December 22, 2021 Dear MCAD Community, I hope you are healthy and enjoying your winter break. With an increase in hospitalization rates and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, we have made important changes to our COVID-19 protocols and policies including exemptions to protect the MCAD community. Please read this entire email carefully so that you can help us avoid any disruptions to the Spring 2022 Semester. Required Booster VaccineMCAD Community: Those community members who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot and who will be on campus must show proof of receiving the booster shot. To be eligible you must be two months beyond your Johnson & Johnson vaccination or six months beyond your last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination. If you are not yet eligible for a booster shot, you need to notify Student Affairs or Human Resources for a temporary waiver and then get a booster shot within 14 days of becoming eligible.Faculty and Staff: By January 10, 2022 you must fill out this form in order to maintain normal access to campus Students: By January 18, 2022 you must fill out this form in order to maintain normal access to campus. Required Testing: Before Your ReturnMCAD Community: Every community member who makes their first return to campus must be tested 24 hours prior to arriving on campus. Any valid test is acceptable, such as Vault, at home, doctor or pharmacy-administered. If you receive a positive COVID-19 test result, you must immediately notify staysafe@mcad.edu and follow instructions to quarantine in place. If you receive a negative test result, you do not need to notify MCAD and may return to campus as planned. Required Testing: After Your ReturnMCAD Community: To have access to MCAD buildings, facilities, and classrooms for the start of the term, you must take two MCAD-provided COVID-19 molecular (RT-PCR) tests offered on campus during the following dates: Initial On-Campus Testing Tuesday, January 18 Wednesday, January 19 Follow-Up On-Campus Testing Monday, January 24 Tuesday, January 25 You will receive an email from StaySafe in the upcoming weeks with available testing times to set up your appointments. Faculty Preparation Week January 10-15 Faculty Preparation Week meetings and activities have been moved to a fully remote format. Vice President of Academic Affairs Robert Ransick will provide more details in a future communication. Start of Classes The first week of classes will be delivered remotely starting Tuesday, January 18 through Monday, January 24 while all facilities will remain open. In-person classes will resume Tuesday, January 25. I appreciate your support as we continue to navigate the challenges related to COVID-19. Mitigating the threat from this virus will require our diligence and resolve so that we may continue to work and learn together in person. For more information, go to the recently updated COVID-19 information page on the website. If you have any questions or concerns, please send them to staysafe@mcad.edu. All my best to you as always, Sanjit