Covid Information, Policies, and Procedures
Visiting Campus
The 花椒直播 is hosting on-campus visits.
- To set up a virtual or in-person visit for Leavenworth Main campus, please go to stmary.edu/visit.
- For the Overland Park Campus, go to stmary.edu/success.
Safety protocols
USM will continue to take steps to help protect the health and safety of our community, including preventive cleaning, and masking protocols (if needed)
- Please do not attend in-person classes, jobs, or activities if you are not feeling well. Contact student life and the USM public safety office if you are not feeling well. USM employees should notify HR if they are feeling ill before coming to work.
COVID-related aid for students
The university has received additional federal aid to support students during the pandemic.
Learn more about this aid:
Updates and Information
Please see the links below for information on the university's COVID-19 policies and procedures, including information on isolation practices and vaccination status. Please note that policies may differ depending on your participation in athletics or the program in which you are enrolled.
Please see the links below for information on the university's COVID-19 policies and procedures, including information on isolation practices and vaccination status. Please note that policies may differ depending on your participation in athletics or the program in which you are enrolled.
- COVID-19 Information for student-athletes and residential students
- COVID-19 Information for commuters, graduate and doctoral students, and non-student athletes
June 8, 2022
We are seeing a significant shift in testing patterns around the metro area--far fewer individuals are getting tested for COVID than at earlier points in the pandemic.
As such, we will be revisiting our thresholds for masking, and finalizing a target in the weeks to come.
For the time being, we will remain mask optional. Faculty who are currently actively
teaching in-person may request that students mask during class.
--USM President Sr. Diane Steele
March 15, 2022
Dear 花椒直播,
Our masking gating criteria are a positivity rate under 8% and cases under 50 per 100,000 on a 7-day average.
Current rates:
Johnson County 3.2%, 47 cases per 100,000
Leavenworth County 3.46% and 32 cases per 100,000
We are now "mask optional" when indoors at the main campus and the Overland Park Campus. You are free to continue to wear your mask if you wish. I ask you to please be respectful of our community members who are immune-compromised.
Let us keep each other safe. IF the numbers increase past our gating criteria, we will go back to "mask mandatory."
- Sister Diane Steele
Feb. 1, 2022
Dear 花椒直播,
At the beginning of the semester we announced that by Feb. 1, all faculty, staff, and students had to have the booster to be considered fully vaccinated.
We are revising the policy because we do not have enough rapid test to test everyone without a booster every week. We strongly encourage everyone to get the booster.
The policy remains that all who are not vaccinated must test every week.
The positivity rate in Leavenworth County remains high. Please be cautious and stay safe.
Diane Steele, SCL, Ph.D
President
---
Jan. 14, 2022
A message from Sister Diane, on the return to classes
Our COVID positivity rate for main campus undergraduate students has declined. All main campus undergraduate classes will be in person when we return to classes on Tuesday, Jan. 18.
The OPC classes are still remote. OTD, DPT, FNP, and Accelerated nursing positivity rates are tracked by their departments. The academic department heads will communicate with the students in these programs as to whether or not they are remote on Tuesday.
Even though our positivity rate has dropped, please remain vigilant and wear your masks. The omicron variant is highly contagious. Let's continue to work to keep each other safe and healthy.
Jan. 10, 2022
Main Campus Undergraduate Classes to be Held Remotely the Week of Jan. 10
Due to a number of community members in quarantine this week, USM's Main Campus Undergraduate classes will be held remotely Jan. 10 through Jan. 14, and all athletic and student life activities are paused.
Please watch for messaging from your faculty members regarding remote classwork.
UPDATED Jan. 12, 2022
Update on Spring 2022 Move-In procedures, including testing/vaccination info
Good afternoon, students.
Based on new information we have received from the Health Department 鈥� as well as the changing nature of the pandemic 鈥� a few of our policies and definitions have changed out of necessity.
With the rapid local spread of the Omicron variant, health authorities now define "fully vaccinated" as those who have received a COVID booster. The university, too, is adopting that standard. All USM faculty, staff, and students need to have received a COVID vaccine booster by Feb. 1, or they will be required to test weekly.
Fully vaccinated (boosted) individuals who are close contacts of a covid-positive person but remain asymptomatic will not be required to quarantine following exposure. They must, though, wear a mask for 10 days and test on day 5.
Non fully vaccinated 鈥� including those who did not complete the initial vaccine or did not get boosted 鈥� who are close contacts must quarantine. We are currently waiting on the new CDC quarantine guidelines for institutions of higher education. Until we receive these new guidelines we will follow our current quarantine guidelines:
- Positive, regardless of vaccination status - 5 full days quarantine if positive. Then, if symptoms are resolving after 5 days and you are fever-free for 24 hours, you can leave your isolation. Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
- Exposed not vaccinated - test on or after day 5, can be released after 7 full days if negative
- Exposed vaccinated w/o booster - test on day 5, released if negative
- Exposed vaccinated and boosted - wear a mask
Regardless of vaccination status, all students returning for Spring '22 will begin their check-in process at McGilley Field House and be required to complete a COVID-19 test with Athletic Training (AT) or produce to AT a valid negative test result within 48 hours of check-in at McGilley Field House. This part of the check-in process must be completed and documented on your check-in sheet before visiting any campus office, building, or residence hall. (For more on check-in, visit here.)
