We are confident that, with regular virus testing combined with community adherence to health and safety protocols and behavioral expectations, our faculty and staff can deliver a genuinely Hampshire education, safely.
This year, we are welcoming all of our new and returning students to campus. Our clear plans will create an environment that preserves the immense benefits of a residential campus while minimizing opportunities for potential transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
>> Hampshire's COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
>> Updates from Health & Counseling Services
Information will be added here as we have it, and is subject to change.
Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty,
Last month I shared our expectation that we will return to an in-person, fully residential, personalized, and safe college experience for the fall semester. To reach this vision, Hampshire College will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before arriving on campus for the Fall Semester. Requests for exceptions for medical or religious reasons will be evaluated following our regular policies. Our expectation is that by the fall the College community will consist predominantly of vaccinated individuals, which will significantly reduce the risk of infection for all. Students who cannot obtain a vaccination before arriving next semester will need to do so when they get to Hampshire; we will work on ways to facilitate access. I invite all returning students to take advantage of the on-campus vaccination clinic occurring on April 25.
As vaccination rates and availability increase across the country, I am even more confident that the Hampshire College community can create a campus environment very much like the one we enjoyed before the pandemic. We demonstrated a remarkable dedication to the health of everyone in our community this year by maintaining safe practices, even as it has grown tiring to do so, and I know we will continue to be guided by shared commitments to scientific evidence and care for one another.
I strongly encourage all faculty and staff at Hampshire College to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible, including at the on-campus clinic this Sunday. All employees may request leave time for vaccination appointments during work hours, and are entitled to paid time off the day following a vaccination if they experience side effects; this does not count against sick days. Our objective should be to create a community with near universal vaccination, both to protect those few people who cannot take the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, and to contribute to the safety of our neighbors. We are following the evolution of federal and state guidance regarding requiring vaccination of employees, and will continue to evaluate the possibility of mandating it.
I look forward to rebuilding a vibrant, connected, supportive campus community, after this year of distancing and anxiety. Thanks to everyone for your endurance and ongoing efforts to create a safe learning and working environment during these extraordinary times.
Ed Wingenbach
President
We have arranged a Covid-19 vaccination clinic for all members of the Hampshire College community. The clinic will take place this Sunday, April 25, from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Robert Crown Center. All currently enrolled students and all employees of Hampshire College are eligible to be vaccinated at this clinic. Students will be given priority if appointments begin to run low, but we expect our provider (Pelmeds) to have enough vaccine for all interested members of the Hampshire community.
There is no charge to anyone for the vaccine. You will need to provide your medical insurance information so that the provider can cover their expenses. Please bring a printed and completed copy of the consent and insurance information form with you to your appointment.
To schedule a vaccine appointment for Sunday (4/25), go to the CoVerified website. Enter your Hampshire email as log-in (e.g. xyz17@hampshire.edu). It will route you to the Hampshire log-in window where you will put in your username and password. Then go to "Schedule Test" on the left navigation bar. When scheduling your test, make sure to select "Covid-19 vaccination" under the "Select a Test Type" drop down menu. If you have never used CoVerified, you will first have to go through the steps outlined in the "Setting up CoVerified" portion of the Asymptomatic Testing and CoVerified FAQ. If you have trouble setting up CoVerified or scheduling an appointment, please email c19testing@hampshire.edu.
You must use the CoVerified website to make a vaccination appointment – the phone app will not work for this purpose.
The site staff would greatly appreciate you making every effort to schedule an appointment. However, if you are unable to make an appointment, walk-ins will be accepted as space is available.
When you come to the RCC, you will need to bring your medical insurance card/information and the completed consent form required by the provider. The current Pelmeds consent form does not provide appropriate options for gender identification; I have raised this issue with them, but it appears that everyone will need to use this version of the form for Sunday’s clinic.
The clinic will be giving the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine will be administered by medically qualified staff.
Finally, another vaccination clinic will take place on campus in the week before commencement in order to provide second doses at the correct time. If you leave campus before the second clinic you will still be able to get a second vaccine dose by making an appointment with any provider – you are not required to get both doses from the same source.
The Covid Response Team (CRT) announces the following policies for the acess and use of the Hampshire College campus. The most current information about these and other policies continues to be maintained on the Hamp Forward FAQ page.
