August 10, 2021

August 2021 Message to Students

Dear Students:

I hope your summer has gone well. It’s hard to believe that the academic year is almost here! I am so excited to be welcoming you all to campus in the coming weeks.

The spread of the Delta variant has caused concern across the country. At Lewis & Clark, our planning team has been monitoring the situation, and I write today to share with you the things we need all students to do in order to partner with our public health response to COVID this fall. Some of this is brand new info, some are reminders. Be sure to read all 6 points closely.

  1. Students with access to vaccines this summer are expected to arrive on campus fully vaccinated (defined as it having been two weeks since the last dose in any series of injections) with a vaccine listed by the World Health Organization or have an approved exemption. Students who have not complied with college policy related to COVID-19 vaccination will not be allowed to attend class after September 15. Students who have already been fully vaccinated must document their immunization in the Health Information Portal by August 15. (For students who have not had access to vaccines this summer, we will work with you to get you vaccinated as soon as possible after arrival. If you haven’t already done so, you must e-mail covid19info@lclark.edu as soon as possible to share any needs for vaccination).
  1. Residential students must meet one of the following criteria in order to be allowed to move in to the residence halls in August:
    • Be fully vaccinated, with documentation uploaded into the Health Information Portal, or
    • Have a vaccination exemption request approved by Wellness staff; or
    • For students without access to vaccines this summer, be actively working with Wellness staff to become vaccinated.
  1. Students must complete this educational module before arriving on campus, and sign the associated pledge, attesting to their commitment to upholding our public health expectations. Students who have not completed this step will not be permitted to move into the residence halls.
  1. Students with symptoms of COVID or recent exposure to COVID may not move onto campus until they have been evaluated and cleared. Students who are having any COVID symptoms before departing for Portland should seek consultation from a medical provider before departing for Portland.

    On the day of move-in (and not before), residential students must complete the COVID Self-Check and Reporting Form (SCARF), available through the Health Information Portal. Students should complete this form before departing for campus. Any student who has COVID symptoms on move-in day should not come to campus. Students with symptoms must seek out medical consultation and will be required to submit documentation of medical clearance (e.g,.health care provider’s letter, or negative molecular test result) in order to move in. Medical consultation for symptomatic students will be offered via our Health Service during business hours, August 16 through August 29, and they may refer students for on- or off-campus testing. At other times, students may choose to seek medical consultation at an off-campus resource for COVID consultation and testing. If, on move-in day, you’ve had recent exposure to someone with COVID, please call 503-768-7165 to obtain consultation about next steps.
  1. All unvaccinated students (including those with approved exemptions) must be tested with a molecular (e.g,. PCR) COVID test within the 72-hour window before arriving on campus and upload these results to the Health Information Portal before coming to campus. Travelers arriving from international destinations may upload their pre-flight COVID results into the Health Information Portal as a way of meeting this requirement. If an unvaccinated student has been diagnosed with COVID in the 90 days before arriving on campus, they should e-mail covid19info@lclark.edu to be excused from this entry testing requirement. Unvaccinated students will be required to undergo weekly surveillance testing this fall.
  1. If you have not yet done so, please visit the College’s updated COVID-19 webpage for the latest information about the College’s response to COVID and what to expect this fall.

Mask-Wearing on Campus

In compliance with the recent Multnomah County guidance, we are reinstating the requirement of wearing a mask indoors ( all faculty, staff, students, contractors and visitors) regardless of vaccination status. All unvaccinated persons are also required to wear a mask outdoors when social distancing is not possible (i.e., standing in a line, at large social gatherings, or when attending outdoor sporting events).

A few months ago, we were able to lift the visitation ban to campus so our campus is fully open again. By August 16th, we will welcome all staff and faculty who have been working remotely back to campus. At this point, the governor and the Oregon Health Authority are no longer placing restrictions on dining or congregate living (that is what our residence halls are), and we have lifted restrictions on visitation in the residence halls, and residents moving freely among the various residence halls. However, any visitors to the residence halls will be required to show proof of vaccination and wear a mask if they are indoors and unvaccinated.

Staff and Faculty

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required for all employees working on the Lewis & Clark campus or in an off-campus Lewis & Clark facility. (This requirement applies equally to those who have already had COVID-19.)

In closing, last academic year, students were mindful of public health expectations, and your behavior was the key to our success in responding to COVID. We need all students to partner with us again this year to support the health of our community. WeB4Me@LC!

If you have any COVID-related questions, I hope you will email the College at covid19info@lclark.edu.

 

Best wishes,

 

Robin H. Holmes-Sullivan

Vice President for Student Life, Dean of Students