May 3, 2021 (12:08 p.m. Central Time)
Dear Simpson College students, faculty and staff,
Congratulations on completing the spring 2021 semester — and thanks to each of you for helping our community navigate the on-going COVID pandemic so successfully. While it was an extraordinarily challenging year and the COVID protocols weighed heavily on us all, the fact is we made it through the year without ever going Red — not once! We never experienced the two-week shelter-in-place scenarios that many of our peer institutions faced in response to an unmanageable COVID spike. And we have demonstrated that the public health experts’ guidance — using masks, maintaining safe six — really do work to contain COVID spread.
The Crisis Management Team (CMT) and Cabinet are starting to turn our attention to planning for the coming year. Expect more information soon about how these plans are coming together, particularly regarding our approach to vaccinations.
For May Term, most of our basic protocols remain in place, including mask use and social distancing. Classrooms are generally continuing at 50 percent capacity with required mask use, seating charts and daily attendance records; there is still no eating and drinking allowed in classrooms.
We are discontinuing the daily Moodle Check-Ins (no longer a need to set your alarms for these!). Anyone experiencing COVID symptoms or who has questions regarding exposure should contact healthservices@simpson.edu.
We are also suspending random testing during May Term. Campus COVID testing will continue from 1:30–2:30 p.m., Monday/Wednesday/Friday during May Term. To schedule a time for campus testing, please email healthservices@simpson.edu; information about off-campus testing options can be found at simpson.edu/covid19.
Thank you, once again, for all you have done to keep our community healthy over the course of this past year. And thank you for demonstrating all the ways in which we are truly ONESimpson.
Warm regards,
Heidi Levine,
Vice President for Student Development and Planning,
Chair, Crisis Management Team