Bluffton University

Campus protocols for spring semester 2022

Mask Optional

Announcement by President Jane Wood

In light of the updated CDC guidance and the low numbers of COVID cases on campus and in all of the surrounding counties, effective Tuesday, March 1, 2022, Bluffton University will change its campus masking policy to MASK OPTIONAL.

The committee recognizes that some individuals in our campus community have important reasons to continue masking. Faculty members can opt to continue requiring masks in their classrooms and in their offices. Faculty, please contact your students if you will continue requiring masks. Masks will be provided in classrooms where they are required. Staff members can opt to continue requiring masks in their individual offices.  Please contact Karen Bontrager for a supply of masks.

The committee recognizes that the change to mask optional is significant, and we are all in different places of comfort with the change. As a Community of Respect, please be kind to one another and honor the choices of those who continue masking, especially when you are in their spaces. Students, please continue to carry masks so you can wear them when needed.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. Please continue to use the Campus Shield app to report any symptoms. Masks will be required in the Student Health Center. Student-athletes will continue to follow NCAA COVID-19 protocols until these policies are changed by the NCAA. We will continue to follow the protocol for students, staff and faculty who test positive for COVID-19.

Positive COVID-19 test or  COVID-19 exposure procedure

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, whether you are vaccinated or not, you should isolate at home for five days. Following isolation, and if you are not showing symptoms, you can return to campus but must wear a mask at all times in both indoor and outdoor spaces, including in residence halls, which is a change from the previous policy.

If you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are unvaccinated, stay home for five days after your last exposure, then wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Test on day five. If you develop symptoms or test positive, stay home.

If you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are partially vaccinated (you've only had one dose of Pfizer or Moderna; you've had both doses of Pfizer or Moderna more than six months ago; or, you've had Johnson & Johnson more than two months ago), stay home for five days after your last exposure, then wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Test on day five. If you develop symptoms or test positive, stay home.

If you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are vaccinated and boosted, then you must wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Test on day five. If you develop symptoms or test positive, stay home.

 

General guidelines

As the Bluffton University campus community looks forward for the start of the 2021-22 spring semester and welcoming students back to campus, students and employees are strongly encouraged to obtain a vaccination. Vaccine locations can be found at the Allen County Public Health, or your county’s Public Health Department website. Bluffton University is not mandating vaccines to return to campus, but encourages students to be vaccinated as congregate living is at higher risk for disease spread.

If your vaccination status has changed, please provide an updated immunization record on my.bluffton.edu so the university can calculate the percentage of students vaccinated.

Monitor your health

All students and employees should self-monitor their health symptoms. Anyone not feeling well should not attend class or other events. If you don’t feel well, you can report your symptoms using the Campus Shield app. Student Health Center staff will contact you and direct you to appropriate care. If your symptoms are suggestive of COVID-19, you can have a rapid test done on campus in the Student Health Center for $10 during their regular hours. COVID-19 testing will be available in the Student Health Center for symptomatic students until the supply of tests is exhausted.

The Student Health Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays for consultative visits. After these hours, students who are severely ill should contact a local physician or urgent care.

Students who test positive, either from a home test or at a designated testing site, must notify Phill Talavinia, vice president of student affairs. He is the only person who can and will notify the registrar’s office of the need to leave campus to ensure a remote learning option.

Employees should be in conversation with your supervisor regarding your health status. 

Quick reference

Throughout the pandemic, we have followed the science - particularly guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Allen County Department of Health. Based on those guidelines, we have updated policies for the spring semester 2022. We will continue to change and update our policies whenever needed to protect our campus community. 

* Your length of quarantine and/or isolation will be determined by your health department and based on CDC guidelines.

Masks

As of March 1, 2022, Bluffton University changed its masking policy to MASK OPTIONAL. The committee recognizes that some individuals in our campus community have important reasons to continue masking. Faculty members can opt to continue requiring masks in their classrooms and in their offices. Staff members can opt to continue requiring masks in their individual offices.

As a Community of Respect, please be kind to one another and honor the choices of those who continue masking, especially when you are in their spaces. In large event venues, Bluffton University will provide spaces for social distancing during the event to welcome those who want to attend events in-person but are at high risk and want to limit their exposure to large crowds. 

Isolation and quarantine

During the 2021-22 academic year, Bluffton University will not provide any isolation or quarantine spaces. Students will need to arrange for their own isolation and quarantine space and will be required to leave campus. 

All students should have a personal COVID-19 plan, confirmed with your families, in the event of sickness (where will you go, transportation plans, etc.).

Isolation after a positive test

Students who test positive for the virus will need to isolate at the direction of Allen County Department of Health or other health entity, regardless of vaccination status. You must isolate off-campus regardless of vaccination status.

Upon clearance from isolation from your county health department, a copy of the release documentation must be sent to Phill Talavinia, talavaniap@bluffton.edu, vice president of student affairs, before a student can return to campus.

More from the CDC > 

Student athletes

NCAA COVID-19 vaccination and testing information:
Throughout the 2021-22 academic year, Bluffton University will be following all local, state, CDC and NCAA guidelines in terms of testing for COVID-19. With the relaxation of local and NCAA guidelines and the ever-changing dynamic of the COVID-19 pandemic, these guidelines will continue to change as well. Bluffton University will be following NCAA guideline for testing as released in the latest NCAA Resocialization Document (June 2021).

These guidelines state that it is “not recommend(ed) to repeat surveillance testing for infected individuals within the 90-day window following infection or for fully vaccinated individuals*, either as routine surveillance or after COVID-19 exposure, unless symptoms warrant such an evaluation as determined by a physician.”

*Fully vaccinated is defined as two weeks after your booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, for unvaccinated athletes surveillance tested is recommended and depending on the level of spread in the campus and/or team could be up to three times per week. Unlike previous recommendations, this applies to all unvaccinated athletes and Tier I individuals despite the previous sport level risk. If you have not been fully vaccinated or choose to not to share this information, you will be subject to testing three times a week, per NCAA guidance. Any student athlete who chooses not to become vaccinated will pay for the administrative costs of their individual tests. Costs will be added to each student’s bill.

We realize that vaccination is a choice and at this time will not be requiring it for participation in athletics. These guidelines will require, however, the Sports Medicine Department to have documentation of COVID-19 vaccination for individuals within the athletic department who have been vaccinated. For this documentation a copy of the CDC Card that you received at time of vaccination will be accepted. These can be emailed or mailed with the student athlete’s physical or sent directly to:

Bluffton University
Attn: Kayla Bartlett-Ulrich
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817-2104

bartlettk@bluffton.edu
Fax: 419-358-3070

Miscellaneous Details

Do I need to do the daily health check on the Campus Shield App?
No. But, report any symptoms in the app if you are not feeling well. A nurse from the Student Health Center will follow up with you that same day and provide guidance.

The Commons and dining services:
The Commons will return to full capacity. Students are encouraged to eat in the Commons. When necessary, reuseable to-go containers will be available for purchase.

Will campus be open to the public for events and use of facilities?
Families, alumni and guests are invited to return to campus for university sponsored events. To accommodate those who want to attend events but would prefer to be socially distanced, in large indoor venues, spaces will be reserved for those who want to remain socially distanced from others. These seats will be available on a first come first serve basis. Tickets may be required for some events as they were prior to COVID-19.

During the next year, as we continue to live and learn through COVID-19, one time facility rentals by the public/non university sponsored groups will be considered based on campus impact and health status of the county and campus. Recurring space rentals by non-university sponsored groups will not be considered at this time. 
Jan. 2, 2022