President H. James Williams, Ph.D. provides an update on the indoor-masking policy beginning March 1, 2022.
February 28, 2022
Mount Students, Faculty, and Staff:
I am pleased to share some good news with you. COVID-19 case numbers, on Campus and in Hamilton County, have been dropping over the past month, and the University’s indoor mask requirement for vaccinated persons will come to an end tomorrow, March 1st.
The University’s COVID-19 Safety Guidelines have been updated with this change as follows.
- Vaccinated persons are not required to wear masks indoors on campus or at University-sponsored events, unless otherwise posted or announced by the University.
- Unvaccinated persons must continue to wear masks over the nose and mouth when indoors on campus or at University-sponsored events, except
- when actively eating or drinking;
- when alone in an enclosed, non-public space, with the door closed (such as an assigned residence hall room or private office); and
- as permitted by the protocols for classrooms, labs, presentations, the Seton Residence Hall, and the Athletics Department.
- Of course, all community members may continue to wear masks when indoors.
Moving forward, as we have throughout the past two years, the University’s leadership will continue to focus on evidence-based practices in making COVID-19 decisions and implementing or updating protocols. While we hope to maintain this new indoor masking policy to provide more normalcy to our community, it is largely dependent upon the level of positive COVID-19 cases on campus remaining at a rate that will not impact operations.
The University will continue to emphasize the numerous campus health measures outlined in the COVID-19 Safety Guidelines, which encourage us to monitor our health and require us to report any potential or confirmed COVID-19 illness immediately, to reduce the spread. Together, by following these wellness protocols, we can enjoy all that the Mount’s living and learning community has to offer.
Now, we can look forward to coming to campus tomorrow and seeing the smiles of our colleagues, classmates, and friends again. I, for one, look forward to it!
Go Lions!
Sincerely,
H. James Williams, Ph.D.
President