The message below was sent by Eleanor JB Daugherty, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, to students on all campuses on August 20, 2021
My Dear Huskies,
I am so grateful to you and all that you have done to make it possible for UConn to open next week with the greatest confidence. I also want to extend a warm welcome to our new students. You are now part of a community that is driven by care for others and pride in being a Husky. Welcome.
For those of you who know me well (and if you don’t, you are always welcome to stop by Dean’s Advisory), you know that, in my own words, what I’m really saying is this: You rock. You are awesome.
We are unbelievably excited to welcome you to all of our campuses. I thought I would take some time to review some details on medical readiness, move-in at our residential campuses, and connection this fall.
Medical Readiness:
Vaccination is absolutely the best weapon we have to beat COVID-19, including the variants that have emerged over the past several weeks. All of you have taken steps to ensure your health and the health of others, and I am so pleased to report that student vaccination numbers are now significantly higher than the country and the state. Currently, all of our campuses are above 80% full or partially vaccinated. Nicely done.
Currently, around 3% of our 30,000-plus students have received exemptions. Those students are very welcome on our campuses and will be required to observe additional safety measures such as surveillance testing and masking to provide for their health and the health of our community.
The CDC and our own state Department of Public Health continue to closely watch the presence of COVID in our community, state, and nation. As such, we can always expect guidance to evolve as we know more. This has caused the University to make some modifications in its plans:
- I think it is now very fair to say that masking is essential in closed spaces, and it’s University policy that everyone must wear masks inside buildings whether they’re vaccinated or not. The University will open in orange, and it is now very likely to remain that way until we have better news on the Delta variant.
- All residential students granted exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement at the Storrs and Stamford campuses will be required to participate in weekly surveillance testing. Failure to meet this expectation could result in a removal from housing. All residential students are encouraged to review the Temporary Health and Safety Procedures provided by Residential Life. Off-campus Storrs students may be subject to holds at campus facilities such as the Recreation Center.
- Per recent CDC guidance earlier this month, vaccinated students will need to be tested, but not necessarily quarantined, if they are identified as a close contact of a positive individual. As always, anyone positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, will need to be isolated.
Connection and Community: Strong but not perfect (and that’s a good thing).
Last year, thousands of students told us what they hoped for when they resumed classes in the fall. For our students returning for their second year, we are so pleased to offer a specialized WOW experience and a warm welcome on Saturday evening.
We are thrilled to be welcoming students back to all of our campuses and invite students to check their campus websites to learn more about all of our robust programming. Storrs students are encouraged to consult the WOW calendar. Join us in celebrating each other and a successful fall semester. The President is looking forward to welcoming you to UConn at Convocation and we will be sure to share highlights with all of you!
I had a chance to meet with our amazing Storrs RAs this week. In addition to expressing my gratitude for their commitment to all of you, I called upon us to embrace imperfection. We are thankful to be together. The pandemic has been both devastating and a reminder of how strong we are as a community that cares for each other. Take the time to sleep, eat, ask for help, attend a game, make friends, find love… and, most importantly, to be imperfect. We are a caring community that will need to forgive, listen, connect, and build compassion as we return after such a challenging year.
Move-In: August 27-29
Residential Students who are compliant with the requirement to either report vaccination status or secure an exemption have received information about move in from the Department of Residential Life. Students need to sign up for a move in slot. Please adhere to the schedule provided to reduce the amount of time you will wait at the check-in site. This year, there is no limit on the number of helpers a student can have moving them into their rooms. All individuals entering the building must wear masks and cannot linger in hallways or other congested spaces. Please do not bring family pets with you during move-in.
As a reminder, residents who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated will be expected to observe a modified quarantine. A few key things to know:
- This quarantine may last up to 10 days.
- Residential students are not permitted to have guests during modified quarantine.
- Students are permitted to attend class, work in person, and participate in essential research functions conducted at UConn.
- Meals are grab and go only.
As students, you have always shown us the way over the course of the past year. We have overcome so much and accomplished even more. We have done that together as a community. Here’s to a better tomorrow.
Welcome back, UConn.
Eleanor JB Daugherty, EdD
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
For more information, contact: Janice Canniff at janice.canniff@uconn.edu