2021–22 Academic Year Campus Plan (updated regularly)

Our goal is to remain in-person for classes and other activities this semester. Having a fully vaccinated campus provides a strong foundation to accomplish this goal but that alone is not sufficient. The health and safety of our community and the success and sustainability of our in-person activities depend on our collective commitment to follow this Plan’s protocols and guidelines. We ask every person who comes to campus to prioritize the best interests of Mitchell Hamline and our surrounding community as we begin this new academic year.

Health protocols

Effective August 1, 2021, all Mitchell Hamline students and employees are expected to follow the COVID-19 Health Protocols listed below.

Must be fully vaccinated to have access to Mitchell Hamline’s buildings.

• Students must update their vaccine status in their student record.
• Employees must complete and submit the DocuSign vaccine verification form pursuant to July email notification from HR.
• You are considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after completing the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks after receiving a single dose of a one-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson).
• Not vaccinated? See MDH Vaccination Locations

Update (1/14/22): Booster shots are strongly recommended for all employees and students. The school is not requiring employees or students to submit proof of this booster.

Monitor health for symptoms of COVID-19 on a daily basis.

Stay home if feeling ill regardless of actual or suspected reason for illness.

Get tested if you suspect you may have COVID-19. See MDH COVID-19 Testing Sites.

Report if you test positive for COVID-19.

• Complete and submit the COVID-19 Reporting Form. Information on this form is critical for the school to conduct contact tracing to limit further transmission.
• If you are a student, please contact Dean LeMoine at lemoine@mitchellhamline.edu for further instructions. If you are an employee or visitor, please contact Michael Freer, Interim Director of Human Resources at michael.freer@mitchellhamline.edu for further instructions.
• Return to Campus Clearance – Students and employees will be required to be evaluated before returning to campus. More information about this will be provided directly to impacted students by the Dean of Students and to employees by the Interim Director of Human Resources.

If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home and away from others even if experiencing NO symptoms.

• Symptoms may appear up to 14 days after you are close to someone with COVID-19.
• You can spread COVID-19 to others several days before you have any symptoms, or even if you never have any symptoms of COVID-19.
• Update (1/14/22): Regardless of vaccination status, stay home for 10 days (this exceeds current CDC guidelines).

If you are in close contact to someone who tests positive for COVID-19:

• Self-monitor for symptoms (even if you are fully vaccinated).
• If you develop symptoms, stay home, regardless of vaccination status.
• Get tested within 3-5 days (if unvaccinated) or 5-7 days (if fully vaccinated) of the exposure to the person who tested positive. If you test positive, follow the instructions in the section above.

Close Contact Update (1/14/22):

If you have had a close contact with someone with COVID-19 and are not experiencing any symptoms, you do not need to quarantine if:

• You have completed ALL recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccine when eligible, including a booster or additional doses. Refer to CDC: Stay Up to Date with Your Vaccines.

• You had COVID-19 in the past three months. Refer to CDC: COVID-19 Testing: What You Need to Know.

Maintain physical distance in common areas when feasible.

• There are no specific requirements for physical distancing at this time; however, it is advised to avoid crowding into rooms/spaces and to maintain some additional distance in common spaces if feasible.
• Physical distancing requirements may be reinstated if conditions warrant this action.

Masks

• Everyone must wear a mask at all times in the building, except in single-person offices with a door (preferably closed) or in library study rooms occupied by one person.
• All visitors to the building must wear a mask.
• Masks may be removed when eating and drinking. When eating and drinking near others, it is best to be outside or in large open spaces to allow for sufficient air flow. If this is not feasible, please maintain as much distance as possible.

Masks Update (1/4/22):

• Faculty must wear masks while teaching until further notice.
• High filtration masks such as N95 and K95 are strongly recommended.
• Not permitted: loose-fitting masks, scarves, neck gaiters, or bandanas

Masks Update (4/6/22):

In light of the low COVID-19 community level in Minnesota, the school’s low number of cases, and in consultation with our medical consultant, the following changes to the mask mandate are effective April 6, 2022. These changes are in line with guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health and the recently revised protocols at other colleges and universities in the Twin Cities.

