The message below was sent by Eleanor JB Daugherty, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, to students on all campuses on November 5, 2021
Subject: Ode to Orange
Dear Huskies,
Ok, Daily Campus. You’ve raised some really good questions through your opinion pieces. I don’t disagree; COVID measures are challenging, particularly when our health is so strong. Masking is hard, but it works. I always benefit from talking with all of you, university leadership, and my amazing colleagues in infectious disease, public health, and student health care.
So I thought it would be helpful to talk some more about why we remain in orange.
Last year, we were facing significant illness with a modest arsenal to protect our health. Our success was based on your willingness to significantly alter your behavior by distancing, quarantine (sometimes seemingly endless …), minimal gatherings, and so much testing. I know that defined too much of your college experience and I’m thankful for the progress we have made together.
This fall, we became a nearly fully vaccinated campus and we opened to a semester with Convocation, basketball games, gatherings (thank you, IFC and PanHellenic, for all of your work off-campus last week), roommates, and in-person learning. We do, however, remain in orange. The real distinguishing factor of orange is that masking remains required for all of us indoors. We evaluate whether to change this designation every week. Any changes in that status will be updated on the dashboard.
Masking matters. We know that the Delta variant is present on the Storrs campus and is aggressive. Despite vaccinations, it has caused positive cases at UConn. As a result, I want to ask you to continue to join us in ensuring our good health by wearing a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status.
In addition to our own good health, we want to consider our faculty, staff, family, and friends who cannot be vaccinated because of personal beliefs, age, or health history. Fortunately, that status has very recently changed with the authorization for younger children to receive the vaccine. Together we do all we can through vaccination, mask wearing, and good hygiene to keep our community’s health strong. I see that care not only in your actions, but in the actions of your faculty who also wear masks, were vaccinated, and always care for your good health.
As we plan for the coming term, I want to remind our students returning to in-person learning for the first time and newly admitted students that you will need to either demonstrate proof of vaccination or receive an exemption as indicated in our COVID-19 vaccination policy. Please note that students seeking to live in UConn residence halls who are seeking an exemption must do so by Dec. 9 to enter housing selection.
Next week, I will share greater detail about our spring plans. As a spoiler alert, let me share that I don’t anticipate any significant changes (there may even be some good news in Charter Oak and Northwood).
More to come.
Be well, UConn,
Eleanor JB Daugherty, EdD
she/her/hers
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
P.S. I love that our scholars are researching the ongoing impact of COVID-19 upon college student wellbeing. If you want to be a part of this research, you are warmly invited to take their survey.
For more information, contact: Janice Canniff at janice.canniff@uconn.edu