COVID-19 News

Kelly Landis

Author: Kelly Landis

Winter Term Return to Campus Plan

Dear Lawrentians,   

Thanks to the continued commitment of our students, staff, and faculty—and a community vaccination rate of well over 90%—we have managed to keep the Lawrence community as healthy and safe as possible during fall term. This fact, as well as the staff’s daily efforts to keep the campus environment healthy for all and the faculty’s commitment to providing a robust and flexible academic program, gives us confidence in our ability to meet the university’s mission as the pandemic continues. Based on our successful return this fall, we announce today the plan for our full community to continue to live, learn, and work on the Lawrence campus this coming winter term. 

The Lawrence Pandemic Planning Team (LPPT) thanks the many health experts and members of our community with whom we consulted before making this decision. As we have throughout the pandemic, we have grounded our decision in three guiding principles: protecting the health and safety of our community; sustaining our academic mission; and supporting all community members. 

Here is what you need to know about winter term: 

  • Campus Move-In and First Week Protocols: Student move-in for winter term will occur on Sunday, January 2, 2022. To help facilitate our initial term testing protocol (see below) and protect the health and safety of our returning students and employees, the first week of winter term (Monday through Friday) will consist of: 

o   Remote instruction only; 
o   All student meals will be grab-and-go;  
o   All student activities will be held virtually; and 
o   Personal residence hall rooms will be limited to room capacity +1. 

  • Winter Athletics: All winter athletics will proceed with practices and competitions as planned. Women’s Basketball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Ice Hockey, and Men’s Ice Hockey return by December 31 and will be tested under NCAA guidelines upon return. Women’s Fencing, Men’s Fencing, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Men’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Track and Field, and Men’s Track and Field will return on January 2 and will immediately enter into testing under NCAA guidelines. Athletes can return to practice upon receipt of confirmation of negative test.  
  • Academic Calendar: The academic calendar for winter term will remain as scheduled. Winter classes will begin on January 3, 2022, and the last day of finals will take place on March 16. Spring break will last from March 17-27.  
  • Winter Break: Student Life will notify students by the end of the week (November 5) regarding winter break check-out details. Currently, students can request to remain on campus during any part of break (late stay or early arrival) via a form on Voyager.  All students who are necessary to be on campus for break (e.g. athletes/D-Term students) do not need to complete this form.   
  • Testing and Protocol for Returning to Campus: We will test all students and employees living, learning, and working on campus on January 3 and 4, 2022. Faculty and staff and students will also continue to participate in weekly surveillance testing through random selection; they may also voluntarily participate in testing if they are asymptomatic. As was our protocol during fall term, all unvaccinated community members will be tested weekly.  
  • Living on Campus Safety Protocols: All members of the Lawrence community will be expected to Honor the Pledge and be vaccinated (or have filed an exemption) to live, learn, and work on campus. We ask all students to take preventative steps for 14 days before coming to campus to ensure a safe and healthy arrival at Lawrence (e.g., practice physical distancing, self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, consider taking a COVID-19 test). All eligible vaccinated students and employees are also encouraged to get a booster shot prior to returning to campus.   

One of the most important lessons we have learned through the pandemic is that the spread of COVID-19 remains unpredictable, and we must remain diligent. We cannot determine our path forward without considering the current situation in the Fox Cities where the widespread community transmission of COVID-19 has continued to be a challenge. We will continue to monitor the health of our campus and surrounding communities and to adjust university operations, following the stoplight guide, if needed.  

To stay up-to-date on all COVID-19 protocols and information, we encourage you to visit the COVID-19 News website and dashboard, which is updated every Monday. In addition, please read the weekly LU Insider e-newsletter, as well as emails from the LPPT.  Any questions or concerns regarding our plans for winter term or other issues can be emailed to coronainfo@lawrence.edu. 

Lawrence’s successful return to a fully in-person campus this fall is an accomplishment of which we should all be proud. Yet sustaining a healthy and successful academic year will continue to be a community effort, and we remain committed to doing everything within our power to keep the Lawrence experience strong, supportive, and safe. 
 

