Regis to adopt flexible classroom plan for Spring semester
January 4, 2022 Dear Regis Community: As promised in my message to you Saturday, I am following up to share with you our plan for starting the Spring semester next week. Due to the Omicron strain of coronavirus, the University will adopt a flexible classroom plan with the goal of keeping our community as safe as possible while delivering the high-quality college education and experience our students want and deserve. We believe this plan is appropriate and sound, but it does rely on all of us to do our part to help keep ourselves and our colleagues, classmates, teachers and teammates healthy. To serve others and to follow cura personalis as our Jesuit mission calls us to do, it is incumbent upon us to follow basic public health guidelines and together build as safe a learning environment as possible. Here are the basic elements of our plan: • Boosters. Faculty, staff and students will be required to provide proof of a booster vaccination by February 1, 2022, or six months after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and two months after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Nearly half of all faculty and staff have already provided proof since this policy was announced on December 22. A booster clinic will be provided to students on Sunday, January 9, 2022. Details will be announced later this week. • Masks. Our indoor mask mandate will remain in place indefinitely. The University is recommending all community members use either N-95 or KN-95 masks to better protect against infection. There will be masks available in classrooms on a limited basis. • In-person and virtual classes. Classes will meet but we will provide flexibility for faculty to decide whether to hold classes in-person or temporarily hold them virtually through February 1. Faculty will inform students of individual class status by Friday, January 7. For classes that meet in-person – such as labs and related courses that cannot function virtually – students are encouraged to wear N-95 or KN95 masks. • On-campus living. Residential students will be required to take a rapid test upon arrival on campus, or bring with them a negative test taken within 48 hours of move-in, or a positive COVID-19 test dated after December 1, 2021. If a student has a positive rapid test result, they will move into temporary, on-campus isolation quarters per CDC guidelines. Residential students will receive an email regarding check-in times and new COVID-19 mitigation procedures. • On-campus work. Faculty and staff are encouraged to hold virtual meetings if possible. Cabinet members will work with their respective teams to determine if remote work is appropriate. • Care for your community. Monitoring your health and acting accordingly will be vital to help keep the virus away. Anyone who is exposed or experiences any COVID-19 symptoms should follow CDC protocols:
- Get tested 5 days after exposure or immediately if symptoms develop. If unvaccinated, get a PCR test; If vaccinated, get a rapid test.
- Confirmed COVID-19: Isolate 5 days, and if asymptomatic and fever free for 24 hours without medication, follow with 5 days of mask wearing. If symptoms persist beyond 5 days, confirmed positives cases should remain in isolation for 10 days.
- COVID-19 exposure:
- Unvaccinated or vaccinated more than 6 months ago (Moderna or Pfizer) or 2 months ago (J&J) and not boosted: Quarantine 5 days, revert to COVID protocols if experience symptoms, mask for 10 days if asymptomatic. Thereafter you resume your normal activities.
- Vaccinated and boosted: Wear a mask for 10 days following exposure, and revert to COVID protocols if experience symptoms. If not, you can resume normal activities.
Reporting is a necessary step to help keep our community healthy. Students must report positive tests results using the appropriate form, and may report symptoms to either RUSHS@regis.edu or Studentaffairs@regis.edu. Faculty and employees must send positive tests and symptoms to hrinfo@regis.edu. For more details on positive COVID test protocols, visit regis.edu/coronavirus. The President’s Response Team (PRT) will be meeting weekly, at a minimum, to monitor the situation, consult with public health officials and communicate any adjustments to our plan. By uniting in a common purpose to keep our community safe, Regis can continue to provide an enriching and vibrant college experience. Together, we achieved a nearly 94 percent immunization rate on campus this fall. And together this spring, through a spirit of resilience and care for one another, we can help defeat this virus and restore that sense of normalcy we all seek. Better together, 
Ms. Cody TeetsInterim President