As Marymount University has fully returned to a face-to-face academic delivery model for the Fall 2021 semester, the institution is committed to both supporting the safety and health of all its community members while also providing a vibrant on-campus learning and living environment for the students it serves.
The University’s approach is represented through the ‘Saints Rebound’ plan, an active document which will guide the institution’s leadership in decision-making throughout the upcoming academic year for issues concerning COVID-19 and navigating the ongoing pandemic. Below is a summary of the plan’s key areas and how they will allow Marymount to protect the health and well-being of its community members as the nation progresses towards eventual recovery from the pandemic.
Mandatory Vaccination
- COVID-19 vaccination is required for all students, faculty and staff.
- Community members have until September 30 to become fully compliant.
- Those who receive exemptions are required to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis.
Safety Protocols
- While unvaccinated individuals are required to be tested weekly, vaccinated individuals will be tested only if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Contact tracing will occur after a diagnosis has been determined.
- Masks are required for everyone while indoors. Social distancing of six feet is also recommended for unvaccinated individuals. Masks are advised outdoors as well when individuals are within close proximity of others.
- The University is holding a percentage of its residential rooms with private bathrooms for quarantine and isolation use as needed. It is also continuing distribution of cleaning products and PPE across campus.
- All entrances to campus grounds are now open.
- University events will resume, while maintaining a registration or attendance list in case contact tracing is required.
Mental Health Support
- It’s predicted that the current academic year will see an emergence of new and exacerbated health concerns for college-age students due to COVID-19. Therefore, Marymount is dedicating resources to support its community.
- Student Counseling Services (SCS) will offer individual and group therapy, as well as an after-hours crisis hotline, both virtually and in person.
- The campus CARE Team, which reaches out to students in distress, will grow and include members from across campus to meet the anticipated need for outreach.
- All employees will take mental health training in order to recognize symptoms and intervene appropriately.
