Update and planning for Fall Semester

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Key points of this message:

• This is a COVID-19 update message to assist with preparations for the 2021-2022 academic year
• The new Healthy Elon website was recently launched with important information about the upcoming year
• The deadline to request a COVID-19 vaccination exemption has passed
• Undergraduates must submit their COVID-19 vaccination documentation by July 30; deadlines vary for graduate programs
• Those who are unvaccinated must wear a mask in all public indoor spaces (including visitors) and test regularly; we also recognize that others will choose to wear masks on campus for a variety of reasons and everyone should carry a mask so they have one available if needed

The details:

As Elon prepares for the 2021-2022 academic year, a new website has been launched as a key resource for all members of the campus community as well as visitors to campus: www.elon.edu/healthyelon

Healthy Elon is the successor to last year’s Ready & Resilient website, which guided the community through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fall 2020, Elon was among about 23 percent of colleges and universities that conducted classes primarily in-person. Lessons learned from the 2020-2021 academic year informed members of the Ready & Resilient Committee as they created recommendations for Healthy Elon 2021-2022.

With a vaccinated campus and the ability to pivot and adapt as conditions demand, the Elon community looks forward to a more normal year and a fully engaged, relationship-rich learning model on campus and beyond.

Again this year, Elon will closely monitor COVID-19 guidance and infection tracking information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and public health departments in Alamance and Guilford counties.

A few key notes about the plans for this coming fall, with links to more information from the Healthy Elon website:

• The university announced COVID-19 vaccination information and policies last month. The deadline for students to request exemptions to the vaccination requirement has passed, but deadlines to submit COVID-19 vaccination documentation are approaching quickly (July 30 for undergraduate students).  Review the Vaccination Central section of the site for additional details and links to submit documentation.
• Students, faculty, and staff who have already uploaded their vaccination documentation or exemption request, may confirm they have satisfied the requirements by logging in here. Please check this site before calling with questions.
• Consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the NC Department of Health and Human Services, the university will continue expectations for regular COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff.
• Health and wellness information, including university guidelines on masks, and how positive test results will be handled can be found in the Health and Wellness section of the site. All members of the community should have masks available to wear if they are unvaccinated or are not feeling well.
• Elon classes will be held in-person this year and will not be taught in the hybrid or fully virtual formats used in some classes last academic year. Missed classes and work due to quarantine or other illness-related absences will be handled on a case-by-case basis per faculty discretion and policies set in course syllabi. Elon will return to the standard academic calendars for the 2021-2022 academic year, but the undergraduate daily class schedule will continue to have more time between classes. Information is found in the Academics section of the site.
• The Policies & Procedures section of the site consolidates the announced special policies on vaccination, masks, testing, absences and illness, and travel.
• The site also includes a section on Events, Activities, and Operations, with some of the information currently available about what life and work on campus will be like this year. Elon has reinstated face-to-face meetings, services, activities, and events in ways that follow recommendations from local, state, and national health officials and support our university commitment to health and safety.

If you have questions about any of the information on the site, contact healthy@elon.edu or 336-278-2020.

Additional information will be available as we get closer to the start of the academic year and the Healthy Elon website will continue to be updated as information is available. The pandemic continues to be a dynamic situation. We all must remain nimble, responsive, and unwavering in our commitment to the health and safety of each member of our community.

I hope the summer continues to be a time of rest, renewal, and rejuvenation for you as we continue to plan for the academic year ahead.

Dr. Jon Dooley, Vice President for Student Life