1. All students, staff, and visitors are required to wear a mask in classroom and instructional spaces during class sessions. Faculty are not required to wear a mask when teaching.
2. Masks are required when meeting in another person’s office or cubicle if that person is wearing a mask.
3. Masks are not required in the library or other common areas (e.g., hallways, café, restrooms, stairwells).
4. Masks are not required in rooms used for meetings or events.
5. Masks are strongly encouraged when meeting in smaller rooms (e.g., library study rooms).

All other protocols remain in place. All protocols, including this modification in the mask protocol, may be revised in response to changing circumstances as needed.

Additional steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illness:

• Protect yourself and others (see MDH prevention guidelines)
• Stay home when feeling ill for any reason.
• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.
• Avoid shaking hands.
• Cough and sneeze into the inside of elbow.
• Get a seasonal flu shot when available.

Campus Clear app

• As of August 1, self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms using the Campus Clear App is not required. In place of the app, all employees and students who are on campus are required to: 1) submit confirmation that they are fully vaccinated; and 2) self-monitor for symptoms each day they are on campus. Anyone who does not meet both requirements will not be permitted in the law school building.
• The law school reserves the right to reinstate the requirement to self-monitor using the Campus Clear App if conditions warrant.

Academic programs

During the fall semester, students will have the option to enroll  in on-campus, remote and synchronous, and hyflex courses. Details about each course is available on the Course Information Page. Assigned seating for in-person classes is required in the event contact tracing is necessary.

Events and meetings

In-person events and meetings are permitted in the law school building and outside space pursuant to special guidelines.  If public health conditions permit, events and meeting may include visitors (invited guests and members of the public). All visitors attending events or meetings must complete a Visitor COVID-19 Self-Screening Form at the main entrance Security Desk to confirm they are fully vaccinated.

Restrictions and planning guidelines have been developed pertaining to food and drinks, room capacity, physical distancing, and other mitigation measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19. For more information about event restrictions and guidelines, see The Summit (faculty and staff) or for student-organized events, contact student.services@mitchellhamline.edu.

Only Mitchell Hamline-sponsored events and meetings are permitted at this time. The law school will not permit outside organizations or groups to hold events or meetings on campus until further notice.

Travel

Domestic travel for Mitchell Hamline-sponsored events is generally permitted pursuant to regular practices and guidelines but consideration to the location’s public health conditions should be given serious consideration. If available, remote options to participate may be safest and allow more individuals to participate.

Mitchell Hamline-sponsored international travel may be permitted depending on the destination and information posted on CDC’s COVID-19 Travel Recommendations. Persons planning international travel should contact Vice-Dean Jim Hilbert (faculty) or HR Interim Director Mike Freer (staff).

Visitors and access to the building (including law library)

Visitors are permitted in the law school building to: attend scheduled events and programs, pre-arranged individual or group meetings, and clinic appointments; use the library; or to conduct other business that has been organized by a member of the faculty/staff or a student.

At this time, the law school discourages drop-in visitors who are not using the library or have not arranged to meet with an Mitchell Hamline individual prior to coming to campus.

Update: As of January 10, 2022, all visitors must show proof of vaccination at the front desk to be permitted in the building.

Monitoring and compliance

The COVID-19 Response and Planning Team will continue to monitor and respond to the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape by tracking relevant public health data, staying current with CDC and MDH (Minnesota Department of Health research and guidance, and seeking advice from the law school’s medical and environmental consultants. The team fully anticipates that as more information becomes available, changes in current protocols will be needed to mitigate the risk of increased transmission. Changes in protocols will be communicated to the Mitchell Hamline community via the usual means of communication and, as appropriate, posted on this website.

The COVID-19 Dashboard is updated every Friday and includes data related to case numbers and rates in Ramsey and Hennepin counties and among Mitchell Hamline students and employees who are eligible to be on campus (i.e., are fully vaccinated). This data is measured against specific metrics and interpreted to determine the school’s alert level on a 1 through 5 scale. Mitigation measures specific to each alert level will guide our level of campus operations.