Dear Lawrence Faculty and Staff,
The continuing spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 across the nation and in our surrounding community remains concerning. While our ongoing mitigation efforts, such as a vaccine mandate for students, indoor masking requirements, and surveillance testing, have kept our campus healthy and safe, we recognize that further steps need to be taken to ensure the continuing safety of all community members living, learning, and working on campus.
Vaccination and masking continue to be the most effective means to mitigate the spread of the virus. We are pleased to report that 83% of our faculty and staff, including Bon Appetit employees, have followed university guidance and have been vaccinated (or are in the process of being vaccinated) to date. While we know that the university will not achieve a 100% vaccination rate because some members of our community have medical accommodations or other waivers, we also recognize that the higher the number of vaccinated individuals on campus, the better we can contain the spread and avoid serious effects of the virus.
To protect community health, the university will now require all faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Employees must submit proof of their completed series or that they received their first dose by end-of-day Wednesday, October 6. Exceptions will be made for medical reasons, religious beliefs, or personal conviction. More information regarding the employee vaccine policy, as well as links to accommodation and waiver forms, can be found on the COVID-19 website. Noncompliance with this policy will result in disciplinary consequences calibrated according to the community risk level of the behavior and/or persistence of the behavior.
The Fox Cities offers several opportunities for vaccination, and more detailed information regarding vaccination opportunities can be found on the Wellness Services website. Please submit your proof of vaccination or an accommodation/waiver form to Human Resources by emailing humanresources@lawrence.edu.
Our students remain our inspiration, as 95% of our student body is fully vaccinated (or are in the process of being vaccinated), and we are confident that our faculty and staff will follow their commitment to Honor the Pledge. Please also remember to stay home if you are experiencing respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, or fatigue.
We remain grateful for your dedication to protecting the health and safety of our community. As always, please email coronainfo@lawrence.edu if you have any questions.
Be well, and stay well,
Lawrence Pandemic Planning Team
