February 17, 2021—We trust the remote portion of the Spring 2021 semester is off to a good start and we look forward to welcoming many of you back to campus in just a few weeks. As we prepare for the return to campus and start of in-person classes, we are taking this opportunity to share information updates and remind you of the mandatory policies that will apply to students this semester. While the policies below may seem challenging, the College has established them for our collective public health. They build on our mutual success in the Fall 2020 semester, and we believe they will make the Spring 2021 semester even more successful for Marist students and the wider community. We ask that you carefully review the policies and procedures below, which apply to all students on campus for any reason during the Spring 2021 semester.

COVID Clear: Students who are in full compliance with Marist’s COVID-related policies will be permitted on campus. This semester, the College will utilize a new tool in MyMarist to help you confirm whether you are cleared to come to campus each day. Students who have met the requirements outlined below will see a green “Cleared” status bar under their name in MyMarist. Students who do not meet the requirements outlined below will see a red “Not Cleared” status bar in MyMarist under their name, and are not permitted to attend on-ground classes or come to campus. Students are cleared to be on campus if they:

1. Complete the daily health attestation
2. Have submitted a mandatory pre-arrival COVID-19 PCR test
3. Have submitted documentation of a mandatory flu shot (effective March 15)
4. Participate in mandatory arrival testing and surveillance testing when requested
5. Are not in isolation/quarantine
6. Do not have an academic or judicial hold

Updated Daily Health Attestation: As required by New York State rules, all students must complete a daily health attestation prior to arriving on campus or attending class each day. Based on feedback from last semester, Marist has now added a “Reset” button, which will allow you to update your form if you make an error or have a change in status.

Mandatory Arrival Testing: In addition to the mandatory pre-arrival COVID test, all on-ground students are required to participate in a mandatory COVID arrival testing.

• Resident students (including those who have quarantined off campus) must be tested on the date they arrive on campus. Students who arrive after testing hours have concluded must be tested the next day so that the test is conducted within 24 hours of arrival. Registration for arrival testing is available here: marist.edu/reopen/arrival-testing. Students must register with a new account prior to arrival on campus. Accounts from the Fall semester will not be recognized.
• Students who reside off campus will be assigned an appointment to complete arrival testing during the first week of on-ground classes (starting Monday, March 1st).

Enhanced Surveillance Testing: The College has expanded its surveillance testing program for the Spring 2021 semester. All students who will be on campus this semester will be required to participate in COVID-19 surveillance testing every 14 days. Students who do not comply with this requirement will lose clearance to attend in-person classes and/or come to campus.

COVID-19 Addendum to the Student Code of Conduct: As a condition of returning to campus, all students must read, review, and attest to the updated COVID-19 Addendum to the Student Code of Conduct, which outlines behavioral expectations for all Marist students during the Spring semester. Changes to policies for the Spring semester include an updated resident student visitation policy, along with additional guidance on gathering size limits, off-campus travel, and adherence to testing and contact tracing protocols. Click here to complete the pledge.

Dining: Ensuring high-quality dining services for our students is a top priority for Marist. We share the serious concerns raised by students and parents regarding the quality of dining services last semester. These concerns have been raised with Sodexo, our dining services provider, and we are working with them to make changes to improve quality and better meet the needs of our students. We anticipate making changes to the plan as well as overall changes to the dining program, and will provide an update in the coming days.

Thank you for your continued efforts to #ProtectThePack.

Sincerely,

Geoff Brackett, Executive Vice President

Thom Wermuth, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Deb DiCaprio, Vice President for Student Affairs