Below, for your reference, is the full text of President Julio Frenk’s video message (above) to the University of Miami community.
In less than two weeks, students will begin arriving for the fall semester here at the University of Miami. This is a time of excitement and anticipation on campus.
We had all hoped that fall 2021 would look much more like the pre-pandemic campus life of years past. Yet, our experience has taught us that one of our most valuable traits is adaptability.
Today, I want to give you a brief update on how we are adapting to some of the troubling trends we are seeing and what you can do to prepare for a successful year. I will start with the trends.
Infections around the world and here in South Florida have been on the rise as the more contagious Delta variant has become the dominant strain of the virus. At the same time, rates of vaccination have slowed, creating an opportunity for more variants to emerge. This means that although vaccines are the solution to this pandemic, building the better normal to which we at the U will contribute is taking longer than we would like.
That brings me to what you can do to prepare for your return to campus. The best way to prepare is to get your shot. COVID-19 is a vaccine preventable disease. We strongly encourage vaccination for all students and members of the campus community. Vaccination is required for employees, subject to a limited set of exemptions. While the University cannot mandate vaccination for students, it is expected that they understand their responsibility for their health and the health of others.
For students, faculty, and staff who are not vaccinated, testing will be required at least once a week. To help us adequately prepare to keep our campus community safe, it is important for those who have gotten the shot to update your status through the MyUHealthChart for students and through Workday for employees.
We are building on the investments and strategy that made zero in-classroom transmission possible last year, by taking four key steps as we return to campus:
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Masking—Consistent with CDC guidelines, appropriate face covers will be required in all indoor public spaces, including classrooms, regardless of vaccination status. Vaccines protect us from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. However, the prevalence of variants puts us all at risk for transmission, and we have to minimize that risk. Outdoor masking will also be strongly encouraged when congregating in large groups. We will revisit these requirements as more members of our community get vaccinated and the pandemic evolves.
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Testing—Residential students will be required to test negative on campus within 24 hours of move-in. All students, whether living on or off campus, who are unvaccinated or who have not shared proof of vaccination will participate in surveillance testing starting their first week of classes.
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Vaccines—We will have vaccine booths available on the Coral Gables Campus for any student, faculty, or staff member who wishes to receive COVID-19 shots.
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Hybrid engagement—As we plan meetings and events, we will continue to deploy hybrid formats to make adequate physical distancing possible.
I realize that what I have just outlined is more restrictive than what we had hoped would be feasible. Unfortunately, the variant scenario we had warned against has materialized, and we must respond accordingly.
I also know many of you may have questions. Therefore, next week, we will hold a series of virtual town halls for students, families, faculty, and staff to address any concerns. Keep an eye out for your invitation.
Navigating this pandemic has not been easy. However, thanks to your steadfastness, our story at the University of Miami has so far exemplified resilience, creativity, and our commitment to one another. Let us all continue to work intentionally to ensure success as we write the final chapters of the inspiring way in which, together, we overcame the biggest challenge in a generation.
I look forward to seeing you all in the coming weeks. |
