To: Wellesley College Faculty and Staff
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: Update on Vaccination and Masking Requirements for Fall
Date: August 5, 2021
As we are all painfully aware, the past month has brought to light new and sobering information about the highly contagious Delta variant:
- We now have more data about the increased level of transmissibility of the Delta variant by vaccinated individuals. The viral load found in vaccinated individuals who have contracted the virus indicates that vaccinated individuals can spread the virus to others, even if they are not experiencing symptoms.
- Although vaccination is highly effective at preventing serious disease, hospitalization, and death, it does not fully prevent you from contracting the virus.
The good news is that, unlike this time last year, we now have the means to control the spread of disease and keep our community healthy: by achieving near-full vaccination, by using masks indoors, and by regular PCR testing.
In light of these developments, senior leadership and I are taking the following additional steps to protect the health and safety of our entire community, as we approach the start of the new academic year:
- Vaccination will be required for all faculty teaching in the fall and for all administrative and union staff, subject only to approved medical or religious exemptions or disability accommodations.
- Students, faculty, and staff will be required to wear masks in all indoor spaces on campus until further notice: in academic and administrative buildings (except in private offices) and in dining halls (except when eating). Students will not be required to wear a mask in residence halls.
Vaccination Requirement for Faculty and Staff
I am grateful to all faculty and administrative and union staff who uploaded their proof of vaccination by the August 2 deadline. As of today, we have achieved a 90 percent faculty and staff vaccination rate. We have made progress, but the rates are uneven, with some departments significantly below the overall percentage. Our original goal was to have over 90 percent of our faculty and staff fully vaccinated, but in light of the Delta variant data it is now essential to achieve a vaccination rate as close to 100 percent as possible, comparable to the rate at which our students have been vaccinated.
All employees have until Thursday, August 12, to meet the vaccination requirement in one of the following ways:
- Upload proof of full vaccination
- Upload proof of the first dose of a two-dose vaccine
- Submit an exemption request for religious or medical reasons
Please review the instructions for how to upload your proof of full vaccination, proof of partial vaccination, or exemption request. If you have any questions, please contact the LTS help desk at helpdesk@wellesley.edu or 781.283.3333.
As of September 1, any employee who has not supplied proof of at least partial vaccination and does not have an approved medical or religious exemption will be placed on unpaid leave.
We continue to urge community members who have not yet responded, including members of administrative and union staff who do not work in the summer, to upload their proof of vaccination. Starting the week of August 16, Human Resources and the Provost’s Office will follow up directly and individually with any community members who have not complied with the vaccination requirement to discuss details and next steps.
I want to be very clear with those who still have questions about the vaccine: as a physician, I can assure you that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and the single most powerful way that you can protect yourself, your loved ones, and this community.
Mask Requirement for Indoor Spaces
Three weeks ago, we thought we might be able to relax some of our health and safety protocols, like masking, if we achieved a high enough vaccination rate. We can no longer consider that option—at least for the start of the fall semester. Masks will continue to be required inside all buildings on campus, including dining halls, except when students are eating. Students will not be required to wear masks in the residence halls but will be asked to wear a mask when in the presence of facilities staff. Faculty and administrative staff do not need to wear masks inside private offices.
We must adopt a multi-layered strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as our full community returns in person to campus. Required vaccination is the centerpiece, but mask-wearing, weekly testing for all students, faculty, and staff, and enhanced building ventilation are also critical. Our goal now, as throughout the past eighteen months, is to protect the health of our community and to ensure an excellent educational program consistent with our mission. We believe that this combination of measures will allow our academic program to go forward safely in person and in classrooms at normal capacity and will allow our administrative and union staff to work safely on campus. As an extra precaution, we will continue to conduct large meetings, such as Academic Council and Administrative Council, virtually, at least at the beginning of the semester, and we recommend that offices and departments continue meeting via Zoom until the trajectory of the pandemic improves.
We realize that this is not how we all wanted to start the fall semester, and we hope that we may be able to amend this protocol as cases and test positivity rates decline. We will have more information for you in the coming weeks about testing protocols, gatherings, and other plans.
Thank you for your continued diligence in following our health and safety protocols. I am grateful for your efforts and for the strong sense of care for each other that, collectively, we continue to demonstrate as a community.
