January 28, 2022


Greetings Spelman faculty and staff,

Welcome back! We are excited to have students, faculty and staff return to campus for the spring semester. As we move to in-person instruction and operations, we remain responsive to the ongoing pandemic.

Our campus return plan and health and safety protocols have been updated to mitigate infections related to the omicron variant, which is now the dominant COVID-19 virus strain. Below are key dates and information to keep in mind as we all return to in-person instruction next week:

January 31: Start of in-person instruction.

Mandatory Testing Schedule: We will continue with the same testing schedule that worked so well last fall.

Weekly: Testing for vaccinated/boosted faculty, students and staff.
Twice weekly: Testing for exempted faculty, students and staff.

We are proud that Spelman can boast one of the lowest COVID-19 positivity rates on any campus in the country – and that is due to the determination that we witnessed each day to adhere to our health and safety protocols. We are equally proud that our community found ways to gather safely, whether in the classroom or under tents on the Oval, and we look forward to more opportunities to safely gather this spring.

Return to campus requirements. Our return to campus protocol includes mandatory pre-arrival PCR testing within five days of your return. PCR tests can be scheduled at your local testing facility. Residential students will also be required to take a rapid test prior to move-in.

Please upload results in Etrieve by clicking the "Forms" tab and selecting "Return to Campus Documentation."

If you encounter any difficulties, please contact Yemi Brown, PharmD, 404-270-5407.

Once you have uploaded your test result in Etrieve, and the results have been reviewed and approved by our COVID-19 Operations team, you will receive an email indicating that you have been cleared to access campus.

You will not be required to show a letter or e-mail to enter the campus at this time. In the coming weeks, the COVID-19 Operations team will send further guidance regarding additional requirements for campus entry.

Booster shots. Public health experts have shown that vaccinations remain one of the best ways to avoid serious illness and death from COVID-19. We are requiring that our community get vaccination booster shots by Feb. 6, 2022. Please upload your vaccination card to Etrieve by clicking the "Forms" tab and selecting "Return to Campus Documentation."

Masking. Masking indoors and outdoors is a requirement, unless alone in a closed room. In alignment with CDC recommendations each member of our community will receive two KN95 masks each week, at the time of their weekly COVID-19 test.

This is the only way to receive your allotment of KN95 masks from the College. We will also continue to make surgical masks available across campus.

Additional masking recommendations can be found on the Spelman Path Forward page.  

In-person instruction and operations. Faculty and staff are essential to a high-quality campus experience for our students, even as we manage the changes required by the ongoing pandemic. If their job accommodates it, and with supervisor approval, staff may request to work remotely, for up to three days per week. Staff and their supervisors can get more information from Human Resources.

Faculty shall not conduct their classes remotely unless they have an approved in-person waiver or have received permission to do so from the Office of the Provost. Additional guidance for faculty and in-person instruction will be included in a forthcoming email from Desiree S. Pedescleaux, Ph.D., dean of Undergraduate Studies.

The Wellness Center opens this weekend and Dining Hall hours will be posted.

We are encouraged by some trends that show that the omicron variant is peaking and may begin to subside in the coming weeks. At the same time, we will be approaching the end of winter and the start of our beautiful spring season.

The beginning of spring brings a sense of renewal, which has an even greater meaning as we continue in a pandemic. We look forward to enjoying so many of our wonderful campus traditions, including convocations, Founders Day, Research Day and commencement.

By taking care of each other and following our health and safety guidelines, we will have much to celebrate this semester.

Undaunted!

Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D.
President, Spelman College

Dolores Bradley Brennan, Ph.D.
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Psychology, Co-Director, RISE Program

Dawn Alston
Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs
CFO & Treasurer