April 14, 2022 Update: COVID-19
Update on BTV Campus Masking Requirement
Dear Champlain community,
We thank all of you once again for continually demonstrating care for yourself and each other in following campus protocols and monitoring your health. As we head into the home stretch of spring semester, we wanted to provide an update on Champlain’s masking requirement on the Burlington campus. Over the last few weeks we have closely monitored the impact of spring break travel, loosening community restrictions, and case counts on-campus, locally, and regionally to determine next steps.
We have made the decision to keep our campus masking requirement in place through the end of the spring semester. This means students, employees, and visitors will continue to wear masks when in shared indoor spaces. We are, however, updating our requirement to mask optional for students while in residence hall shared common spaces. We will release information about protocols for Commencement closer to the event. We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with graduates and their guests at the Champlain Valley Expo on May 14.
Our decisions have always been guided by monitoring the data and landscape on campus and in our broader community, and following protocols that help us prioritize the health and safety of our campus. At this point in the pandemic, the prevalence of at-home tests impacts our ability to get a complete picture of community transmission. While many communities have removed their mask mandates, we are now seeing many communities and higher education institutions maintain or reinstitute mask mandates. The CDC’s community transmission map currently shows Chittenden and a few other Vermont counties with medium levels of transmission. This, combined with an increase in cases of COVID on campus, has led us to determine that extending our current masking protocols through the remainder of the semester is the best path forward.
As a reminder, students who are not feeling well and/or are experiencing symptoms, including mild symptoms, should stay home and get tested. If you test positive for COVID—on campus, in the Burlington area, or at home—please self isolate and contact the Student Health Center. The testing center located in Whiting Hall is available for asymptomatic testing Monday through Friday 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. The Student Health Center offers rapid symptomatic testing Monday through Friday by appointment and has home COVID tests kits available for students to pick up and have on hand for symptomatic testing. The Student Health Center can be reached at (802) 860-2711 or healthservices@champlain.edu.
Employees who test positive for COVID-19 or have been identified as a close contact should report this information to the College through this form, and contact the Employee Health Team with questions at covidhealth@champlain.edu.
Once again, we thank you for your commitment to protect your health and the health of our community.
Sincerely,
Danelle Berube
Vice President, Student Affairs & Emergency Management Coordinator
Leslie Averill
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Monique Taylor
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Sara Quintana
Acting Director of Human Resources
