Welcome to Spring 2022 Opening

By Samm Swarts, January 21, 2022
A message from Samm Swarts, assistant director of emergency preparedness and response.

The Spring 2022 semester is finally here and our campus has already begun to spring back to life with the return of our students from what I hope was a rejuvenating and restful Winter Break.  We’ve had a smooth start to the extended arrival process and hope to continue the trend with this week’s check-ins. 

Before I talk about the semester ahead, I want to reflect on what’s been accomplished and lessons learned in the fall. Our return to face-to-face instruction and the full Ithaca College experience was quite successful. Prudent public health policies such as mandatory face coverings indoors, frequent hand hygiene, and responsible social interactions helped us navigate the fall semester with low incidence of COVID-19 within our community. High vaccination rates among members of our campus community helped ensure that most cases of COVID-19 that did occur at IC were mild.  

We know these tools work in helping to contain the harshest impacts of the pandemic. 

However, we experienced what can happen when we grow complacent in adhering to personal public health practices. The Omicron variant hit our campus hard during the semester’s final days and it continues to fuel a surge in cases throughout the United States and abroad.  

It is imperative that we recommit ourselves to practices we know keep COVID-19 at bay. A strong start in 2022 is achievable, but we must be #ICinThisTogether. 

Get Boosted

Receiving a vaccine continues to be the single-best way to prevent serious illness as a result of COVID-19. It is also important to maintain your immunity by receiving a booster dose.  

All students, unless they have previously received a college-approved exemption, are required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 15, or 30 days after becoming eligible if that date occurs after the February 15 deadline.  

Ithaca College faculty and staff are also strongly encouraged to seek out booster opportunities as soon as they are eligible.  

“Natural immunity” from prior infection varies depending on how mild or severe the illness was, the time since infection and age. Currently no available test can reliably determine whether a prior infection provides adequate protection against reinfection. Accordingly, CDC recommendations say that individuals who have a prior history of COVID-19 infection should be vaccinated following recovery from the COVID illness. 

I highly encourage our students to be proactive in scheduling a booster appointment if you have not already done so. Supply and accessibility are limited in the greater Ithaca area, so completing this requirement prior to your arrival for the spring semester is strongly encouraged. Ithaca College’s vaccine webpage continues to be a good place for individuals looking to get connected with vaccine resources and to learn more about how to upload their vaccine booster information to keep their MY IC Health portal up to date. 

Get Tested

It’s important that students know when and where to get tested.  

For students, pre-arrival testing was added to this semester’s return to campus process. All students, regardless of living on campus or off campus, are required to go through an arrival check-in process that includes completing a test prior to arriving and taking a test at check-in at the A&E Center. 

Symptomatic testing for students continues to be available at Emerson Hall. Employees should utilize local resources for symptomatic testing such as pharmacies, urgent cares facilities, or the Cayuga Health System’s testing site at The Shops at Ithaca Mall.  

Anyone can direct questions regarding testing to caremanager@ithaca.edu

Be Mindful of Your Health 

Please be honest and mindful of your personal health. This extends beyond COVID-19 to influenza and other potential illnesses that can spread amongst our campus community if left unchecked.  

If you don’t feel well, keep your distance from others and seek out testing as soon as possible. If you have not arrived in Ithaca yet, remain home until your symptoms clear and contact caremanager@ithaca.edu regarding rescheduling your move-in date. 

Continue to make a habit of completing your Daily Health Screening as a first step in monitoring yourself for potential illness. 

Ithaca College’s Health and Safety Advisory Group meets regularly to analyze the latest data and make prudent recommendations for prioritizing our community’s health. This body is committed to keeping our campus community informed with the latest updates and public health guidance as we move forward this semester. 

Let’s commit to staying educated and informed, and continue making public health a priority in 2022. 

Sincerely, 

Samm Swarts, 
Assistant Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response