility.The Response Team will consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis in extraordinary circumstances. For conferences and other group events, it will be the responsibility of event organizers to obtain proof of vaccination from all attendees in advance. 

• Residence halls: At this time, no off-campus guests are allowed in the residence halls. Enrolled students are now allowed to access other residence halls at the invitation of a resident of that building.  

• Student Spaces: During L&T and the first three weeks of the semester, no outside musicians will be allowed at SMOG or the Root Cellar. Students can begin planning for bands to perform after the third weekend of the fall semester. All bands must be fully vaccinated. The Office of Student Activities must obtain proof of vaccination for anyone playing at any venue

We worked together as a community last year, in the absence of vaccines, and through our careful and consistent collective efforts and personal behavior, kept COVID rates on campus extremely low while preventing any outbreaks. This year, with a fully vaccinated campus, we will be in an even stronger position than last year to keep our community safe and healthy. We appreciate the cooperation and support of the Bard community in helping us reach the fully vaccinated status that will enable our return to normalcy, and look forward to seeing you all in August.

Please refer to Bard’s COVID-19 webpage for more information.

Sincerely,

Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director of Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Vice President and Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office, Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Assistant Vice President of Operations, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean of Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski,  Associate Dean of the College
David Shein, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Professor of French, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Early Colleges

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A Message about Vaccination Requirements, New Testing Protocols, and Planning for the Fall

Thursday, July 15, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in This Update:

• Employee and student vaccinations
• New testing protocols
• Mask policy
• Stevenson Gymnasium update
• Taste Budd’s delivery update
• Engaging with the Response Team

To the Bard College community,

We are very much looking forward to welcoming first-year students to campus in a few short weeks! Thanks largely to the widespread availability of safe and highly effective vaccines, New York State and the CDC have relaxed most of their COVID-19 restrictions, allowing the College to do the same. As a result, we are planning for as much of a “return to normalcy” as possible for L&T and the fall semester. The College will continue to be guided by public health trends and guidance and data from the CDC and public health authorities as we emerge from the pandemic.

Employee and student vaccinations
Given the proven effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, it’s clear that our full return to normalcy hinges on ensuring that our community is fully vaccinated. Therefore, we announced to employees last week that the College will require all faculty and staff working on campus to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by August 1, 2021. Employees can submit proof of vaccination to Human Resources here. Employees who wish to request a medical or religious exemption may submit an Exemption Request Form to kalexand@bard.edu. Requests must be submitted by July 26 for review. Exemption requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

For those employees who have not yet been vaccinated, a comprehensive list of local vaccination sites can be found at covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov. COVID-19 vaccines are readily available, free of charge, throughout New York State, including at pharmacies, grocery stores, and medical offices. If you have trouble locating a facility, you may reach out to your primary care doctor or contact hr@bard.edu directly for assistance.

As noted in previous updates, students will also be required to be fully vaccinated prior to returning to campus. Details of the process for providing proof of vaccination, and for requesting medical or religious exemptions, have been communicated directly to students by the Bard Health Service. The College will accept any WHO-approved vaccine, and will assist any unvaccinated student or student with an unapproved vaccine to receive a WHO-approved vaccine upon arrival at Bard.  

New testing protocols
Among the College’s adjustments to protocols moving forward will be changes to our testing regime. Students traveling from abroad will be required by their airline to have a negative COVID test before boarding a plane to the United States. However, the College itself will not require pre-arrival testing of returning students and does not plan to require any students to quarantine upon arrival. Having a fully vaccinated population enables us to forego those actions, which were necessary last year at the height of the pandemic to comply with New York State regulations and CDC guidance. Students who are unvaccinated and would like assistance in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine upon arrival should notify the Bard Health Service as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made. 

Our regular weekly testing of a percentage of the on-campus population has served us well over the past 18 months, enabling the College to quickly identify and isolate infection. However, having a fully vaccinated community allows us to move to a more targeted process of symptomatic testing for the fall semester. This means, if current public health trends hold, that the College plans to minimize and possibly eliminate regular weekly testing for the fall semester. The Response Team will release more information about fall semester testing plans in the coming weeks. Students will continue to have access to testing based on symptoms at the Bard Health Service, while employees are still asked to get tested by their primary care physicians if they suspect they have been exposed to or contracted COVID-19. While the odds are low, it is possible to become infected post-vaccination, so we ask that all students and employees remain vigilant and get tested should symptoms arise.

Mask policy
Fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear masks on campus except in specific circumstances (ie Bard Health Service appointments). The Response Team will consider on a case-by-case basis whether visitors may need to be masked, based on their vaccination status, travel origin, and planned activity and contacts on campus.
 
As part of the College’s multilayered approach to preventing the spread of COVID last year, masking provided an important and effective layer of protection that worked well as part of our strategy. This academic year, the Response Team will use the same strategy of examining data, local rates of infection, complying with any remaining State guidelines, and requiring vaccination, which has been shown to be exceedingly effective in reducing illness and preventing the spread of COVID. Data will continue to guide our plan for in-person instruction this coming semester.
 
Stevenson Gymnasium update
Stevenson Athletic Center remains open to students, faculty, and staff, with extended hours in July, from 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday, and 10am–4pm on Saturday and Sunday. The pool is also open to lap swim with weekday and weekend hours by reservation, with more information available on bardathletics.com.

At this point the gym remains open only to Bard students, faculty, and staff. The potential to open the Athletic Center to families of faculty and staff, community members, and others will be reevaluated in the coming weeks. Any and all updates will be available on bardathletics.com.

Taste Budd’s delivery update
Taste Budd’s Cafe, a wonderful friend-of-Bard business in Red Hook, is continuing its daily service to campus throughout the summer, providing delivery once per day at noon. Order by 11:15am via the Taste Budd’s website, selecting “Budds Bard Drop” on the menu, in order for your items to be included in the noon delivery. Item pickup is at the Taste Budd’s table at the Old Gym.

Engaging with the Response Team
The Response Team continues to meet regularly to plan for the fall semester, and will soon release event-planning guidance for those Bardians planning to hold conferences or other events this fall. For the month of July we have suspended our weekly Zoom office hours, but please do not hesitate to email us if you have a question, and feel free to consult FAQs and our previous announcements on the Bard COVID-19 page for more information.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director of Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Vice President and Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office, Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Assistant Vice President of Operations, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean of Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski,  Associate Dean of the College
David Shein, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Professor of French, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Early Colleges

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A Message about Vaccination Milestones, Easing Mandates, and Ongoing Restrictions

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in This Update:

• Vaccination milestones & easing mandates
• Policies that remain in force
• Response Team office hours

To the Bard College community,

Governor Cuomo announced today that New York State has reached the milestone of 70% of adults age 18+ having received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. With that, the state is lifting most state-mandated COVID-19 guidance, giving businesses and institutions the freedom to apply safety measures on an individual basis. Colleges and universities like Bard, where there is congregate living and some higher risk activities such as singing, are working with State authorities to observe the updated guidance while retaining and adjusting some necessary restrictions specific to our individual circumstances.  

Vaccination milestone & easing mandates
We’re pleased to announce that Bard has also reached its own milestone of 85% of campus community members fully vaccinated. The College’s 85% threshold is in line with the CDC’s recommendation for herd immunity for COVID-19, and also reflects the threshold set by some other institutions. As noted in last week’s update, now that we have met our threshold we can begin to lift some of the college’s mandates:

• Bard’s mask mandate, already lifted for outdoor activities for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, will now be lifted for vaccinated employees working indoors on campus. Effective immediately, vaccinated individuals may choose to go unmasked inside campus facilities. This new guidance applies only to vaccinated individuals; any unvaccinated individuals must still wear masks indoors. Please note that some facilities and activities, such as Fisher Center and SummerScape events, may still require masking. Your supervisor or program director will advise you if your facility or program requires special protocols due to its specific circumstances. 
   
• Beginning the week of 6/21, employees and students will no longer be required to fill out the daily health screening form in order to work or attend class on campus. All employees and students should continue submitting the screening until this Friday 6/18, and all employees are highly encouraged to update their vaccination status, to assist the College in further refining our analysis of the percentage of vaccinated people in our community. If you are an employee, are vaccinated, and have not previously notified the College of your vaccination status, please take the opportunity now to update the Human Resources office. The more we know about the vaccination status of our employees, the more effective we can be in adapting or lifting additional protocols moving forward. Please note that some programs, such as the Fisher Center and SummerScape, will still require daily health screenings.
   
• Physical distancing and general group gathering restrictions are lifted for vaccinated individuals outdoors, with the caveat that many organized and specialized outdoor events and activities must still adhere to some restrictions. Please check with the event organizers about protocols before participating.

Last week we mentioned that we would also be able to consider lessening the frequency of COVID testing and resuming some in-person meetings indoors, upon meeting our vaccination threshold. The Response Team is working through some of the details associated with these policies, and will provide further updates soon. In the meantime, all employees - including student employees - remain subject to random weekly surveillance testing, and students participating in on-campus classes will also continue to be tested regularly. Please continue to watch your email and abide by the testing instructions you receive.

As we assess vaccination rates on campus and in the community in the coming days we will announce further adjustments to our protocols. Remember that the College and its community members must continue to prioritize health and safety even as the pandemic appears to be ebbing. Please abide not only by the protocols that are still in effect but also by common sense and the knowledge we’ve all gained during the past year. Lifting mask mandates does not mean you cannot wear a mask if you choose to do so. Campus life is beginning to return to normalcy. Following the science and working together as restrictions ease, we can help to ensure this return to normalcy is fulfilled when we return to the classroom this fall. 

Policies that remain in force
We are working with public health authorities to confirm further details of how today’s announcement from Governor Cuomo applies specifically in higher education and congregate living settings. Until we receive further information, the following policies remain in place as previously described:

• Visitors: visitors (vaccinated or otherwise) are welcome outdoors on campus grounds, but are not permitted inside campus facilities unless they have been approved in advance as Essential Visitors.
   
• Testing: the College’s testing protocols for weekly surveillance testing remain in place at our adjusted hours for summer (Monday and Thursday from 9am to 12 noon at Stevenson Gymnasium). We will continue to monitor the public health situation and coordinate closely with State and local public health officials on any testing protocols that may be required for student return to campus in August for the Language & Thinking program and the fall semester. We will make an announcement closer to the time about what if any pre-arrival and post-arrival testing requirements will be in place.

Response Team office hours
If you have questions about these or any other College COVID policies or protocols, please feel free to visit Response Team office hours, which take place every Tuesday afternoon 4-5PM. Check your Bard email for the URL and password, or email responseteam@bard.edu.  

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we work through this time of transition.


Sincerely,

Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A COVID-19 Community Update

Thursday, June 10, 2021 Update 6/10/2021
 

• Updated mask policy
• Updated travel guidelines
• Vaccination challenge to relax campus COVID policies
• Campus grounds now open
• Response Team office hours

To Bard College faculty and staff:

The risk of outdoor COVID transmission has been shown to be low, so masks are no longer required outdoors on campus grounds. Masks are still required inside all campus facilities, unless you are by yourself in your office or other private space.

Updated travel guidelines
The College has updated its travel guidelines to reflect improving public health conditions and rising vaccination rates. While we ask that all members of our community exercise caution when undertaking higher risk activities such as travel, official College travel is no longer restricted. Please take relevant CDC and U.S. State Department travel advisories into account. The College’s updated guidelines will be posted on the College’s COVID page today.

Vaccination challenge to relax campus COVID policies
With vaccination rates rising statewide, the College is aiming to reach a vaccination threshold that will enable us to relax many of the COVID protocols still in place. We know that a very high percentage of our community is already vaccinated, so we are now able to plan for a “return to normalcy” this summer. If we can reach or exceed 85% of our population (including students in residence this summer and all on-campus employees) fully vaccinated, then we can undertake the following changes:

• End daily health screenings via email for employees and Involvio for students
• Allow vaccinated individuals to be unmasked in all campus facilities
• Expand size limits for events and decrease Response Team event approval requirements
• Lessen the frequency of COVID testing of employees and students
• Resume some in-person meetings indoors

According to New York State, “fully vaccinated” means two weeks beyond the date of your final vaccination shot. Please be aware that due to ongoing New York State requirements, we must continue to observe some regulations regardless of our community’s vaccination status, including size restrictions and physical distancing for all indoor gatherings. Unless and until the Response Team announces that we have reached our vaccination threshold, all the current, more restrictive policies will remain in place. 

In order to reach the 85% threshold that will enable us to relax some restrictions, we encourage all vaccinated members of the Bard community to do the following as soon as possible:

• If you are an employee, please use the health screening tool that is delivered by email every morning to indicate your vaccination status if you have not already done so. (If you have previously provided this information, no further action is needed.) If you are unable to enter this information via the online tool or are unsure if you have previously provided it, please contact the Human Resources office directly to indicate your vaccination status at hr@bard.edu.
• If you are a student currently living or working on campus, you can provide your vaccination status to the Bard Health Service at covidclearance@bard.edu if it is not already reflected in your online health record.  

For those community members who are not yet vaccinated, please remember that vaccination in New York is free and widely available throughout the area, with no appointment needed at many vaccination sites close to Bard. The sooner we reach our threshold, the sooner campus life can begin its return to normalcy. 

The Response Team will soon provide further information for first-year and returning students who have left campus for the summer about confirming their vaccination status before the beginning of the fall semester, if it is not already reflected in their online health record. The College will accept proof of any vaccines administered in another country as long as they are approved by the World Health Organization, and will work with any students unable to get vaccinated over the summer to facilitate access to a vaccine upon arrival in New York.
 
The College has joined the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge, launched last week by the Biden administration. The Challenge asks its adherents to advance three primary goals: Engage all students, faculty, and staff to ensure they understand they are eligible for and have the resources to access vaccination; identify vaccine champions across campus and implement a plan to get as many members of the campus community vaccinated as possible; and bring vaccines on-site and make it easy for students, faculty, and staff to get vaccinated at sites near campus. This is an ongoing effort that will continue to engage students, faculty, and staff, and we will share further details in the weeks and months to come.

We appreciate everyone’s participation in this important first step in our return to normalcy, and we look forward to reaching new milestones as the summer progresses and we approach L&T and the fall 2021 semester. 

Campus grounds now open
As of June 1, the main Bard College campus grounds in Annandale are now open to the community. Please be aware that, due to Bard Summerscape rehearsals and performances at Montgomery Place, public access to the Montgomery Place campus will be restricted throughout the summer; please consult the Montgomery Place website for details. External groups that wish to hold outdoor gatherings on campus grounds should contact responseteam@bard.edu to discuss relevant restrictions and required approvals. Please note that indoor access is still restricted only to approved visitors, and one-way traffic flow inside buildings and related signage are being discontinued/removed. 

All COVID policies including group size limits and physical distancing restrictions indoors and outdoors will remain in place until our vaccination threshold goal is reached.

Response Team office hours
If you have questions about these or any other College COVID policies or protocols, please feel free to visit Response Team office hours, which take place every Tuesday afternoon 4-5PM. Check your Bard email for the URL and password.


Sincerely,


Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message of Appreciation to the Student Body, with Notes on Summer and Fall Planning 

Friday, May 28, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community,

As the semester comes to a close and we mark the accomplishments of our senior class with celebrations and Commencement, we would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude and congratulations to Bard’s entire student body. This has been an unprecedented and exceptionally difficult year, and you have demonstrated an extraordinary level of strength, intelligence, and perseverance during the past two semesters. Your commitment to education and the Bard community has made possible something few other colleges have been able to achieve over the past year: completing two uninterrupted semesters of in-person classes with one of the lowest community infection rates in the nation. 

We have worked and learned together, following the science, adapting to rapidly changing circumstances, and creating and adhering to complex protocols that dramatically altered the way we operated but did not prevent us from sustaining a vibrant learning community. Throughout, our students have exemplified and inspired us with the best qualities of resilience and mutual support. From the first-year students who arrived in the midst of the pandemic, to the seniors who completed their Senior Projects under very difficult circumstances, to our international students who persevered virtually, and our dedicated faculty and staff, we want to thank you, applaud your work and your spirit, and wish you well for the summer and semester to come. 

We are also very pleased that, thanks to the improving public health situation, summer this year will be much different from last year. We look forward to welcoming students and faculty in Bard’s MFA program to campus beginning next week, and are working closely with the Fisher Center to facilitate a full Summerscape program. We expect our work as the COVID-19 Response Team — if current trends continue — will focus on facilitating these programs while helping the College adapt to the State’s evolving requirements. The College still must adhere to many State-required COVID protocols specific to institutions of higher education and the performing arts; to support those efforts and planning for the fall semester, the Response Team will continue to meet and hold weekly office hours until further notice. Any member of the Bard community is welcome to drop by our office hours Tuesday afternoons from 4 to 5pm. Click here to join with passcode 679464.  

Congratulations again to our graduates and to everyone who helped them reach this point.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges

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A Message about Continued Testing and Health Screenings, and Predeparture Testing for Students

Friday, May 21, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

• Continued testing and daily health screenings
• Pre-departure testing for students

To the Bard College community:

We hope you are all enjoying the final days of the semester, and we wish good luck to all students completing final papers and exams. 

New York State continues to require that the College provide detailed daily reports to the State Department of Health, so on-campus COVID testing will continue and we will keep the College’s COVID dashboard updated. Please join us in thanking the many people who have organized and operated Bard’s testing program over the past year. We can all be incredibly proud of our collective efforts that have resulted in less than 40 cases total and over 23,000 tests administered. As we transition into the summer, the College’s testing program - including continued surveillance testing of employees - will help us safely welcome new cohorts of students and employees to campus. In support of New York State requirements, until further notice the College will also continue requiring daily health screenings - via Involvio for students and via email for employees coming to campus.

We would also like to remind all students that pre-departure testing is available. No appointment is necessary; just walk into Stevenson Athletic Center anytime 9-11:30AM or noon-2:45PM Monday through Thursday next week, May 24-27. Unvaccinated students attending Baccalaureate and/or Commencement need to get a COVID-19 PCR test next Wednesday, May 26. 

We are looking forward to Commencement next Saturday, followed by an enriching summer with students in the College’s summer programs as well as with the performers and staff who have been working hard to bring Summerscape back to life this year.

Sincerely,

Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Mask Guidance

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community,

Today, new New York State guidelines regarding masking go into effect, allowing vaccinated people to be unmasked in many circumstances. The State continues to require masking in schools (K-12), public transit, and some other institutions, and physical distancing is still required in all indoor settings. 

We are pleased that this change has taken place. It is a hopeful sign for a fully vaccinated future. However, given that it is not yet possible to quickly distinguish between vaccinated and unvaccinated people on our campus, the College will continue to require face masks and physical distancing indoors in all campus buildings and outdoors in group settings until we announce otherwise. 

Until we can safely, quickly, and fairly determine who is and is not vaccinated, and design practical ways to implement the new guidance across the campus for diverse populations and events, mask wearing must continue, with our current exceptions for individual and low-density outdoor activities. 

The campus community is making great strides in getting vaccinated, but there are still many unvaccinated and immunocompromised people on campus. We must, as an institution and a community, continue to maintain a safe environment for everyone in our community. Please continue to abide by our masking protocols until we announce any further adjustments.

We appreciate your continuing observance of Bard’s safety protocols. You have helped to make Bard a safe community for all. As more members of our community get vaccinated, we look forward to a more normal fall semester. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges

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A Message about Mask Guidance, Vaccination, and Surveillance and Departure Testing

Friday, May 14, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

• Mask guidance
• Vaccination update
• Surveillance and departure testing
• Event planning
• Response Team office hours

To the Bard College community:

Welcome to the final weeks of the 2020-2021 academic year. Thank you for your continued care and mutual support as we approach the end of the semester.

Mask guidance
New York State regulations continue to require masking and physical distancing. Yesterday the CDC updated its recommendations on mask wearing for those who are fully vaccinated, but federal, state, and local authorities are still deciding whether and how to turn CDC recommendations into regulations. It is essential to keep in mind that New York State is reviewing the new CDC recommendations and has not changed its masking regulations to mirror the CDC, and that Bard continues to be subject to New York State regulations. We do not know if or when New York will update its regulations about masking, and equally important, we do not yet have an effective way to quickly distinguish between vaccinated and unvaccinated people on campus. Therefore, the College will continue to require mask wearing and physical distancing in all indoor and group settings until further notice. This insightful article helps explain why New York State and the College are keeping these policies in place for the time being. We are pleased that the Bard community has made great strides toward becoming fully vaccinated, but until we can quickly and easily verify who is and isn't vaccinated, we owe it to the community, which has worked so hard to maintain a safe campus for the past year, to do everything we can to support that safety. 
 
Vaccination update
The new CDC recommendations are based on strong and growing evidence that being fully vaccinated not only protects you from developing severe illness, but also decreases transmission. The most important takeaway from this new guidance is that we should all get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccines are plentiful and widely available to all New Yorkers age 12 and older, and all New York State-run vaccination sites are open for walk-ins. The route to a more safe and open campus and community life is through widespread vaccination, so please seize the opportunity and get vaccinated as soon as you can. Thank you to everyone who participated in and volunteered at the vaccination clinic we held on campus earlier this week.
 
Surveillance and departure testing
The College’s COVID-19 testing program will continue into the summer as we welcome summer cohorts of students and conduct surveillance testing of employees. We will continue to administer the same highly accurate PCR test through the MIT/Broad Institute program that has served us well all year and has often delivered results in less than 24 hours. As we approach the end of the semester, the testing program for undergraduates will shift from surveillance testing to pre-departure testing. This week was the last week of mandatory surveillance testing for undergraduate students. The College will make pre-departure COVID-19 tests available for all students who need one starting next week, particularly for those who will be traveling or attending Commencement activities, as follows: 

• Testing will be available on a walk-in basis next week, Monday through Friday, May 17-21 at the Stevenson Athletic Center from 9-11:30 am and noon-2:45 pm, and the week after, Monday through Thursday, May 24-27 at the Stevenson Athletic Center from 9-11:30 am and noon-2:45 pm. 
• Any unvaccinated students planning to attend the Student Awards Ceremony on Monday, May 24th need to get a COVID-19 PCR test on Friday, May 21. 
• Unvaccinated students attending Baccalaureate and/or Commencement need to get a COVID-19 PCR test on Wednesday, May 26. 
• Unvaccinated students planning to attend all three events (Student Awards, Baccalaureate, and Commencement) should get a COVID-19 PCR test both Friday May 21 and Wednesday May 26. 

No appointments are needed; just walk in during open times.  
 
Event planning
As has been the case throughout this academic year, the Student Activities office and Response Team stand ready to advise students, faculty, and staff who would like to apply to hold an event, so that it can be planned and held safely and in full compliance with New York State and Bard policies. We first announced last fall that if you are interested in organizing an event or activity, indoors or outdoors, you must submit a specific plan for the event and receive prior approval, either via this form (for faculty and staff) or through studentactivities@bard.edu (for students). We would like to thank all the students, faculty, and staff who have gone through this process with us over the past year, and have creatively planned and safely implemented a wide variety of activities in our community. 
 
