For those unable to attend last night’s Town Hall meetings, I wish to provide you a summary of the information that was shared with students and their families.

The purpose of the meetings was to provide an update on the University’s efforts to ease the safety protocols; the importance of students, faculty and staff obtaining the vaccine; and preview the student experience for those who are vaccinated and unvaccinated. We were fortunate to be joined by Dr. Michael Collins, MD, FACP, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, who provided a substantive presentation on the efficacy and safety of the vaccines and the importance of achieving a 90 percent vaccination rate for students, faculty and staff.

All of our decisions relative to the safety protocols have been grounded in our mission, specifically the preservation of life and sacrificing for the sake of the common good. With incidents of COVID-19 positive cases and deaths on the decline in Massachusetts and throughout much of the nation, we have already begun a process to ease the safety protocols as we transition to the post-pandemic time period.

However, we do so as public health officials express great concern relative to the Delta and Delta Plus Variants of COVID-19, in particular, its impact on younger individuals such as college-aged students, which is why the University is requiring students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated prior to their return to campus for the fall semester. Assumption is among hundreds of colleges and universities with this requirement.

As of today, 43 percent of students have uploaded their documentation to Medicat indicating that they are fully vaccinated. Students who are fully vaccinated, but have not uploaded their documentation, should do so as soon as possible. If students have not yet begun the process of getting vaccinated, they should do so immediately in order to be fully vaccinated by the start of the fall semester. All students must upload their documentation to Medicat by July 26.

All students will continue to use the daily symptom tracker, which they will be required to show when going into different facilities on campus. All students will be permitted to leave campus as they wish, with no restrictions on off-campus travel.

What will the student experience look like this fall for those who are fully vaccinated if we reach the 90 percent vaccination rate among students?

Wearing masks will be optional for those fully vaccinated. The University encourages and welcomes any member of our community to continue to wear a mask. We understand that students, faculty or even staff may feel more comfortable wearing a mask even if fully vaccinated – and we welcome this. There are many reasons why individuals will still want to wear a mask which may include protecting themselves from other viruses, colds and flus or protecting loved ones at home who are at risk or unable to be vaccinated.

Students may visit their friends in other residence halls and in-person events will resume. Testing – only once per week - will continue to be required in order to quickly identify and isolate any cases of the virus on campus, especially the Delta variant or future variants, as recommended by the Commonwealth’s Testing Protocol Group for Higher Education. 

Should a vaccinated student test positive for COVID-19, then they must isolate for at least 10 days and be cleared by a medical provider. (Vaccinated individuals exposed to COVID-19 will not require a quarantine unless symptomatic.)

We anticipate that most students will be learning in-person, in classrooms. However, we understand that some students may not be able to be present in classrooms due to health concerns related to the pandemic, which will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

For those who are not vaccinated, which includes anyone who has received an exemption from the vaccine requirement, the student experience will be different as we strive to continue to promote the health and safety of all members of the campus community, including those who are not vaccinated, based on guidance from the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Students who are unvaccinated and are exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual will need to quarantine at home for 10 days (with testing on day 8, released on day 10). Unfortunately, room and board refunds will not be offered given the widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccines.

 

Also, unvaccinated students, commuter or residential, will be tested upon arrival to campus, then quarantine until they receive notification of a negative result. Unvaccinated residential students will move in on Wednesday, August 25, to accommodate the testing and quarantine requirement prior to Move-in Weekend. Unvaccinated commuters will be tested on campus on August 25 and 26.

These are not punitive measures, rather upholding our responsibility to promote the health and safety of all members of the campus community, students, faculty and staff. I share this information now so students, their parents and families have this information well in advance of the start of the fall semester.

This also underscores the importance of achieving a 90 percent vaccination rate for students, faculty and staff. In April, the University shared with students a form to apply for an exemption for religious or medical reasons. All applications are reviewed, but the exemption is not guaranteed. We encourage students to make informed decisions. The University website has a variety of resources and FAQs on the vaccine for students and families to review in making your decisions.

While overnight guests cannot be accommodated in the fall semester, we look forward to welcoming parents and a limited number of family members who are fully vaccinated to campus on Move-in Day. Masks will be required for all students and those assisting them on Move-in Day. The University will again conduct a staggered, phased move-in process over three days, August 27, 28 and 29. Students will be notified in mid-July of their move-in day and time, along with any limitations on the number of guests who will be permitted on Move-in Day. No visitors will be permitted to come to campus during the first month of the semester. We need the first few weeks of the semester to onboard all of our students, faculty and staff back to campus and will open campus to outside visitors after September 24. Proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test within 72 hours of a visitor's arrival on campus will be required when visiting campus. 

If we do not attain the 90 percent vaccination rate among students, we will not be in a position to ease the safety protocols on campus. I am confident that we will achieve the 90 percent vaccination rate so that we are able to return to a more normal campus experience. In the words of Pope Francis, “I believe that morally everyone must take the vaccine. It is the moral choice because it is about your life but also the lives of others.”

We are a community of learners, but we are also a community of compassionate individuals who cares for the well-being of one another; a community that makes decisions for the benefit not of self, rather for all. 

I hope that you enjoy the remainder of the summer.

Sincerely,

Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D.

President