January 19, 2021
Yale Divinity School Dean Greg Sterling made the following announcement today to the YDS community.
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Dear Colleagues,
Greetings. I hope you have had an opportunity to rest and recharge, despite the pandemic and political events that have been keeping us on edge. There is an old proverb that is worth remembering: “The darkest hour is just before the dawn.” It has been dark and may yet be dark, but there are vaccines and, hopefully, a conclusion to the most tumultuous presidential election in our history.
At YDS, we want to begin thinking seriously about the spring semester. I will send other messages in the near future about different aspects, but in this message, I want to clarify access to the Quad.
The Quad is now open again from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, including the Yale Divinity School Library. You should all have received a message from Stephanie Spangler, the Vice Provost for Health Affairs and Academic Integrity and the Yale COVID-19 Coordinator, on January 8th about the basic university-wide reopening principles. I want to clarify the requirements for access to YDS facilities. You will fall into one of two basic groups: those who want regular access to the Quad, and those who may only want to come to the Quad on occasion. This memo applies to those of you who are LM1, LM3, or LM4.
Regular Access
The Quad will be open to students who request regular access and meet the following criteria. Some of you naturally fall into this category: those taking an in-person class, those who are working on the Quad on a regular basis, and those who want to have regular access to the library or the Quad for study space.
Any student who would like access to the Quad even intermittently needs to indicate this in the Student Information System (SIS): Set your Learning Location to LM 1 if you live at 254 or 276 Prospect Street, 272 Elm Street, or in Baker, Helen Hadley or Harkness Halls. Set it as LM3 if you live elsewhere.
To request regular access, please send an email message to John Stachniewicz (john.stachniewicz@yale.edu) or Kathy Antos (Katherine.antos@yale.edu) no later than Monday, January 25th.
You will need to do the following in order to have your access activated.
• Meet the testing and quarantine requirements outlined in the December 17, 2020 memorandum. We are requiring weekly COVID-19 tests for all students who want regular access to the Quad.
There are several options for testing locations when you log in to schedule a test: 150 York Street, 60 Prospect Street, or the Lanman Center (unless you live at 254 or 276 Prospect Street, 272 Elm Street, Helen Hadley Hall or Harkness Hall, in which case test location is assigned).
You may test on any day of the week, but it is best to test the same day every week. The test sites are open Mondays – Saturdays currently; a Sunday option will be available in the near future.
If you go for eight days without having a test, you will get a reminder text to schedule a test, and our health and safety leader will also be notified.
If you go for 10 days without completing a test, you will lose access to the Quad.
• Have a flu vaccination or obtain a medical or religious exception from Yale Health by the outset of the semester. If you have not already had a flu shot, you may schedule a vaccination by using the Find Your Flu Shot tool.
• Complete the Spring 2021 Student Return to Campus COVID-19 Training.
• Sign the Spring Yale Community Compact.
If you do not want to be part of the weekly testing program and you live in the local area and want access to the Quad only on a very occasional basis, the following requirements apply to you. By “occasional,” we mean a couple of times during the semester. If you think that you will come more frequently, you should opt for regular access. In both cases (regular access and occasional access) you should use LM3; LM4 will deactivate your ID card.
• Meet the testing and quarantine requirements outlined in the December 17, 2020 memorandum for the return to campus. Please take a COVID-19 test prior to a visit to the Quad. While this is voluntary, I strongly urge you to do so for your peace of mind and for the well-being of everyone on the Quad. So, for example, if you know that you would like to visit the library for research purposes, please take a test at least three days in advance and send Kathy Antos katherine.antos@yale.edu or John Stachniewicz john.stachniewicz@yale.edu a note requesting access for a specific day or two. You may repeat the same procedure during the semester.
• Have a flu vaccination or obtain a medical or religious exception from Yale Health by the outset of the semester. If you have not already had a flu shot, you may schedule a vaccination by using the Find Your Flu Shot tool.
• Complete the Spring 2021 Student Return to Campus COVID-19 Training.
• Sign the Spring Yale Community Compact.
This is a stricter policy than we had in the fall semester, but the numbers of people infected by the virus is higher, and some strains of the virus are more contagious. We are implementing these steps to do all that we can to maintain a healthy and safe environment. I urge you to wear a face mask, maintain social distancing, and wash your hands whenever you are out in public spaces.
Let’s do all that we can to limit the pandemic and protect one another. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Greg Sterling
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Gregory E. Sterling
The Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean
Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament
Yale Divinity School