Weekly VP Update October 1
Dear MIIS Community:
We are looking forward to the first major in-person campus event in 19 months - the Student Council Back-to-MIIS Fest, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, October 2 from 12PM - 4PM on the Pierce Street Promenade. Student Council has extended the invitation to faculty and staff and I hope to catch up with many of you.
New COVID-19 Testing Site Opened Close to Campus. A COVID-19 testing site is now open at the Portola Hotel & Spa at 2 Portola Plaza in downtown Monterey, within easy walking distance of the Institute. In collaboration with Virus Geek, Inc., testing will be available for staff, guests, and community members, from 7AM - 4PM Tuesday through Saturday.
COVID-19 Vaccine Booster. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those 65 and older, for people of all ages at high risk of severe disease, and for others aged 18–64 at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may get a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine based on their individual benefits and risks. This includes education staff (teachers and support staff). Booster shots are generally now available for those who are eligible and who had their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months ago. Additional information can be found on the CDC website.
Fall Break Reminder: The fall break is coming up October 16 - 19. I hope you are able to take those few days to relax and recharge for the second half of the semester.
Students: Need a Quiet Space with WiFi for Online Learning? Several small offices in the McCone building are now available for individual students who might need a stable WiFi connection for remote learning. Use of the offices will be monitored by Campus Security and the following protocols will be in place. Sign-up will be required via the sign-up sheet. Reservations are available Monday – Friday between 8AM – 10PM and must be made no later than the day before. If a classroom or other venue is needed, a Room Reservation Request is required.
Indoor Masking: While the Institute has had a mandatory indoor masking policy since mid August, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of implementing an indoor mask mandate during their Tuesday. The ordinance will only go into effect after Oct. 29, if the CDC labels Monterey County as “high” or “substantial” risk of transmission.
A reminder that 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)
I hope you will all be able to enjoy the warm weather this weekend. Come out to the Pierce St Promenade for the Student Council event and say hi! If you’re wondering where to find me there, let me just say two words: DUNK TANK.
Best regards,
Jeff Dayton-Johnson
VP of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Institute