March 1, 2022
A Message from
Ursuline College President Sister Christine De Vinne, OSU, PhD
Dear Ursuline College campus community:
Based on new CDC guidelines, we are happy to announce the latest changes in campus COVID-19 protocols. We are grateful to each of you for having helped us weather the pandemic to date, especially for your awareness that our actions as individuals and our care for the safety of others affect our whole campus community.
- Effective Tuesday March 1, 2022, masks are optional in campus buildings EXCEPT for classrooms and labs, unless a person has symptoms, a positive test, or exposure (see #2 below). Masking is still required in classrooms for students, faculty, and visitors, but for other campus activities, such as meetings, fitness center and gym, housekeeping, security, etc., masks are optional. We will revisit this plan 2 weeks after returning from spring break and, if we do not experience a surge, we will drop mask mandates in classrooms effective Monday, March 28.
- Anyone with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 must continue to wear a mask when isolating/quarantining, including for the 5 days after returning to campus.
- Masks are still encouraged for those who have underlying health conditions or for those who live with someone with underlying health conditions. In individual interactions, as, for example, meeting someone in an office, we count on shared respect. If someone is masking due to personal circumstances and expresses concern to you as an office visitor (or host), please help work this out, possibly by adding a mask yourself or offering to meet virtually.
- We will continue to conduct surveillance testing for those who are unvaccinated. We will also revisit this plan 2 weeks after break, with the possibility of dropping surveillance testing effective Monday, March 28.
- We encourage all students to test before returning to campus after spring break.
- Student-athletes will follow NCAA guidelines for masking and testing. They will continue to wear masks in all vans. They will continue to wear masks in chartered busses unless 6’ social distancing is possible.
- If transmission rates in Cuyahoga County increase significantly or if the county, state, or CDC issues new guidance, then we will revise our plan, including the likelihood of masking for all. Current CDC guidance, including county-by-county transmission rates in terms of “low,” “medium,” and “high,” can be found at the CDC website.
Reminders:
- Students notify covidhelp@ursuline.edu if they have symptoms or have been exposed to someone testing positive.
- Employees notify kknaus@ursuline.edu if they have symptoms or have been exposed to someone testing positive.
- It’s not too late to get a vaccine and/or booster.
With prayers for a world in need, especially in Ukraine,
And with prayers for health and safety during midterm break,
Sr. Chris
