To the Anna Maria College Community,
As we are coming to the close of the Fall semester I want thank you for doing your part to keep our campus healthy and safe. We had a successful semester because of your cooperation with the College’s COVID-19 regulations and our 96% fully vaccinated community. A fully vaccinated campus community is still our best mitigation, and I am grateful for your compliance.
With the Delta variant still on the rise, the emergence of the Omicron variant, and holiday gatherings, the College will continue our enhanced COVID-19 protocols for the start of the Spring semester. The masking requirement will also remain in effect, regardless of vaccination status, for classrooms, indoor public spaces, faculty and staff offices, recreational facilities, the chapel, and dining. Students and Employees at Anna Maria may remove their masks in the personal space of their assigned dorm rooms or offices. The College will reassess this masking requirement by February 1, 2022.
As a further safety measure, Anna Maria will continue its COVID-19 testing program in partnership with the Broad Institute. Fully vaccinated students, faculty and staff will test weekly; those with waivers will test twice weekly. Testing will begin the week of January 17th. Further details about testing schedules and locations are forthcoming. As with masking, the College will reassess its approach to testing by February 1st. To start the Spring semester, visitors will not be permitted in the Residence Halls. Depending on positivity rates, the College will phase visitor access into the Residence Halls starting February 1st. Additionally, students participating in an off-site academic program experience such as clinical, field work and internships will be required to meet that site’s COVID-19 regulations, even if the requirements extend beyond that of Anna Maria College.
At this time, the College is not requiring the COVID booster prior to the start of the Spring semester; however, as with any preventative vaccine, we recommend receiving the booster as available.
These steps put safety first. I believe that a fully vaccinated campus and proactive approach to safety will expedite our return to normalcy and I look forward to seeing you all in 2022.
Sincerely,
President Mary Lou Retelle
