A Message about Boosters and Booster Clinics, Pre-arrival Tests, and Spring Semester Planning
A COVID-19 Update
To the Bard College community,We would like to welcome our first-year students back to campus and congratulate them on their smooth return to Annandale last week and a safe first week of Citizen Science classes. We are also excited to welcome our new transfer students who arrived in Annandale last week and have been thoughtfully engaging in our new January Language and Thinking Program. As we approach the beginning of the semester, we would like to offer some reminders and updates.
Boosters and booster clinic
Thank you to everyone who has submitted their proof of full vaccination, which includes a booster if eligible, to the College. If you previously provided proof of vaccination but have not yet provided proof of a booster, it is important that you update your records.
- Students who have not yet done so should submit proof of full vaccination to their medical portal at bard.medicatconnect.com as soon as possible. (If you are unable to access the portal, students may send this information to [email protected].)
- Employees should upload their proof of booster here and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Pre-arrival tests
Students who have yet to return to campus are reminded to submit proof of a negative COVID test (documentation from the testing site or a clear photo of your test result), either antigen or PCR, before returning to campus to [email protected]. Home antigen tests are widely available and will be accepted as proof. Antigen tests must be taken within 24 hours before arrival on campus, or if you prefer a PCR test, it must be taken within 72 hours before arrival on campus. Any student who receives a positive result on their pre-arrival test should not return to campus until they are medically cleared to do so, and should notify the Bard Health Service. If you have any difficulty obtaining a test prior to arrival, or do not receive a test result in time to travel back to campus as planned, please contact [email protected] to make alternate arrangements for your return.
Spring semester planning
Based on the successful arrival last week of first-year and transfer students and decreasing cases in the surrounding community, we expect few changes for the beginning of the spring semester, but please pay particular attention to these protocols:
- Masking: As noted previously, the College continues to require that masks be worn indoors. The CDC’s most recent mask recommendation guidance underscores that several types of masks can be effective as long as they are well-fitted. Dutchess County has also provided us with KN95 masks that we will distribute to the student body and employees.
- Visitors: Fully vaccinated (including a booster) pre-approved visitors are allowed in campus facilities, but it remains that no visitors are allowed in student housing. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, faculty or staff who wish to host a visitor should request approval via the visitor request form, which enables us to verify the vaccination status of all guests before they arrive on campus. It also remains the case that individual students or student groups wishing to host a visitor should coordinate with a faculty or staff member, or the Student Activities Office, about submitting the visitor request form.
- Residence halls: All residence halls have been equipped with isolation bathrooms whether there are any COVID-positive cases in them or not. We have taken this step to ensure that, should a case arise, proper bathroom protocols will already be in place.
- Signage: You will notice some new signs on campus regarding current protocols, such as masking and limiting dining to four people per table. These should be helpful in reminding everyone of existing safety precautions across campus.
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.