Aug 5, 2021 COVID Policy Update

08/05/2021 5:00 PM

The fall semester officially kicks off in just a few short weeks. We’re excited about what the year will bring, but we’re also cautious. We’ve been closely monitoring the current spread of COVID-19 and its potential impact to our campus. Peoria County is currently defined by the CDC as an area of substantial transmission.

Following CDC and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidance, Bradley will begin the semester requiring masks in all indoor public spaces. This goes into effect Monday, Aug. 9 and applies to all university activities including, but not limited to, welcome back celebrations, welcome week activities, and classrooms. This is further defined below.

We’ll offer vaccinations on-campus Aug. 23 – Sept. 2. At this time we’re unsure on which vaccine(s) we’ll receive. To sign up for a vaccination appointment, use this link. Additionally, the vaccines are readily available throughout the country and can be found here.

Also below, you’ll find information on some of the main topics surrounding operations for fall. Flexibility and patience remain key as we begin the fall semester. We appreciate your continued commitment to helping provide a healthy path forward.

Mask Policy

Effective Monday, Aug. 9, all people, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks in indoor public spaces throughout campus, including classrooms. Students don’t need to wear a mask when they’re in their personal rooms/apartments. Faculty and staff don’t need to wear a mask when they’re alone in their private offices.

Per the CDC, vaccinated individuals don’t need to wear a mask in outdoor settings. If you’re unvaccinated, we strongly encourage you to wear your mask in outdoor settings.

We’ll continue to assess our mask policy throughout the semester. We welcome and will support anyone who chooses to wear a mask on-campus, in any environment.

Vaccination Status Registration

Thank you in advance to those of you who are fully vaccinated. While we’re not currently requiring vaccinations for the campus community, we’re strongly encouraging it.

Students and employees who are vaccinated are asked to submit their vaccination status by Tuesday, Aug. 24. You may take a picture of your vaccination card or submit a screenshot of the electronic record and email it to the address in the chart below, or you may physically show your vaccine information at the office listed below. If you’ve lost your vaccination card and were vaccinated in Illinois, you can contact your local Health Department to obtain the information. If you aren’t vaccinated yet, but you become vaccinated, you may submit your vaccination information at that point.

STUDENT REPORTING	EMPLOYEE REPORTING
[email protected].	[email protected]
Health Services, located in the Markin Center	Human Resources, Sisson Hall #239

Vaccination records will be used to exclude vaccinated employees and vaccinated students from the campus COVID-19 testing protocols. Any students or employees who don’t submit a vaccination record will be considered unvaccinated for the purposes of COVID-19 testing protocols.

COVID-19 Testing Protocols

If you aren’t fully vaccinated or haven’t supplied the university with your status, you’ll be a part of the campus COVID-19 testing. The testing strategy may be revised in early September based on the number of individuals on-campus who are vaccinated and the prevalence rate of the virus.

Open COVID-19 Testing Availability

Beginning Monday, Aug. 16 and continuing through Sept. 3, all unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff are eligible for open COVID-19 testing. To sign-up for a testing appointment, please use this link.

If you are fully vaccinated, you should only test if you’re identified as a close contact or are symptomatic.

If you are a symptomatic (vaccinated or unvaccinated) student, please immediately make an appointment to be evaluated by Health Services by calling 309-677-2700. Employees should be evaluated by their personal physician.

Testing locations throughout the Peoria area have changed. Current locations of COVID-19 testing can be found here.

Teaching for Quarantined and Isolated Students

It’s important we are ready to work with students who may be in quarantine or isolation to ensure they have appropriate opportunities to learn and to continue to receive a high-quality Bradley education. We aren’t asking instructors to provide the same kind of hyflex instruction as last year (i.e., the ability to Zoom into class). Instructors will determine the best ways to accommodate students who have been placed in quarantine or isolation with COVID-19 or other longer-term illnesses (as has always been our practice).

Gatherings, Events, and Spaces

We are excited about the increased vitality and activity to campus. As you schedule events, meetings, and even office hours, consider your intended purpose and audience and what’s the best way for others to receive the information and to participate. With this in mind, face-to-face activities, events, and meetings are encouraged as long as campus guidelines are followed. Campus groups and organizations planning to host external guests and speakers must ensure the guests follow campus guidelines.

The campus, including classrooms, hasn’t been set for physical distancing. It’s the responsibility of the individual to maintain a safe physical distance if they so desire.

Employees can replenish PPE and other COVID-19 related supplies (e.g., masks, vinyl gloves, hand sanitizer) by requesting them through the COVID-19 Supply Champion responsible for your area. For the list of Bradley’s COVID-19 Supply Champions per building and/or department, please click here.

International Students or Anyone Traveling Internationally

International students should have received an email July 23 outlining important information and appropriate precautions they may need to take upon entry into the country. Please be sure to complete the survey about your arrival/return.

Anyone traveling abroad and who is fully vaccinated should follow the CDC guidelines for reentry into the US. Those who are unvaccinated should likewise follow CDC guidelines which includes a seven-day quarantine at home after travel, if a negative COVID-19 test is received three to five days after travel.

Symptom Tracking and COVID-19 Reporting

We ask all members of campus to be vigilant daily about their health. By coming to campus, you’re certifying you aren’t exhibiting any of the following COVID-19 symptoms: fever (100.4 degrees or higher), new onset of moderate to severe headache, shortness of breath, new cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue from unknown cause, or muscle or body aches from unknown cause. We won’t send a daily symptom tracker this year.

If you’re confirmed positive for COVID-19, you’re still required to report your case. Students should report a positive COVID-19 diagnosis to Bradley Health Services by calling 309-677-2700. Employees should fill out the COVID-19 diagnosis form.

The COVID-19 Bradley Unite website has undergone considerable changes over the summer. There are still a few sections in final production and need to be updated based on this announcement and/or changing guidance from the CDC and IDPH. The COVID-19 dashboard will begin reporting information on Friday mornings, beginning Aug. 27. Campus signage will also be updated.

We continue to regularly review campus and local COVID-19 data, as well as guidance from governing agencies. While our goal is to provide consistency, all of our decisions are subject to change in this ever-evolving environment.

Questions and concerns regarding COVID-19 and Bradley University policies can be sent to [email protected].