As we begin our fall 2021 semester, it is important that each one of us does our part to help control the spread of COVID-19 and keep the Marquette and surrounding communities healthy.
Our Catholic, Jesuit mission and values call on us to care for each other and serve the common good. By following the below protocols, we can provide a community-based experience for our students and allow for interactions and collaboration across campus:
- Wearing face masks when indoors
- Being fully vaccinated and uploading proof of vaccination
- Assisting the Marquette University Medical Clinic with contact tracing
- Participating in health monitoring through daily symptom checks and frequent COVID-19 testing for students with an approved exemption and employees who choose not to upload proof of vaccination
- Staying home if you’re feeling sick
- Get tested if you’re feeling sick, regardless of vaccination status
In alignment with City of Milwaukee Health Department guidance and with support from the university’s COVID-19 Response Team, the following COVID-19 mitigation protocols are in place for the Fall 2021 semester. Additional details are provided in the Step 5 Recovery Plan.
MASKING
All students, faculty, staff and visitors — regardless of vaccination status — are required to wear a mask when in shared or public indoor spaces on campus.
- Students living in residence halls do not have to wear masks while with their roommate(s) in their assigned rooms.
- Masks are not required when employees are alone in a private office. They are required in cubicles and other open workspaces.
- Masks do not need to be worn while eating or drinking.
STUDENT VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
As of Aug. 27, nearly 92% of Marquette students enrolled for fall 2021 have submitted proof of vaccination for COVID-19.
Students who have been granted an exemption for medical, religious or personal conviction reasons are required to do the following while enrolled in classes at Marquette:
- Complete the daily COVID Cheq screening process
- Participate in mandatory COVID-19 testing starting Aug. 30; students will be tested every other week and required to test only in the weeks to which you are assigned.
- Testing will occur at the Rec Center, Monday through Thursday between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., with majority of appointments between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Students will be notified via COVID Cheq and Marquette email when they are required to test; a link will be provided to schedule the tests.
- Students who miss their assigned testing appointment will be assessed a fine and referred to student conduct
- Quarantine for 14 days if contact tracing determines they came into close contact with someone infected with COVID-19
- Adhere to any other campuswide protocols related to COVID-19 mitigation deemed necessary by the university
FACULTY AND STAFF VACCINATIONS – UPLOAD BY MIDNIGHT TODAY
All faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to upload their proof of COVID-19 vaccine to the MU Patient Portal by midnight today, Aug. 30 and will be eligible for a special drawing to win several prizes, including free parking, basketball tickets and more. More details are available here.
Faculty and staff who do not provide proof of COVID-19 vaccine by midnight Aug. 30, will be required to do the following:
- Participate in mandatory COVID-19 testing every other week (more details will be provided after Aug. 30)
- Complete the daily COVID Cheq screening process
- Quarantine for 14 days if you come into close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 and be tested 5-7 days following exposure
- Follow all other university-wide protocols related to COVID-19 mitigation
COVID vaccines are available at the Walgreens on campus. For vaccine help, Wisconsin residents can call the COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Hotline at (844) 684-1064. Or utilize HealthyMKE, a COVID-19 vaccine resource website created by Milwaukee County.
Get vaccinated and get $100
On Aug. 23, Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that Wisconsin residents who receive their first dose of any COVID-19 vaccine from a Wisconsin provider between Aug. 20 and Sept. 6 can collect a $100 Visa gift card. Wisconsinites ages 12 and older are eligible for the reward, and proof of insurance, I.D., or citizenship are not required to be eligible for the vaccine or to receive the $100 reward.
For more information on the reward program, visit the DHS $100 reward page or call 844-684-1064. Language assistance is available. To find a COVID-19 vaccine location in your community, visit vaccines.gov or call 2-1-1 or 877-947-2211.
A limited number of Pfizer vaccines are available on campus this week. Learn more including how to make an appointment.
CONTACT TRACING
Faculty will be asking students to make note of who they are sitting next to or nearby in class. Should contact tracing be needed, the process will be easier if this information is already recorded by students. Student and employee cooperation and assistance to our contact tracing team is expected and appreciated.
STAY HOME IF SICK
The university advises anyone, regardless of vaccination status, who experiences symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home, self-isolate and get tested.
- Unvaccinated individuals who come into close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 should quarantine for 14 days and get tested.
- Vaccinated individuals who come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should get tested 5-7 days after exposure, even if you don’t have symptoms. You should also continue to monitor your symptoms for 14 days. You should isolate for 10 days if your test result is positive.
- Individuals with a positive COVID-19 test are asked to fill out the voluntary disclosure form to aid in contact tracing.
For testing, symptomatic students should contact the Marquette University Medical Clinic at 414-288-7184 to make an appointment. Symptomatic employees should be tested at a local testing site or their medical provider. Additional testing information is available on the City of Milwaukee Health Department website.
COVID CHEQ
Everyone – regardless of vaccination status – may be asked to present their green “cleared to come to campus” COVID Cheq pass before entering certain areas on campus, such as the libraries, Marquette dining halls, the recreation facilities and other venues.
If you uploaded your vaccine information via the MU Patient Portal, you will not have to complete the daily COVID Cheq questionnaire and automatically will receive your green pass via email each morning.
If you did not upload your vaccine information, you will be prompted to complete the daily COVID Cheq symptom screening each morning, which will result in either a green “cleared” pass or red “stay home” sign depending on your responses to the questionnaire.
More information, including FAQs, can be found on the university’s COVID-19 website, which is updated frequently.