Response Team office hours
Finally, a reminder that the Response Team holds weekly office hours. Any member of the Bard community is welcome to drop by Tuesday afternoons from 4-5PM. Check your Bard email for the Zoom link and password. Please also feel free to reach out to us by email. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges

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A Message from the President of the College about a Campus Vaccine Requirement and Upcoming Vaccination Clinic

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 To the Bard College community:

As the 2020-2021 academic year comes to a close and we look forward to Commencement 2021, I am grateful to all of you for working so well together and having kept our community safe. Thanks to the remarkable adherence to Bard's COVID-19 safety protocols, the College has seen an extremely low number of COVID-19 cases throughout this academic year. With vaccines now widely available, the College has been helping community members get vaccinated as quickly as possible. We have organized shuttle buses to local vaccination sites and offered an on-campus vaccination clinic. As a result, a large percentage of students and employees is already fully vaccinated.

Public health experts advise that universal vaccination is the surest basis for a normal campus experience, including expanded in-person instruction, campus activities, athletics, performances, and gatherings in the fall. In addition, the American College Health Association has recommended that colleges require COVID-19 vaccination for all on-campus students for the fall 2021 semester. Over 200 other colleges and universities have announced such a requirement. As the ACHA notes, pre-matriculation vaccination requirements for students attending institutions of higher education in the United States are not new. 

As a result, Bard College will require all students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the 2021-2022 academic year, and strongly encourages all employees to be vaccinated as well.  

To support this requirement, the College has arranged one more vaccination clinic this semester, which will take place on campus on Tuesday, May 11 9am-12PM. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered, enabling anyone who participates in the clinic to be fully vaccinated in time for Bard’s Baccalaureate and Commencement activities. This clinic is open to all members of the Bard community: students, faculty, staff, and their immediate household members over the age of 18. If you would like to participate in the May 11 on-campus vaccination clinic, please fill out the interest form in your Bard email by the end of the day on Friday May 7.

In the coming weeks, Bard’s COVID-19 Response Team will offer additional details for returning students and new students arriving in August, including requests for exemptions and anyone who may have a necessary contraindication. The College will work closely with new and returning students, both domestic and international, to facilitate access to vaccinations before the start of the fall 2021 semester.

COVID-19 testing will continue to be required for members of the Bard Community who will be on campus over the summer, in order to keep Bard’s campus and its neighbors safe and to comply with New York State guidance. We expect federal and state guidance to evolve over the summer and will keep you informed regarding any required testing and quarantine protocols for the fall semester.

With the arrival of safe and effective vaccines and a deeper understanding of how to maintain a safe campus, we are confident the fall semester will mark the beginning of a return of normalcy here at Bard. We look forward to the next academic year and opportunities it will bring to renew the time-honored tradition of liberal education and the community of scholars centered around a campus—the opportunity to gather, study, work, create and celebrate together, in-person once more.

Sincerely,
Leon Botstein

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A Message about Updated Mask Protocols, Testing and Allergy Season, and End-of-Semester Departure Testing

Saturday, May 1, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

• Updated mask protocols on campus
• Testing and allergy season
• End-of-semester departure testing

To the Bard College Community,

In response to rising vaccination rates, the CDC this week adjusted its mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people in outdoor settings. “Fully vaccinated,” according to the New York State Department of Health, means you are two full weeks past the second dose of a two-dose vaccine series (such as Pfizer or Moderna) or two full weeks past a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). Many members of our community have been vaccinated, but some still have not been, so it is important that we continue to take precautions. However, based on the new CDC guidance, along with the decreasing rate of COVID in the surrounding community, and the scientific community’s analysis regarding the risk of potential COVID transmission outdoors, Bard is updating its masking protocols as follows:

Masks are no longer required:

• If you are outdoors walking, sitting, or exercising by yourself in low-traffic areas where the risk of being near people is low

Masks are still required, regardless of vaccination status:

• At all times indoors (except for eating in Kline, Manor or DTR, or when you are by yourself in your dorm room or office) 
• On all Bard shuttles
• In any outdoor settings involving group activities or where others may come within 6 feet, including walking or hanging out with friends

As before, masks are also still not required in any of the physical distancing circles painted on the lawn around main campus. Please remember only one person or household (which for students means you and your roommate) at a time in each circle.

You should always have a mask immediately available in case you find yourself close to others while outdoors.

Vaccine availability has increased enormously in recents weeks, with everyone over age 16 now eligible for vaccination. This week, all mass-vaccination sites in New York State opened for walk-in vaccinations. No appointments are required and vaccine supplies are plentiful. We encourage everyone in the Bard College community to take this opportunity to get vaccinated. 

Testing and allergy season
As we noted last week, testing is still an essential component for our COVID safety protocols. Please respond to any email you receive about surveillance testing and follow through with getting tested. If you experience any COVID-like symptoms, please get tested right away. You may think you are suffering from allergies, whose symptoms are similar to COVID. As we did during flu season this past winter, we strongly encourage anyone experiencing COVID-like symptoms, even if you may think they are due to the flu or allergies, to get a COVID test to rule out the possibility of COVID-19. There are still unvaccinated and vulnerable individuals in our community, and we still need to protect against potential spread. 

End-of-semester departure testing
The College will soon announce our plans for transitioning students from bi-weekly surveillance testing to end-of-semester testing, including dates that testing will occur. Any student who needs a departure test for travel at the end of the semester should be able to get one close enough to your travel date to be valid. Please carefully make your travel and testing plan keeping in mind that it generally takes around 24 hours - but could take up to 48 hours - to receive results from PCR tests administered at Bard. We will disseminate more information about end-of-semester testing soon. In the meantime, it is important that everyone continue to participate in the College's surveillance testing program.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the health of our community. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Continue Surveillance Testing and Vaccination Updates

Friday, April 23, 2021 In This Message:

• Continued surveillance testing
• Vaccination updates
• Response Team office hours

To the Bard College Community,

As we near the end of the spring semester and look forward to celebrating the milestones this brings, we would like to remind everyone that the COVID protocols you’ve all become familiar with are still in place, and that testing, in particular, still plays an essential role in campus safety.

The College will continue to conduct regular surveillance testing of students, faculty, and staff. We are also planning to conduct exit testing of students before they depart campus, as we did at the end of the fall semester, and in advance of Commencement, in keeping with New York State requirements for large events. While many in our community have been vaccinated, many still have not. It has also not yet been proven that vaccination fully prevents the spread of COVID. For these reasons, it is essential that everyone who receives an email calling for a test continue to respond immediately and follow through with completing the test. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it is still a central pillar in our campus safety protocols. In order to be eligible to participate in any of the upcoming campus events, such as Spring Fling or Commencement, academic program celebrations, and related events, you must continue participating in surveillance testing.

In addition to continuing testing and COVID protocols, all students, faculty, and staff on campus must continue to use daily health check-ins through the Human Resources form (for employees) and Involvio (for students), regardless of vaccination status. Being vaccinated does not prevent the possibility of catching or transmitting COVID-19, and does not exempt anyone from these requirements.

As noted in an earlier update, everyone over the age of 16 is now eligible for free COVID vaccinations throughout New York State, and we encourage everyone in the Bard community to get vaccinated as soon as they can. All of the vaccination sites in the local area now have openings for scheduled appointments, and many are also allowing vaccination on a walk-in basis. The sooner we are all vaccinated, the safer we will be. We have also just received clarification from the New York State Department of Health that the term “fully vaccinated,” for the purposes of adhering to current State guidelines, means someone who has completed an FDA-approved vaccine course plus two weeks. 

As a community we have done an extraordinary job of maintaining a safe campus. With just a few weeks left to the semester, we should remain vigilant and end spring 2021 with a sense of accomplishment and hope looking forward.

Finally, a reminder that the Response Team holds weekly office hours. Any member of the Bard community is welcome to drop by Tuesday afternoons from 4-5PM. Check your Bard email for the link and passcode. Please also feel free to reach out to us by email. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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Vaccine Eligibility Update, Campus Safety Protocols, Gym and Library Access, and Response Team Office Hours

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

In this update:

• Vaccination eligibility update
• Campus COVID protocols remain in force
• Expanded gym and library access
• Response Team office hours

To the Bard College community,

We are pleased to announce that starting today, April 6, everyone in New York age 16 and over is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. That means the entire Bard College community is now eligible, and we encourage all students, faculty, and staff to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The sooner we are all vaccinated, the safer we will all be. Since January, when vaccines were first made available, we have been working with local healthcare providers and State and county Departments of Health to try to organize a vaccination site at Bard. We have also diligently been exploring opportunities to reserve blocks of appointments for Bardians at nearby vaccination sites. Those efforts have not yet borne fruit but we hope they will soon. We will continue exploring every available opportunity to provide our community access to vaccines. In the meantime, please use this tool on the New York State website to find a nearby vaccination site and make an individual appointment. 

Infection rates in New York and some other states remain stubbornly high and, in many places, are rising again. New York City, in particular, is experiencing an uptick in positive cases. As you can see from the campus dashboard on the Bard COVID webpage, Bard has sustained a low number of active student and employee cases for the past several weeks, and we still have lower numbers than many of our peer institutions and our surrounding community. Through our diligent collective efforts, together we have prevented an outbreak on campus, but our efforts to contain infection must be consistent and ongoing. For that reason, the College is not relaxing the prohibition on non-essential travel or the requirements to be masked and physically distant on campus. The College’s COVID protocols will remain in force until further notice. We know what works - mask wearing, physical distancing, and avoiding large gatherings both on campus and off, for example - and we know what behaviors risk infection and spread. We have been tremendously successful in maintaining a healthy campus. Let’s not risk that success now, with just six weeks remaining in the semester. We can enjoy the spring weather while wearing masks and observing the necessary behavior.

Members of the Response Team continue to meet on a near-daily basis, to review scientific updates and changes to State guidance, consider adjustments to Bard policy, approve requests for assistance, supervise the College’s COVID operations including our extensive testing program and our isolation and quarantine spaces, and plan for the rest of the semester, the summer (including the MFA program, the Bard Summer Research Institute, Brothers@, and Bard Summerscape and the Bard Music Festival among other programs), and the fall semester. We are glad we have been able to safely expand access to some campus facilities, as has been recently announced: faculty and staff can now utilize Stevenson Gym under the same restrictions as students, and Stevenson Library has expanded its hours so students have increased access to study space in the evenings and on the weekends. Please see your email for detailed announcements from both facilities. Also, don’t forget about the new Taste Budd’s pick-up site on campus at the Old Gym, with twice-daily pick ups at 12PM and 5PM; order at www.TasteBudds.com.

Finally, a reminder that the Response Team holds weekly office hours. Any member of the Bard community is welcome to drop by Tuesday afternoons from 4-5PM. Check your Bard email for the link and password. Please also feel free to reach out to us by email. 

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges

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A Message about How Vaccines Work and Should Inform Community Behavior

Saturday, March 27, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,

With the COVID vaccine becoming more widely available, it’s important to understand what the vaccine is designed to do, and how that should inform your behavior. 

What the COVID vaccine does:

• It strengthens your immune system’s ability to fight the coronavirus. 
• It helps to ensure that if you are infected, the course of your illness will be far milder. All of the currently available COVID vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in that regard. 

What the COVID vaccine does not do:

• It does not eliminate or kill the coronavirus.
• It does not prevent you from being infected with COVID.   
• It does not eliminate the possibility that you could transmit COVID to others. Some evidence shows that the current vaccines lessen transmissibility, but there is not yet enough clear data to draw definitive conclusions.

So, what does this all mean for us?

Everyone, even those who have been vaccinated, must continue to observe COVID safety protocols, such as mask wearing whenever you’re near others, physical distancing, and avoiding large gatherings. Once vaccinated you must also continue to watch for symptoms, fill out your daily health screening, and continue to participate in Bard’s testing program, since you can still be infected with or transmit the virus. The COVID vaccine will not cause you to test positive. If your test is positive, whether you have been vaccinated or not, it means you are infected with COVID and must isolate immediately to prevent further spread.

This is especially important as more contagious variants are spreading rapidly.

Everyone should get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible and can do so. Being vaccinated offers a high degree of protection to individuals against severe illness. The more individuals in our community are vaccinated, the safer we will all be. Eventually enough people will be vaccinated that the federal government and New York State will relax the current policies. But we are not at that point yet. Until the majority of our community is vaccinated, we cannot change the protocols and behaviors that have kept us safe so far. 