As always, be well and stay well. 

Sincerely,  
Lawrence Pandemic Planning Team 

Fall 2021 Plan Updates | July 14, 2021

Dear Lawrence Community, 

We look forward to welcoming Lawrentians new and returning in the coming months! Below, please find information on our Fall 2021 plan, including updated mask and visitor/event policies. 

When we decided that mounting a fall 2021 in-person session was of utmost importance for our community, we followed the science as we have throughout the pandemic. Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine is the best mechanism to mitigate risk of coronavirus spread in a community. Because of the inherent nature of proximity on a residential campus, which increases the risk of transmission of any sort, we decided to mandate full vaccination for our student population. Exemptions will be made for medical reasons, religious beliefs, or personal conviction. Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated. 

Lawrence is over 80% fully vaccinated as a community. This includes over 85% full vaccination for our on-campus student population from this past spring term and over 80% full vaccination among employees as of today. Thanks to this community-wide effort, and because we anticipate an even more fully vaccinated population this fall, we will meet the CDC’s definition of an institution of higher education with a fully vaccinated community.  Following the CDC guidance for Institutions of Higher Education with a Fully Vaccinated Community, we are excited to share information on the Lawrence Fall 2021 plan: 

  • We will not mandate masking for any Lawrence community member when solely amongst our community. 
  • All modes for meetings/gatherings will be available, including: in-person, Zoom/Teams, and “Walk & Talks.” 
  • We will use full room capacity limits.  
  • We should each continue the practice of having a mask with us at all times. 
  • When an individual is in their own space (e.g., personal office, personal room), that individual determines if the space is a masked space. If the space is designated as masked, then anyone entering must wear a mask. If the space is not designated as masked, then mask wearing is the decision of the visitor. At any point, someone may wear a mask. Please note: Classrooms are considered meeting spaces where faculty may require masks at their discretion.  
  • We are excited to welcome back visitors from outside the Lawrence community to campus for certain events and performances. (More information on open events will be available before students join us on campus.) When hosting or attending events that include non-Lawrence community members indoors on campus (e.g., recital, athletics event, performance), we will require all spectators and/or participants (depending on the event) to wear masks.  
     
    As stated earlier, our decision to not mandate masking within our community is predicated on our assurance that we have a highly vaccinated population on campus. We will follow CDC guidance for “mixed” populations (combination of those vaccinated and not vaccinated) of people from both on and off campus which suggests masking in these settings. 
  • In a peer group setting (e.g., student organization, department/division meeting), a request for collective masking can come from anyone and should be honored. 
  • We have designated quarantine and isolation space for those living on campus should the need arise. 
  • Disposable masks will be available in every building.  

We continue to be thankful to those who committed to our efforts this past year, making our mitigation of the spread of COVID-19 a success.  

One of the principles that facilitated our success was the community-wide agreement we all affirmed by Honoring the Pledge. We treated each other with respect and held each other accountable. Because the world is still living through the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to have a Pledge this fall outlining the living, learning, and working tenets for all in our campus community.  

Highlights of the upcoming Pledge include:  

  • Vaccination and testing (as needed) adherence. 
  • Commitment to treating everyone with respect regardless of mask use. 
  • Quarantine and isolation protocols. 
  • Encouragement to stay home if feeling ill or wearing a mask if one must be on campus.  

Please stay tuned for a future message with the updated Pledge as the fall approaches. Additionally, we will have information on the Return to Campus policy for our employees by the end of July, articulating how we are operating as a residential campus community.  

We are grateful for all in the Lawrence community who have worked so diligently to bring us to this point – preparing for an in-person session. And again, we look forward to welcoming Lawrentians new and returning. 

Find Lawrence University COVID information at https://blogs.lawrence.edu/covid-19/ and please reach out with any questions to coronainfo@lawrence.edu.  

Regards,

 Lawrence Pandemic Planning Team