June 30, 2022

Dear AU Community,

As we prepare for the fall semester, we wanted to provide you with updates to our COVID-19 health and safety protocols. We appreciate how our community continues to work together as we work through COVID-19 and its evolution. We will update you again before move-in and the start of classes.

Vaccinations

We continue to prioritize vaccines as they deeply reduce likelihood of hospitalization and death. The vaccination rate of the AU community remains incredibly high at more than 98 percent. Our commitment to the health and well-being of our community remains essential. AU will continue to require all community members (students, faculty, and staff) to submit proof of full vaccination AND at least one booster. The deadline for incoming students to submit proof is August 1.

Exemptions, for those seeking them, must be secured in advance of a physical presence on campus. For students, medical exemption requests are submitted to the Student Health Center and religious exemption requests are submitted to the Office of the President. For staff and faculty, exemption requests should be submitted through the AU Forward Portal.

Isolation

Consistent with the practices of peer institutions around the country, all individuals in our community who test positive for COVID-19 are expected to follow CDC guidelines for isolation immediately upon receiving results. Students living on campus will isolate in place following these same guidelines.

COVID-19 Testing

For the remainder of the summer, AU will continue to provide antigen tests to all community members. COVID-19 antigen tests will continue to be available at current locations, including the Testing Clinic in Beeghly Hall. These antigen tests are for at-home use. No on-site testing will be conducted. Community members must present an AU ID to obtain a test kit. The Safer Community app will not be utilized during the summer. Faculty and staff, as well as students enrolled in on-campus/in-person summer courses, must continue to self-report positive test results to AU Forward from both on-campus and off-campus testing. 

Masking

As COVID-19 continues to evolve, we will make determinations on what we believe is the best decision for safety and our community with regard to masks. Our policy for now is that masks are not required, however, community members may choose to wear a mask. The university reserves the right to require masking in certain indoor settings where physical presence is required, such as classrooms. Community members may choose to wear a high-quality mask (KN95 or N95) in any setting or location based on their personal preferences or situations. Campus distribution sites will continue to provide masks to community members with an AU ID. If a member of our community asks others to wear a mask when they are in close contact with one another, including faculty in our classrooms or labs and staff in our offices, please treat such requests with respect and give them full consideration.

University-Sponsored Events

All AU-sponsored events will be at full capacity with a continued requirement for proof of vaccination.

Have a wonderful rest of your summer, and we look forward to seeing you this fall!

Peter Starr
Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Fanta Aw
Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment, Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence

Seth Grossman
Vice President, People and External Affairs and Counselor to the President