EASTON – Stonehill College is officially mask-free.
In a letter to the campus community Feb. 16, Stonehill Vice President for Student Affairs Pauline M. Dobrowski and Vice President and General Counsel Thomas V. Flynn announced that as of Sunday, the college will no longer require masks to be worn indoors in all areas across campus.
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Stonehill, like many colleges, implemented mandates for students, faculty and staff to wear masks indoors on campus, regardless of vaccination status, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. Now, Stonehill joins Providence College, Roger Williams University in Bristol and Bryant University in Smithfield as being among the few local colleges to modify their respective mask mandates to date.
Dobrowski and Flynn said Stonehill’s policy change aligns with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s recent advisory regarding face coverings and other positive indicators related to battling the pandemic. The commonwealth recently announced that its statewide mask mandate will be lifted Feb. 28.
Additionally, Flynn and Dobrowski said more than 96% of the campus community is vaccinated against COVID-19 and the college is confident that it is “well-positioned to continue thriving this semester and beyond.”
There are some exceptions regarding masks on campus. Flynn and Dobrowski said masks will still be required in the health services facility, the athletic training room and the college’s testing center. Faculty and staff may require masks in classroom settings, with Stonehill asking those to “be respectful of those requests.” Individuals on campus can wear masks if they choose to do so, Dobrowski and Flynn said.
Stonehill also announced as of Feb. 18 it will now allow non-student overnight guests to stay in residence halls.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone for their sacrifices, patience, and perseverance throughout these two challenging years,” Dobrowski and Flynn said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