The arrival of increasing numbers of vaccines, and expanding eligibility, offer tremendous hope, and an extraordinary opportunity for us all to have a lessened fear of severe illness or death. It does not give us license to immediately ‘go back to normal’ or to disregard safety protocols. The pandemic is not over, but there is hope on the horizon. 

We are now one year into this pandemic and we should take great pride in how successful we have been in protecting our community. Together, we have accomplished many things that may have seemed impossible just six months ago, including in-person classes for nearly two full semesters. We have conducted more than 17,000 tests on campus since last summer and found fewer than 30 positive cases. Thanks to these extraordinary efforts, we are very close to reaching a far more open and safe new normal. 


Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Campus Visitors, Off-Campus Travel, and Expanding Vaccine Access

Friday, March 19, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

In this update:

• Campus visitors
• Off-campus travel
• Expanding vaccine access 

To the Bard College community,

Starting Monday March 22, the College is expanding the categories of approved on-campus visitors to include daily household members of Bard students, faculty, and staff. This new exception applies only to current, daily members of your local household, not anyone who has traveled to visit you, and pertains only to the outdoors campus grounds. For students, New York State considers residential college roommates to be household members. Please note that the main campus remains closed to unapproved visitors from outside of the campus community, and no visitors of any kind are permitted inside buildings or facilities unless they have been approved in advance by the Response Team via the Essential Visitor Request Form on the Bard Human Resources page. All visitors must be accompanied at all times by their Bard host and must follow all masking and physical distancing requirements.

Understanding that off-campus group activities are an important aspect of the student experience, the College is developing new guidelines that will allow for limited organized group day trips in the Spring semester. These guidelines will enable student groups seeking to participate in college-sponsored off-campus activities to apply to travel for activities such as field research, academic enrichment, volunteer and civic engagement efforts, athletic Liberty League competition, and outdoors groups. 

Health and safety protocols will be central to the planning and approval of any organized student day trips. Consideration for approval will include risk assessment, staffing (all group travel will require faculty/staff chaperones), transportation, and testing capacity. Groups approved for off-campus travel will be required to abide by Bard’s masking, distancing, and testing protocols as defined through the application process. No overnight travel will be permitted at this time. In the coming days we will circulate details on the application process.

Off-campus travel by individuals is still restricted. COVID rates remain high, with very contagious variants continuing to circulate around the country. It is important for us as a community to uphold all the efforts we individually and collectively put into completing the “return to campus” protocols, which enabled us to carefully bring our community back together and prevent COVID from spreading on our campus. Students who are taking in-person classes and need to travel for personal reasons, whether you live on or off campus, should submit a request to travel HERE prior to departure, to receive guidance and ensure we can accommodate your safe return to campus. 

Please remember that we are still in a pandemic and that this movement toward allowing limited group travel and household campus visitors can only succeed with continued adherence to COVID safety protocols, particularly mask-wearing, physical distancing, and testing. 

We are encouraged by the recent expansion of eligibility for and availability of COVID vaccinations in the region. New mass-vaccination sites have opened in Ulster County, and we expect more to open in the region in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, the Bard Health Service continues to test and care for students who experience symptoms or feel ill; students are encouraged to call 845-758-7433 to make an appointment as needed.

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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An Update on Vaccine Eligibility for Faculty and Staff

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

To all faculty and staff,

We are pleased to inform you that New York State has expanded vaccine eligibility with new categories that apply directly to faculty and staff. Adding to last week’s expansion to include everyone over the age of 60, this new expansion makes all “in-person faculty and essential staff” eligible for vaccination. With the adoption of the new criteria, all faculty and staff working on the Bard campus are eligible for the vaccine.

We encourage all on-campus faculty and staff to make an appointment as soon as possible. You can do so through the New York State vaccination website, and can confirm eligibility and vaccination locations here. Please bring proof of employment, such as an ID card or pay stub, to the vaccine site. You can also obtain a letter of employment confirmation from the Human Resources office. Please note that the new criteria currently apply to New York State vaccine locations, not pharmacies, though this might change in the coming days. Vaccine supplies are still somewhat limited, but they have increased this week, and both Dutchess and Ulster counties are starting up new sites intended to accommodate people in these new categories.

The sooner we can all get vaccinated, the safer we will be as a community. Remember that all COVID safety protocols, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, will remain in effect for all members of the Bard community, even those who have been vaccinated.

We will continue to update the community as vaccine eligibility expands further.
 
Sincerely,

Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Symptoms and Testing, Vaccine Eligibility, Contact Tracing, and Response Team Office Hours

Friday, March 12, 2021 Topics in this message:

• Symptoms and testing
• Vaccine eligibility
• Contact tracing
• Response Team office hours

To the Bard College community,

Spring is around the corner and with it come allergies and seasonal sniffles. We would like to reiterate the importance of not dismissing cold or flu-like symptoms. If you experience cold or allergy-like symptoms, even mild ones, please get yourself tested for COVID. In the vast majority of cases, it will not be COVID, but even one undiagnosed case poses a risk to you and also creates the potential for spread in your community. If you are experiencing symptoms, please fill out your daily health screening to indicate these symptoms. If you are a student, please also alert the Bard Health Service to get yourself tested. If you are an employee, please consult your physician. 

Our testing program—by which half the student body gets tested every week along with 20% of employees—has been working very well. Bard’s testing team has conducted over 8,000 COVID tests since January, with fewer than 20 positive results overall among all students and employees. Thanks to the rapid turnaround of test results by the Broad Institute and the hard work of Bard residential life staff and the college’s contact tracing team, we have been able to rapidly identify and contain all cases on campus and prevent further spread. As of the writing of this message, we have 1 active COVID case on campus who remains in isolation. Please continue to check the Bard COVID dashboard for up-to-date information. 

We are very heartened by President Biden’s announcement last night that all adults—we presume including college students—should be eligible for the vaccine beginning as early as May 1. Under current guidelines, college students as a general category are not yet eligible for vaccination in New York State. However, individuals who have previously documented comorbidities or are directly involved in the college’s on-campus COVID response are eligible to be vaccinated, and some students (such as the student EMTs who work for Bard’s COVID testing team) fall into those eligible categories. We have volunteered multiple times for Bard to be a vaccination site, without a positive response so far. The recommended way for individuals to make arrangements to get vaccinated is through the state’s “Am I Eligible?” website we have previously shared. We are looking forward to increased vaccine availability in New York State and will continue advocating through every possible avenue for vaccines for Bardians. There are reasons to be optimistic, but at the same time it is imperative to keep in mind that masking and physical distancing will continue to be key factors in upholding public health on campus, because most members of our community are as yet unvaccinated. 

On Wednesday, the Response Team held a webinar on Contact Tracing at Bard. For anyone with questions about what contact tracing is, how it’s done, and who is doing it here at Bard, please email the Response Team at responseteam@bard.edu for login information.

Finally, a reminder that the Response Team holds weekly office hours. Any member of the Bard community is welcome to drop by Tuesday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Please also feel free to reach out to us by email. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Vaccine Availability, Respite Days, and Webinars on Vaccines and Contact Tracing

Friday, March 5, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

• Vaccine availability
• Respite Days
• Webinars: vaccines, contact tracing

To the Bard College community,

While news of an impending expansion of vaccine availability is encouraging, the process of obtaining a vaccination in New York State is still frustratingly slow, difficult to navigate, and limited. We encourage everyone seeking a vaccination to begin that process by following the steps outlined below to determine eligibility and find nearby vaccination sites. 

Vaccine Availability

• We recommend that you first establish vaccine eligibility via the State website here. Please consult our step-by-step guide for navigating it. (This is the same guide we shared in our January 15 update; there have been no significant changes to the process, but fortunately the state website has been improved to handle more traffic.) This website will generate a list of nearby vaccination sites once eligibility is confirmed. 
• Additional information about vaccination sites and appointments available in Dutchess County can be found here, and in Ulster County here.
• A number of pharmacies in the area are beginning to offer vaccination appointments, including CVS and Walgreens, along with some grocery store pharmacies, such as Tops and Hannaford.
• A federally-backed online tool called Vaccine Finder lets you search for vaccination sites by zip code, with links to appointments. 
• Students who are eligible due to comorbidities should contact their personal physician about obtaining the State-required documentation. The Bard Health Service can also generate the required documentation, if records of the student’s qualifying illness and/or medication are already on file.

We will continue to do everything we can to advocate for access to vaccines for our community and will continue to update you with news of vaccine eligibility and availability. In the meantime, we must continue adhering to the mask wearing and physical distancing protocols that the College has put in place. We look forward to a time when we can relax them, but that time is not yet here, so the best way to continue to protect our community is to follow the same behaviors that kept us safe in the fall.

Respite Days
As previously announced, instead of Spring Break this year, the College has scheduled six separate Respite Days, the first two of which will take place next Monday and Thursday. The purpose of these Respite Days is to give students and faculty short breaks from class at roughly the halfway point of the semester while discouraging travel. Our entire community just completed a very difficult and complex return-to-campus process where numerous students exposed to COVID in their travels had to endure isolation and quarantine. With a lot of hard work and cooperation, we successfully prevented those cases from expanding into outbreaks. However, the hard-won safety we have created on campus requires ongoing, consistent adherence to the College’s COVID protocols, including the prohibition on non-essential personal travel. Enjoy your Respite Days, but please remember that now is not the time to jeopardize campus health with unnecessary travel that carries significant risk of exposure. Therefore, it is important that students and employees continue to refrain from any non-essential personal travel, including during Respite Days. Students with special circumstances should discuss any essential or emergency travel needs with their dean, and employees should contact their supervisor or HR. 

Webinars

• This week, Bard Professionals of Color presented a webinar titled The Covid-19 Vaccine: Unpacking the Fears of Communities of Color. Dr. Kahan Sablo, Dean of Inclusive Excellence and member of the COVID Response Team, moderated a panel of experts who discussed historical, medical, and mental health concerns of communities of color regarding vaccines. A recording of the panel is available here.
• Next Wednesday 3/10 at 7:30PM, the Response Team will host a webinar titled Contact Tracing: How It Works. Members of Bard’s Contact Tracing Team will explain what contact tracing is and what to expect if you receive a positive COVID test, are identified as a close contact, or are asked to undergo surge testing. 
• Next Thursday 3/11 at 6PM, the Bard Prison Initiative will host a webinar titled To Take the COVID-19 Vaccine or Not? featuring the experts listed below. Register here.
  • Kizzmekia Corbett, PhD, Scientific Lead for Coronavirus Vaccines Team, National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research Center 
  • Hancy Maxis '15, Project Manager, Pathology at Montefiore Health System
  • Robert Fullilove, EdD, BPI Senior Advisor, Public Health Program; Professor, Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Medical Center; Associate Dean, Community and Minority Affairs, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Finally, a reminder that the Response Team holds weekly office hours. Any member of the Bard community is welcome to drop by Tuesday afternoons from 4-5PM. Please also feel free to reach out to us by email. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges

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A Message about the Return to Campus, Updated Campus Protocols, Upcoming Webinars, and Response Team Office Hours

Friday, February 26, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• Return to campus complete
• Adjustments to campus protocols
• Latest Nuvance webinar
• Upcoming vaccine webinar
• COVID-19 Response Team office hours

To the Bard College Community,

This week marks the conclusion of our return-to-campus period. We would like to thank everyone who has helped the College reach this point successfully. Bringing nearly 1500 students safely back to Annandale from around the world at the height of the pandemic, under stringent multi-faceted government restrictions, was an extremely complex logistical challenge that required our entire community to be both focused and patient. Our success in doing so is a testament to the extraordinary dedication of Bard students and employees. 

