Students: COVID-19 Updates & Significant Changes

Jan. 14, 2022

Dear students,

We are just finishing our first week of this new semester and are settling into our regular routines. I want to thank each one of you for making the choice to attend Andrews this semester.

I realize that at this moment in time, each of us is being directly affected by the continued impact of COVID-19 on how we study, live, worship and share time together. So I want to also thank you for your patience and cooperation with us as we continue to create the best possible learning and working environment we can in this current context. 

Earlier this week, you received an email about the current changes to isolation and quarantine expectations and times.

As a reminder, our current protocols require that all employees and students who are not fully vaccinated at a minimum, or who do not have natural immunity from a previous infection, should test once a month. To monitor compliance with this expectation, the University will randomly select employees and students each month to help assure that this is happening.

We continue to expect every member of our community to abide by our Community Covenant of Care, irrespective of changes to external COVID-19 regulations and protocols.

With that in mind, and as we move into a few very critical weeks in this global pandemic impacted by the Omicron variant, here are some recommendations and reminders—including some new ones—to maximize our capacity to serve each other well:

1. Please remember that you should always report positive test results and symptoms using #CampusClear. With the Omicron variant still strongly impacting our nation, state and campus, we encourage each one of our students to make the choice to test frequently, where self-test kits are available.
2. In addition to continuing to wear masks consistently indoors, regardless of vaccination status, please ensure they are at least two-ply in thickness (the fabric COVID-19 masks provided by Andrews University are two-ply and meet this expectation).
3. If you have not done so already, consider transitioning any in-person group gatherings to virtual/online connections for the next few weeks.
4. Consider eliminating food (sadly) from gatherings for a few weeks to minimize the times face masks will be removed.
5. Continue to watch the physical distancing and help establish and ensure natural distancing in spaces across our campus wherever that is possible.
6. Keep up-to-date on vaccinations and record them here.
7. And the perfect seven—remember to do all you can to maintain a strong immune system through the eight natural remedies, which focus on nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight (be sure to check out the infrared options at the Andreasen Center for Wellness if it’s cloudy out), temperance, air, rest and trust. These healthy measures make a difference.

Finally, let us remember we need each other’s kindness, patience and care. We especially need each other at this time—throughout our entire Andrews University community. If you didn’t get a chance to watch a special COVID-19 edition of The Feed yesterday at University Forum, be sure to check it out.

Thank you for being a cherished part of Andrews University in these challenging times as together we welcome a new semester of learning and engagement here on our Berrien Springs campus.

With care,

Frances Faehner
Vice President for Campus & Student Life