Dear UVM Faculty and Staff,

It has been another exceptional semester as we managed the challenges associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our collective commitment to health and safety allowed UVM to be in-person this fall semester. We are confident that this will be the same for spring semester.

In the last few weeks, Vermont and other states, particularly in New England, have seen a steady increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. This trend is expected to continue through the end of the calendar year and into January as people gather during the upcoming holidays. Safety starts with knowing. Get tested to protect yourself and your family and friends.

We offer several updates and recommendations before the semester break and upon your return.

Know Before You Go

Many will be traveling during break to be with family and friends; others will be staying here in Vermont. You may be attending gatherings and other social events. Testing before you travel is recommended. The Testing Center in the Davis Center is available and free to all faculty and staff. Schedule your COVID-19 test at least 48 hours before you expect to leave to allow sufficient time to get your test results.

  • If you test positive, Student Health Services will contact you to talk about isolation.

  • Continue practicing all the safeguards after your test (such as masking) to minimize the risk of infection.

  • Schedule your test using the CoVerified App.

  • If you are flying, be sure to check with the airlines to see if there are any testing requirements. You may also be required to provide proof of a negative test prior to travel. It is simple to get a printed copy of your test results.

  • The Testing Center will be open on Monday, December 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will reopen on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. Check out the Testing Center hours. 

We hope that you will take advantage of this testing opportunity as you may again be spending time with people who have underlying health issues or who are older, or those who are not vaccinated and are therefore at greater risk of infection.

We also encourage all employees to get tested in January when you return from break.

Symptomatic Testing

We are pleased to offer symptomatic testing, using rapid antigen testing, to employees through Student Health Services effective immediately during regular hours of operation. The tests are administered in the lobby of Jeanne Mance Residence Hall and you can wait 15 minutes for the results. If you test positive, the Student Health Services staff will talk with you about isolation and contact tracing. Testing is available on a walk-in basis. No appointment necessary.

Vaccinate and Boost Up for Spring Semester!

Recently, the federal contractor and OSHA mandates have been put on hold. However, to protect the health and safety of our community, UVM is moving forward with a vaccine requirement for all employees. We believe that this is an important step in protecting the health and safety of all faculty, staff, students and our families and friends.

As of today, just over 3,000 faculty and staff have submitted proof of their vaccination status. Thank you! While we continue to develop the vaccination policy, we are asking employees to submit proof of vaccination by Tuesday, January 4, 2022 or to submit exemption requests for religious or medical reasons is Friday, December 17, 2021. There are a few simple steps to the submission process. We encourage you to take five minutes today to enter your vaccine information.

If you are eligible, we encourage you to get a COVID-19 booster shot. Booster shots are an excellent way to sustain the effect of the vaccine and are available to every Vermonter over the age of 18. Register for booster doses through the state of Vermont or by calling 855-722-7878.

Return from Winter Break

We are again requiring all students to complete a Day-0 COVID-19 test at the start of spring semester. We have seen the success of this requirement for students and encourage employees to test upon your return from winter break as well.

Contact Tracing Update

Recently, the Vermont Department of Health changed their contact tracing process, but UVM has not. We continue to do contact tracing for all positive cases as we have done since the start of the pandemic.

Student Health Services

While there are many UVM pandemic heroes, we want to take this moment to acknowledge the staff in Student Health Services. They are on the frontlines daily, contacting every person who tests positive through UVM. They work with each case to determine close contacts and inform them of their exposure. They pick up residential students 24-7 and move them to isolation. They talk through isolation protocols for students living off campus. They deal with concerned and worried parents and care for students who test positive. They test symptomatic students. We owe them immense gratitude for all they have done.

Thank you again for another great semester. We hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable winter break!

Patricia A. Prelock, Provost and Senior Vice President
Gary Derr, Vice President for Operations and Safety