Summer I Public Health Protocols – A Message from President Clark

As we near the beginning of Summer I classes, and based on recommendations received from our key BSU Together Again Task Force committees, we wanted to provide you with slightly revised public health protocols that will be in effect beginning Monday, May 23 and extending through July 10, 2022. We will send out a communication in late June covering Summer Session II (which begins on July 11) and the Fall 2022 semester.

Masking

• BSU will remain mask optional throughout most of the campus. We continue to encourage mask wearing as an effective tool in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
• As was the case in the Spring semester, masks will only be required to be worn in classrooms and instructional spaces during scheduled class times.
• Students and employees do not need to wear a mask while on BSU transit (per revised federal guidelines) or in public spaces of the Maxwell Library (unless in a classroom during class time).
• Employees and students exempted from the vaccine requirement will no longer be required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces (except for classrooms and instructional spaces).
• Masks will continue to be required in the Wellness Center, as they are in all health care settings in Massachusetts.
• Employees will continue to have the option of requiring that a mask be worn in their individual single-occupancy offices.

Vaccine

• New students attending Summer I classes in-person and/or using BSU facilities are required to be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines. Students can attest to being vaccinated here.
• New employees will also be required to be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines. Employees can attest to being vaccinated here.
• Per the CDC, you are up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have:
  • Received all doses in the primary series: Initial 2 Moderna/Pfizer vaccines or your initial single J&J vaccine; and
  • Received one booster when you are eligible, either 5 months after completing your primary series of Moderna/Pfizer or two months after your primary series of J&J.

Testing

• For Summer I, BSU will not require exempted students or employees to be tested weekly.
• We ask that all members of our campus community who are COVID-positive or want to report exposure to COVID to please complete this COVID 19 reporting form.
• Free rapid test kits will be available to the BSU community through the Wellness Center.

Physical Distancing

• As per our practice throughout the past academic year due to strong campus vaccination rates, BSU does not require physical distancing on its campus.

Although COVID-19 is beginning its transition from pandemic to endemic, the virus continues to challenge BSU, our state and beyond. Consequently, as we have done throughout the past two years, all policies/protocols are subject to modification if warranted by changing public health conditions in our geographic region and/or via state and federal guidelines.

Thank you once again for working together to achieve such a successful academic year, and very best wishes to you and your families for a healthy and restful summer.