Masks are required in dining halls, unless actively eating or drinking. Gathering together to share a meal is an important part of life here at W&M, and I am glad we can re-open our dining halls. Peggy Agouris, ProvostGinger Ambler, Vice President for Student AffairsAmy Sebring, Chief Operating Officer and COVID-19 Director. While the vaccines protect the inoculated individual, it is currently unclear whether they prevent the person from further spreading COVID-19. Campus Announcements Archive | William & Mary Please mark your calendar to do this weekly because participation is mandatory; do not rely on reminder emails. The overwhelming majority (roughly 80%) of these cases are occurring in students who live off campus. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary. In order to ensure that you are notified as soon as possible, please register with Vaccinate Virginia if you wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Finally, if COVID-19 cases remain low, I will shift to periodic updates rather than a weekly message cadence. You must complete this upload process for each vaccine dose on your card. With roughly a third of results received, the university has seen a significant uptick in positives within the student population. If you receive your first dose this week, you will receive a card with your dose information. I encourage members of our community to receive a flu shot and to remain vigilant with handwashing, mask-wearing, etc. Those who had a disability deferral or a temporary exemption (e.g., remote learning or accommodation) must secure a spring, Spring students who are admitted or readmitted after December 20 have until Tuesday, January 4, to upload proof of full vaccination to. Before vaccines were widely available, W&M relied on robust testing, widespread mask use and physical distancing, as well as remote teaching and working, to keep case numbers low and to prevent exponential spread. On Tuesday, April 6, enjoy over nine hours of fun wellness activities with . I look forward to crossing the finish line Healthy Together! In closing, I continue to marvel at the small wins that we are accomplishing together every day. Underwater bay grasses are a vital part of the bays ecosystem. Further, W&M epidemiologist Carrie Dolan noted this week that preliminary data show that current vaccines are less effective in preventing symptomatic infections from omicron, but a third dose can increase effectiveness to 70-75%. Please read on for additional details about vaccination status in our community, how to get access and recent process changes for those already vaccinated. William & Mary anticipates returning to normal capacity this fall, without social distancing restrictions. Please note that the week of November 22-26 includes Appreciation Days for William & Mary employees. COVID-19 spreads most rapidly among individuals who are in close contact with one another. Dear William & Mary Community, This week, there are two updates for our community regarding COVID-19. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to notify the university at ReportCOVID.wm.edu. For more information about dining locations and operations, visit the William & Mary Dining webpage. As of this morning, we have had a total of 100. Ralph Northam, If you wish to be vaccinated and have not done so already, you should pre-register with the, In addition, as William & Mary continues to facilitate vaccines for our employees as slots become available in area clinics, you should also fill out the vaccination questionnaire under the Personal Information tab in, Conversely, if youve already been vaccinated, please also fill out the questionnaire in. Students must confirm the order no later than 8 days prior to their planned return to campus through their. As we continue to work through vaccinating our community, Im asking managers to remain flexible with your team members who may need to shift their schedules to accommodate vaccine appointments for themselves and loved ones. Our continued vigilance will be what carries us through the end of this most challenging academic year. For example, students, faculty or staff members with underlying medical conditions or meeting certain age criteria may qualify for the 1A or 1B distribution schedule. I know that we have expanded the policy in the past two semesters due to exceptionally unusual circumstances and that some students hoped for a change this semester, even at this late point, but I want you to know ahead of todays withdrawal deadline that our policy will not change this semester. Following a work-related trip, employees are required to work remotely for five days before returning to in-person work. It is absolutely critical that you do not schedule major exams, essays or other work the day after a scheduled break day. This appears to be especially true of the omicron variant, which threatens the most rapid spread yet. Now, both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals who have a close contact with someone with COVID-19 should be tested 57 days after their last exposure. William & Mary is working with local Virginia Department of Health districts to identify W&M and VIMS employees who have job responsibilities that qualify them for vaccination in Phase 1A or Phase 1B. 02 and State Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr. J.D. The clinic has reserved doses of the Moderna vaccine for William & Mary students, faculty and staff. This document is designed to give potential users of the data a transparent view into . The official website of the Royal Family | The Royal Family This includes considerations such as physical classroom arrangements, course delivery methods and returning more substantially to in-person work. Additional undergraduate Spring Break days are scheduled for April 6-7. Birth, marriage, and death records are called Vital Statistics. Given the significant changes, William & Mary is updating the universitys vaccine policy, to require boosters, as well as W&Ms quarantine and isolation protocols. We will conduct full census testing of the student population living within 30 miles of campus beginning Thursday, February 11, with the bulk of the testing occurring the week of February 15. Celebrating the work of W&M faculty, staff and students. Prior to the recent uptick in cases, CRT and PHAT had been working on a plan to reduce restrictions at William & Mary in alignment with the governors recent guidelines, beginning April 1. Tags: Commencement Additional guidance & commitment to mutual support. Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU. That is one reason W&M did not opt for a shorter semester we heard what a stressor that was for students in the fall. Summer registration for undergraduates opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 22, with registration for graduate programs being staggered through March and April. Do not eat or drink in classrooms during the day or after hours. Residence Life will be in touch with Tribe Square residents to accommodate their summer housing needs. No quarantine is anticipated for international students and scholars as long as they test negative. As we did in the fall, we are counting on each of you to help us navigate these unprecedented times. As we continue to plan effective policies for the fall and gather information about the vaccination status of our campus community, the Public Health Advisory Team currently recommends a COVID-19 mitigation plan that prioritizes vaccination and adequate prevalence testing. Students are responsible for having a plan to isolate off campus should they test positive this academic year; this was announced in July. If you are experiencing health symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please seek medical attention right away. In addition, given that most of our summer activities will be remote, we will provide limited prevalence testing for those remaining on campus and case management for positive cases. Do not assume its only a cold or allergies. This cadence allows William & Mary to identify positive cases quickly, an important public health action when social distancing and some masking requirements have been lifted. Students should look for additional information later this week. Northams guidance that vaccine distribution should be allocated equally under Phase 1B between work responsibilities and age, the local vaccine clinic administration asked William & Mary to add contact information for our employees who are over 65. The CDC now recommends that in areas where there is a substantial infection rate, everyone should wear a mask in public indoor spaces, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. Rumors often circulate on campus know that we cannot take any action unless concrete information pertaining to violations of our policies is reported to us. Data suggest that for every one person with COVID-19, two more become infected. In response, William & Mary is working with the Commonwealths other public institutions of higher education and public health officials in advance of the next academic year. Case managers provide information on area hotels that have partnered with W&M to provide discounted rates to any student who is 18 years or older. Some additional requirements may need to be observed; these will be announced by email from the COVID-19 director. Health Protocols: Given current vaccine supply, it is likely that our entire community may not be vaccinated until summer or even fall. Specific physical distancing is not currently required, though the CDC advises people who are not yet fully vaccinated to continue to observe the six-foot rule. Although not required, use your discretion to distance where possible. Full vaccination remains in the best interests of the health of the W&M community. To do so, upload photos of the vaccination card you received when you were administered a COVID-19 vaccine. However, given that boosters are widely available, if you do wish to receive a booster vaccine and are within the appropriate time frame to do so, please visit your preferred pharmacy and let them know that you work at William & Mary. (Vaccinated close contacts need not self-quarantine.). Finally, as we all get ready for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend on October 7-10, please remember to respect COVID-19 protocols and one anothers comfort levels. Todays results confirmed continued increases in the number of students testing positive, with the final batch of results expected over the weekend. So, continue wearing your mask, maintaining distance, washing your hands and engaging remotely with friends, family and colleagues when you are able. William & Mary uses PCR testing for its very high accuracy. Understanding the general pandemic landscape at William & Mary will help contextualize this semesters decisions. They kicked off this semesters blogging yesterday with a discussion of how and what they look for when theyre seeking evidence of classroom spread, Disease Detectives in the Classroom. The post considers two important topics: possible spread of COVID-19 in teaching spaces and prevalence testing. 