On Feb. 11, University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D., informed students, staff and faculty via email that the indoor masking requirement will be lifted effective Monday, Feb. 14. 

Father Donohue made the decision following discussions with the University’s medical team and the Pandemic Policy Committee. The email stated that the high vaccination rate at the University and booster percentage on campus impacted this decision. 

The email included reminders for the University community including that any individual more comfortable wearing a mask indoors was still invited to do so. 

Despite the indoor mask requirement being removed, the email advised community members to continue to keep a mask with them at all times. The Connelly Center desk will continue to hand out KN95 masks for all members who wish to get one. KN95 masks can also be purchased by offices or departments through the NovaBuy system. 

Professors may choose to keep a mask requirement in their classroom if they wish to. Mask usage in laboratories and offices will also be decided by professors and advisors, and students must comply with the professor’s wishes to wear a mask. 

Community members are asked to continue following the Community First guidelines. Throughout the pandemic, the University has looked to their three core virtues: Caritas, Unitas and Veritas. 

Caritas emphasizes the importance of looking out for others in our community and creating a safe environment for everyone, a major issue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“As we have done since the start of the pandemic, we will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed,” Father Donohue stated at the end of his email. “I also want to express my overwhelming gratitude for your patience, cooperation and resilience over the past two years. The pandemic has been difficult on everyone, and I appreciate your willingness to adapt to all the uncertainty and to always put Community First.”

Although the mask requirement has been removed, the University does still recommend visitors wear a mask in all campus buildings. 

We will continue to provide updates and more information regarding the mask guidelines on campus.