Recently, the State of Massachusetts entered Phase 3, Step 2 of the Reopening Massachusetts plan and the Emergency Order imposed by the Town of Amherst setting stricter occupancy limits than the State has been lifted. After reviewing campus and community data,the CRT has approved a return to the Fall 2020 campus-wide space occupancy limits for work, activity, and general student use (allowable occupancy of indoor spaces is increasing from 25% to 50%). This change will take effect Wednesday, March 10 and remain in effect for the Spring 2021 semester unless otherwise announced.
Updated signage and room reservation information will be posted this week. You will see two occupancy limit signs in many of our indoor spaces: one for instructional use and one for non-instructional use. Descriptions of the two different types of occupancies and how to reserve space are available on the Intranet. Sector-specific standards will continue to be in place when applicable (including, but not limited to, dining, athletics, and day care). Classroom, studio, and laboratory occupancies for formal instruction have remained the same as in the Fall 2020 semester due to a special exemption for instructional activities.
This change is being implemented because the Fall 2020 semester space usage plan (developed using 50% occupancy) effectively balanced safety with campus operations and the initial Spring 2021 reduced occupancies restricted some core operations. The space usage plan effective March 10 will be in place for the remainder of the Spring semester, unless state or local policy changes require lowering these limits. Occupancy limits will not be increased before the end of the Spring semester, even if the State moves into Phase 4.
While the restrictive space standards observed at the start of the Spring 2021 semester posed challenges, they led us to be creative in identifying and utilizing alternative spaces for counseling, study groups, and other in-person activities. The campus community is asked to continue to use the largest available spaces (such as classrooms instead of conference rooms) for in-person activities, whenever practicable. Improve ventilation in indoor spaces whenever possible by opening windows and doors, and consider moving activities outdoors as the weather allows.
Consistent with our commitment to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of our students, staff, and faculty and students, Hampshire College is continuing to strictly limit visitor access to campus.
All campus facilities are solely for the use of faculty, staff, and currently enrolled residential and commuter students who are in compliance with all requirements (including, but not limited to, complying with face coverings, observing occupancy limit requirements, and participation in the asymptomatic testing program). Remote students are not permitted to use campus facilities.
The campus grounds remain open to the public, unless otherwise announced. Public access is limited to passive recreation in compliance with all state and local regulations and our posted rules. No access to buildings and amenities, or participation in activities, is permitted.
Hampshire recognizes that some visitor access to campus is required to support the academic program and campus business operations. All activities that involve bringing visitors into campus facilities must be approved by the Division Head prior to the visitor coming to campus. Division head decisions should follow the "Other Campus Guests" criteria outlined below. Visits will only be approved if the activity is both time-sensitive and cannot be completed remotely.
Remote students are not eligible for visitor permissions. Students, faculty, and staff may not request that visitors be given access to buildings or amenities for reasons that are not business or academic. No off-campus visitors are permitted in student housing.
With the exception of deliveries that do not involve entering any buildings (Instacart, pizza delivery, etc.), all vendors and contractors (existing or new) must register with our Environmental Health and Safety Manager before their next visit to campus for a review of their health and safety protocols (including, but not limited to, COVID-19 safety policies). Please connect these vendors with Steve Fratoni (rfratoni@hampshire.edu), and copy Sarah Steely (slsNS@hampshire.edu) for vendors specific to Cole Science operations.
Contractors and vendors who demonstrate non-compliance with COVID-19 safety policies will not be allowed to continue to access our campus.
Services such as Instacart and restaurant deliveries should be done as contactless drop-offs whenever possible, and physically distanced when not possible. Under no circumstances may employees of these services enter our buildings; if you require assistance to bring in these deliveries, please contact OARS to discuss accommodations. Hampshire continues to encourage contactless deliveries as an alternative to in-person shopping whenever possible.
Other Campus Guests:
Hampshire recognizes that departments may need to, on a limited basis, welcome individuals onto campus for time-sensitive work that requires an on-campus presence. These visits must meet the following criteria:
All activities not meeting these criteria should be conducted remotely or postponed.
If an in-person visit is necessary, guests must:
These requests should be directed to Division Heads for consideration on a case-by-case basis. Division Heads have full and sole discretion to approve or decline visitors, though they may contact the CRT or other stakeholders to discuss visitor logistics (including, but not limited to, participation in the asymptomatic testing program).
