Spring 2022 update: A message to students, faculty, and staff
Important update: January 6
A follow-up message to the University community offers more details about changes to the start of the 2022 spring semester and campus operations. Those changes include:
- All academic programs will begin as scheduled, but classes (with the exception of clinical classes in the Schools of Medicine and Nursing) will be conducted online for the month of January.
- Students who have not yet arrived on campus should delay their return. (Students unable to delay their return should contact Residential Life and follow these steps.)
Original message: December 23, 2021
As many of our students begin their winter break, we want to share preliminary plans and new requirements for the spring 2022 semester. We are encouraged by our experience this fall, but at the same time, we’re aware that the infection rates in Rochester and around the country—especially with the rapid emergence of omicron—could worsen before the start of the semester, requiring a next-level set of plans and responses.
Updates and guidance for spring 2022
COVID-19 vaccine booster now required for all students
Research shows vaccination remains the single most important tool for preventing severe COVID illness, and the CDC notes that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against omicron and other variants. Given the threat of the omicron variant and recent surges in COVID cases in the Rochester region, we have now determined that all students must receive a COVID-19 booster when eligible as a condition of enrollment; eligibility is determined by CDC guidance.
Please note:
- Any student who is currently eligible to receive the booster should do so before returning to campus for the spring semester.
- Any student who has received the initial vaccination, but is not yet eligible to receive the booster must fulfill this requirement within 30 days of their eligibility date.
- Students with previously approved medical or religious exemptions will continue to be exempt.
The COVID-19 booster is free and the nationwide Vaccine and Booster Finder is a great resource to find available appointments. In Monroe County, the Finger Lakes Vaccine Hub provides similar information close to campus.
Additional options for students to get the booster include:
- For winter stay students, eligible students who are unable to get the booster before arriving on campus for the spring semester, and students who will become eligible for the booster in the spring semester we will provide guidance in the new year on how to get the Pfizer booster on campus.
- International students, specifically, may want to take advantage of this option because Pfizer is currently the only booster approved to be given to those who received their original vaccine outside of the US and completed all of the doses of a WHO-EUL (World Health Organization Emergency Use List) COVID-19 vaccine not approved or authorized by FDA.
We’re currently finalizing a system for submitting proof of a booster to University Health Service (UHS) and will provide that information in the new year.
Special guidance for study abroad students
All University students who will be studying abroad in the spring 2022 semester are required to get the COVID-19 booster prior to departure, if eligible. Starting in the summer of 2022, there will be no COVID-19 vaccine exemptions for University students studying abroad. Given the rapidly changing landscape for entry and continued residence in various countries, all students studying abroad in spring 2022 are strongly recommended to get the COVID-19 vaccine prior to departure.
If you are a student planning to study abroad in the upcoming semester and have questions about the vaccination or booster requirement, please contact abroad@rochester.edu.
COVID-19 test required for residential students arriving on campus for spring 2022
All residential (on-campus) students will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test when returning to campus. This testing requirement applies to all residential undergraduate and graduate students on all campuses, including first-time students.
We strongly recommend that students fulfill this requirement by getting a COVID diagnostic test (with printed results) 24-48 hours before arriving on campus. Students should be prepared to show valid proof of their negative test result to University officials.
Additional details will follow on the process for residential students to show their negative test result upon arrival to campus for the spring semester.
Students, faculty, and staff: Be prepared for things to change
Experience also tells us that a spike in COVID cases can force us to make changes to the ways we conduct our teaching and learning. Therefore, we ask that students, faculty, and staff continue to stay flexible with their plans and expectations. If we experience a surge in our infection rate, we may need to pivot to remote learning for a period of time. We may also need to limit in-person extracurricular activities for a time and expand our quarantine and isolation resources.
Faculty should be prepared to provide virtual learning and classroom support to any student who finds themself unable to attend classes due to COVID restrictions.
Although faculty and staff are not required to receive a booster at this time, we strongly encourage everyone in the University community to get a booster shot when they are eligible to do so. Vaccination, boosters, and masking are the strongest defense against the virus and its variants and the best and most responsible way to protect everyone in our community.
And finally: Get your flu shot
Students, faculty, and staff are also strongly encouraged to get their flu vaccination this season. Receiving a flu shot is even more important now during the COVID-19 pandemic because symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu are similar, and it can be difficult to immediately distinguish which virus an individual may have. Individuals are encouraged to get the flu shot through one of the following ways, and it can even be received at the same time as a COVID vaccination:
Pharmacy walk-ins. With most all health insurance plans, there is no cost when you visit a pharmacy such as CVS, Walgreens, or Wegmans to receive a flu shot.
Visit your primary care doctor. Your family doctor(s) should have available the vaccine for you and your family. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months or older, and a high-dose vaccine may be available to individuals ages 65 years or older.
We are closely monitoring the public health situation on campus and in Monroe County more broadly, and will send an update to you the week of January 3 with any changes to policies or operations based on circumstances at that time.
We thank you for your continued patience in these uncertain times, and join with you in looking forward to a healthy 2022.
Sincerely,
Sarah C. Mangelsdorf
President and G. Robert Witmer, Jr. University Professor
Sarah Peyre
Interim Provost