2020 Campus Announcements | William & Mary This includes expanded classroom access as student study space; no food or drink is permitted in these spaces. This week, we saw a significant uptick in reported vaccinations at the university, in response to the call from Ginger Ambler, vice president of Student Affairs, and Amy Sebring, chief operating officer and COVID-19 director last Monday. Those who had an approved religious exemption do not need to take any action. We have much information to cover, so please make sure to read this entire message for detailed updates on essential topics: I encourage you to keep this message for future reference and also to bookmark Path Forward, which has been updated for the fall. We rely on the community to make sure that we have up-to-date information. I want to reiterate that the vaccine landscape is ever-changing. We recognize, however, that on-campus students may need a day or two of transition as they temporarily move from university housing to an off-campus location for isolation. Over the last several days, weve seen a significant increase in the number of active positive student cases. Courtney M. Malveaux J.D. Anticipating that early winter would bring a pandemic surge, we have planned significant additional steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. One of William & Marys greatest strengths is our sense of community. Continue to wear your mask, wash your hands and resist the urge to gather closely or in large groups. It is important that anyone who has been a close contact test at the right time to avoid receiving a false test result. Even as we look ahead to brighter days, current pandemic conditions in our region require that we be more vigilant than ever in our public health practices. Relatedly, if you do test positive for COVID-19 over the break, even if you are not in the area, please continue to visit ReportCOVID.wm.edu, as your diagnosis and 10-day isolation period may affect both your testing timing (if a student) as well as your return date to campus. Many people may choose to continue to wear them all or some of the time; please avoid making assumptions about why a person may or may not choose to wear a mask. They also are exempted from weekly prevalence testing. Dear William & Mary Community, I write today to provide a short update. Please note that students are still not permitted to eat in any classroom building. If you offer food, favor single-service and takeaway or portable options that allow people time and space to move outdoors. Please check your registration status even if you have already received your first dose. With that said, COVID-19 remains a part of our lives. CSNbbs - William & Mary Consistent with current VDH and CDC guidelines, we recommend students self-quarantine for 8-10 days prior to arrival. When you think that wont work, please dont hesitate to ask a colleague or friend for thoughtful support or report the unsafe behavior. In addition, there is evidence that students are coordinating testing independently and may be testing too soon after a close contact to detect viral load, thus providing a false sense of security while the virus incubates. As we have done throughout, we will continue to communicate with the W&M community through routine messages with updated information as it becomes available. I also recognize that the holiday season can be challenging and lonely for those who have suffered recent losses or are facing current struggles in their daily lives. Through March, PHAT has advised that we not ease restrictions at W&M. A few words of caution: Eating and drinking together are known modes by which COVID-19 transmission occurs. The Healthy Together Daily Health Check is available through the W&M Mobile app or m.wm.edu. First, with most student activity being remote for the summer, we have suspended updates to the COVID-19 dashboard as of Friday, May 21. Over the past week, we have seen concerns circulating regarding possible outbreaks at different locations on campus. Those vaccinated may still be carriers of the virus with the potential to infect others. Drop of location: UNIT DROP BOX, ACS BLDG 650 or any CYP site Last day to drop off is no later than Aug 9 close of business day. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is a time to reflect on all for which I am grateful and to gather with friends and family, share a meal, and at least in my case, watch football! We ask that each of us support each other in this way, as a matter of respect and care for the community. Outdoor tents are being added to campus to provide additional classroom, dining and recreational space. If you need support this semester, please reach out your faculty members, academic advisor, and staff in our support offices are among the many people who stand ready to assist. At this time, we anticipate that we will continue requiring face masks and physical distancing, along with other precautions intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Program Overview Contacts. Communication to Faculty/Access to Course Materials. Therefore, as we move into the summer and begin returning to more typical capacity levels in our buildings, we will lift the 6-foot distancing requirement in William & Mary facilities. Please continue to wear a mask, practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene. I recognize that the uneven rollout of the vaccine has been confusing and frustrating. Here are the important pieces of information to know as they relate to COVID-19 and university operations: Vaccines: In response to Gov. We highly recommend that you continue to use it; however, we will not be requiring its use this semester. Yet students have been overwhelmingly clear about what they seek from their college experience at William & Mary: in-person learning and living, with the ability to convene as freely as possible on our beautiful campus. With the fall 2021 semester around the corner, I write today to summarize COVID-19 policies that will guide William & Mary in the new school year. Please go to the at-will testing portal to schedule an appointment if youre interested. Failing to comply with the directions of university officials) and may result in disciplinary action. As a reminder, participation in the universitys testing program is mandatory; if you are contacted to participate in prevalence testing, you must respond. Even while some activities have returned to normal, the pandemic is not over. A year into pandemic, we know how best to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. We started in a different position. Increasingly, the local COVID-19 vaccine clinic is relying on the statewide registration system, rather than employers such as William & Mary, to coordinate booking. William & Mary welcomed 25 of Africa's brightest, emerging civic leaders embarking on a six-week Leadership Program of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Or perhaps you want to schedule an advising session? The strenuous work required to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community has required extraordinary effort from many faculty, staff, and students. William & Marys dynamic campus life, including events, traditions and intercollegiate athletics, are anticipated to return to normal capacity, without distancing, this fall. As in the fall, W&M is implementing a robust coronavirus testing program that includes pre-arrival testing as well as wastewater, prevalence and at-will testing throughout the semester. Students who are not in compliance face being disenrolled for the spring semester. Police and other essential workers are eligible for Phase 1B distribution and we are working to get them scheduled for vaccines. If positivity rates remain reasonable, W&M plans to transition to limited indoor seating with the start of in-person undergraduate classes on February 10. However, in the future, when the vaccines are approved beyond emergency use, they may be included among the other vaccinations the Commonwealth requires of students who attend W&M or for employees. We are also piloting a new system for testing that uses student mailboxes and a drop-site for saliva tests. If you are contacted and wish to be vaccinated, please schedule your appointment. Columbia University, William & Mary Will Use Test-Optional - Forbes We will also increasingly rely on these results to assess how many in our community have been vaccinated and the extent to which those numbers allow us to modify our operational practices. I write today with some final pieces of information related to W&Ms COVID-19 operations as we move into the summer months. Looking for the latest announcements? William & Mary will no longer require face masks outdoors on campus, effective tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18. This email also summarizes additional measures to mitigate COVID-19 at William & Mary this spring. I write today with updates on student vaccinations and the CNU vaccination clinic, accommodating vaccination schedules and side effects, and student census testing. This is a reminder that we have extended the indoor masking policy through the end of the semester. For more information about vaccinations and to make an appointment, please visit Vaccinate Virginia or talk with your doctor or pharmacist. The. Like many of our peer institutions across the state and country, we continue to believe that making another unusual change to existing grading policy would not be wise. As tempting as it is to drop our guard, we dont have to look far to see surging cases on campuses or in areas that have become less diligent. With both planning needs in mind, this email includes details about the summer and a brief preview of the fall. The Public Health Advisory Team is considering how William & Mary should appropriately respond, as the Virginia Department of Health continues to signal concern about the potential of community spread on college campuses. Over the next few weeks, all students who live off campus but within 30 miles of the university. It was so gratifying to see the Class of 2020 graduate after a historic year. We will continue the below action steps for the next week: At their core, these changes are intended to encourage socialization, eating and drinking outdoors to the extent possible and mask wearing to slow the spread of transmission of COVID-19 in the W&M community. Announcements Archive. Consistent with Governor Northams decision to ease certain commonsense public health restrictions, William & Mary will no longer establish or enforce restrictions on the size of employee or student gatherings off campus. They are recommended if you are in a large gathering outdoors. William and Mary - Wikipedia We do not expect to exceed 2% in positivity rate, but the Public Health Advisory Team is also focused on the. More detailed information can be found on the Student Leadership Development website. While vaccination status is reported to the central university, it remains individual medical information that should be treated with the same level of sensitivity that you would apply to any other medical inquiry. International students should contact. 368 would like to be vaccinated when there's an opportunity. Last week, we tested over 1,000 students and employees distributed across three different labs. We know that although many individuals are fully vaccinated, the campus community as a whole is not fully vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week issued, If you are interested in getting vaccinated and are contacted by either W&M or VDH, please respond. General headings were also searched for indication of vital records content. Specialized activities and working conditions may require more frequent testing, as warranted, based on the recommendations of our Public Health Advisory Team. With that in mind, we are temporarily reinstating a requirement for masks to be worn indoors by everyone, including visitors, in shared spaces, effective Tuesday, Aug. 10. We hope this weekend and next weeks Spring Break days are restful and offer the opportunity to rejuvenate mid-semester. She considers boosting our original COVID-19 shots as one of the most important actions we can take right now to protect ourselves and others and to continue to learn in person. Employee cases have remained static at three active cases for the last week. Another reminder that all employees faculty and staff must reaffirm the HTCC through. Meal swipes can also be used in Sadler Express, Tribe Food Truck, Tribe Market and Student Xchange for a to-go meal. Many times, the easiest way to locate marriage records is to avoid the main government offices and go to the regional office. William & Mary announced today its intention to award a contract to Aramark that will span 10 years and enhance the food service program on campus. My last few updates -- including todays -- have focused on COVID-19 in an effort to provide information in a timely manner as conditions continue to evolve. W&M is participating in the CDCs Mask Adherence Observation Study. Were nearing the end of another successful semester under pandemic conditions. Failure to comply with the weekly testing requirement will be considered a violation of the Student Code of Conduct (i.e. Vaccine Requirement As you know, we are starting this academic year with 93% of our students and 90% of employees learning and working on campus fully vaccinated. The Records section will walk you through the process to upload each dose. While vaccination has ramped up in the Commonwealth the past few weeks, quite a number of our W&M community are not yet fully vaccinated. Apparel, Gifts & Textbooks | The William & Mary Official Bookstore W&M is providing transportation from campus to the hotel for students who do not have a personal car. W&Ms case management and quarantine & isolation housing programs are robust and have adequate capacity to help ensure that affected students receive the healthcare they need and continue their studies remotely until they are able to resume in person. Chick-fil-A closed Tuesday after at least one employee tested positive for COVID-19. Remember, studying and living together at William & Mary means we bear a special responsibility to care for one another. NOTE: The HTCC policy applies to all students, regardless of whether or not you have been vaccinated already. Masks over the nose and mouth are required in shared indoor spaces, including classrooms. We hope to address the most pressing interests of this community in that conversation. No food is to be brought in, ordered or consumed in these spaces. The entire region and state remain at the highest levels of transmissibility yet, with some of the national models predicting cases will spike in late October or early November as we enter into the late fall and winter. Beloved guardian of William & Mary's Wren Building dies at 89 Normal hours will resume Monday, April 12. And we continue to offer as much flexibility as possible for our students, so each can choose the learning environment that gives them the best chance of success in this time of ongoing uncertainty. Expanding W&M's reach, educating for impact and evolving to excel. ), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). People identified as close contacts, who are not yet fully vaccinated, should test twice: first upon learning they have become a close contact of a positive person and again 5-7 days after their exposure. After that date, W&M will no longer be coordinating vaccination appointments, as they have become widely available to the general public. The Colonial Williamsburg clinic and the CNU clinic have been administering Moderna vaccines. The Public Health Advisory Teams two epidemiologists, Drs. As a reminder, if you believe that you are eligible for a vaccine under Phase 1B due to an underlying medical condition rather than work requirements or age, please go to your local health departments website to register and consult with your healthcare provider. If you believe you qualify for Phase 1A or 1B due to your age or underlying medical condition(s), you should follow up with VDH and your physician or healthcare provider. Family events such as births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials are key elements of genealogy and family history research. In addition to the rise in cases, we are seeing an alarming pattern of students not readily identifying close contacts, which is limiting our ability to provide a comprehensive public health response. I write to share William & Marys expectations for the spring semester, with planned adjustments that reflect current public health conditions. Please also note that the policies and guidelines below apply to faculty and staff, as well as students, and are based on currently available data about rates of vaccination and community transmission. The university also has resources including virtual options to help students safeguard their mental health. Instagram . I provide this timeline not as a scare tactic, but for information. With all of this in mind, it is imperative that we continue to follow our COVID-19 related protocols and keep communal health at the top of our priority list. Even during the winter break, while most at W&M were rejuvenating, we had a core team that continued to work every day. Those email addresses are monitored continuously and your using them allows the W&M team to be most effective in responding. On these spring break days, classes will not meet and no due dates for assignments or exams will be scheduled. (May & August 2023 graduation application remains open) R 9/1. The Public Health Advisory Team continues to monitor CDC guidance on testing asymptomatic, vaccinated individuals and will update the community as needed. The critical importance of available vaccines becomes more evident every day. As we near the end of the semester, we recognize that many students will be leaving the Williamsburg area for the summer. If you are contacted by the Virginia Department of Health or W&M about a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, we encourage you to get vaccinated.
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