December 22, 2021 Update: COVID-19
End-Of-Semester COVID Update for Employees
Dear Colleagues,
We’re almost there—I know many of you are looking forward to winter break. We would like to once again thank you for all of your hard work this semester to keep our community safe. We also want to provide you with a few COVID-related updates as we head into break, particularly as it relates to recent evolution of the pandemic with the Omicron variant:
- Booster requirement
- New vaccination documentation process
- Spring semester return-to-campus
BOOSTER REQUIREMENT
In line with our continued efforts to prioritize the health and safety of our community, and given recent developments with the Omicron variant, we are now requiring all Champlain on-campus employees to receive a COVID-19 booster shot when eligible. Students are also required to receive a booster when eligible and this was communicated to them last week. Eligibility for the Pfizer or Moderna series is six months after the second vaccination and Johnson & Johnson is two months after the initial vaccination. You are required to get a booster shot within four weeks of your eligibility. Information on scheduling an appointment for a booster dose can be found here.
NEW VACCINATION DOCUMENTATION PROCESS
We have updated the College’s Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to include our new booster vaccination requirement. The policy requires employees to be fully vaccinated no later than January 4, 2022 as a term and condition of employment. To support this requirement, we have implemented a new system for employees to submit documentation of vaccination and boosters.
Champlain has partnered with Sentry MD, a company that specializes in managing organizational health records, to create a confidential, secure system for collecting and recording COVID-19 vaccination information. All employees will receive an email from Sentry MD shortly after the break providing instructions on how to access your account and submit COVID-19 documents. The email will come from champlaincollege@sentrymd.com. Proof of your first series of vaccinations must be provided by Monday, January 17. You must submit booster information within four weeks of eligibility.
Please note that individual vaccination information will only be shared with Employee Health and the People Center.
At the bottom of this email, we’ve included some questions and answers to provide a better understanding of this new system. For technical questions about Sentry MD, please email champlaincollege@sentrymd.com.
SPRING SEMESTER RETURN-TO-CAMPUS
Champlain plans to be an in-person living and learning experience for our undergraduate students next spring, following the posted spring calendar. We continue to monitor the national and local landscape of COVID-19 and the impact of the Omicron variant, and will adjust our plans as needed. This includes assessing safety implications for international travel and any impact on our study abroad programs in Montreal or Dublin.
This message was sent to all students last week, notifying them of our plans for opening campus in the spring. Details include:
- Boosters required for eligible students (including students studying abroad)
- Pre-arrival testing required for residential students
- Continued masking
- Continued Testing Center hours Monday-Friday for students
- Reminder about our Community Health Pledge
As mentioned above, all students are required to receive a booster once eligible. Pre-arrival testing will be required of all residential students prior to returning to campus in the spring semester and strongly recommended for all commuter students. Residential students are required to submit a negative test result before travelling to campus. PCR tests must be collected within the 5 days prior to return to campus. Rapid tests, including tests collected at home, are acceptable if they are collected on the date of travel to campus and are labeled with the student’s name and date of collection. Residential students will not be permitted to move back into campus housing without submitting their negative test result as instructed.
We will provide an update on January 10 with any additional information about spring protocols.
For employees returning from winter break, it is important to minimize risk from holiday travel and gatherings. Testing is recommended for employees if you traveled, attended large gatherings, or attended functions with little indoor masking. You can find information about free local testing options here.
We will share additional information as needed as we approach the start of the semester. All of our COVID-related information, including communications and FAQs, can be found on Champlain’s website. Please email feedback@champlain.edu with questions.
We wish you all a healthy, safe, and restful holiday break.
Sincerely,
Leslie Averill
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Danelle Berube
Vice President, Student Affairs & Emergency Management Coordinator
Sara Quintana
Acting Director of Human Resources
SENTRY MD FAQs
Who is Sentry MD?
Sentry MD is Champlain College secure records vendor. They will be managing your COVID-19 records. To learn more about them visit their website at www.SentryMD.com or email their representatives at champlaincollege@sentrymd.com.
Where do I go to upload my documentation?
You will receive instructions shortly after the break directly from Sentry MD for how to upload your documents to a secure upload portal.
How often will I need to upload information to Sentry MD?
You should upload vaccination information any time you complete a COVID-19 vaccine series or booster.
What if I do not provide the COVID 19 vaccine documentation to Sentry MD or do not authorize them to disclose that information to Champlain College?
Protecting the privacy and security of faculty and staff data is a priority of Champlain College. Sentry MD is our vendor of choice to provide a secure way to collect and maintain our on-campus affiliates’ health information, and to provide only the information necessary. The COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot requirement for employees has been established to ensure you and those around you have the safest environment possible.
Sentry MD’s technology and privacy practices were vetted by Champlain College as part of its evaluation of vaccine verification services. If you have questions about the safety and security of information provided to Sentry MD, please contact champlaincollege@sentrymd.com. For all other questions related to vaccination requirements and employment, please contact the People Center.
