December 29, 2021
Wittenberg Community,
With the rise in COVID cases nationally and locally, the COVID Response Team (CRT) has been meeting throughout the holiday break to monitor the situation. In light of omicron’s spread, the CRT has decided that Wittenberg will begin its spring semester remotely starting on January 10, 2022. What this means is that students will remain in their current, off-campus residences and that the entire academic program will be delivered remotely January 10-14. Students will then return to campus January 14-16 before the Martin Luther King holiday. Residential students will receive an e-mail from Residence Life with instructions for move-in.
All members of the community will be tested as we start the semester. Employees will be tested on January 11. Residential students will be tested on arrival January 14-16. Students and employees will receive information on the required COVID-19 tests.
The physicians on the CRT believe that by beginning the spring semester remotely, any infections stemming from holiday gatherings will be better contained. The employee testing and the student testing times will also allow us to get a baseline on community infection rates prior to beginning in-person learning on Tuesday, January 18.
We recognize that this decision may prompt additional questions, especially for our students who have booked flights already. Residence Life is taking all of these factors into consideration and asks that for those for whom this delay may pose a housing issue, please contact housing@wittenberg.edu.
The first weeks of the new semester are a critical time for our community. Masking in all non-residential buildings and on-going vaccinations/boosters are essential in containing the spread of COVID-19 across our campus. The CRT asks that we remain vigilant in adhering to all our health and safety protocol, and that we continue to remember the most vulnerable in our community.
As a reminder, Wittenberg is now requiring that everyone on the vaccination pathway get their booster as soon as they are eligible. Until eligible, Wittenberg may require that all vaccinated and non-vaccinated students and employees be tested weekly. More information on this expectation or any adjustments will be communicated prior to the start of the semester. Should you have any questions, please email covid@wittenberg.edu.
Thank you for your continued understanding as we navigate this pandemic. We’re In This Together.
Sincerely,
The COVID Response Team