Fall 2021/COVID

Dear Campus Community:

I write to you all today to remind everyone to be vigilant with health and hygiene protocols, as well as ensuring you are following the indoor mask mandate on campus. Even when off campus, please still be mindful of your role in mitigating any exposure to or spread of the virus.

As a result of the University’s asymptomatic and symptomatic testing on Tuesday, Nov. 2 and Wednesday, Nov. 3, 14 new COVID-19 cases have been identified. Although this represents a sizeable increase in cases compared to weeks prior, it does not represent an amount that would yet necessitate curtailment measures on campus.

If a sizeable increase in new COVID-19 cases emerges following asymptomatic and symptomatic testing next week, decisions will be made regarding temporarily curtailing certain on-campus activities or operations.

The positive cases mostly include residential students in a variety of residence halls.

The Incident Management Team continues to meet regularly to coordinate and address any immediate operations issues, and will be closely monitoring next week’s numbers. Look for an update on next week’s testing results next Friday, Nov. 12.

Also, if exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, students should be in touch with Health Services at 413.572.5415 for assessment and employees should contact their medical provider and Human Resources at 413.572.5274 or via email at lbones@westfield.ma.edu.

As a reminder, individuals who have received a positive COVID-19 PCR test result through an off-campus testing site should communicate and direct those results to Health Services (students) at extension 5415 or via email at healthservices@westfield.ma.edu or Human Resources (employees) at extension 5274 or via email at lbones@westfield.ma.edu.

Thank you for your continued effort in keeping the full campus safe.

Warmly,

Linda

Dear Campus Community: 

Thank you for your continued cooperation as Westfield State University continues to manage COVID-19 operations. I am writing today to provide some important overview information and updates.   

The Incident Management Team continues to meet weekly to coordinate and address any immediate operations issues, as well as plan for Spring 2022 and beyond. As you recall, the IMT is a recommending body to me and the Cabinet. 

Thanks to a comprehensive effort by IMT, Health Services, and Human Resources, our vaccination rates for both students and employees is more than 94 percent. This is terrific.   

COVID-19 Testing 

Our weekly asymptomatic testing program is offered each Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 141B of New Hall. Students, faculty, and staff, who are not fully vaccinated, including those with a medical or religious exemption, are required to participate.  

Note that for the week of Nov. 21, given the Thanksgiving recess beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24, the University’s asymptomatic testing will be offered on Monday and Tuesday, rather than Tuesday and Wednesday. Note that all exempt individuals will still be required to get tested that week, even if they are not attending class or reporting to work Nov. 21-26). If those individuals cannot participate in the University’s testing program that week, they will be responsible for getting a molecular (PCR) test at an off-campus site and providing a negative test result to Health Services or Human Resources prior to their return to campus on Monday, November 29.     

Symptomatic testing for undergraduate students continues to be managed by Health Services. Students who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms should contact Health Services at ext. 5415 for evaluation and testing. Employees who are exhibiting symptoms, should stay home and consult their medical provider, alert their supervisor, and contact Tina Bones in Human Resources at extension 5274 or via email at lbones@westfield.ma.edu. 

Data results of weekly testing are posted to our online COVID-19 dashboard by the following Monday. The dashboard has recently been updated with additional data, including the COVID-19 vaccination rate for both students and employees. 

Contact Tracing 

Contact tracing for positive COVID-19 cases identified through the University’s testing program is led by Health Services and Human Resources. If you are identified as COVID-19 positive, or as a close contact of a positive case, Health Services and Human Resources will be in touch with you directly with specific instructions related to isolation or quarantine. If you are contacted as a close contact, your need to quarantine will depend on your vaccine status—vaccinated individuals who are identified as close contacts to positive individuals are not required to quarantine.  

Without assigned seating in classes, there is no definitive way to decipher who was a close contact in any given classroom. So, any unvaccinated/exempt individual that attended a class with a confirmed positive individual will be instructed to quarantine. 

Faculty who are contacted by students who have received a positive COVID-19 test result at an off-campus testing site should direct those students to contact Health Services at extension 5415. Supervisors who are contacted by employees who have received a positive COVID-19 test result at an off-campus testing site should direct those students to contact Tina Bones in Human Resources at extension 5274 or via email at lbones@westfield.ma.edu. 

Given our high vaccination rate on campus and approval from our local board of health, the University has shifted quarantine protocols from 10 days (without testing) to seven days (contingent on a negative COVID-19 test result on or after day five).   