Return to campus complete
All returning students on campus have completed their arrival testing and quarantine processes, and we have now conducted the first full cycle of student surveillance testing, by which all students attending in-person classes are tested every other week. We are pleased to report that the process has worked very well. Students began returning to Bard in early January, and since that time the College has completed over 4000 COVID tests, with a total of 15 positive student cases identified over that six-week period. The majority of positive cases were identified through the arrival testing process, indicating those students were exposed to COVID prior to their arrival to campus. All students who tested positive were moved into isolation housing, and thanks to the work of our contact tracing team, we were able to quickly identify close contacts, move them into quarantine housing, and prevent further infection. Today, we complete the return-to-campus period with three active student cases and one active employee case; all other previous positive student cases completed their time in isolation without further complications and were medically cleared to be released. 

The low rate of COVID on campus is attributable to our ongoing collective efforts in adhering to strict protocols. You can always find current data by visiting our COVID dashboard, where you will also find links to the Dutchess County and New York State dashboards. 

Please keep in mind that asymptomatic positives—people who are infected but have no symptoms—pose the greatest ongoing risk. Therefore the best way to mitigate COVID risk still lies in adhering to the behaviors with which we are all familiar: mask wearing, physical distancing, avoiding crowds, and frequent hand washing.

Adjustments to campus protocols
Now that we have completed the return-to-campus process we can begin making some adjustments to campus protocols. The following adjustments will begin on March 1:
 

• Community members may now begin to plan small, COVID-safe in-person activities. All proposed events must adhere to COVID safety protocols as outlined in the COVID-19 Student Handbook Addendum, as well as any additional protocols needed for each specific event. Students should contact SPARC through the student activities office by emailing sparcevents@bard.edu. Employees wishing to hold events may apply by filling out the form here. 
• Montgomery Place will reopen for public access on weekends from dawn to dusk, beginning Saturday, March 6. Annandale campus remains closed to the public at this time.
• The Stevenson Athletic Center will begin extending hours for student use of the fitness center and allowing faculty and staff use of the pool. Details of these expanded hours and protocols for swimming access will be provided next week. Please note the facility remains closed to the public.

It is important to remember that all other campus COVID health protocols remain in place, including prohibitions on nonessential visitors. We are continually reviewing conditions both on and off campus, and will share any further adjustments in the coming weeks.

Latest Nuvance webinar
This past Wednesday, members of our team were joined in a webinar on risk and safety by infectious disease experts Dr. Andrew Yanofsky and Dr. Marc Tack of Nuvance Health. They reviewed Bard’s COVID policies and risk management strategies, and answered questions about the impact of COVID variants and vaccines. They underscored that mask wearing and physical distancing remain the key effective behaviors for containing spread of the virus. 

Upcoming vaccine webinar
On Wednesday, March 3, at 7 pm, Bard Professionals of Color will present a webinar titled The Covid-19 Vaccine: Unpacking the Fears of Communities of Color. It will address the subjects of historical and contemporary resistance to vaccines in communities of color. Dr. Kahan Sablo, Dean of Inclusive Excellence and member of the COVID Response Team, will moderate. Panelists will include:

Lydell Lettsome, MD
Cheryl Wilson, MBA, MSW, LCSW
Myra Young Armstead, PhD, Vice President for Academic Inclusive Excellence and Lyford Paterson and Helen Gray Edwards Professor of Historical Studies

All are welcome. Join here: https://bard.zoom.us/j/86465311761.

Response Team office hours
Any member of the Bard community is welcome to send questions or suggestions to the Response Team by email, or to attend our weekly office hours, which we will resume next week. Every Tuesday afternoon from 4 to 5pm, members of the Response Team will be available on Zoom for anyone who wants to drop by with a question. Please check your Bard email or write to the Response Team for Zoom details.
 
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

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A Message about the Risks Associated with Asymptomatic Positives

Saturday, February 13, 2021 To the Bard College community:

To help our community appreciate the serious risks associated with asymptomatic positives, which make up approximately half of all COVID cases, we ask each of you to take a few moments to engage in an important thought exercise.

The exercise is this: imagine that *you* are an asymptomatic positive. You feel fine. You think you are healthy. But you have just received a phone call from the Bard Health Service (if you are a student) or from Human Resources (if you are an employee) and the message is that you tested positive for COVID through Bard's on-campus testing program. The next thing that will happen is a member of Bard’s contact tracing team will call you. 

The contact tracer is about to ask you to identify all of your contacts from the past four days. This includes anyone with whom you have been unmasked for at least 15 minutes. Think very carefully: every meal you have eaten, every time you hung out, every time you rode in a vehicle. Make an exhaustive list of everywhere you have been in the past four days and who your contacts were in each place. Be honest and thorough.

How many people are on your list? If it is only your roommate or members of your household, congratulations and thank you: you have been extremely careful and helped contain the spread of COVID. Is it five people from outside your household? That is very risky, since each of them could now be sick too and unwittingly spreading COVID to others. Is it more than 10? That is extremely risky, and you should immediately change your behavior. Is it so many that you cannot remember the names of them all? That is downright dangerous and disrespectful to every other member of the community. The risk of community spread increases exponentially with each additional person on your list. 

Whatever your answer, that is the number of people who are potentially exposed to COVID and, in accordance with New York State regulations, must immediately go into a 10-day quarantine and be tested. If you are a student on campus, that is the number of people the College now must move into quarantine housing and manage. 

What do you need to change about your behavior to help keep our community safe? Will it help you to establish a small pod of people and only eat meals with that same small pod? Do you only take your mask off to eat, or do you take your mask off as soon as you sit down in a restaurant or dining hall and leave it off even after you are done eating? What can you do to lower the number of people on the list you must give to the contact tracer? Your answers determine the role you play in this pandemic: as someone who helps contain the virus by minimizing contacts, or as someone who spreads the virus. 

Each decision you make about your behavior to lower your number of contacts is a gift that is your duty to make to the rest of us. We thank you in advance. 

This situation is not hypothetical. Several members of our community have discovered they are asymptomatic positives over the past month, which is entirely in keeping with local and national virus statistics.

We all must recognize our individual responsibility to stay informed and support the collective health of our community. We are even more tired of writing it than you are of reading it, but please diligently wear a mask and practice physical distancing so that you don’t make others sick if it turns out that *you* are an asymptomatic positive. There are serious and real consequences from interacting without caution. We rely on each other’s good will and voluntary compliance. Each of us working or living on campus has signed at least one health pledge that we will do what is necessary to keep all of us safe, on campus and off.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges

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A Message about the Return to Campus Phase, Communicating COVID Information, One Mask or Two, and Pandemic Fatigue

Friday, February 12, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• Return-to-campus phase
• Communicating COVID information
• One mask or two?
• Pandemic fatigue

To the Bard College community:

Having just completed the second week of the semester, the College is still in the “return to campus” phase, with most but not all students having completed their return-to-campus protocols. Precautionary post-travel quarantine at this moment, mandated by the state, is an essential element of these protocols, so until all returning students have been cleared for in-person classes we will remain in the return-to-campus phase. This means that we are still unable to allow non-essential visitors on campus, and in-person social activities cannot yet be planned. We will reevaluate these protocols periodically. 

Through these protocols, some students learned they were asymptomatic positive through their required pre-arrival tests, and therefore did not travel to Bard as scheduled, and several others tested positive through their required post-arrival test. As we noted in our last update, all students must participate in our surveillance testing process, which started this week and will test half the student body each week. Students whose last name begin with L-Z received a notification earlier this week and must complete this mandatory testing by today. Students with a last name beginning with A-K will soon receive notification about being tested next week. Students will continue to be tested every other week for the remainder of the semester.
 
The college responds to any positive test by moving the positive student into isolation housing and immediately launching contact tracing and surge testing. All on-campus close contacts identified by our contact tracing team are moved into quarantine housing, as required by the State of New York. Any off-campus positives or contacts are instructed on how to isolate or quarantine in their off-campus residence. Our testing program through MIT/Broad Institute continues to provide test results typically within 24 hours of delivery of our samples to their lab in Boston. (Thank you to all the Bard drivers who have made the trip to Boston countless times.)

Students who test positive and are in isolation housing are directly monitored and treated by the Bard Health Service, and they, as well as students in quarantine, receive daily deliveries of food and necessities. Explanations of isolation and quarantine housing and the State-mandated rules for students placed there are outlined in the COVID-19 Addendum to the Student Handbook that was distributed at the beginning of the fall semester to all students, who were also required to sign a health pledge attesting they reviewed and agreed to abide by all COVID policies and protocols. We strongly encourage all students to revisit the Student Handbook and health pledge linked above. 

There are many reasons that students may be in quarantine, including: state-mandated post-travel quarantine, potential exposure to a positive case, or experiencing flu symptoms and awaiting a COVID test result to find out if you have the flu or COVID. The college has assisted around 400 students through quarantine for different reasons over the past month. Quarantine is a precautionary measure to limit the potential for community spread. Taken together, these practices help us rapidly isolate and contain any positive case and limit the potential for spread. 

Because we immediately move any positive case into isolation housing to prevent the spread of infection, it is easy to avoid exposure to known active cases on campus. A greater challenge is the risk of asymptomatic positives, who may feel perfectly healthy and therefore do not suspect they have COVID. Studies show that up to half of all COVID cases are asymptomatic positives, which has been a major contributing factor in the spread of COVID. All of our COVID policies are designed to take into account and protect against possible spread of infection from asymptomatic positives. Masking and physical distancing are the most effective known methods of preventing spread from asymptomatic positives. 

All of these protocols have proved useful and effective, with the number of confirmed cases on campus far below that of our peer institutions and the community at large. 

Communicating COVID information
As you know from prior updates, the College is required to submit a daily report to the New York State Department of Health about the status of COVID on campus, and these reports are available for public viewing on the NYSDOH website, which is linked below the Bard COVID dashboard we launched last summer. The Bard dashboard shows the number of current active COVID cases on campus and total cases to date, while the New York State dashboard also shows quarantine rooms in use (which includes precautionary quarantine), type of test administered, hospitalization rate, and a separate category including employees who self-report results of off-campus private-party testing. The Bard dashboard includes all student and employee positive test results identified through our on-campus testing program, and tracks all on-campus cases. 

Our COVID dashboard is available at all times to everyone in our community and beyond, including Red Hook residents and Bard families around the world. Our peer institutions have also followed this long-established public health best practice by creating their own dashboards.

Those of you who have been following the Bard COVID dashboard have noticed that we identified one additional active case yesterday. This was a student who had already been in quarantine for several days as a potential exposure. The results of over 300 other tests were negative. 

As you continue to monitor the dashboard going forward, please keep in mind that the College directly contacts all positive cases and their contacts and moves them into isolation and quarantine housing as necessary. If you do not hear any details about a particular case, it is because you have not been identified as a contact. 

One mask or two?
This week the CDC updated its guidance on masking to prevent the spread of COVID-19, recommending that wearing a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask decreases exposure. The Response Team has researched and discussed this guidance and wants to share with you why we have decided that, until further notice, Bard will follow New York State’s lead in continuing to require one mask.

The key point is that mask effectiveness against the spread of disease is chiefly dependent on mask fit. A single tight-fitting mask remains extremely effective at preventing the spread of disease. Please visit the mask policy page we created last fall for more info. 

In personal experiments, Response Team members trying on two masks found that having two loops over each ear sometimes caused the masks to fall off, or to displace each other on the face so there was no longer a tight fit.

The College will continue to provide masks to students and employees who need them at the mask dispensing stations around campus. 

