As the Middlebury Institute welcomes faculty, staff, students, and visitors to campus, protecting the health and safety of the Institute community continues to be a top priority.
It is important to note that the pandemic has evolved into more of an endemic state, and our responses to it have changed accordingly. While we expect that COVID-19 will be with us for some time to come, we now are practiced in how to protect our most vulnerable while providing a vibrant living, learning, and working environment in support of our academic mission. That means that we will continue to encourage health and safety measures that we know are effective while we monitor the latest developments with COVID-19 and advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the County of Monterey Health Department.
In addition to following CDC, CDPH, and Monterey County guidelines, a key part of our approach has been to emphasize personal responsibility, and that will continue. Individuals should consider their own risks and the risks of those they spend time with as they decide what additional measures to continue. The Vice President’s Office regularly assesses the appropriate protocols for our community, and we will keep you informed of any necessary changes. We encourage all members of our community to regularly check CDC guidance as well.
Latest Trends with COVID-19
We now are contending with variants of COVID-19 that are considered more transmissible but less severe than earlier strains. We know that prior infections, vaccinations, and available treatments are effective in minimizing the worst outcomes of the virus. At the same time, strategies that were once cornerstones of our response––such as positive case counts, contact tracing, and surveillance testing––are considered less effective under current conditions. Our emphasis now is on vaccinations, symptomatic antigen testing, CDC and CDPH community levels, isolation-in-place recovery strategies, and a mask-friendly/mask-optional policy that allows individuals and groups to best address their health situations and environments.
Also among recent developments, the Omicron subvariant BA.5 is the predominant circulating strain in the United States, and we are monitoring other subvariants, including BA.2.75. The subvariant BA.5 is considered highly transmissible, even among individuals with prior COVID-19 infections and those who are up-to-date with vaccinations. BA.5 is thought to be less severe than prior COVID-19 strains, but it can still cause significant or prolonged infections, especially in individuals with underlying medical conditions. Being up-to-date with vaccinations, as is required at Middlebury, can reduce the risk of experiencing the worst effects of the virus. Medications remain effective against the BA.5 subvariant as well.
We are aware that some individuals are at higher risk for adverse health outcomes, and protecting those who are most vulnerable remains a priority. We also acknowledge that there are adverse impacts of mitigation measures––including but not limited to delayed health care for other illnesses, isolation, stress, and other impacts on mental health. Living together with COVID-19 means accepting that cases will occur, but also doing what we can do to minimize transmission.
| Vaccination Information |
Please note that all students, faculty, and staff are required to be in compliance with our vaccination policy. |
| Prearrival Planning and Preparations |
In addition to required vaccination, we as a community need to work together to support a strong start to the academic year. For this reason, we recommend the following preparations for all individuals prior to returning to campus:
All faculty, staff, and students should retain a copy of their booster record and upload their record via the SentryMD portal. More information is available on the COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements webpage. New students for the fall semester and continuing students who will be in-person on campus for the first time will need to upload verifications for their vaccines and booster. |
| Mask-Friendly Campus |
Institute guidelines have shifted to a mask-friendly, mask-optional policy. This policy will remain in place unless there are significant changes as the public health landscape evolves. We ask that all members of our community respect the choices of others about whether or not to wear masks, and consider the CDC Community Level and associated guidance when making decisions around mask use. Following are guidelines for the Middlebury Institute campus:
The Institute will continue to provide masks in the Vice President’s Office in the Segal building Monday – Friday between 10AM – 3PM. |
| Testing Requirements |
Prearrival PCR testing for individuals who have not had an infection in the past 90 days is recommended but not required for students returning to campus. Testing requirements for students in Munras Housing will be communicated separately. |
| Campus Access | Campus access for the 2022-2023 academic year will continue to be limited to Middlebury Institute faculty, staff, and students, who may come to campus without prior authorization. Visitors and contractors who must visit or work on campus require campus access authorization. For authorization and visitor exceptions, email Barbara Burke at blburke@middlebury.edu at least 24 hours in advance. See more campus access information below. For the new academic year, guests will be allowed at outdoor MIIS-sponsored events, but only if non-MIIS guests are included in event planning by the organizers beforehand (i.e. no walk-ins). Guests will also be allowed at indoor MIIS-sponsored events, but guidelines for guest attendance must explicitly state that masks are required. |
