VP Update June 18

Dear MIIS Campus Community,

This week we acknowledge our U.S. history as Juneteenth becomes a federal holiday. We also are working on finalizing our plans for fall semester based on updates to California’s public health policies. Please look for a detailed announcement by July 1 that will outline final guidelines for fall semester. As always, you can access previous messages on our return to campus website.

Local Juneteenth Events: On Saturday, we observe Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States. The local Juneteenth Coalition encourages us to understand, to empathize, to uplift, and to empower. Visit the Coalition’s website for a series of events in honor of Juneteenth, including an event at Laguna Grande Park in Seaside. The City of Salinas will also be hosting its first Juneteenth celebration from 1 to 4 pm on Saturday at the Salinas Rodeo Grounds.

California is Now Open!  As of June 15, California has reopened with no tier system, no masks for vaccinated individuals, and no social distancing. Cal/OSHA guidelines for workplaces were released Wednesday, which MIIS will utilize to inform new Institute guidelines that will be communicated on July 1.  

Do You Have Your COVID Vaccine? Just a reminder that the COVID vaccine will be mandatory for all Institute faculty, staff, and students for the fall 2021 semester. Read our announcement released from May for details. The deadline to be fully vaccinated and either provide verification or submit an exemption request is Monday, August 16. The Monterey County Department of Health and the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula are both good resources for finding sites and appointments for the vaccine.  An announcement on how to provide vaccine verification will be forthcoming within the next few weeks. Guidance on how faculty and staff can submit a request for a medical or religious exemption are included in the announcement. Student guidance for exemptions will be provided soon.

As we look to fall semester, we envision that many of our pre-pandemic activities will be reinstated while we continue to keep the health and safety of our campus community our highest priority. We look forward to welcoming many of you back to a vibrant campus this fall. 

Happy Father’s Day to those who are being honored this weekend.

Sincerely,

Jeff Dayton-Johnson

VP for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Institute