Pandemic fatigue
Pandemic fatigue is real. We made it through the fall semester safely, but the complex challenges of life under COVID on a residential college campus sometimes made it feel longer than a semester. The strangeness and unpredictability of the public health situation and shifting government regulations have often been frustrating and confusing. As individuals and as a society, we have confronted an unprecedented and mentally taxing level of uncertainty on a daily basis, without the emotional benefit of close contact with our friends and colleagues. Technologies like Zoom are invaluable, but not a replacement if what you yearn for is not just a sympathetic ear but a hug. It is no wonder that many of us feel exhausted. We are doing our best to find the “normal” in this bizarre situation. The Response Team wishes to acknowledge the extraordinary mental and emotional work that each of us undertakes every day in support of our collective perseverance through these challenges. We are thankful for the many sacrifices that members of our community have made - including missed vacations and voluntarily spending holidays alone - in order to focus on the demanding work of keeping this community safe under COVID. And we want to express our conviction that, with the advent of spring and more vaccines coming on line, things WILL get better.   

Nonetheless, it is normal to be nervous. Nervousness can be helpful, as it compels us to abide by the essential behaviors that keep us safe. Indeed, it would be illogical not to feel some nervousness in the midst of a global public health emergency. As we embark upon this new semester, there is energy to be found in our common dedication to the essential work of learning and advancing knowledge together. And there is help to be found in many College resources, which are available to Bardians wherever in the world they may be; see the Bard Connects page we established last summer for some examples. We can give ourselves and each other moments of respite, such as this short breathing exercise that Bard Counselor Dan Sullivan created for the Bard community in the fall. The Bard Wellness team is planning many activities for replenishing and strengthening our individual and community resilience. If you have ideas for additional activities, please contact them. 

There is no denying that these are stressful times. But out of challenge comes resilience. 

Please continue to check Bard’s COVID website, where we have been posting resources and updates for the past 11 months for ease of access to Bardians and their families. If you have any difficulty accessing the link, you can go to bard.edu and click on the red “COVID-19” button at the top of the page. Or, if you google “Bard COVID,” the college’s COVID page is the first result.  

Happy Lunar New Year. 

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Preventing Outbreaks and On-Campus Testing

Thursday, February 11, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• Spring 2021 surveillance testing
• Testing compliance

To the Bard College Community,

Now that we have completed the return-to-campus process and our first full week of classes of the spring semester, it is an important time to review the current state of the pandemic and our priorities for the coming weeks. The pandemic is at a high point, and while cases appear to be declining slightly, they are still at record highs. Cases in New York and our region in particular are very high, so despite pandemic fatigue this is not the time to let down our guard or relax any protocols. Many colleges are seeing unacceptable infection rates as they begin their semesters, and we do not want to join that group. 

Fortunately, thanks to our interactions with state and local health officials and our medical consultants, we know how to avoid joining that group: rigorously adhere to the core elements of prevention, including mask wearing, physical distancing, and frequent hand-washing. But there is more to preventing outbreaks. Herewith a critical reminder of necessary behaviors that are embedded in our campus COVID policies and protocols, including the COVID-19 Addendum to the Student Handbook that was distributed last fall and the College’s Human Resources COVID page for employees.
 

• Stay home and do not come to campus or attend class in person if you feel unwell or have any symptoms.
• Carefully fill out your health screening or Involvio app every day before coming to campus or walking into class.
• Minimize contact with others, don’t gather in large groups, and maintain physical distancing. The most prevalent source of community spread is through people who are asymptomatic. Feeling well does not guarantee you not a carrier and cannot spread COVID-19. Keep track of your contacts (i.e., who you dined with) in case you are called by a contact tracer.
• Dining at Kline: there is a **limit of four** people at every table. Only remove your mask when eating, and put your mask back on as soon as you have finished eating. Hanging out unmasked after you are done eating is unacceptable risky behavior.
• Transportation: The masking requirement extends to vehicles on campus. All passengers who are not roommates or from the same household and share a mode of transportation on campus—whether it be the Bard shuttle or a privately owned vehicle—are required to be masked.

Receiving a negative test result is not license to engage in risky behavior. Testing is used to identify and contain potential outbreaks, not to calibrate personal behavior. A test result only tells you the state of your health at the moment you took the test. Continue to adhere to safety protocols at all times, regardless of a negative test result.

On-Campus Testing
All students whose last name begins with L–Z received a notification earlier this week that they are due for mandatory testing this week. Students with a last name beginning with A–K will go next week. Students will continue to be tested every other week for the remainder of the semester. This semester’s higher level of testing is necessary because of the evolving public health situation, including the high incidence of COVID in the surrounding area. 

All employees are also subject to mandatory random testing, and should watch their emails for notification that they have been selected.

You should always behave as though there are unknown positive COVID cases in our community, because based on current data, there most likely are. Continue to wear a mask in all settings and situations, with the only exceptions being actively eating or drinking or in your own dorm room or home with only your own roommate/housemate, and continue to adhere to campus safety protocols. 

We are continually assessing the state of public health in the region and on our campus to determine any adjustments in protocols. Based on the current number of COVID cases and community spread possible, we are not ready to consider relaxing any protocols at this time.

Please remember to visit the College's COVID website, where you can always find the most current information on campus protocols. For those who would like to review the status and number of active cases in the Bard community, please consult our campus data dashboard, which is updated daily in accordance with mandatory reporting requirements to New York State. 

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Spring Surveillance Testing on Campus

Friday, February 5, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update
 

• Spring 2021 Surveillance testing
• Testing compliance

To the Bard College Community,

The spring semester is now underway and next week we restart our surveillance COVID testing of students. While our testing process remains largely the same, we have increased our capacity to enable the testing of more students and with greater frequency. We will test approximately half the student body each week, with the goal of testing the entire student population twice per month. We also expanded employee surveillance testing this semester, with all employees enrolled in mandatory random surveillance testing.

We believe this robust testing regime will provide us with the information we need to maintain campus safety in the coming months, considering the higher rates of infection in the surrounding community and more contagious variants that now characterize the public health situation. Students will receive emails from communityhealth@bard.edu and faculty and staff will be notified by nsmith@bard.edu of their next test; people selected for testing will have multiple day/time options for completing their test. It is extremely important that every member of the Bard community comply with and respond to these notifications. This ongoing testing is an essential element of Bard’s COVID safety plan, and participation is not optional. Please monitor your email carefully for these notifications and other communications about supporting health and safety on campus. We aim to make this testing process as smooth as possible and appreciate your cooperation. A 1-minute video demonstrating the testing process is posted on the college's COVID page; scroll down to "Getting a COVID-19 Test at Bard" and click to view.

It is gratifying to be back for in-person classes, a situation that would not be possible without the care and vigilance that members of our community have consistently demonstrated. We look forward to another safe and successful semester.  


Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Mask Dispensing Points, Required Actions, Travel, and Visitors

Friday, January 29, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• Mask dispensing points
• Required actions (check-ins and surveillance testing) and helpful resources 
• No travel or visitors

To the Bard College community,

We would like to welcome back all of our students, faculty and staff for the spring semester. We can all be proud of the College’s collective success in maintaining a safe campus last fall, and begin the spring with a redoubling of our efforts to ensure a safe, engaging, and productive new semester. We all know that the COVID pandemic is not over and that national and local infection rates are at an all-time high. As we learned last semester, we can have a fulfilling and successful semester of in-person classes if we adhere to our COVID protocols, all of which are still in effect. We encourage everyone to visit the college's COVID-19 Response website to review these protocols, stay up-to-date on new developments, and understand our testing, assessment, and reporting protocols. We also encourage all students, especially those who live on campus, to review the important policies contained in the COVID-19 Addendum to the Student Handbook (scroll to the bottom of the page) that was disseminated last semester and continues to be in force.

Mask dispensing points
With new, more infectious COVID variants now circulating, mask safety takes on even more importance. Done properly, it is one of the most easily implemented and effective measures we can take to prevent infection and spread. Wear a mask at all times on campus and off, and wear it properly. The only exceptions are if you are inside your office or home alone or with members of your household. For the purposes of COVID protocols, New York State considers college roommates to be members of the same household, so you can be unmasked with your roommate, but not with anyone else. If you find yourself in need of a mask, please note that the College has mask dispensers at various locations across campus. 

Required actions (check-ins and surveillance testing) and helpful resources
Students are required to resume daily health check-in with the Involvio app, and employees must continue their daily web-based check-ins each time they come to campus. Student surveillance testing begins next week, and employee surveillance testing is ongoing, so please read your emails and be certain to respond to any testing-related message. Details on employee testing can be found on the Human Resources website. The Bard Cares Team is up and running for the spring semester and is available for student support and reporting of COVID-related incidents. Students should also be aware that other support resources can be found on the Dean of Student Affairs website. 

No travel or visitors
Another lesson from the fall semester is that, once everyone is safely on campus, we should all do our best to remain in the local area (Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia, or Greene counties). Non-essential work travel is still prohibited, and students and employees should refrain from any non-essential personal travel. Students with special circumstances can discuss any essential or emergency travel needs with their dean, and employees should contact their supervisor or HR. We are still operating as a closed campus until further notice, so no visitors are allowed in any campus facilities or dormitories. All essential visitors still must be approved in advance (please do not write directly to the Response Team about potential visitors; the form at the link includes key questions that must be answered before we can consider your request). Academic programs seeking to arrange off-campus activities should contact Associate Dean Emily McLaughlin (mclaughl@bard.edu). No off-campus academic work may begin until an operation plan has been prepared and reviewed by the Response Team. Any student seeking to engage in off-campus activities for academic purposes should discuss with their professor or advisor. 

The COVID-19 Response Team held two “return-to-campus” webinars this week: one for students and one for employees, to review the policies and protocols for the spring semester that we have disseminated through our updates, and answer questions. If you missed the webinars and would like to see a recording of either one (they are each around 30 minutes long and review the same brief slide presentation), please contact the Response Team to request a link.


Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
David Lindholm, Interim Athletic Director
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs/Early Colleges
 

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A Message about Arrival Protocol and Webinars, Vaccines, and New Coronavirus Variants

Monday, January 25, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• Arrival protocol reminder for students
• Faculty and staff return-to-campus protocols
• Return-to-campus webinars for students and employees
• Vaccines
• New Coronavirus variants

To the Bard College community,

Welcome back students, and congrats to those who are finishing Citizen Science this week.

Arrival protocol reminder for students
Student arrivals for the spring semester continue to run smoothly and safely, thanks both to our dedicated staff and our students, who have demonstrated a strong commitment to safety through their broad adherence to our arrival protocols, particularly pre-arrival testing, mask-wearing/physical distancing, and quarantining as needed. All aspects of our arrival protocols are equally important and necessary. All returning students, including those living off campus, must participate in our pre- and post-arrival testing process before they can receive clearance to come to campus and attend classes. We understand that returning students are anxious to see each other and reconnect with friends in person, but it is essential for the health of our community that students wait to do so until they have completed all shelter-in-place or quarantine requirements. 

Faculty and staff return-to-campus protocols
Faculty and staff returning from outside NY and contiguous states must observe New York State mandates for quarantine and testing. Even if you haven't traveled, please remember that engaging in risky behaviours locally, such as participating in large gatherings or not consistently wearing a mask, can put you and the campus community at risk. Your behavior off campus can endanger the entire Bard community, so please exercise caution as you prepare for return and be sure to observe the screening protocols found on the Human Resources website. Remember that each day you come to campus, even if it is only for a few minutes, you are required to submit a health self screening in advance. You may not bring any visitors onto campus, even members of your own family, without prior approval from the Response Team. Currently, all non-essential visitors are prohibited. We will revisit the visitor policy next month, after the semester is safely underway. 

If you are eligible for vaccination and need a letter of confirmation from the College, you can obtain one by contacting hr@bard.edu. If you are fortunate enough to have received a vaccination prior to return, remember that vaccination does not prevent community spread, so you must still observe all safety protocols. Random surveillance testing of employees working on campus started two weeks ago, and will be expanded next week to include all employees. If you are selected for testing, you will receive a notification the weekend prior from either Nancy Smith (nsmith@bard.edu), Bard’s COVID check-in coordinator, or the Bard Human Resources office, and will have several days and times to choose from to get tested at Stevenson Gymnasium - the same MIT/Broad Institute tests we used last semester that typically provide test results in less than 24 hours. 