Requests for campus access by visitors or groups not falling clearly into the above categories should be directed to the Covid Response Team (CRT) via Elizabeth Craun (ecPP@hampshire.edu). Some examples of approved activities include a small intercollegiate cross-country meet and several outdoor only service projects by alumni groups. Please provide at least two weeks lead time on requests. The CRT may approve activities as proposed, deny activities altogether, or approve activities with additional restrictions.
Submitted by: Elizabeth Craun
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
As we welcome students back to Hampshire’s campus for the spring 2021 semester, we continue to determine ways to keep the campus community as safe as possible. While we are hoping that students minimize their travel, we recognize there may be circumstances that take students away from our campus. We support students' ability to maintain local off-campus employment, shop for essential items not available on campus, access health-related referrals, tend to urgent family matters, and other needs that may arise. While off campus, students must maintain the same safety precautions expected on campus.
Our goal in outlining Hampshire’s travel policy is to be proactive in helping students be successful in their academic pursuits while also doing everything possible to keep themselves and others safe.
Our community will continue to take significant steps to minimize the presence of the coronavirus on campus. To maintain that level of safety, the College is limiting travel by students living on campus to within Hampshire County. If a residential student leaves the County for any reason, they are welcome to return to campus, but must do so while adhering to expectations outlined in the College’s phased reopening plan (see below), beginning with Phase One. Students will continue to progress through the phases until the receipt of their second negative COVID test result; students returning from outside of Hampshire County do not need to take a COVID test before returning to campus, but are expected to follow all restrictions outlined in Phase One.
Students who have returned to Phase One may participate in campus testing every Tuesday at the Robert Crown Center, but may also wish to take advantage of the UMass Community COVID testing site in order to move through the phases more swiftly. It is important to note that there must be at least five days between the first and second COVID tests.
Students anticipating leaving the County should complete the Campus Travel Form. This form will be used to alert staff in several support offices (Dean of Students Office, CASA, etc.) in order to facilitate a seamless transition back to campus life.
Students whose academic program requires them to regularly leave Hampshire County (e.g, internships, field work, etc.) should contact the Dean of Students to discuss special arrangements. Students who leave Hampshire County for medical or mental health care and return immediately are exempt from this policy and do not need to complete the Travel Form, but should contact Health and Counseling Services at 413.559.5458 to discuss the possible need for increased testing upon their return to campus.
Any questions regarding travel throughout the semester can be directed to deanofstudents@hampshire.edu.
Christoph Cox, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
Zauyah Waite, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
We hope you are all enjoying the start of a much-needed break in the face of a semester that was extraordinary in every way. As we prepare for your return to campus for the spring semester, we want to share plans for testing, programming, and arrival back to Hampshire.
Due to the pervasiveness of the COVID-19 virus, particularly in the coming winter months, we will expand our testing program in the spring semester. All residential students, commuter students, and student-serving employees will be tested on a weekly basis. To minimize the likelihood of community spread on campus as students return from around the country, all students will be tested upon arrival, and are expected to avoid close contacts until receiving a second negative test result.
January 24: Arrival of early and new international students
January 29: Arrival of new students
January 30 & 31: Arrival of continuing students
February 1: Semester begins
February 8: In-person instruction and activities begin
As we prepare for this coming semester, we recognize our collective success stems from the commitment of our entire community to consistently practicing the 3Ws: wearing face coverings, watching their distance to ensure that they were one cow apart from one another, and washing, cleaning, and sanitizing. We did this with 411 students in residence, 51 students commuting, and 52 students studying remotely. We delivered online and hybrid instruction, conducted new student orientation and delivered creative in-person and virtual programming to build and strengthen our connections with one another. We are grateful to each of you for prioritizing our community’s health and well-being.
Hampshire College created one of the safest campuses in the country, with a positivity rate far below that of the local community. Between August 10 and December 1, we administered 5,571 tests, garnering four positive results, a 0.11% rate of infection. Symptomatic tests performed by Health and Counseling Services totaled 112, with 2 positive results, a rate of 1.8%. Contract tracing showed that none of the positive cases were related; each person contracted COVID-19 separately. Contact tracing and isolation protocols quickly prevented community spread. At the end of the semester, all students were offered a test before leaving campus for winter break. Health Services staff also administered 329 flu vaccines to students.
Please follow this webpage during the break for the latest updates and instructions. Enjoy your time with family and friends over the break, with appropriate precautions. And get some well-deserved rest. Congratulations – You Did It!
Yours in Community,
Zauyah Waite, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Christoph Cox, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty
Campus Access and Visitor Guidelines can be found in the FAQ