Bi-Weekly VP Update October 22

Dear MIIS Community,

This week began with a short break for students and faculty; I hope this brief breather provided a quick recharge for you as we head into the second half of the fall semester.

These updates are now appearing bi-weekly. As a reminder, detailed information on COVID-19 policies in place for the fall semester can be found on the Return-to-Campus webpage and the Vaccine webpage.

COVID-19 vaccine boosters now available for those eligible: This week, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID vaccines, in addition to the already approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The FDA also approved “mix and match” boosters (i.e. a booster that differs from your initial round of vaccination). Boosters are now widely available at pharmacies and other locations where the vaccine is normally available. MIIS faculty and staff are eligible in the “increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting” category. Additional information can be found on the CDC website.

If you don’t feel well, please stay home: As we move into cold and flu season, we’d like to remind everyone to stay home if you are feeling unwell. Students may make arrangements with their professors if they need to participate remotely as a temporary measure. Faculty, staff, and student employees may use sick leave or time off when needed if they are unable to work. Please do your part to keep our community healthy.

Don’t forget to wear your lanyard with ID Card on Campus: Wearing the lanyard makes it easy for Security and administration to identify who belongs on campus and who doesn’t, limiting exposure to others that cannot be confirmed as vaccinated. The lanyard is a critical part of keeping our campus open and safe: please do your part.

Student Midterm Survey: Students, please be on the lookout for a short survey that will open this Monday, October 25. We would like to get your feedback on your fall academic experience. Your input will be shared with academic leadership and faculty to make adjustments as we move forward. The survey will be open from October 25 to November 1.

Thanksgiving and Winter Holidays: The official holidays for Thanksgiving and Winter are now posted, to help with holiday planning for faculty and staff.  

Sincerely,

Jeff Dayton-Johnson

VP of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Institute