Return-to-campus webinars for students and employees
To help students, faculty, and staff prepare for the new semester, the Response Team will be holding two “Return to Campus” informational webinars this week, one for students and one for faculty and staff as follows. There is no need to register in advance; just log on at the appointed time. The sessions will be recorded for anyone not able to attend; if you would like to receive a recording of the session, please write to responseteam@bard.edu asking for the link to the recording. 
 

• Return to Campus Webinar for Students

Wednesday, 1/27, 7pm
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://bard.zoom.us/j/87216316832?pwd=aUJlb1FNaFhOZHRjdFBGdDJDK3gyUT09
Passcode: 251453
Or iPhone one-tap : 16465588656,,87216316832#,,,,*251453#  or +13017158592,,87216316832#,,,,*251453# 
Or Telephone: +1 646 558 8656  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 9128  or +1 253 215 8782 
Webinar ID: 872 1631 6832
Passcode: 251453
 

• Return to Campus Webinar for Faculty and Staff

Thursday, 1/28 at 8am
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://bard.zoom.us/j/87486550236?pwd=Qis0MXJabGswTEdkRkZlWkVqamlIZz09
Passcode: 122522
Or iPhone one-tap : 16465588656,,87486550236#,,,,*122522#  or +13017158592,,87486550236#,,,,*122522# 
Or Telephone: 1 646 558 8656  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 9128 
Webinar ID: 874 8655 0236
Passcode: 122522

Vaccines
There has been a lot of confusion and frustration on the topic of vaccines. Eligibility was rapidly expanded far beyond the ability of the state and federal governments to provide sufficient vaccines for the eligible population. The College has been in direct contact with the governor’s office, Congressman Delgado, our State Senator, State Assemblyman, and county executive offices in both Ulster and Dutchess counties to advocate for more vaccines in northern Dutchess County. We have also volunteered multiple times to both the state and Dutchess County to host a vaccination site on campus. However, until the federal government provides more vaccines or New York State finalizes a purchasing contract with Pfizer (which is currently being explored), we do not expect there to be a significant change in the availability of vaccines locally. In response to a question we relayed to the New York State Department of Health, as of this afternoon we have received the following information on which vaccination points are vaccinating which eligible populations:

• Pharmacies will vaccinate those over 65
• Hospitals will vaccinate healthcare workers; priority group 1a [We have reached out to Northern Dutchess Hospital to find out how this will affect them once they receive more vaccines]
• Health departments will vaccinate essential workers as listed in priority group 1b

Those three bullet points are the extent of the response we received this afternoon, to a question we submitted last Thursday. We will continue to press for answers and reliable information, and in the meantime encourage you to send your questions to responseteam@bard.edu. Preventing the spread of confusing and inaccurate rumors is a shared responsibility of all of us. And until the preponderance of the population is vaccinated, masking and physical distancing will continue to be essential to ensuring the health of our community over the coming months. A slow vaccination rollout is unfortunate, but is no reason to panic. We have kept our campus community safe so far by adhering to recommended personal behaviors, and will continue to do so.

New coronavirus variants
There has been a great deal of media attention about new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus, and we would like to clarify what that means for us moving forward. The current science on this topic shows that the new variants are indeed more contagious but do not appear to cause more aggressive courses of COVID-19. The key to protecting against these new strains is to maximize efforts to prevent transmission. We already have the tools necessary to lessen the chance of contagion and illness - mask-wearing, physical distancing, frequent hand-washing, and other existing safety protocols - and we need to rigorously adhere to them at all times. That means wearing your mask consistently and properly. We understand that quarantine fatigue is real, but we are still in the midst of an international pandemic and infections rates are higher than ever. We know what it takes to remain safe - we just need to recommit to doing everything in our collective power to remain vigilant. 


Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

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A Message about Operating as a Closed Campus, Pre- and Post-Arrival Testing, and Vaccine Guidance

Friday, January 15, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• Closed campus
• Pre- and post-arrival testing
• Vaccine guidance

To the Bard College community,

With Citizen Science now underway, we want to remind everyone that Montgomery Place and all campus facilities are closed to public access until further notice. In light of rising cases regionally and nationwide, access to the campus by members of the surrounding communities, friends or family, or casual visitors is still prohibited. Anyone who does not live, work, or study at Bard is not allowed access to campus without prior approval from the College. No visitors are allowed in dormitories, and students should refrain from visiting each other’s dorms until further notice. After all returning students have completed their return-to-campus protocols and have exited quarantine, we will reevaluate our visitor policy and also consider requests for small in-person gatherings, much as we did in mid-September last year. The no visitors policy and continuation of social restrictions is particularly important given the new strain of the virus, which is easier to transmit and the resultant disease no less severe. However, the good news is that vaccination is understood to be effective against all known strains. 

All first-year students have arrived for Citizen Science and their return process has gone smoothly. There was one positive test among returning students this week, and that individual is now in our on-campus isolation housing. We want to reiterate the importance of pre-arrival testing and ask that all students returning for the spring semester review our pre- and post-arrival testing protocols and adhere closely to those protocols, which are based on requirements from the State of New York. Community spread begins largely with people who are infected but asymptomatic, so this testing process is one of our most effective ways of starting off the semester safely. 

The vaccination process in New York State is off to a slow and confusing start, but we expect it to improve and for more vaccines to become available in the coming weeks. We understand the State is controlling all aspects of the distribution and delivery process to individual vaccination sites. We recommend that you first establish vaccine eligibility via the State website here. Please consult our step-by-step guide for navigating it. This website will generate a list of nearby vaccination sites once eligibility is confirmed. It has been very challenging to get accurate information about the vaccine process, as this article underscores. If you are having trouble getting an appointment, you are not alone. The College has been in touch with many local, state, and federal officials this week, trying to gather accurate information and access to vaccines for our community. We have volunteered on multiple occasions for Bard to serve as a vaccination site. The key underlying problem is the lack of vaccines, compounded by chaotic roll-out of the vaccination plan at the state level. Many vaccination sites do not actually have any vaccines to provide. Those that do have vaccines have many fewer than they hoped for. Ulster County, for example, established a vaccination site in Kingston capable of vaccinating 50,000 people a month. However, in their first month of operation, they only received 2,100 vaccines from the state. This in turn reflects the lack of vaccines at the federal level. At this stage of the process, patience and persistence are recommended. More vaccinations will become available in the Hudson Valley Area and we consider that to be the best option. If you do travel elsewhere within the state for your vaccinations, please take extra precautions while traveling to and from your destination. 

We will continue to do everything we can to advocate for access to vaccines for our community at the local, state, and federal levels. Until there is widespread vaccination in our community, we must continue adhering to the mask wearing and physical distancing protocols that the College has put in place. We look forward to a time when we can relax them, but that time is not yet here, so the best way to continue to protect our community is to follow the same behaviors that kept us safe in the fall.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

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A Message about Pre-arrival Testing, Vaccine Availability, and the Mandatory Daily Health Screening

Monday, January 11, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update

• Pre-arrival tests
• Vaccine availability
• Mandatory daily health screening 

 To the Bard College Community,

This week we are beginning random surveillance testing of all employees working on campus, and welcoming Citizen Science students and faculty to campus. We want to express our thanks to the students who remained on campus over the break and strictly adhered to the COVID-19 policies and protocols we put in place to keep the campus safe. We tested all students on campus last week, and all those who remained on campus over the break tested negative. (As we announced last week, we had one positive student result, from a student returning to campus from out of state.) We also tested approximately 200 employees last week who are working on campus, with two positive results (1%); the affected employees and a small number of direct contacts will remain off campus until cleared to return. The College’s contact tracing team completed its work in the case of each positive result within 24 hours. Test results are reported daily to the New York State and Dutchess County Departments of Health, and are reflected on our campus data dashboard.  
 
Pre-arrival tests
Our return-to-campus testing protocols are designed to identify sick individuals before they come to campus. Several asymptomatic students, who were planning to travel to campus this week and did not previously know they were sick, have notified us that their pre-arrival test was positive. In August, the same protocol similarly identified several students who were infected in summer and did not know it. Studies have clearly demonstrated that most community spread begins with infected individuals who are asymptomatic, so feeling well does not mean you can skip pre-arrival or surveillance testing. We are working directly with these students to shift them to remote classes as needed. 
 
These pre-arrival test results highlight the necessity of our pre-arrival protocol. Every student who has access to a PCR or antigen test is required to get one within three days of returning to Bard. For those students unable to get a pre-arrival test, please be prepared to be tested immediately upon arrival at Bard, and to shelter in place until receiving your test result the next day, refraining from contact with others while you await your result. You will receive detailed instructions from Residence Life staff upon arrival. 
 
Vaccine availability
As of this morning, the state has added “in-person college instructors” to the list of populations who are eligible to be vaccinated beginning today. Eligible individuals should register for a vaccination appointment via the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form. Another option for scheduling an appointment is through the State’s new COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline, at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). The complete list of populations currently eligible for the vaccine as part of Phase 1a & 1b is here. If you are not sure if you are eligible, you can visit this NYS Department of Health website to determine your eligibility; “in-person college faculty or instructor” is an option under the “Additional Information” section. 
 
It’s important to emphasize that while faculty teaching in-person classes are now eligible to make a reservation for vaccination, demand for vaccines still far outpaces the state’s supply. We encourage eligible employees to register today. Appointments at all vaccination points in Dutchess County were full for this week as of yesterday, but once you register, you will be notified by email when more appointments become available. 
 
The vaccination process is complex and involves multiple layers of government. New York State defines who is eligible by phase, sets the timeline for each phase, and receives vaccines from the federal government and distributes them to the counties. County governments establish and operate vaccination sites, and have in many cases also launched county-level vaccine websites. We encourage employees to visit the appropriate websites for Dutchess County or Ulster County to learn more. Those in NYC should visit the NYC COVID vaccine website. If you live outside of these areas please check with your local county health department for details on vaccination sites. Some counties are requiring individuals to bring proof of eligibility to their vaccination appointment, such as an employee ID card, employer letter, or pay stub. Please contact the College’s Human Resources office if you need assistance with any of these.
 
Access to vaccinations is currently limited by New York State eligibility requirements and supply, but we encourage you to visit these sites and begin this important process as soon as possible. Vaccinations are not yet available to students in New York State. We will share any new information on eligibility and access to vaccinations as it becomes available.
 
Mandatory daily health screening
We are all looking forward to returning to campus and to the classroom, but must remain cognizant that cases are rising locally and nationally, so we must be particularly vigilant as we work to reestablish a safe campus environment for the coming semester. It was very gratifying to see how well the students who remained on campus over winter break adhered to health and safety protocols. We ask that all of our returning students, faculty, and staff recommit to making campus health and safety their top priority for the coming semester. We also want to remind all employees that submitting a daily health check-in is mandatory before you come to campus, and you should not enter any campus facility without submitting one.
 
 
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

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A Message about a Positive Case on Campus, Testing and Quarantine Requirements

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• Positive case on campus
• Return-to-campus testing
• Quarantine requirements

To the Bard College community,

This month we are welcoming students back to campus, with a detailed and well-coordinated check-in process that includes testing and quarantine as required by the State of New York. The importance of maintaining stringent testing and safety protocols moving forward cannot be overstated. This week the College is testing all students who remained on campus during winter break, as well as the small number of early arrivals, and all staff currently working on campus. Through this process, we identified one positive test result yesterday. The individual has been moved into our isolation housing. Through contact tracing, we identified one person on campus who was exposed to the positive case and is now in quarantine. No other individuals on campus have been exposed to the active case.

In 2020 we learned how to keep our community healthy in a pandemic, through our personal behaviors and the College’s COVID policies and protocols. We are grateful to everyone who helped. Now that we are entering a new year, rising transmission rates and the new highly contagious strain first discovered in England make it far more important than ever that we all strictly adhere to these protocols, and the appropriate health and safety behaviors, both on and off campus. Along with the entire nation we are entering the most challenging moment of the pandemic, even though the end is in sight with the vaccine.

