PROVIDENCE – In an effort to increase vaccination rates among students, Rhode Island College will delay its start of classes by just over a week.
Classes were originally slated to begin on Aug. 30, but will now commence on Sept. 8, the college announced Aug. 20.
When Your Period Is Disrupting Your Life, It’s Time to Talk About It
For many women, heavy or irregular menstrual cycles are often brushed off as “normal”—something to…
Learn More
The decision “allows us to increase our rates of vaccination among our student population and maintain a healthy and safe environment, inclusive of all the instruction, events and activities that our vibrant RIC campus has to offer,” RIC president Frank Sánchez wrote in two letters to the college community.
The change “does not disrupt normal campus operations,” according to Sánchez, and residential move-in dates remain in place this week. Additionally, the college will add optional move-in dates on Sept. 2-3.
With the additional time before classes, the college will take an “all-hands-on-deck approach” in its effort to increase vaccination rates among students, Sánchez said, using resources such as personalized outreach and multimedia communications.
RIC will also use this period to monitor COVID-19 data and developments and prepare classrooms and workplaces for mitigation measures, the college said.
While pushing back the start date, Sánchez advised faculty to allow for observance of Rosh Hashanah, which begins on the evening of Sept. 6, in planning for the semester.
Students at RIC must comply with various mitigation standards in order to attend in-person classes: All students must be at least partially vaccinated prior to starting in-person classes; show a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours; follow state masking requirements; and receive weekly COVID-19 testing if they are not fully vaccinated or exempt from vaccination, among following other social distancing measures.
Unvaccinated students without a medical or religious exemption from the college are not permitted to attend any in-person activities and must register for all remote classes.
The college “will strongly encourage” partially vaccinated students to receive a second shot for full vaccination status, Sánchez wrote.
RIC said it will work with students, staff and faculty who remain at higher risk for severe COVID-19 infection to complete their work through hybrid or remote solutions.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at voghel@pbn.com.
