January 4: COVID-19 Pre-Arrival Testing and Booster Information

Dear Students,

Happy New Year! We look forward to welcoming you back to campus for the spring semester. Please know that classes will resume as scheduled on Tuesday, January 18. Residence Life staff will follow up later this week with information regarding move-in procedures for Sunday, January 16 and Monday, January 17. 

Our COVID-19 Team continues to monitor the rapid changes and overall impact of the pandemic. Though the Omicron variant is more contagious than previous strains, we know that symptoms are mild for most vaccinated individuals. We are grateful that our community has a high vaccination rate of 96%. Nevertheless, due to the high transmissibility rate of this variant, we are anticipating an increase in the number of positive cases on campus. As such, while residence hall and masking protocols will remain the same at this time, we are currently reviewing our isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing protocols for the spring semester and will communicate the changes in the coming days. 

In the meantime, I write to remind you of the pre-arrival testing and booster vaccine requirements that were communicated last month. 

Pre-Arrival Testing 

Given the current surge, we highly encourage all students to test both this week and next, with the requirement of a negative pre-arrival test within seven days of your arrival to campus. If you live within driving distance of the College, you may test at our on-campus Testing Center.  

Testing Center Hours  

Week of January 3 

• Wednesday, January 5 – 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

• Thursday, January 6 – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Week of January 10 

• Monday, January 10 – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Tuesday, January 11 – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

• Wednesday, January 12 – 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

• Thursday, January 13 – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

If you test on campus, you do not need to submit a copy of your results. If you test at home, you must submit a copy of your negative rapid-antigen or PCR test results through the student health portal. Within your submission, please ensure that you include your name and the date you took the test. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days, you should submit a copy of your positive test results through the student health portal in lieu of a pre-arrival test. 

Booster Vaccination 

As previously communicated, students are required to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine once eligible based on the completion of your initial vaccination series or as instructed by your medical provider. Exemptions have been extended to those who have a previously approved exemption on file. Those not yet medically eligible to receive the booster have been granted an automatic extension. Booster vaccination documentation should be submitted via the student health portal. Learn more about booster shot eligibility here.  

Given reports of higher than usual flu activity this season, we also strongly encourage that you receive a flu vaccine if you have not yet done so.  

Once again, please know that any changes regarding spring COVID-19 protocols will be communicated in the coming days. In the meantime, if you have questions regarding pre-arrival testing or submitting booster vaccine documentation, please contact Maria Sullivan, Director of Health Services, at msullivan7@stonehill.edu or 508-565-1307. 

Thank you for your patience, perseverance, and understanding as we navigate the ongoing impact of the pandemic. As always, our collective efforts make all the difference, and we look forward to welcoming you back to campus soon.  

Sincerely,

Pauline M. Dobrowski

Vice President for Student Affairs