A safe return to campus starts prior to arrival on campus. Take extra precautions to avoid situations where you might become exposed to the virus before returning to Bard, so that you do not bring it back with you. Take the opportunity now to review the College’s COVID policies and protocols as published on our COVID page. Students should reacquaint themselves with the requirements outlined in the COVID-19 Addendum to the Student Handbook. All of us have worked together to take extraordinary measures to keep our community safe. We must continue to support these efforts with our actions now. 

Testing and quarantine requirements for January return-to-campus

All students who did not remain on campus for Winter Break are required to take two COVID tests as part of the “return to campus” protocol. 

1. Pre-arrival test: New York State requires each returning student to take a pre-arrival COVID test within three days before returning to campus. If you receive your test result before returning to Bard, you must submit it to covidclearance@bard.edu. PCR or rapid antigen tests are acceptable; antibody tests are not. If you do not receive your test result before returning to campus, you must be prepared to shelter in place upon arrival until you receive your result. This pre-arrival test requirement is for ALL STUDENTS, including those living locally off-campus. Arranging for and taking this pre-arrival test is the responsibility of each student. Under current New York State guidance, if you do not have a pre-arrival test, you cannot test out of mandatory 10-day quarantine. Any student unable to obtain a COVID test within the 3-day pre-arrival time frame must notify reslife@bard.edu in advance of arrival to update your quarantine status. To identify testing locations, please consult your doctor or the federal Department of Health and Human Services’ list of no-cost on-site testing by state.
2. Post-arrival test: Each returning student will be required to take their second 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 used throughout the fall semester, and that typically delivers results in less than 24 hours. 

All returning students must observe the testing requirements listed above in order to regain access to campus for class or other activities, even if you have remained in the local area during winter break. 

Additional details on arrival protocols and specific arrival dates can be found here. Students must be prepared to arrive on the day that corresponds to their specific situation as described at the link. Due to the complexity of the check-in process under COVID and the importance of maintaining these safety protocols through an orderly check-in, the College cannot accommodate arrival dates and times outside of the options listed.

Quarantine requirements

Students returning to Bard from any non-contiguous state or from overseas are required by New York State Guidelines to quarantine upon arrival in NY, and will immediately enter quarantine after arriving at Bard. The College has arranged quarantine space for all students who need it. Students who live off campus and are required to quarantine must be prepared to do so in their off-campus residence. If you have questions about quarantine, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of the College’s COVID page.

New York State has updated its quarantine requirement to enable travelers to test out of quarantine if they submit negative pre- and post-arrival COVID tests, reducing quarantine time to approximately four days. However, in accordance with NYS requirements, any student who needs to quarantine and is unable to get a pre-arrival COVID test will be required to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in NY. Students not required to quarantine will be expected to refrain from any group interactions during the time between their arrival on campus and their post-arrival test. 

All Bard employees returning to work  this week are required to be tested, and all returning employees are required to participate in surveillance testing during the spring semester. Employees who have traveled or hosted visitors from outside the local area must observe quarantine protocols as outlined by New York State. They are also required to sign a new health pledge and to continue conducting daily COVID health checks before coming to campus.

We are optimistic that COVID vaccines will become available at some point during the spring semester. We are working closely with NY State and our partners at Nuvance Health to establish a plan of action so we can quickly begin offering vaccinations to our community as soon as possible. Once vaccination is available, it should be considered an additional level of protection, not a replacement for such essential safety measures as mask wearing and social distancing.

Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to the College’s efforts to keep the community safe. We look forward to a healthy and engaging return for Citizen Science and another successful semester.


Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

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A Message to Bard Students and Families about Winter Break Policies, January Arrival, Citizen Science, Spring Semester, and Vaccines

Thursday, December 24, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

Topics in this update:

• COVID policies and protocols for Winter Break 
• Planning for Citizen Science and the spring semester
• Testing and quarantine requirements for January return-to-campus
• January arrival dates 
• Vaccines

To Bard students and families,

Please read this email carefully, as it contains detailed requirements for returning to campus in January for Citizen Science and the spring semester.  

COVID policies and protocols for Winter Break
With Winter Break now underway, we would like to remind everyone that all of the College’s COVID policies and protocols - including mask-wearing, physical distancing, frequent hand-washing, and size limits for gathering - remain in effect. For all who have returned home for the Winter Break, we ask that you all adhere to these safety protocols at home and observe the CDC guidance for holiday safety. 

In recognition of the unprecedented public health challenges of COVID, for the first time in memory the College is keeping the residence halls open over Winter Break for those who need to stay. Those students remaining on campus must continue adhering to protocols barring visitors, and also must not travel outside of the local area or spend the night off campus and then return to campus. The safety of the campus community depends on it. Nurses and counselors are on call and available through the Safety and Security Office. For information on shuttle service, food distributions, wellness activities, and other on-campus needs please visit Winter Break Guide 2020-21. 

Planning for Citizen Science and the spring semester
Citizen Science will take place January 14-29. We are currently planning for a blended, in-person program. Spring Semester classes will begin on February 1 and end on May 25. Spring Break will be observed as five separate “respite days” throughout the semester; professors will provide schedule details to students at the beginning of the semester. 

Testing and quarantine requirements for January return-to-campus
All students not remaining on campus throughout Winter Break will be required to take two COVID tests as part of the “return to campus” protocol. 

1. Pre-arrival test: Each returning student must take a pre-arrival COVID test within three days before returning to campus. If you receive your test result before returning to Bard, you must submit it to covidclearance@bard.edu. PCR or rapid tests are acceptable; positive antibody tests are not. If you do not receive your test result before returning, you must be prepared to shelter in place upon arrival at Bard until you receive your result. This pre-arrival test requirement is for ALL STUDENTS who are not staying on campus for Winter Break, including those living locally off-campus. Arranging for and taking this pre-arrival test is the responsibility of each student. Throughout your time away from Bard, and especially between the time of your pre-arrival test and arriving on campus, it is important that students adhere to safe behaviors: no large gatherings, wear a mask, and practice physical distancing.   
2. Post-arrival test: Each returning student will be required to take their second 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 used throughout the fall semester, and that typically delivers results in less than 24 hours. 

To determine your pre-arrival test date, please carefully review the “arrival dates” section further below, and count backwards three days from that date.

All students who live off campus or travel away from campus during Winter Break must observe the testing requirements listed above in order to regain access to campus for class or other activities, even if you remain in the local area over Winter Break. Only students who remain on campus throughout Winter Break are exempt from the pre- and post-arrival testing requirement. 

Students traveling to Bard from any non-contiguous state or from overseas are required by New York State Guidelines to quarantine upon arrival in NY, and will immediately enter quarantine after arriving at Bard. (Students who spend the Winter Break in New York State or a contiguous state are not required to quarantine upon return to campus.) The College has arranged quarantine space on campus for all students who need it and reside on campus. Students who live off campus and are required to quarantine must be prepared to do so in their off-campus residence. If you have questions about quarantine, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of the College’s COVID page.

New York State has updated its quarantine requirement to enable travelers to test out of quarantine if they submit negative pre- and post-arrival COVID tests, reducing quarantine time to approximately four days. Any student who is required to quarantine but does not take a pre-arrival COVID test must quarantine upon arrival in New York State. Individuals can end their quarantine after 10 days as long as no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period.* Students not required to quarantine will be expected to refrain from any group interactions during the time between their arrival on campus and their post-arrival test. Only once you’ve received negative results from both your pre-arrival and post-arrival tests will you be able to return to campus activities and in-person classes. 

January arrival dates
Below are arrival dates and times for students returning for Citizen Science and the spring semester. It is very important that you plan to arrive on the day that corresponds to your situation. Please note that you MUST plan to arrive between the hours of 9am - 3pm. Because of the complexities of the check-in process under COVID, the College cannot accommodate student check-ins outside of those hours. Whether you live on or off campus, student access to campus facilities after Winter Break is contingent upon complying with the return-to-campus check-in process, including pre- and post-arrival testing and quarantine as required.  

• Early arrivals: pre-approved student workers, seniors, graduate students: 
  Monday, January 4 and Wednesday January 6 (9am-3pm)
  All early arrivals MUST be pre-approved by Senior Project advisors, work supervisors or, in the case of graduate students, their program directors. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above, and quarantine as necessary depending on where they are traveling from. If you intend to arrive early and have not already been in touch with your advisor, supervisor, or program director, please contact them as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements.  
   
• Students taking Citizen Science who are NOT required to quarantine:
  Tuesday, January 12 (9am-3pm)
  Students who spend the Winter Break in New York State or in a state that borders New York are not required to quarantine. These students must observe the testing requirements listed above, and refrain from group activities until receiving their test results. 
   
• Students taking Citizen Science who are REQUIRED to quarantine:
  Wednesday, January 13 (9am-3pm)
  Students who spend the Winter Break anywhere other than New York State or a state bordering New York are REQUIRED to quarantine. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above. Students who reside off campus must be prepared to quarantine in their off-campus residence.  
   
• Students arriving from international destinations who live on campus: 
  Friday, January 15 (9am-3pm)
  All students arriving from outside the United States are REQUIRED to quarantine. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above.  
   
• Upper College/new transfer/graduate students who live on campus and are REQUIRED to quarantine: 
  Friday, January 22 (9am-3pm)
  Students who spend the Winter Break anywhere other than New York State or a state bordering New York are REQUIRED to quarantine. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above.   
   
• New transfer students who live on campus and do NOT need to quarantine: 
  Tuesday, January 26 (9am-3pm)
  Under current guidance, students who spend the Winter Break in New York State or in a state that borders New York are not required to quarantine. These students must observe the testing requirements listed above, and refrain from group activities until receiving their test results. 
   
• Upper College/new transfer/graduate students who live off campus: 
  January 27, 28, and 29 (9-3pm each day)
  The Dean of Student Affairs office will send instructions in the coming days to students in this category, so they can sign up for a specific date & time to arrive on campus during this three-day check-in period. Off-campus students who are required to quarantine, including any students arriving from international destinations, must be prepared to do so in their off-campus residence.
   
• Upper College and graduate students who live on campus and do NOT need to quarantine: 
  Friday, January 29 (9am-3pm)
  Students who spend the holiday break in New York State or in a state that borders New York are not required to quarantine. These students must observe the testing requirements listed above, and refrain from group activities until receiving their test results.

Please see New York State Guidelines for more info about travel and quarantine requirements. 

Vaccines
There is a great deal of encouraging news about COVID vaccines, and we are in close contact with health authorities as they develop vaccination plans. As of today, federal, state, and local authorities have not finalized or communicated vaccination protocols. It is imperative that we not relax our vigilance just because a vaccine is on the horizon. Until vaccines are available to the Bard community, we must continue following the public health protocols and policies that have kept us safe to this point. Therefore, until further notice, for Citizen Science and the spring semester we will continue to observe the COVID protocols that have been in place since fall. Students should prepare for an in-person spring semester much like the semester we have just completed. 

The Response Team will communicate additional aspects of our Spring Semester plan, including how and when we will resume surveillance testing for students and employees, in the coming weeks.  

We are grateful for the hard work and commitment that each of you made throughout this past semester to support the College community as we worked through the uncertainties and complexities of life under the pandemic. This has been an extraordinary collective effort, dependent on each of us to do our part. Please remain flexible, as the public health situation continues to develop rapidly. We will communicate any changes in government requirements as soon as we learn about them, and will adjust College policies as necessary. We hope you all enjoy the Winter Break. Please stay safe and healthy. We look forward to seeing you again in the new year.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Murphy Alexander, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

*Quarantine protocols have been updated in this message to reflect new guidance from the State of New York. Please see Bard's COVID-19 Response website for details.