"Not Cleared" List  

Each week, a “not cleared” list is shared with faculty. Students who are not cleared to be on campus also get an email alerting them that they are on the “not cleared” list and that their access to campus buildings has been temporarily suspended through deactivation of their University-issued I.D. card. Students on the “not cleared” list are on the list for one of three reasons—they are in isolation, they are in quarantine, or they are not compliant with the vaccination mandate or the previous week’s asymptomatic testing. Detailed information about the meaning of the “not cleared” list, as well as what faculty and students should do is provided in those weekly emails.  

Mask Mandate 

As you know, masks are required to be worn indoors, regardless of one’s vaccination status. However, there are a few specific exceptions--when actively eating and drinking; when in residential hall rooms with just roommates present; when employees are in individual offices/work areas with no others present; when engaged in NCAA athletic competition; and in select performances/presentations or learning environments when other approved mitigation and safety measures have been implemented.   

As planning for Spring 2022 COVID-19 operations continues, look for updates to be added to the Fall2021/COVID-19 webpage and shared through email. 

Thank you again for your cooperation to keep the full campus community safe. 

Warmly,

Linda

Dear Campus Community:

Thank you for your cooperation with Westfield State’s COVID-19 protocols as we begin the Fall 2021 semester. 

Last week’s University asymptomatic testing of unvaccinated individuals resulted in no positive results. If faculty or staff are contacted by students or other faculty/staff regarding any positive test results from off-site testing, please direct them to Health Services and Human Resources, respectively.   

We have received questions relative to contact tracing and the proper process for communication for positive cases. In addition to the below information, visit the Fall 2021 Opening web page regularly for any updates and FAQs.

Instructions for Students Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms 

Students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should contact Health Services for an appointment for evaluation and symptomatic testing—413.572.5415 or healthservices@westfield.ma.edu. Students who have sought symptomatic testing off-site and received a positive result should contact Health Services. Instructions for students who test positive, including isolation, will be provided by a Health Services professional. Contact tracing related to positive student cases are managed through Health Services. Close contacts will be contacted by Health Services and provided instructions on any necessary quarantine or testing. Keep in mind that the Centers for Disease Control and Massachusetts Department of Public Health do not recommend that asymptomatic vaccinated close contacts quarantine. For more information, visit the Fall 2021 Opening web page. 

Employees Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms 

Faculty or staff who are experiencing symptoms should not come to work, contact Human Resources (and their supervisor/department chair), and contact their health care provider. In addition, any employee who receives a positive result from COVID-19 testing offsite should contact Human Resources. Contact tracing related to faculty or staff positive cases are managed through Human Resources. Close contacts at Westfield State will be contacted by Human Resources and provided instructions on any necessary quarantine or testing. Keep in mind that the Centers for Disease Control and Massachusetts Department of Public Health do not recommend that asymptomatic vaccinated close contacts quarantine. More information can be found in the Fall 2021 FAQs under the category “employee-specific FAQs for vaccine and mask requirements”—click here.

Note that communication related to any temporary adjustments to how individual courses are delivered will be provided by the faculty member or Academic Affairs to students. 

Overall, students’ questions related to COVID-19 should be directed to health services, while faculty or staff questions should be directed to Human Resources. 

Warmly,

Linda

Dear Campus Community:

We are delighted to begin welcoming our first-year residential students to campus today, in addition to our returning residential students on Sunday, August 29, and our commuter students for the first day of classes on Thursday, Sept. 2.  

I recommend that you continue to visit regularly our Fall 2021 webpage to review our frequently updated FAQs. We have appreciated your cooperation with our vaccine and indoor mask mandates for the start of the fall semester. 

I am honored to serve as your new president and I look forward to an engaging and fulfilling 2021-22 academic year ahead for our students, faculty, and staff. 

Warmly,  

Linda

Linda Thompson, DrPH, MPH, RN, FAAN

President

Dear Campus Community:

I write to share an update on our health and safety protocols related to COVID-19.  

In response to the increasing spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) nationally and in Massachusetts, Westfield State University will require that face masks be worn indoors effective Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. This week, Hampden County was added to the list of other Massachusetts counties at “substantial risk” for COVID-19 transmission. 

The Westfield State mask requirement pertains to all individuals on campus, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also advises that unvaccinated individuals wear a mask (indoors or outdoors) when social distancing is not possible. For more information on additional DPH guidance regarding masks, click here. 

We appreciate everyone’s cooperation with this additional measure to mitigate the spread of the Delta variant. I appreciate all of us playing a part to protect the health and well-being of the full community as we look forward to welcoming students for the Fall 2021 semester. 

Thank you.  

