Dear Fellow Community Members,

As we continue to see a rise of COVID-19 in Chicago due to the omicron variant, the university will take the following steps to reduce the risk to students, faculty, and staff while also supporting our continued academic excellence.

Virtual Instruction for First Two Weeks of Spring Semester
The university will move to virtual instruction for the first two weeks of the spring semester, with a return to full in-person instruction on Monday, January 24. During this period of online instruction, the university will continue to provide normal services to students including those who remain in campus housing.

Testing Requirement
Before returning to campus, students, faculty, and staff must provide proof of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of a return to campus. Directions on how to provide proof of testing will be shared in January.

Staff Encouraged to Work from Home
Staff whose jobs can be performed remotely should work from home, with supervisor approval, until January 24, 2022. Staff whose work requires them to be physically present on campus should remember to wear a face covering at all times while indoors and are encouraged to socially distance themselves. As a reminder, the university will be closed from Friday, December 24 through Friday, December 31.

Booster Requirement
As previously announced, consistent with current university vaccination requirements and applicable exemptions, the university will require all eligible students, faculty, and staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster. In light of the move to virtual instruction at the start of the semester, the university is extending the date by which to obtain such a booster and submit documentation to January 24, 2022, and for others, as soon thereafter as they are eligible.

In the coming weeks, directions describing how to submit your booster documentation, along with additional details regarding implementation of this policy, will be provided. For now, you are again encouraged to get the booster as soon as you are eligible. If you are having trouble scheduling a vaccination appointment, a vaccine finder is available at Vaccines.gov. The State of Illinois and the City of Chicago have also assembled resources that you can use to secure a vaccination appointment.

Thank you for all you do to continue to support the health and safety of your fellow Illinois Tech community members.

Sincerely,

Raj Echambadi
President, Illinois Institute of Technology