Vaccinations

As announced on April 21, 2021, Smith College will require all undergraduate and graduate students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus for the fall 2021 semester. All employees must be fully vaccinated by August 1, 2021. Further guidance can be found here.

Regular Community Screenings

Students and employees are required to participate in the college’s COVID-19 screening program. Students will be tested twice weekly. Employees will be tested weekly for those fully vaccinated and twice weekly for those who have an approved exemption from vaccination. Aggregated screening results will be reported via the college’s Coronavirus Screening Activity dashboard.

Masking

Masks are required indoors for everyone except when alone in a bedroom (or with a roommate), in an enclosed work-space or when eating. You are welcome to wear masks outdoors. We advise everyone to wear masks in crowded outdoor situations.

Buildings and Campus Areas

As of August 1, the majority of buildings on Smiths campus are open to the public. Information about access to specific buildings will be updated as it becomes available. The new Neilson library is limited to OneCard holders in the testing program at this time. For more information, please see the libraries website.

Events

As of Novemeber 8, Smith College will permit external, vaccinated guests to attend indoor events sponsored by a department or a program (not an individual). Student-sponsored events remain closed to external guests. Further information can be found on the Guidelines & Policies page.

Learning on Campus

Classes will be taught in person on campus, in Smith classrooms, labs, studios and other facilities. In keeping with the mission of the college, hybrid or remote courses are not offered, nor will remote participation for entire courses be allowed. We will continue to monitor COVID on campus and in the community and could change operations based on those conditions. Questions should be directed to the department chair and/or the Class Deans’ Office.

Living on Campus

This fall we will maintain the COVID-related health and safety of the Smith community using an approach that includes the vaccine requirement for all students and employees, testing and continued monitoring of external conditions. Up to date information about living on campus is available on the Student Affairs page. All students are required to participate in the college’s COVID-19 testing program twice weekly.

Working on Campus

All staff are in the process of returning to on-campus work according to the schedule and protocols posted on the Human Resources site. Employees returning to on-campus work and new hires must receive a negative COVID test from the campus testing site within the three business days prior to returning to campus. Fully vaccinated staff and faculty will be required to participate in the college’s COVID-19 testing program weekly; those who have an approved exemption from vaccination are required to be tested twice weekly. Staff and faculty with disabilities, including those experiencing significant health or mental health challenges, may request job-related accommodations necessary for them to return to work by reaching out to their supervisors and/or the Office of Human Resources.