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A Note of Appreciation and Status of COVID Protocols

May 26, 2022

Dear Students, Families, Faculty, and Staff,

As we conclude our third academic year since the start of the pandemic, we remain extremely grateful to our community and all that we have done together to navigate changing conditions throughout this year. Albeit challenging, we remained committed to each other and worked together for the collective good of the Trinity community.

We write today to provide information regarding summer COVID protocols and our initial plans for fall 2022. As you probably have heard, it is expected that COVID will become endemic to the population and continue to impact our lives for the foreseeable future. Because of this, we will maintain some level of health and safety measures to mitigate spread given the differing ways the virus impacts members of our community. As we adjust our plans for the future, we are guided by the following principles:

  • Prioritize the health and well-being of our community by creating a safe learning, living, and working environment.
  • Ensure the continued fulfillment of our academic mission and prioritizing the experiences that support it.
  • Use guidance from medical and public health experts, including Hartford Healthcare and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as our own experience, to inform the college’s COVID-related protocols and policies.
  • Empower and expect community members to take personal responsibility for their health, taking appropriate actions for themselves and others as part of a community.
  • Keep the community informed with updates about our planning and any changes to operations and protocols.

These principles ensure that we continue to adapt appropriate health measures and provide necessary resources to help everyone navigate conditions as they change. We expect all members of the college community to respond responsibly at the onset of symptoms and to consult a healthcare professional promptly. We expect anyone infected or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 to respect the health of others by refraining from attending in-person classes, coming into close contact with others, and altogether avoiding large group settings.

Summer 2022

We are seeing reports of elevated COVID levels in our region as we pivot to the summer months. As a result, we plan to maintain our current COVID-related protocols. As a reminder, masking is required in all instructional spaces and at large indoor events. We are a mask-friendly campus, so when asked to wear a mask, it is expected that individuals show appropriate consideration for their fellow community members. Guests and visitors on campus must show proof of vaccination before entering indoor spaces. Given the shift in how the college manages testing, we will discontinue the COVID dashboard over the summer. We will continue to monitor presence of COVID on campus and communicate to the community as needed.

For students living on campus this summer, the Health Center will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. Please come to the Health Center for COVID tests. (The testing trailer will be closed at this time.) If you test positive for COVID after business hours or on weekends, please inform the [email protected] so you can receive instructions on what steps to take. Employees working on campus this summer should report a positive COVID test result to Kate Durante, associate director of human resources, at [email protected].

Fall 2022

Over the summer, we will continue to evaluate the most appropriate protective measures for the coming academic year and adjust our plans as necessary. A few key points to remember:

  • All new students, transfer students, and employees are required to be vaccinated and to have one booster shot prior to arrival in the fall.
  • The same requirements apply to returning students and employees, but all are not required to receive an additional booster at this time. We will inform our community by early July should this requirement change.
  • We are prepared to continue to offer symptomatic testing to the community, much like we have done since April 4. We do not anticipate conducting surveillance testing.
  • For arrival in August, all students will need to present a negative rapid COVID test taken within 24 hours of coming to campus. Arrival details will be sent out in coming months.
  • We continue to require that all students who test positive isolate in place; we will have a small number of beds for isolation housing if needed.

We cannot predict how variants will evolve in the future nor can we predict the number of positive cases in the community come fall. Should public health conditions change, we will consult our partners at Hartford Healthcare in order to make the most prudent decisions moving forward.

On behalf of the COVID Steering Committee, we thank you for protecting the nest during this academic year. We hope you have a great summer.

Thank you,

Joe DiChristina, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management
Dan Hitchell, Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer