A Message about Campus Protocol and Maintaining a Safe Campus Environment
A COVID-19 Update
To the Bard College community,The College and the Bard community have consistently maintained a safe campus environment with in-person instruction, and we intend to continue doing so while taking into account the spread of the Omicron variant, which appears to be both more transmissible and milder than its predecessors. Many of our peer institutions have seen rising cases on their campuses, and it is reasonable to expect that we will see similar trends in the coming weeks. The good news is that we are doing and have done everything possible to strengthen our community’s ability to withstand COVID, by mandating vaccines and boosters and requiring masking. This will greatly reduce the instance of serious illness on campus and allow us to focus on caring for vulnerable members of our community.
Therefore, while the rise in cases associated with Omicron might delay a full ‘return to normal’, it does not mean we need to increase restrictions on campus. We should continue to exercise care in our interpersonal interactions, but thanks to vaccines and boosters, our community has a level of protection against major disruptions.
Below are outlines of our protocols and expectations for January.
- Vaccination and boosters: In accordance with the recent CDC guidance that everyone 12 years and older should receive a booster, we have updated our mandate to require that all students receive a vaccine booster by January 18 or within 30 days after becoming eligible for a booster, whichever comes first. We will also require all faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated with a booster by February 3 or within 30 days of eligibility. Individuals who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are eligible to receive a booster dose five months after their last dose. Those who received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine are eligible to receive a booster dose two months after your original dose. Boosters are widely available at vaccination sites nationwide. Please see our January 4 announcement for instructions on how to submit proof of your vaccine booster. The College plans to offer more booster clinics on campus after the new year, but asks all members of our community not to wait until then if you are already eligible.
- Return to campus testing: As previously outlined, this will consist of two elements: 1) pre-arrival testing that is the responsibility of each student and 2) post-arrival testing that will be conducted by the Bard Health Service. Please see our January 4 announcement for details.
- Masking: All members of the Bard community must wear a well-fitted mask that completely covers your nose and mouth in all indoor settings, whenever distancing isn’t possible in group settings, and wherever masking is recommended or required on and off campus.
- Isolation: In accordance with updated CDC guidance, anyone who tests positive can be released from isolation after five days if they are not experiencing symptoms. Bard will also require a negative test to be released from isolation. If current COVID trends continue, there is a strong possibility that the number of students testing positive at any given time could exceed the number of single rooms with private bathrooms. Therefore, designated isolation rooms will be prioritized for the vulnerable and symptomatic. Any residential student who tests positive will be given two options: 1) Return home or to another safe place off campus to recover, and after 5 days, if the student is not experiencing any COVID symptoms and has a negative antigen test, they can return to campus; or 2) Recover in their dorm room following already established isolation protocols. The College’s COVID case management team, in coordination with the Bard Health Service, will support all students in isolation with regular check-ins and access to College resources and food. Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, medical experts have advised us that roommates of positive cases are likely positive as well, even if there is a slight lag in test results. Many of our peer institutions have been successfully using this isolation protocol.
Sincerely,
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.