| Campus Safety Readiness | - Hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed at the entrances to all campus buildings and in classrooms. - Disinfecting wipes have been placed in all common areas and next to copy machines. - HVAC filters across the MIIS campus have been updated with higher-efficiency rated MERV-13 filters where possible. Increasing air filtration has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to help exposure-reduction strategies. MERV, Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a measurement of the effectiveness of an air filter. - Airflow system improvements for increased ventilation and improvements in outside air intake have been made in campus classrooms, in alignment with industry standards. - Plexiglass shields have been installed in appropriate forward-facing locations across campus. - Masks and latex gloves are available in Office Services. N95 respiratory masks are available for unvaccinated individuals upon request by remailing bdaniels@middlebury.edu. KN95 masks are available from the Vice President’s Office in the Segal building Monday - Friday from 10AM - 3PM. |
| What to do if Diagnosed with COVID-19 |
The CDC currently recommends isolation of individuals with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases for at least five days after a positive test or the onset of symptoms. We will continue to require isolation for those who test positive. Most students will be able to recover in their residence or in their Munras Housing room. This could include recovery with roommates who have not tested positive for COVID-19, with the assumption that these individuals already have been exposed. A small amount of housing will be dedicated for isolation for COVID-19 cases with extreme symptoms. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, follow these steps. |
| On-Campus Events | Institute events will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis via Room Reservation, the Student Club/Organizations Event Request form, and/or Event Logistics form submissions. Indoor events may now be opened to non-MIIS attendees provided that they wear masks. Guests will continued to be allowed at outdoor MIIS-sponsored events, but only if guests are included in event planning by the organizers beforehand (i.e. no walk-ins). Events held on campus by outside organizations will not be approved for an indefinite period of time. |
| Monkeypox |
Human monkeypox virus (hMPXV) was recently declared by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of global concern. At this time the virus presents a low risk to our campus communities, but we are closely watching developments and will continue to keep you informed. hMPXV is part of the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, although it is more rare, causes milder symptoms, and is rarely fatal. Middlebury College health officials have been monitoring this situation closely since the first cases were reported in mid-May. While there are no known cases of human monkeypox virus on Middlebury campuses, the virus can affect anyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, and we are preparing our communities for the possibility of a small number of cases. More information can be found on the Middlebury website. |
| by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
I am sure that many of you were still reeling from the news of the mass murder, motivated by a hateful racist ideology, in Buffalo, NY, when you heard that a shooter had killed several children at a grade school in Uvalde, TX. As I write, 19 children and two of their teachers are dead. Contemplating these back-to-back tragedies can be too much to bear.
| by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
As we near the end of the academic year, I want to thank you for your diligence in following the Institute’s COVID-19 protocols over the past 2+ years. It hasn’t been easy and at times, I’m sure it has felt restrictive, but it has kept our COVID cases low and allowed us to gradually loosen up some of the guidelines. We hope that we’ll be able to return to normal by the start of the fall semester.
| by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
It’s hard to believe that we are reaching the end of the academic year, with finals upon us soon. We are looking forward to celebrating our Spring 2022 graduates during the Commencement ceremony on May 21. The keynote speaker will be Fatema Z. Sumar, who served until recently as Vice President of Compact Operations at the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation. Leveraging her expertise in international development, foreign policy, diplomacy, and advocacy, Ms. Sumar has, in a variety of roles, led efforts to fight poverty by transforming global systems in reaching vulnerable populations. Meanwhile, Meng (Barbara) Zhang has been selected as the student speaker for the Class of 2022. She has been involved in numerous MIIS and volunteer activities and co-founded Translators for Elders.
