Welcome back students, faculty, and staff!

As you know, Illinois Tech is planning for a full reopening of campus on January 24, 2022.

As a reminder:

1. Vaccinations and boosters are required of all students, faculty, and staff.
2. Students, faculty, and staff must provide proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours of a return to campus.
3. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status for all indoor shared spaces.

Let’s dive in.

Vaccine and Booster Requirement

What’s new: All eligible students, faculty, and staff are required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster by January 24, 2022, and for others, as soon thereafter as they are eligible.

What’s next: If they have not already done so, Illinois Tech faculty and staff must upload proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations here: Faculty and Staff Vaccination Documentation. Students must upload proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations here: Student Vaccination Documentation.

Upcoming Vaccination Events:

1. The Illinois College of Optometry is hosting two vaccine clinics in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on Friday, January 14, and Friday, February 4. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines and booster shots are available. Registration is available online. The clinic has capacity for a limited number of walk-ins, and registration is strongly encouraged.

Testing Requirement

Before returning to campus on January 24, students, faculty, and staff must provide proof of a negative PCR or antigen test—including over-the-counter tests such as BinaxNow—taken within 72 hours of a return to campus.

• Students must submit testing documentation here
• Faculty and staff must submit testing documentation here

Detailed resources about COVID-19 testing are available on the City of Chicago website.

What to Expect When Back on Campus

Updated Quarantine/Isolation Guidelines:

1. Isolation: If you test positive for COVID-19, you must notify the university by emailing Contacttracing@iit.edu and you must isolate. In this case, everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must:

• Isolate for five days; you can leave isolation after five days if you have no symptoms and have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medications, and the contact tracing team will guide you further if you are still symptomatic after five days
• Continue to wear a mask around others for five additional days; as a reminder, faculty, staff, students, and visitors must wear a face covering at all times on campus while in shared indoor settings regardless of vaccination status

If you have a fever, continue to stay in isolation until your fever resolves.

2. Quarantine: If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, quarantine requirements depend on booster and vaccination status as outlined below.

If you have had contact with someone with COVID-19 and you have completed your primary vaccination series and been boosted, have completed the primary series of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last six months, or have completed the primary series of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the last two months, you must:

• Test on day five
• Wear a mask around others for 10 additional days; as a reminder, faculty, staff, students, and visitors must wear a face covering at all times on campus while in shared indoor settings regardless of vaccination status

If you develop symptoms, you must get a test and isolate as outlined above.

If you have had contact with someone with COVID-19 and you completed the primary series of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine more than six months ago and are not boosted, have completed the primary series of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago and are not boosted, or are unvaccinated, you must:

• Quarantine for five days; after that, continue to wear a mask around others for five additional days. As a reminder, faculty, staff, students, and visitors must wear a face covering at all times on campus while in shared indoor settings regardless of vaccination status
• Test on day five

If you develop symptoms, you must get a test and isolate as outlined above.

For more information, please see the updated Centers for Disease Control Guidance and the full Illinois Tech policy.

Food service: The Bog and the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship dining facilities will be closed until January 24. The university will also offer carry-out-only dining in the Commons and at Conviser Law Center until January 24.

Masking: Faculty, staff, students, and visitors must wear a face covering at all times on campus while in shared indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. The university will update masking and other health protocols if and when city or other health authorities issue new guidance.

Monitoring: Everyone is encouraged to self-monitor for common symptoms daily.

Thank you for all that you have done to help our university.