As of June 4, according to an email sent to the community by Peter Harvey, the Coronavirus Task Force Chair, Whitman is revising campus COVID-19 policy in accordance with recent updates to state guidance. 

According to the email, “People with summer-long access badges (those who have provided proof of vaccination and have permission to be on campus for the summer) may be in campus buildings and outdoor spaces without wearing masks or maintaining physical distancing.”

“However, we expect employees and students to wait until they are fully vaccinated (two weeks after their final vaccine dose) to take this step. Any community member who is not fully vaccinated for any reason must continue to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing both indoors and outdoors on campus.”

Students are required to document their vaccinations through the COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting Form in order to receive campus access badges. 

However, vaccinated individuals are welcome to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

The COVID-19 vaccine is strongly encouraged for employees and is required for all students, barring religious or medical exemptions.

“Whitman currently has 84% of employees who report having been vaccinated against COVID-19 and 60% of students, for a total of 67% of our entire campus population,” Harvey wrote.

Any employees who have neglected to provide proof of vaccination are required to take a COVID test every week in order to receive a seven-day campus access badge. Testing takes place every Tuesday from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Welty Health Center.

The email also stated that Whitman will no longer be using Everbridge Contact Tracing or paper building logs.

Current campus safety practices can be found in the Overview of Summer Campus COVID Protocols.

Campus buildings remain closed to the public. Campus visitors are still required to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing protocols in outdoor areas of campus.