A Message about Preparing to Return to Campus, Vaccination and Testing Requirements, and Masking Protocols
A COVID-19 Update
- Preparing to return to campus
- Vaccination and testing requirement
- Masking protocols
To the Bard College community,
We hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday break. In preparation for the arrival of students returning in January, we would like to offer some guidance for the coming days and share a reminder of our return-to-campus protocols.
With the current rise in COVID cases, mainly due to the Omicron variant, it’s important that we all take extra care to reduce exposure in the coming days prior to arrival. Please be conservative in your interactions and minimize your contacts, especially in the 72-hour window before returning to campus. If everyone is more careful with their personal safety in advance of their return, we will reduce the probability of any individual bringing COVID back to campus.
As we noted in our last update, all students are required to be fully vaccinated with a booster by January 18 or within 30 days of eligibility. If you are eligible, please get your booster as soon as possible. This booster requirement includes all international students who have received the recommended dose of a WHO-approved vaccine. Once you have received your booster, students should upload the date and submit proof of the vaccine (a screenshot of your vaccine card) to the medical portal at bard.medicatconnect.com (if you are unable to access the portal, students may send this information to [email protected]). Any student with questions about vaccines, including booster shots, should contact the Bard Health Service.
As we work towards updating our employee vaccination policy to reflect current public health guidance, we strongly recommend all eligible employees receive a booster shot as soon as possible. We appreciate those members of our faculty and staff who have continued the recommended vaccination sequence and those who have scheduled appointments in the coming weeks. Although we intend to offer additional clinics on campus during the semester, boosters are available now at most major drugstores and supermarkets. A search by location of NYS-operated sites can be found here.
Our previous Response Team update detailed the College’s required pre- and post-arrival COVID testing for students. To review those details and other protocols for spring 2022, please visit our COVID-19 website. Remember, your test must be administered no more than 72 hours before you return to campus if you take a PCR test. (If you are unable to access a PCR test in your area in the required timeframe, proof of a negative antigen test conducted no more than 24 hours before your arrival on campus is also acceptable.) Similar to last year, if you do not receive your test result before returning to campus, you must be prepared to shelter in place upon arrival at Bard until you receive your result. Throughout your time away from Bard, and especially between the time of taking your pre-arrival test and arriving on campus, it is important that students adhere to safe behaviors: avoid group gatherings and wear a mask.
Along with vaccinations and boosters, masking remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID. Please wear a well-fitted mask wherever masking is recommended or required on and off campus. The most important detail of masking is that whatever the type, it fits well: it should completely cover your nose and mouth, and not allow infiltration around the sides. The better the fit, the greater the protection.
The entire Bard community has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to maintaining a safe campus environment for in-person teaching. The Response Team wishes to thank all Bardians for the flexibility, adaptability, and mutual support that have been hallmarks of our collective response to the pandemic; those attributes will continue to be important and serve us well during this rapidly evolving circumstance. Taking extra care during the remainder of the break and observing our pre- and post-arrival protocols will help to ensure another safe and successful semester.
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
[email protected]
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
Christian Ayne Crouch, Dean of Graduate Studies
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, Faculty Representative
Dumaine Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs
For more information, call 845-758-6822.