Meredith’s COVID-19 Safety Expectations for Fall 2021

With the Fall 2021 semester fast approaching, Meredith College has announced a variety of COVID-19 safety measures that will be in place during the new academic year. 

Academics
Meredith plans to offer classes in face-to-face mode, with a few special exceptions made through the academic deans. Face-to-face is the term used for classes in a traditional classroom setting. Safety measures include basing room capacities off calculations that take a variety of parameters including room size, airflow, and masking protocols into account. Faculty will, again, be expected to stay at the front of the classroom, approximately six feet away from students. 

Vaccination Portal
With COVID-19 cases rising sharply, particularly among the unvaccinated, and new variants emerging, vaccinations remain our best defense against outbreaks among the Meredith community. Meredith College strongly encourages faculty, staff, and students to get vaccinated. 

The College requested that students and employees enter their vaccination status in our private, secure portal. A priority deadline was set for July 30, but the portal remains open for those who would still like to submit their information. The portal can be accessed here: https://cvdsubmit.meredith.edu/

Testing requirements
To help ensure the healthiest possible start to the new academic year, we are Meredith College is requiring all unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff who have not been on campus regularly this summer to submit a negative PCR test 1-3 days in advance of coming to campus for the first time after August 8. PCR test results should be submitted through https://cvdsubmit.meredith.edu/. PCR testing must not be older than five days from submission. 

Additional information about the regularity of testing for unvaccinated students and applicable fees will be provided.

Face Coverings
In keeping with the CDC’s latest recommendations, Meredith will keep our indoor face-covering requirement in effect until further notice. The full set of community standards for Fall 2021 are available on the Staying Strong website.

Meredith leaders continue making decisions that are based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the State of North Carolina, and the American College Health Association. And while individuals may make decisions for the individual’s well-being, our responsibility is to make decisions that affect the 2500+ students, employees, and guests of the College. Thus, all decisions are made with the health and safety of our entire community as the highest priority. 

Please visit meredith.edu/staying-strong regularly for updates.