May 14, 2021 – Summer COVID Protocols
Dear members of the Whitman community,
I am writing to update you regarding Whitman’s summer COVID protocols. As previously announced, these protocols will take effect on Monday, May 24, the day after Commencement.
The importance of vaccination
In accordance with state and CDC guidance, we are pleased to begin to loosen a number of restrictions for those in our campus community who are vaccinated. While state guidance is not fully updated to match CDC guidance yet, we believe we will be able to ease requirements for mask wearing and social distancing in lower risk situations for those who are fully vaccinated. This makes vaccination more important than ever. It remains our expectation that every member of the Whitman community who is able will be vaccinated by the time these new protocols take effect.
If you are not yet vaccinated, you can find available vaccines and make appointments through a few sources:
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The CDC’s nationwide vaccine locator tool
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There are walk-in clinics with the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines three days a week (from 3–5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) at Providence Southgate Medical Center
Who will have access to campus facilities?
Whitman will remain closed to the public over the summer, and buildings will continue to require card swipe access. Those entering campus facilities will also need a valid access badge (similar to the current Everbridge green checkmark badge), and may be asked to produce this at any time.
All faculty and staff will have access to campus beginning Monday, May 24, regardless of spring semester access privileges.
Students who have documented their vaccination through the college’s online form will be able to apply for general daytime campus access which will allow access to fitness facilities, to Penrose Library, for employment on campus, for research or other work with faculty, and other general uses. Students who have already documented their vaccination can request summer access now. Students do not need a faculty or staff member to request access on their behalf.
These access requests will be evaluated solely on whether a student has submitted proof of vaccination. Those who have a documented medical or religious exemption from the vaccination requirement can petition for access on an individual basis. Without an exemption, students will not be able to access campus unless they have completed vaccination (two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson). Swipe access beyond the default daytime access to academic and administrative buildings will be managed on an individual basis as it would have been prior to the enactment of COVID protocols.
If I am approved to be on campus, how will I obtain a valid access badge?
Students, faculty and staff who have documented proof of vaccination (and in the case of students, have submitted their online request for summer access) will be emailed a badge that gives standard campus access privileges for the full summer. This can be shown electronically or printed. Surveillance testing will not be required for those who are vaccinated. While the online daily wellness check is also not required for vaccinated individuals over the summer, we still ask that every member of our community continue to be vigilant about their wellness, and not come to campus if they have COVID symptoms that are not explained by other factors.
For those who have not documented proof of vaccination, testing will be required on a weekly basis. Very limited available testing times will be sent to those who have been granted summer access to campus and have not submitted proof of vaccination. To access campus in any given week, those in this category must attend the available testing time to receive a campus access badge that will be valid for the following seven days. Those who miss testing will not be allowed on campus until they complete the next available round of testing one week later or submit proof of vaccination. Those in this group will also be asked to self-administer a wellness check before coming to campus each day.
How will the badge system be enforced?
Supervisors should ask their direct reports (including student workers) to provide their valid campus access badge on a regular basis. Those who cannot produce a badge should be asked to leave campus until they are able to produce their access badge.
Even as we reduce the number of restrictions on campus, it is important to remember that COVID has not gone away. Even those who are fully vaccinated still face some risk, and may be able to spread the virus to others. For this reason, we still encourage you to take common-sense precautions such as mask wearing and social distancing in crowded and other situations where transmission may be more prevalent.
If you have comments or questions, I’d be happy to do my best to address them.
Josh Jensen