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Email from the President: First 50 Days Update

Hello Ravens, 

We recently celebrated our Class of 2021 with an in-person Commencement ceremony that felt like a touch of normal after a year that was anything but ordinary. Now, the Valley is quiet, but we are already looking ahead to the start of our 2021-22 academic school year. 

FALL 2021

After prayerful and careful consideration of the new recommendation from the CDC that fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask, I want to update you on some changes to campus protocols. Beginning June 1, AU will operate as a fully open campus with no required masking. We will continue to refine our plans to welcome students back this fall, and we have these details to share presently that apply to the entire community:

  • campus activities will resume at normal capacity (classrooms, dining areas, etc.);
  • athletics will continue to follow NCAA and CDC guidance;
  • masks will be strongly encouraged indoors and in close quarters (but not required);
  • masks will not be required outdoors;
  • VeriFLY daily health screening app and checkpoints will no longer be used;
  • free COVID-19 tests will be available for symptomatic students at Health Services;
  • quarantine facilities and isolation services will no longer be provided on campus.

COVID-19

The following conditions apply for non-vaccinated students:

  • any student who is exposed to someone with COVID-19 will be required to quarantine off campus at their own expense;
  • any student who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate off campus at their own expense;
  • student-athletes will be required to follow NCAA guidelines;
  • faculty will not be required to provide online instruction for students in quarantine or isolation;
  • there will be no refunds or make-up work for time missed due to quarantine or isolation; 
  • there will be mandatory, random testing scheduled periodically for non-vaccinated students to help us monitor the presence of the virus on campus.

With the broad availability of effective vaccines, AU will operate in the fall with the expectation that faculty, staff, and students will make the individual choice on how to protect themselves, their families, and our campus community. AU offered two vaccination clinics on campus this past spring and continues to advocate that the vaccine is our best defense against COVID-19. 

The new recommendations from the CDC inspire hope that we will be able to bring back many of the traditions that make AU the wonderful place that it is. As more information develops about the First 50 Days initiative for this fall, the COVID-19 task force will continue to prepare the community over the summer as we introduce new protocols for the fall.

We are #StillAU,

President Pistole

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COVID-19

Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.