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Return to Campus Testing Requirements & Remote Work Week - December 21, 2021

Dear Faculty and Staff,  

We want to thank you again for a successful fall semester and for your hard work in ensuring the health and safety of our community. We were able to provide a vibrant living and learning experience for students with relatively low COVID-19 case numbers in large part due to your commitment and leadership.  

With positive COVID-19 case numbers trending upward across the nation and projections for higher infection rates in January, Simmons is taking additional precautionary measures to keep our community safe – including instituting remote work during the week of January 3, 2022 and a testing requirement prior to your return to campus. We have instituted a similar testing requirement for students (read that communication).

Testing Requirement Before Returning to Campus

All employees must complete a COVID-19 test (PCR or home test) up to 72 hours before your return to campus. Employees may test on their own and upload results via CoVerified. During this time, employees also have the option of coming to campus to receive a COVID-19 test and then return home. If you test offsite, please follow these instructions to upload your results:

CoVerified App

  • Choose the plus sign at the bottom of the app home screen
  • Select option to upload a test result.

CoVerified Website (coverified.us)

  • Go to the left sidebar
  • Choose "Reports"
  • Select "Report Test Result".
  • Enter the information and a PDF or screenshot of your information

In addition, all employees must test as soon as possible on the first day of their return to campus for work.  

On-campus Testing Hours & Locations

Testing hours and locations are as follows during the first two weeks of January:

  • Monday, January 3 – Wednesday, January 5: 10am to 4pm at the Health Center, located on the Simmons residential campus
  • Thursday, January 6 - Friday January 7: 9am to 3pm in the Special Functions Room (Main College Building, Room A-070)
  • Monday, January 10 – Friday, January 14: 9am to 3pm in Room A-070 

Remote Work Week: January 3 - 7, 2022

The first week of January will be a remote work-from-home week for all non-essential faculty and staff. Employees are welcome to come to campus to receive a COVID-19 test, and then return home. This remote work week will not only give employees time to meet our testing requirements, but create an additional safety buffer between the New Year and our return to campus.  

Reminder: Booster Requirement and Spring Semester Testing

As a reminder, Simmons is requiring a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for all campus-based employees during the spring semester. Employees should get their COVID-19 booster by January 18, 2022, or 14 days after they become eligible for the booster. Individuals become eligible for a booster six months after their second Pfizer or Moderna dose, and two months after the single Johnson & Johnson vaccine dose. 

In addition, we will continue with our weekly COVID-19 testing for all students, faculty, and staff who are on the Boston campus at least one day a week – regardless of vaccination status. Please note that the campus testing site will be moved from the Linda K. Paresky Center to the Special Functions Room (Main College Building, Room A-070) when we return from winter break in January.  

Contingency Planning

While we do not anticipate any University-wide closures in the coming months, we continue to develop contingency plans for COVID-19 possibilities that might arise. We will communicate any necessary updates via email during the break.  

Thank you for your continued collaboration, partnership, and patience. We hope you have a relaxing and restorative winter break.  

Sincerely, 
The COVID-19 Recovery Task Force