Dr. Linda Thompson

Linda Thompson, DrPH, MPH, RN, FAAN

President

Dear Campus Community:

The energy of Owl Nation is palpable as we finalize the Fall 2021 welcome events for our Class of 2025, returning students, faculty, and staff. Details on these engaging plans will be shared in the weeks ahead.

The upcoming Fall 2021 semester will be particularly special to me, as it will help broaden my understanding of the spirit and culture that defines Westfield State University. As your new president, I welcome the opportunity to meet so many more of you throughout the campus community.    

We appreciate students’ cooperation in providing their proof of vaccination in the wake of our spring announcement regarding Westfield State’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Students who have not yet submitted an image of their vaccination cards are reminded to do so by this Sunday, August 1. For directions and FAQs regarding the mandate and other aspects of the Fall 2021 semester, click here.   

Likewise, all faculty and staff are reminded of the expectation, first communicated in April, that all on-campus Westfield State faculty and staff will be fully vaccinated by the start of the Fall 2021 semester.  

I extend much gratitude to all of you for your sustained efforts and cooperation since the onset of COVID-19 in spring 2020. And, as the new leader of the University, know that I recognize and value your ongoing effort to ensure the continued health and safety of our full campus community.

Thank you.

Dr. Linda Thompson

Linda Thompson, DrPH, MPH, RN, FAAN
President

Dear Owls: 

Fall 2021 planning is in full gear and we are excited to welcome you back to the nest. Our thanks to the students who have provided us with proof of your COVID-19 vaccination. If you have not already done so, a friendly reminder, time is of the essence to get vaccinated in order to comply with the mandate. All students with an on-campus presence are required to be vaccinated and show proof of vaccination to Health Services by August 1, 2021. If you require a medical or religious exemption, please contact Health Services for approval.

To upload a copy of  your completed COVID vaccine:   

1. Log into myWestfield, click on the Quick Links drop down and select MyHousing.
2. Click on the Applications tab and select Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination.
3. Review the instructions, electronically sign the bottom of the page and click Continue.
4. Respond to the questions on the next page, then attach the image/scan of your COVID-19 Vaccination card at the bottom of the page and click Continue.

A confirmation screen will appear and you will receive a confirmation email at your University email account

Multiple sites across Massachusetts and in other states are administering the vaccine on a walk-in basis. You can find pharmacies and book appointments in Massachusetts by visiting: https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/.  In addition, Westfield State University will be hosting another COVID vaccine clinic on:

Tuesday, July 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in University Hall. Please register for the vaccine clinic at: https://curative.com/sites/29914

Residential students will not be able to schedule a move-in date and time until proof of vaccination is provided (or the student has an approved, documented medical or religious exemption). Commuter students who have an in-person presence will not be permitted on campus beginning this fall without proof of vaccine. 

Westfield State is participating in the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge, joining more than 600 other universities and colleges across the nation in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of the vaccine and increase the number of vaccinations administered. Gov. Charlie Baker and the Massachusetts Lottery have also announced the VaxMillions Giveaway, which will offer five $1 million prizes for those 18 and older, and five $300,000 scholarship grants to a 529 College Savings Plan managed by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority for those 12 to 17 years old. Massachusetts residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, who received their vaccination in Massachusetts, can register through Aug. 19. Weekly drawings will begin the week of July 26 and will continue through Aug. 27. So please get vaccinated and register for a chance to win.

We look forward to seeing you soon. Best wishes for a safe summer! Go Owls!

Health Services 
healthservices@westfield.ma.edu

Dear Campus Community: 

As we begin to welcome our newest Owls to the nest as part of New Student Orientation sessions, excitement continues to grow for Fall 2021, when we look forward to transitioning back to normal operations and experiences at Westfield State. 

COVID-19 Vaccination 

Much of our focus in planning right now is communicating the University’s vaccine mandate. As a reminder, all students who have an on-ground presence on campus are required to provide the University with proof of having received all required doses of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine (and World Health Organization-recognized vaccines for international students) by August 1. 

Faculty and staff are also reminded of the expectation that I communicated in April that all faculty and staff with an on-ground presence will be fully vaccinated by the start of the Fall 2021 semester.  

To further solidify our commitment to ensuring the continued health and safety of our campus community, Westfield State is participating in the nationwide COVID-19 College Vaccination Challenge. As a participant, we commit to engage all University community members; identify champions to promote our vaccine efforts; and provide access to vaccines for our campus community. Many of these commitments are already underway at Westfield State and we are proud to continue them in the interest of our campus community’s health and safety.  

