Important information about fall semester

Interim President Marcia White sent the following information regarding COVID-19 and the fall semester to Saint Rose students today (July 30, 2021):

Dear students,

We hope you’re having a great summer, and have had time for fun, rest, and relaxation. We are excited to have you back and on campus for a great Saint Rose fall semester in a few weeks.

However, we cannot overlook the fact that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is of growing concern. Throughout the country, there has been a spike in COVID-19 cases in areas where vaccination rates are low. Although we’re beginning to get important aspects of our daily lives back, this race is not yet won.

As a result, we are making some adjustments to the plan for returning to campus next month, which are outlined below. All are subject to change.

Vaccination
Students will not be required to have the COVID-19 vaccination in order to come to campus until it receives full FDA approval, and this has not yet occurred. It is currently being distributed under FDA emergency use authorization. Although the vaccine is not yet required at Saint Rose, we strongly encourage all students who have not yet been vaccinated to show concern for the dear neighbor and get their vaccine before returning to campus.

For more information about the benefits of being vaccinated, please see this CDC resource.

Please note that when the vaccine receives full approval from the FDA, we will not require the vaccine immediately. We will communicate with you about when the requirement will take effect, allowing enough time to have the vaccine before the start of the next full semester. Just like with the required MMR vaccine, students will be able to apply for either a medical or religious exemption to the vaccine requirement.
The process is simple, and details can be found on our restart website under Vaccine Exemptions.

We will hold an on-campus Pfizer vaccination clinic on September 9, with the second dose clinic following on September 30. The vaccination is free and available to all members of our campus community and their family members age 12 and older. Please share this with your friends and family, and if you have not been vaccinated, make a plan to receive your vaccine on September 9.

Required documentation for the Fall 2021 semester
All undergraduate and graduate students and employees must submit ONE of two items before returning to campus:

Proof of full vaccination (completed 14 days in advance of your first day on campus – such as move-in day or the first day of classes). Students can upload proof of full vaccination to Medicat now. See this guide to Medicat if you need assistance.

OR

A negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of your return to campus (such as move-in day or the first day of classes). Students must submit negative test results to covidresults@strose.edu at least 12 hours before their campus arrival. Please include your name and Saint Rose ID number in your email with your results.

If you have any questions about submitting either your test results or proof of vaccination, contact covidresults@strose.edu.

Updated mask guidance
As we are not requiring the vaccine for fall, and out of an abundance of caution and in alignment with CDC guidance, we are returning to our mask policy as an important layer of protection for our community.

Beginning August 9, masks must be worn inside of all College buildings, regardless of vaccination status. As before, masks do not need to be worn when eating or while alone in one’s residence hall room or office. Due to the low level of transmission risk, masks do not need to be worn outside. We will revisit this policy as needed.

Social distancing
Spacing between seats in classrooms will be reduced from 6 feet to 3 feet, mirroring the current guidance for K-12 schools. This will enable us to have in-person classes at full capacity.

Testing and quarantine
We will continue weekly sample testing for COVID-19 throughout the fall semester. Students who submit proof of vaccination will be exempt from this testing in accordance with CDC guidance.

Based on current CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals who are not showing symptoms are not required to quarantine if exposed to COVID-19.

Academic and student life
Approximately 85% of classes are being offered fully in-person this fall. Please note that as before the COVID-19 pandemic, some courses are offered online as determined by their academic departments.

If you have concerns about your schedule, please reach out to your faculty advisor or the academic advising office at advisement@strose.edu or 518.454.5217.

In-person events similar to those held prior to the pandemic will resume, though sign-in may be required for contact tracing purposes.

Move-in for the residence halls
Move-in procedures for students living in the residence halls can be found under the Housing and Dining section of the restart website.

Please note that we will not be using Brubacher Hall this year due to the pandemic’s impact on enrollment and students’ requests for housing.

Additional information
Please see the restart website for FAQs and additional details, email questions to studentdevelopment@strose.edu, and keep an eye on your College email throughout the summer for updates until we can welcome you HOME.

Sincerely,

Marcia White
Interim president