Dear Students,
 
First, I want to wish you the best for the upcoming year as we begin 2022.
 
I had hoped my first message to all of you would have been on a topic other than COVID-19. However, with current recorded infection rates for the Omicron variant being on the rise, I thought it prudent to provide you with some important updates and campus plans as we chart a path forward for the next few weeks.
 
According to data we’ve received from the state, North Carolina has seen an upward movement of infection rates. Upon consultation with our Health and Safety Task Force, Guilford will be putting the following protocols into place for the next several weeks.

1. The first week of classes (January 10-14) will be held online. We will use campus test results to determine if there should be an extension of virtual instruction.
2. Students should return to campus as planned with residence halls and apartments opening on Friday, Jan. 7. 
3. We strongly recommend that students get tested before returning to campus. This will help us keep the campus safer for everyone. 
4. We will permit athletes and coaches involved with winter sports to practice and compete, but will require weekly PCR testing at least through January 11th for all in-season athletes/coaches alongside our ongoing rapid testing protocols.
5. Students will be tested on Jan. 10 and 11. Results of that testing will help us determine how the second week of instruction will be handled. If positivity is 5% or less, we will plan on returning to in-class instruction on Tuesday, January 18, following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. 
6. We are not currently requiring booster shots, although we strongly encourage members of our community to get them if they are eligible. We may shift our position on boosters later in the semester and require them in the future.
7. Meal service from the dining hall will be take-out only until we return to in-person instruction.
8. We will continue to mandate mask-wearing indoors until further notice. We encourage members of the community to wear KN95 (most preferable) or surgical-type disposable masks rather than single-layer fabric masks. 

I appreciate your understanding as we continue to navigate how to best manage this public health crisis.
 
Happy New Year,
Kyle Farmbry

President

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