Monmouth College students, faculty, staff and guests will be expected to wear face masks while inside buildings' public spaces
MONMOUTH, Ill. (08/05/2021) — Monmouth College President Clarence R. Wyatt sent the following message Thursday morning about COVID-19 protocols to the College community.
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August 5, 2021
Dear Fellow Scots,
As we prepare what promises to be an exciting 2021-22 school year, I write to you today with an important message.
As we all know, the Delta variant of the coronavirus is causing a surge in infections in all areas of the country. These infections are occurring overwhelmingly among unvaccinated individuals. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently issued guidelines calling for all individuals to mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status. As we have since the pandemic began, we are following CDC guidance as closely as possible in order to safeguard the health of our campus community as much as we can.
When you return to campus later this month, all students, faculty, staff and guests will be expected to wear facemasks while inside buildings' public spaces. Individuals will not have to wear facemasks in their residence hall rooms nor in the dining hall or Einstein Bagel Bros. while enjoying a meal or a cup of coffee. All classes will still be offered in person, and athletics and other co-curricular activities will continue as scheduled. The only change is that everyone on campus will be expected to wear a facemask while inside a building's public space - such as a hallway, classroom, or while attending meetings in offices and conference rooms.
We hope that this practice will be temporary. The best way to make it temporary is for as many of us to be vaccinated as possible and to follow the masking policy in order to suppress the virus' spread. But the policy will remain in effect until the pandemic's current wave subsides and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declares once again that fully vaccinated individuals may be maskless in indoor public spaces.
We know that this represents a change from what we had hoped to do last spring. The decision to return to facemasks in public indoor places was not an easy one. It was a reminder that the virus is ultimately in charge, and it has thrown us this curveball. While this decision will not be popular with some, it was the right decision to make because it will HELP US keep one another safe on campus.
As the CDC has pointed out, vaccines remain highly effective at preventing infections, hospitalizations and death from the Delta variant. Because CDC data suggests that fully vaccinated people with RARE breakthrough infections can spread the virus, it is critical that we all wear a facemask while inside a building's public space.
You need to know that as of the writing of this message, Warren County remains a "moderate" area in terms of transmission of the virus, according to CDC data. Warren County, however, is surrounded by counties that report "substantial" or "high" transmission of the virus. Returning to wearing facemasks in public indoor spaces on campus will, in the words of the CDC, "maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others."
If you have not yet been vaccinated, mark Aug. 31 on your calendar, when a vaccination clinic will be held on campus for students who have not yet been able to receive a vaccine.
All students who show proof of their vaccination will be entered into a drawing for a $250 Amazon gift card. One gift card will be awarded to a randomly drawn name from each class. Students can send a copy of proof of their vaccination to residencelife@monmouthcollege.edu to be entered into the drawing. Students who would like to request a medical or religious exemption from receiving the vaccine but still be entered in the drawing should notify us by Aug. 15 at residencelife@monmouthcollege.edu.
Also mark your calendar for 7 p.m. CT on Monday, Aug. 9. That's when we will hold a virtual town hall meeting. I, along with several of my Senior Staff colleagues, will be available to answer your questions as we prepare for the start of the 2021-22 school year.
Lobie and I look forward to seeing everyone when they return to campus. Monmouth College is a special place because we are a community that looks out and cares for one another - and that includes taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
- Clarence Wyatt