EMPLOYEES: Important Changes in COVID-19 Protocols

July 19, 2021

Dear colleagues,

We wanted to let you know that as of this week, Andrews will resume most normal pre-COVID-19 operations, with new guidelines and expectations in place for those who are fully vaccinated or unvaccinated as we continue to seek ways to best assure safety for individuals and our Andrews University community.

Please note that those who tested positive for COVID-19 and isolated will be assumed to have acquired immunity and may follow the vaccinated guidelines.

If you have not yet recorded a vaccination, please do so immediately as this will help the campus continue to make timely decisions. If that’s your situation, please take a moment to do so at this link.

These guidelines do not change current work arrangements for remote employees. They should continue to plan to return to campus the week of August 1, except where other arrangements have been made.

Additionally, these guidelines replace previous Andrews University communication and guidelines for COVID-19 mitigation.

Fully Vaccinated/Acquired COVID-19 Immunity

Masks and distancing
Masks and distancing are optional. Those at high risk may still wish to consider precautions, especially in large gatherings or crowded enclosed spaces.

Symptoms monitoring
No required daily reporting. Please do report from #CampusClear if you have COVID-19 symptoms and follow instructions for staying home, testing, etc.

Testing
No required surveillance testing. If you are showing COVID-19 symptoms, however, you should still follow testing protocols and any required quarantine/isolation.

Travel
No domestic travel restrictions. All those wanting to travel internationally on business will need to follow country regulations on vaccinations and testing and must get approval for travel from a senior administrator (dean, vice president or University officer). Any trip involving students must be discussed with the relevant dean/vice president and forwarded for approval to the provost, vice president for Financial Administration or president. The request should include all mitigation protocol plans. Any travel in University vehicles, for example, should require masks for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.

Unvaccinated Individuals

Masks and Distancing

• Masks outside are optional.
• Masks are expected in internal public spaces, except for when eating.
• When outdoors, six feet distancing is also still strongly recommended, but not required, when in large groups.
• Indoors, distancing is recommended when you are in common spaces, and where seating is not fixed.
• Classrooms will no longer have a distancing requirement during the 2021–2022 school year.
• Please Note: The University assumes that unvaccinated individuals will act on their commitment to the Andrews University Community Covenant of Care and will mask and distance as appropriate, without monitoring.

Symptoms monitoring
No required daily reporting. Please do report from #CampusClear if you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person. Follow instructions for staying home, testing, etc.

COVID-19 Testing
Surveillance testing is expected at the beginning of the fall semester and monthly thereafter. This testing can be done at existing testing sites in Berrien County (click here for more details) and/or through use of the University’s medical plan. Some may choose to test more regularly, especially if they are personally at risk, or are in close proximity regularly with another unvaccinated individual who is at risk for medical reasons.

Travel
No University business travel outside of the Michiana region, but exceptions will be made for essential travel. Essential will mean when an event necessary to a particular position requires travel and cannot be done by another employee and where it is possible to maintain University-expected COVID-19 protocols without risk to others. Employees should have such travel approved by the relevant dean/VP/University officer, including relevant mitigation protocols.

Any trip involving students must be discussed with the relevant dean/VP and forwarded for approval to the provost, vice president for Financial Administration or president. The request should include all mitigation protocols. Any travel in University vehicles, for example, should require masks for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.

At-Risk
If you personally feel at-risk with these protocols, please contact our Office of Human Resources to make appropriate arrangements.

In connection with these changes, our Plant Administration team will begin working with building managers to make changes to classrooms and campus facilities to allow a return to normal operations, with limited use of dividers and shields in public spaces.

If you have additional questions on these new guidelines, please contact covid19@andrews.edu.

We’ll also plan to have an employee Town Hall meeting in late July or early August to review these new guidelines and to help us best prepare for the new school year. We’ll keep you posted on those details.

Please note that significant changes or new risks with the current COVID-19 situation will bring appropriate and timely changes in mitigation efforts and we will let you know if or when that’s needed.

Our “Changing World” website has been revised to reflect these new approaches, and we invite you to continue to consult that website for the latest information and resources as we now enter into this new year. We look forward to moving carefully into a new normal that we have hoped, longed and prayed for over the last year and a half.

Thank you for your contributions, prayers and commitment as we take these careful and important steps forward for our Andrews University community.

Cordially

Andrea Luxton
President

Christon Arthur
Provost