Valparaiso University
COVID-19 Update
Dear Faculty and Staff,

As the Covid-19 Omicron variant has led to an increase in transmission rates throughout the country and the world, we are preparing for how to best keep our Valpo community safe.  Unfortunately, it appears that a continued surge into the beginning of 2022 is likely and we want to apply an abundance of caution in our approach entering the semester.  As such, we will begin the 2022 spring semester in-person but will require masks in all indoor spaces on campus except when individuals are alone in their offices. Masks will also be required for all events including worship services and indoor athletic contests. This policy will remain in effect until further notice.

In addition, we are requiring all faculty and staff to submit a negative antigen or PCR Covid-19 test within 72 hours of returning to campus or by January 10, 2022. No at-home tests will be accepted. A link to upload your test results will be available on the HR website by January 7, 2022. Information about free Covid-19 testing sites can be found here. Students will also be required to provide a negative Covid-19 test before returning to campus. Those who test positive will be asked to quarantine at home to start the semester. We have observed our community is most at risk when our members have been exposed to unvaccinated persons over breaks and therefore want to try to mitigate the effects of that exposure upon reentry.

We have also decided to suspend all business travel for the University during the month of January.  Those who were planning to travel next month as part of their regular work responsibilities are asked to work with their supervisor to cancel or reschedule. We realize that some faculty and staff are scheduled to attend conferences in January.  The decision to attend any in-person conference will be left up to the individual.  Please be aware that we are encouraging anyone with a scheduled conference to only attend those programs requiring masks during all activities and proof of vaccination for entrance, and to receive your booster vaccination shot prior to travel, if eligible.  Anyone electing to attend a conference in January will be required to provide to HR a negative Covid-19 test prior to returning to work on campus and an employee with a positive test result will need to adhere to the published University protocols before returning to campus.

Your adherence to our policies during the fall semester helped keep positive cases on campus to a minimum but we will need to continue to stay diligent throughout the spring to ensure the safety of our entire campus community. We will continue to monitor the rapidly changing pandemic environment throughout the break and review our current policies as necessary.

We hope that you have a very blessed Christmas!

Best Regards,
Eric
Darron
219.464.5000 - 1700 Chapel Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46383-6493 USA - valpo.edu
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