Dear Marist Faculty & Staff Colleagues,

As we prepare for the launch of the 2022-2023 academic year, we wanted to let you know that to better serve our student population, we have relocated and refurbished our student health and counseling services so that they are in the heart of the campus: in the Student Center 3rd floor (Health Services) and Midrise 1st floor (Counseling Services). This is an important improvement as we open for what we trust will be a more traditional operating year after two years of significant disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many thanks to you all for the perseverance you have shown over that period. We are cautiously optimistic and extremely excited about the academic year ahead of us.

Within that context, we also wanted to let you know of important updates to our public health policies, which have been informed by Marist’s Medical Advisory Group, whose expertise has helped to guide us successfully through the past two years. They are:

COVID-19

The Marist community maintains a high rate of vaccination and booster compliance. We will begin the semester with the following policies in place:

• The College will continue to require members of the Marist community to obtain the full vaccine series and initial booster for the Fall 2022 semester, unless they were granted a religious or medical exemption for the 2022-2023 academic year
• The College will strongly recommend individuals obtain a second booster, once eligible.
• Marist will remain a “mask-friendly” environment where we ask that all respect individual decisions about masking. Faculty may continue to encourage students to wear masks during classroom instruction.
• The College will continue to provide face coverings to students, faculty, and staff. Requests should be made via email to PPE.requests@marist.edu.
• >Marist will continue the existing isolation/quarantine policy, for those that have tested positive or for those with approved exemptions who have been exposed to COVID-19.

Flu Vaccine

For the 2022-23 academic year, Marist will strongly recommend students, faculty, and staff receive the annual flu vaccine. As it has done in the past, the College will offer periodic flu vaccine clinics on campus to make it easier for the community to protect itself against influenza. More details will be provided about flu clinics as they become available.

Monkeypox

We also wanted to note that we are closely monitoring updates from the State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding monkeypox, which is a rare disease in the same family of viruses that cause smallpox (and not related to chickenpox). While symptoms are similar to smallpox, they are milder and rarely fatal. The CDC has instructional resources available on how it spreads, prevention, how to spot symptoms and available treatment.

The spread of monkeypox, like that of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, has been accompanied by misinformation, some of which stigmatizes members of certain demographic groups. Marist is committed to providing its students, faculty, and staff with reliable information and guidance they need to help protect themselves and our community.

Health officials advise that anyone who believes they have been exposed or experiences the rashes or lesions characteristic of monkeypox should contact their health care provider for an assessment and appropriate treatment. Vaccine for eligible individuals is now available through the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health. You can find out if you are eligible and pre-register for vaccination against monkeypox by visiting https://www.DutchessNY.gov/MonkeypoxVaccine.

Marist has succeeded through the challenges of the last two years because of the resilient dedication of its community, the care with which we treat each other, and our commitment to continuous improvement. We are all excited to move forward together and welcome our new and returning students for the new academic year.

Sincerely,

Geoff Brackett, Executive Vice President
Thom Wermuth, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty