08/06/2021
By Steve O’Riordan

Once again we find ourselves preparing for the start of the semester in a rapidly changing public health environment. We are closely monitoring the national and regional increases in COVID-19 cases and the response from colleges and universities across the country and we have been coordinating closely with the President’s Office and our sister campuses.

But without a doubt the most important change this year is that we expect the vast majority of our campus community will be vaccinated against COVID-19 and protected from severe disease even in the very low probability of breakthrough infections.

While we already know that some mitigation efforts will remain in place for the coming semester — such as daily symptom checks and staying home if you are ill — we are continuing to gather data to determine whether any additional risk reduction measures are needed. As always, we will promptly notify the community of any changes to our risk reduction requirements and current strategy, but any employee is always free to choose additional personal protective measures like wearing a face covering.

We will share the results of the anonymous two-question UMass Lowell vaccination survey next week. In addition to mandatory vaccination for our students, the university has initiated conversations with union leaders about the prospect of establishing a vaccine mandate for employees, including religious or medical exemptions similar to those available to students. We know a clearer understanding of our employees’ vaccination rates will help reassure many campus community members.

Finally, please continue to check our Fall Planning website for our current rules and regulations around risk reduction.

Our top priority remains returning our students to campus to be with their friends, to learn from our great faculty and to participate in all the activities and personal interactions that make our community great. And we are committed to ensuring all of this takes place in a safe and healthy environment for our students, faculty and staff.

Thank you for all you do for UMass Lowell and for each other.