COVID-19 Information for Faculty and Staff

Spring 2023

GMercyU is mask-optional. 

At this time, we are not requiring masks to be worn in all indoor spaces, but we strongly recommend our community members to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves.

If you have any signs of illness, including symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19, flu, etc., please do not come to campus or attend in-person classes. Faculty and staff should contact covid19@gmercyu.edu. Students should contact healthandwellnessctr@gmercyu.edu.

Symptoms include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

We will continue to monitor guidance from OPH and CDC, and will update the community if we need to return to indoor masking. Thank you for all you do to keep the GMercyU community safe.

Please note:

  • Please continue to carry a mask with you at all times and wear it when requested to do so, out of respect for your fellow Griffins who may be at higher risk and may choose to continue to wear a mask or ask that others do so in their classrooms or offices. 
  • As of August 2022, we no longer require all non-resident guests entering the Residence Halls to provide proof of vaccination.
  • After March 18, we will no longer require unvaccinated community members to provide weekly proof of a negative test. It is essential that any faculty or staff experiencing symptoms report them to covid19@gmercyu.edu immediately.
     

Vaccine Requirement for Fall 2022 

All faculty and staff working on campus for Fall 2022 are required to complete GMercyU's COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Form and Request for Vaccination Exemption Form here prior to coming to campus this fall. You must be logged into the portal to view the form. Faculty and staff who completed the form last summer do not need to re-submit/update this form. 

It’s important to remember that students who are required to participate in clinicals, student teaching, or other field experiences in order to graduate may be required to show proof of vaccination in order to report to their site locations in the fall. Students who choose not to be vaccinated may not be able to complete these degree program requirements, which could delay your time to graduation.


Suggested COVID-19 Vaccine Booster for Fall 2022

Based on current CDC guidance which defines “fully vaccinated” as having one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax vaccines, the University is NOT requiring community members to receive a booster vaccine at this time. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND that all vaccinated community members receive a booster vaccine as soon as they are eligible. We will continue to monitor CDC, state and local guidance regarding the possibility of requiring booster vaccines.

In addition, students must comply with the vaccination requirements of their clinical, student teaching or internship sites. For example, most clinical sites are now requiring students to have a booster vaccine in order to complete their clinical rotations.

If you have received a COVID-19 booster, please be sure to upload your proof of vaccination using this link.