As we launch the on-ground portion of our semester, we wanted to reach out and tell you how excited we are to welcome you back for the spring. Your cooperation and compliance throughout 2020 laid the foundation for our fall semester, which was successful despite all of the challenges the pandemic presented. In addition, your feedback provided us an opportunity to learn how to manage our operations in the midst of COVID-19, and understand what worked well and the things we could improve upon.

Marist leadership has dedicated the last three months to making improvements to benefit you, our faculty, staff, and community. Improvement highlights include:

• More robust COVID-19 testing regimen
• Stronger code of conduct and guidelines
• Integration of technology platforms for our surveillance testing, health services, and contract tracing teams
• Additional innovations for health tracking, such as a "COVID Cleared on Mobile" notice on the myMarist portal
• Modified cleaning regimen based on guidance from health care professionals
• Modified course schedule, eliminating Saturday classes
• More flexible, customer-focused dining plan with lower-price options, and new independent feedback mechanisms to quickly identify and address issues
• As a reminder, all students are required to complete a daily health attestation in myMarist prior to arriving on campus or attending class each day. Students who will be on campus this semester for in-person instruction, and fully virtual students who reside with on-ground students, are required to participate in COVID-19 surveillance testing every 14 days. These steps are mandatory for continued access to campus this semester

We urge you to maintain your vigilance and recognize that COVID-19 still presents a serious threat to our campus and to the greater community. It is understandable that many of you might be feeling "pandemic fatigue." However, we must continue to closely follow public health protocols: wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, and practicing good hygiene such as hand washing.

Working together, you overcame the obstacles and rose above the challenges presented to you by the pandemic. You have shown each other and our community what it means when we say, "It's a great day to be a Red Fox." Now, let's ensure we have a terrific Spring 2021 on-ground semester by continuing that commitment!

With sincere thanks,
Geoff Brackett, Executive Vice President
Thom Wermuth, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Deb DiCaprio, Vice President for Student Affairs