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To our faculty and staff community,

We are living in extraordinarily uncertain times. From the catastrophic events in Haiti and Afghanistan, to Hurricane Henri barreling towards Northeastern shores at the time of this writing, to the COVID-19 pandemic that keeps morphing, we are all left to wonder what is next.

As we approach the final two weeks before the start of the fall 2021 semester, we are writing to once again update you as to how we have been working with all due diligence for the launching of the fall semester. We have been preparing for this moment since we moved to remote modality in March 2020.

We are guided by two basic foundational principles which we are constantly balancing. The first is, of course, safety. And the second is, that as Boston’s only public university, serving largely first-generation college students, in-person education is not only what our students long for but also what they need. We are absolutely committed to making high-quality education accessible for all who seek to learn. While the return to campus fall preparations may look different than in normal times, our goals towards the pursuit of knowledge and our collective resilience to move forward together, come what may, remain the same.

In partnership with the full range of campus constituents, we have been carefully monitoring the ever-changing health situation and the guidance provided by federal, state, and local health organizations. We have and we will continue to follow the guidelines put forth by these organizations to ensure the safety of our entire campus community. The best available guidelines suggest that with a high percentage of vaccination rates AND indoor masking, gatherings can occur without social distancing. Read more from the CDC here.

As such, based on the information currently available, and while balancing these two principles of safety AND service, we are planning for and expecting a full return to campus for all students, faculty, and staff. This will include mostly face-to-face instruction, full residence halls, available dining and a full complement of student events, activities, and support services. Of course, we are also making contingency plans to pivot as the pandemic evolves and in alignment with the best public health guidance and recommendations moving forward. UMass Boston has put safety first during the entire course of the pandemic. We will continue to do so moving forward.

We must also acknowledge the individual and collective responsibilities we all hold to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our Beacon community. The precautions we take as individuals protect the entire community. We each play a role in serving and protecting the common good.

The following summarizes many of the policies and practices we’ve put in place for the fall semester based on the leading health guidance at this moment. Throughout the fall semester, we will continue to rigorously evaluate health conditions, public health guidance, and COVID-19 statistics and will continue to update the community on any changes to our plans.

Vaccinations

Students: The vaccine is required for all students who plan to live, learn, or work on campus. Students may request a religious or medical exemption as provided for by state and federal law. Our University Health Services (UHS) team is working diligently to continue to confirm and verify the vaccination status of our students via the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS), the Commonwealth’s central data base.

Faculty/Staff: Following productive discussions with campus labor unions, the university will require all faculty and staff to be vaccinated and to confirm proof of their vaccination status through the Service Now portal. Proof of a first vaccination shot must be submitted no later than Monday, September 6, 2021; proof of a second shot for two-dose vaccines must be submitted no later than Monday, October 4, 2021. Exemptions from these vaccine requirements will be permitted only for qualifying religious or medical reasons. And of course, we will continue to meet any bargaining obligations we may have in collaboration with campus unions.

Please bear in mind that, until fully vaccinated (i.e., two weeks following the last shot of the chosen vaccine), all faculty and staff must continue to participate in required weekly surveillance testing.

Face Coverings & Social Distancing

Due to the emerging COVID-19 variants including Delta, all members of the UMass Boston community — students, faculty, and staff —as well as contractors and visitors are required to wear face coverings in public indoor spaces on the UMass Boston campus. The requirement applies to vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals. Face coverings must be worn in nearly all indoor public spaces, including classrooms, hallways, elevators, restrooms, break rooms, entries and exits to buildings, laboratories, meeting rooms, shared offices, and work areas. Signage is in place throughout the campus to remind all of our shared responsibility to adhere to public health guidance.

The only times when face coverings are not required:

in personal offices when alone
in research spaces when alone
while actively eating or drinking
in residence hall rooms
outdoors
for children under the age of 2

Wearing a face covering is important for the health and safety of our community, and each of us has a responsibility to do our part. If you notice someone without a face covering indoors, you should feel free to distance yourself to the extent possible or, if you are comfortable doing so, politely remind them of the university policy requiring face coverings for all individuals indoors.