Operational Highlights for Fall 2021 

Vaccinated individuals will not be required to wear masks (although vaccinated individuals may opt to wear them), participate in weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 testing or to quarantine if they are identified as close contacts of a COVID-19 positive individual. 

• Non-vaccinated individuals (due to documented medical or religious exemptions) will be required to wear masks indoors and when they cannot socially distance; to participate in weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 testing; and to isolate or quarantine if they test positive for COVID-19 or are identified as a close contact of a positive individual.  
• The University’s restricted access came to a close yesterday, June 15, with the end of the State of Emergency in Massachusetts.  
• University-issued IDs will still need to be worn visibly by students, faculty, and staff while on campus grounds and accessing University buildings and facilities.    
• Due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, off-campus visitors and those from other residential halls will be allowed in residential halls. 
• Dining Services will return to traditional service models to include self-service and dine-in seating at all locations. The GET app will still be utilized at locations on campus to schedule and order food. All campus and community members are welcome to share a table in the Dining Commons and other retail locations. 
• University cleaning protocols and practices will continue to support our healthy and safe campus environment, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.     

In the coming days, University Health Services will provide more information and FAQs on the vaccine mandate, including instructions on how to submit proof of vaccination by August 1, 2021. 

I appreciate everyone’s continued cooperation as we look forward to getting back to normal University operations and experiences at Westfield State. 

Warmly, 

Roy 

Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D.
Interim President
Westfield State University
333 Western Avenue
Westfield, MA  01086
(413) 572-5201

Dear Campus Community:

Following Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s May 17 announcement about all remaining COVID-19 restrictions being lifted effective May 29, pandemic related mandates on campus will begin to follow suit.

Face Covering Guidance 

Specifically, as of May 29, individuals who are vaccinated do not have to wear face coverings on campus, while individuals who are not fully vaccinated or whose immune systems are comprised should plan on wearing face coverings on campus. For more information the face covering requirements in Massachusetts, click here. 

Return to Work Plan 

We realize that the Phased Return to Work Plan may need to be modified based on Governor Baker’s announcement on May 17. Look for further information and guidance to come next week from the Office of Human Resources, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity on any necessary modifications to Phases II and III to the Return to Work Plan that was announced to faculty and staff on Friday, May 14.

Restricted Access and ID Requirements 

Overall, the University’s restricted access will come to a close with the end of the State of Emergency on June 15, as announced by Governor Baker on May 17. Keep in mind that University IDs will still need to be worn visibly by students, faculty, and staff while on campus grounds and accessing University buildings and facilities. Certain buildings, including residential halls, may still be locked during business hours due to normal security and safety practices and only accessible by permitted individuals through use of their University-issued IDs. 

Reminder: Vaccine Mandates and Expectations 

As reminder, for the Fall 2021 semester, Westfield State requires that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they attend in-person classes or on-campus activities. University Health Services is directing students to receive their second shot of the vaccine by August 1, 2021. Students will be receiving more specific information on the University’s mandate in the weeks ahead, including instructions on how to submit their proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as well as the process to apply for a medical or religious exemption. 

As I communicated with you in late April, it is also the expectation that all faculty and staff be fully vaccinated prior to the Fall 2021 semester. Although vaccines are easily accessible and permitted on a walk-in basis at almost all vaccination sites across the state, look for future announcements about vaccine clinics to be held on campus, to provide additional access to members of our campus community.

Thanks, again, for all of your effort and cooperation with our requirements and mandates to ensure the health and safety of the Westfield State campus community. Your compliance is appreciated. 

Warmly,

Roy  

Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D.
Interim President

Dear Campus Community:

Thank you for your compliance and cooperation with weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 testing throughout this semester. As the semester and the testing program wind down, I write with some important COVID-19 operational updates for the remaining weeks and upcoming summer months.

Dates for Remaining Spring 2021 Asymptomatic Testing

Note that no weekly testing will take place this Wednesday, May 5. Please plan on participating on Tuesday (May 4) or Thursday (May 6).

All remaining dates for Spring 2021 asymptomatic testing in University Hall include:

• Tuesday and Thursday, May 4 & 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday and Thursday, May 11 & 13, 10 a.m. to noon.

As a reminder to students planning their campus departure for the semester, keep in mind that the COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan  advises that “all students living in campus during any period in which school is not in session should first receive a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered by the college within 72 hours of their planned departure.”

Summer 2021 Testing

The location for asymptomatic testing in the summer will take place in New Hall (Room 141A) each Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., beginning May 18. This testing will be mandatory for the limited amount of students permitted to remain in Residence Halls for the summer due to housing insecurity or other approved exemptions and open to interested faculty and staff who have an on-campus presence this summer.

Commuter students and students employed on campus through the work study program will not be mandated to participate in the testing program over the summer. However, keep in mind that every member of the campus community is encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine. And, as you know, the vaccine is required for students with an on-campus presence beginning in Fall 2021 and it is the expectation that all faculty and staff will be vaccinated by the start of the Fall 2021 semester. 

COVID-19 Dashboard
The results of last week’s asymptomatic/surveillance testing are posted on the COVID-19 Testing Dashboard, along with the total number of tests administered for the spring semester and the University’s testing percent positivity rate.

Thanks and Appreciation

Thank you for your continued cooperation and participation with our health and safety protocols on campus throughout the spring semester. I also extend my appreciation to the staff who have played crucial roles in University’s COVID-19 operations throughout the academic year. We really appreciate everyone’s collective efforts in keeping each other safe and mitigating the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in our greater community.

Warmly,

Roy

Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D.
Interim President

Dear Campus Community:

Westfield State University is joining a growing number of colleges and universities across the country and Commonwealth of Massachusetts to require students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before they attend in-person classes or on-campus activities in the Fall 2021 semester.

The presidents of the nine Massachusetts State University system have unanimously decided that students who have an on-campus presence are mandated to become fully inoculated with an FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start of the academic year in September. The presidents expect that all faculty and staff will also be fully vaccinated prior to the fall semester.

The mandate for on-campus students will assist Westfield State to ensure the health and safety of our full campus community, while mitigating the spread of COVID-19 on our campus and in our campus community. More specifics on this requirement, beyond today’s announcement, will soon be shared with Westfield State students and the campus community. The requirement is the most recent decision of our ongoing planning for the fall.

We continue to be encouraged by the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine and the steady increase in numbers of those across Massachusetts and throughout New England getting vaccinated.

Warmly,

Roy  

Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D.
Interim President

Dear Campus Community:

Like many of you, I am encouraged by the steady increase in the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the daily rise in the amount of vaccinated individuals, and the announcement that the vaccine will be available on April 19 for all Massachusetts residents age 16 or older.

All students, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to get the vaccine as members of the Westfield State University community. To learn more about how to pre-register for an appointment, visit https://vaxfinder.mass.gov or https://vaccinesignup.mass.gov.

As we anticipate a shift toward more normalcy in the coming months, the Cabinet and I are currently reviewing our strategy for the Fall 2021 in light of the vaccine availability. We appreciate the work done by the University’s Incident Management Team in both facilitating the University’s COVID-19 operations during the spring semester and in the team’s  guidance in developing operational strategies for the Summer and Fall 2021 semesters. Cabinet is currently reviewing the team’s recommendations as we await the Massachusetts Higher Education Control Plan from Governor Charlie Baker and the Department of Higher Education.

Until we receive the finer points of guidance to be included in the Control Plan (including the required asymptomatic testing protocols given an increasingly vaccinated population; and the determination if higher education will follow the K-12 social distance model of lowering the mandate from 6 to 3 feet), we are moving forward with plans for Fall 2021 with the following assumptions:

1. Our residence halls will be occupied by more than 2,000 students;
2. Many more courses (no less than 75 percent in each academic concentration) will be held on-ground or have an on-ground component; and
3. The return to a more robust on-campus workforce will be gradual, beginning in May and carrying through to the end of August.

In Fall 2021, new and returning students can look forward to an environment more indicative of true campus culture. Westfield State realizes the importance of residential life, as many students choose to attend Westfield State due to the significant role that campus life plays in their overall experience here. As we have in years past, the University will lean on a Student Affairs-led working group to ensure a smooth opening/residential move-in in the fall for both our new and returning students, whether they are living here or commuting to campus.

With the onset of our spring sports season and COVID-19 conditions in the state and country improving overall, we are optimistic that improvements will continue. Our limited on-campus community has worked collaboratively to keep the risk at low to moderate for COVID-19 spread on campus through the Spring 2021 semester. We appreciate all efforts taken to ensure weekly asymptomatic testing of those individuals who have an on-campus presence.

I caution us to remain vigilant with our health and safety protocols as we anticipate the availability of vaccines opening up to all Massachusetts residents over age 16 beginning next week.

Please continue to be safe and stay healthy and thank you all for your cooperation and understanding of our continued and necessary protocols.

Sincerely,

Roy

Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D.
Interim President

Safe Spring Opening Archive