With another surge in Covid cases in Nebraska, many Nebraska colleges and universities are reexamining their Covid-19 protocols for the upcoming school year.
Concordia University will not be requiring students to be vaccinated, although the university is requesting students to share their vaccination status to determine vaccination rates among students and to determine quarantine requirements.
Students who are fully vaccinated and are exposed to a positive Covid case will not be required to take a Covid test or quarantine, and can fully participate in activities and attend class.
Those who are not fully vaccinated will be required to quarantine for 10 days from the last day of exposure, will not be able to attend class in person and will not be able to participate or spectate in activities during quarantine.
Seth Meranda, senior director of communications for Concordia, said the university has developed a dashboard with current information regarding positive cases and quarantine data on campus.
The dashboard can be found at www.cune.edu/today/students/health-wellness/health-center/coronavirus-information.
“Our goal has been and will continue to be to act in the interests of our students, faculty and staff, to keep our campus community as safe as possible and we believe these protocols will allow us to do that,” Meranda said.
For both Concordia and Southeast Community College masks are not currently required, but are encouraged.
Bev Cummins, Southeast Community College vice presidents of student affairs, said SCC expects all unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask for their protection and the protection of others.
As for vaccinations, SCC is not requiring them but has strongly recommended students and staff to receive them.
“We are incentivizing students and employees to upload copies of vaccination to reduce any potential disruptions to on-campus learning in the event of an exposure,” Cummins said.
SCC students will be required to quarantine unless they can prove full vaccination status. Those who are fully vaccinated and are exposed to Covid do not have to quarantine, but are asked to wear a mask while on campus and monitor their symptoms.
Cummins said vaccine clinics will be available on all campuses with opportunities and incentives for everyone who receives a vaccine.
“Students benefit from in-person learning and safe returns to in-person instruction continues to be the priority for Southeast Community College and the success of our students,” Cummins said. “Working together as a community to address and educate on the appropriate steps to isolate, trace, and contain the virus is a vital step in keeping our campus community safe.”