A person does not need to test if he or she has been COVID positive within the last 90 days. Proof of that past positive test will be required.
Jan. 3, 2022
Dear 花椒直播,
Happy New Year!
As we prepare to come back for the Spring semester, we want to be as safe as possible. We will be testing everyone, regardless of vaccination status, as we return to campus.
All employees are to be tested before Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. Testing will be available in McGilley Field House, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Faculty and staff can also test off campus and bring test results to HR. If you are testing on campus, please check your email regarding downloading an app to your phone prior to arriving for testing at McGilley.
DPT, OTD, Accelerated Nursing and FNP students will be tested Jan. 11, 2022 from 9-11 a.m. in McGilley.
All main campus students 鈥� new and returning 鈥� will be tested as they return to campus.
A person does not need to test if he or she has a documented case of COVID within the last 90 days.
All unvaccinated members of the university community will be tested every week and we will continue to wear masks.
Let us do all we can to keep our community safe. Welcome back!
Diane Steele, SCL, Ph,.D.
President
花椒直播
Fall Semester 2021 Update: Community Immunity
August 2021
Given the rise of the COVID delta variant, the University of Saint strongly encourages all main campus students to be vaccinated. Students who choose not to be vaccinated must wear a mask and be tested weekly.
Students may submit their proof of vaccination cards by following the online instructions at www.stmary.edu/vaccine.
USM鈥檚 Head Athletic Trainer will inform all unvaccinated students they must wear their masks and will arrange for their weekly testing. All testing will happen through athletic training. All unvaccinated students will be tested weekly.
As announced earlier this year, the university鈥檚 goal is Community Immunity: 75 percent of the campus community vaccinated. Until that threshold is met, mitigation tactics will remain in effect.
There are many benefits to being vaccinated. Beyond the health-and-safety benefits, though, are a few practical considerations for students:
- Vaccinated individuals who are directly exposed to a positive case and who do not display symptoms themselves will no longer need to quarantine off campus.
- Unlike last year, any quarantining for an unvaccinated student will be at the student鈥檚 expense.
Our goal is to keep our community safe and minimize disruptions to our student鈥檚 experiences on campus. Vaccination provides the best route to both.
We continue to be grateful for everything our community鈥攕tudents, families, faculty, and staff鈥攈ave done to keep one another safe. The 花椒直播 spirit remains strong. Together, we will reach our goal.
June 14, 2021 - Message from the USM President
Dear 花椒直播,
Our primary goal is always the safety of our university community. To keep our students, faculty, and staff safe, our plan for the coming school year is to continue with the university's COVID protocols until we reach community immunity, that is until 75% of the campus community is vaccinated.
Community Immunity will be measured at both the campus and group level where possible. An individual athletic team, for example, will not be allowed to return to more normal routines, practice, travel, and gatherings until that respective team reaches the Community Immunity threshold of 75% of the coaches, managers, GCA, and student-athletes being vaccinated against COVID. Similarly, individual university offices will be required to continue with masking and distancing protocols until the 75% vaccination threshold has been met.
The CDC defines community immunity as:
A situation in which a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness to make its spread from person to person unlikely. Even individuals not vaccinated (such as newborns and those with chronic illnesses) are offered some protection because the disease has little opportunity to spread within the community. Also known as herd immunity.
While the exact percentage of vaccinated people needed to reach Community Immunity is not yet determined, health officials, including local health departments including the local health departments suggest it is between 70% and 90%.
For our students, the university will provide more detailed information shortly on how the Community Immunity plan will impact sports teams and residence halls in the coming academic year. Please note, however, that if students are not vaccinated and are forced to isolate or quarantine, they will need to do so off campus and at their own expense 鈥� the university will not be able to cover the costs of quarantine or meals in the coming school year.
To establish community immunity measurements, we ask that you submit images of your proof of vaccination card electronically. This information will be kept confidential, and ;will only be used 1) to estimate vaccination rates and 2) to determine appropriate mitigation protocols in the event of an exposure or case on campus.
Students can upload a copy of their vaccination online. Go to www.stmary.edu/medical-forms for more info. Faculty and staff can submit their card images to HR.
We greatly appreciate the efforts our community has already undertaken to keep one another safe. Together, we can return to normal.
Diane Steele, SCL, Ph.D.
President
花椒直播
Leavenworth, KS
USM is maintaining an archive of its COVID-related updates. Please note that information on the following pages will include policies and procedures that are no longer in place. Some documents also may not be properly linked.
Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants to Students at 花椒直播
2nd Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants to Students at 花椒直播
3rd Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants to Students at 花椒直播
4th Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants to Students at 花椒直播
7th Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants to Students at 花椒直播
8th Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants to Students at 花椒直播
9th Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants to Students at 花椒直播
Notice of Information: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Institutional Grant to 花椒直播
00194300_HEERF_Q22022_07102022
00194300_HEERF_Q32022_10102022
00194300_HEERF_Q42022_01102023
00194300_HEERF_Q12023_03312023
00194300_HEERF_Q22023_07102023
Questions?
Contact Student Life: Kaitlyn Lewis at 913-758-6279, kaitlyn.lewis@stmary.edu, Office: Maria 100.