If you are a staff member, you may refer the situation to your supervisor or department head who will address the matter and who will escalate to the Dean of Students and/or HR if necessary.
If you are a faculty member in a classroom/lab setting, you should remind all students about the indoor masking policy, and you may ask the student to leave if they do not comply. Issues may be referred to the Dean of Students office directly or by filing a Maxient report.
Paul Revere, our shuttle bus vendor has strict policies stating that face coverings must be worn inside buses at all times. All drivers have been trained on protocols for how to manage a situation where someone refuses to wear a face covering. If the rider is not compliant, they will be asked to leave the bus.
If an individual refuses to wear a face covering, and does not heed requests to comply with the policy, the UMass Boston Police Department may be called to assist.

Following the current public health guidance, and given the protection flowing from a highly vaccinated population and the indoor face covering mandate, we have lifted the social distancing requirement. Read more from the CDC here.

Surveillance Testing

Any unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals will be required to participate in weekly surveillance testing at UHS at no cost to the individual. This includes those with a religious or medical exemption, as well as a small percentage of individuals who will start the semester partially vaccinated. In addition, even vaccinated students in higher risk populations will be required to participate in weekly surveillance testing. These groups include residential students, student athletes, and students in many performing arts courses.

Hygiene and Daily Health Screening

We will continue to clean high touch surfaces and common areas and encourage use of hand washing and hand sanitizer and other routine hygiene practices that promote good health. In addition, all students and employees will be asked to monitor their own health daily. Students will complete a daily checklist in the Point ‘n Click application on My Health Beacon. Employees are asked to review the daily checklist on Service Now prior to coming to campus each day.

Positive Cases, Testing & Close Contacts Protocols

Testing: Free on-demand COVID-19 testing is available to any faculty, staff, or student regardless of vaccination status. Anyone may call the UHS testing hotline at 617.287.4355 to request a COVID-19 test. Referrals will then be made about when and where to go on campus for a test. No community member should expect to physically walk in to UHS to receive a test unless they have received a referral via the hotline.

What to do if you feel ill?

Regardless of your vaccination status, if you are experiencing possible symptoms of COVID-19 you should stay home, contact your supervisor and UHS at 617.287.5660. You should then schedule a test via UHS or your health care provider. Isolate in place until you receive your test result and receive guidance from your health care provider.

What to do if you test positive?

You must isolate for 10 days regardless of your vaccination status. If you test positive through a facility other than UHS report your results to them at 617.287.5660.

What if you’ve been identified as a close contact, or if someone in your household has tested positive?

Consult a UHS clinician by calling 617.287.5660 and schedule a test (on day 3, 4 or 5 after exposure).
If you are fully vaccinated, you need to monitor for symptoms and wear a mask for 10 days, or at least until you receive a negative test result.
If you are not fully vaccinated, you will need to quarantine for 10 days.
If you experience symptoms, immediately contact a UHS clinician.

Dining

Indoor dining will be returning to pre-pandemic capacity in the Food Court and Dining Commons. We encourage everyone to use good judgment when it comes to their proximity to others while eating in any setting. We encourage outdoor dining when possible. We will be providing increased pre-packaged options wherever food is served.

Employee Assistance

As we embark on our transition back to campus, we acknowledge the range of emotions that many of us are feeling, particularly the concerns about both physical and mental health for ourselves and our loved ones. We encourage everyone to be aware of and utilize the many resources available at UMass Boston that provide assistance, consultation, or support.

Confidential On-Campus Counseling and Support Resources:

Employees may seek the confidential and free of charge counseling services of ComPsych at the university’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Call: 844.393.4983 TDD: 800.697.0353
guidanceresources.com - Web ID: UMASS
Other resources provided by the EAP can be found here.

Confidential Off-Campus Community Counseling and Support Resources:

Many off-campus counseling resources are available. At this link you’ll find service providers that are, in part, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These service providers are not required to report any information to the University and will generally maintain one’s confidentiality.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in both keeping our campus community as safe as possible as well as providing a quality education to our students. We are grateful for your collective efforts and good will, and we stand ready to support in all ways we can. We are confident that with everyone’s cooperation we can make the fall return to campus both a safe and welcoming experience.

Sincerely,

Marcelo Suárez-Orozco
Chancellor

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