I know that it may be hard to believe, but it's been a month since we officially reconvened for the start of the Fall 2021 semester. This past month has certainly flown by as we have adjusted to living, learning and interacting with one another as a full campus community for the first time since March of 2020. It has been a long journey for us to reach this point and sincere thanks to the many members of our campus community who have worked tirelessly to help Ithaca College navigate this successful opening month of the academic year.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our campus has gone through many significant changes on the road from where we stood 18-months ago to where we currently stand. We have learned many lessons during this time that have helped us contain and limit the impacts of the virus on our campus community. This knowledge is so crucial in our continued efforts, helping us to adapt our policies and protocols to fit the ever-changing landscape as the pandemic continues to persist.
Ithaca College’s Health and Safety Advisory Group regularly meets and constantly analyzes the information available to us, helping to guide our efforts for carrying out a successful semester ahead. Sometimes the current landscape has allowed us to return to the “normalcy” of pre-pandemic standards, such as the easement of travel restrictions and relaxing some of our visitor policies, while many protocols remain in place such as mandatory indoor face coverings in public spaces and the recent reintroduction of modified surveillance testing. Utilizing available data and being able to swiftly adapt, if needed, will aid us in the weeks and months to come.