Return to Campus: Faculty Update

Dear Emerson Faculty:

We are looking forward to seeing you on campus this semester for fully in-person undergraduate classes (graduate class modality is determined by program). Last year, we were successful in safeguarding the health and safety of our community with no transmissions in classrooms. We will again be following these protocols: de-densified classroom buildings, 3 feet of distancing in the classrooms, high-quality filtration, rolling plexi screens if requested, initial masking, and now vaccination. We are prepared as always to make modifications during the semester as we seek to establish and preserve the Emerson ‘bubble.’

As a follow-up to the most recent updates provided by Human Resources and the COVID-19 Core Team, we are writing to provide more information on COVID-19 Testing requirements for faculty for the Fall 2021 Term.

Just as in previous terms, faculty who will be on campus one day or more per week are required to take a baseline test (your first Covid-19 test prior to the start of the Fall 2021 Term, which consists of both a rapid test and a PCR test) followed by weekly testing. Faculty should obtain that baseline test the week prior to their class start. Please choose your weekly testing schedule (also known as your “Appointment Cohort Group”) on the Emerson App by Friday, August 20, 2021. Your selection will be your assigned testing day and time for the remainder of the semester. (You may have to refresh your app screen before you see the “Testing Appointment Scheduler” option. More information is available here on IT’s Covid-19 Tech Tools Site. For assistance, please contact the IT Helpdesk at helpdesk@emerson.edu.)

Please note that anyone with a vaccine exemption must test twice weekly for as long as they are unvaccinated, regardless of the number of days working on campus.

All Emerson community members are expected to adhere to their weekly test schedule for the entire fall term, and access to campus facilities will be tied to testing compliance. You can check your status by clicking on the “Daily Status Check” on the Emerson App.

We hope you enjoy these remaining days of summer, and we will see you soon.

Best,

Bill and Michaele