This message to all students, faculty and staff has been approved by FSU President Richard McCullough.
Dear students, faculty and staff,
Given the rise in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 globally, nationally, and in Leon County, Florida State University continues to work closely with local and state health officials to help keep our community safe.
Florida State University will resume business and operations as scheduled on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, and residence halls will reopen at 3 p.m. on that date. Spring 2022 semester courses will begin as scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 5.
All the safety protocols and procedures that were utilized during the Fall 2021 semester will continue during the Spring 2022 semester.
Compliance with the following steps will help us safely return to campus at the conclusion of winter break.
All students, regardless of vaccination status, are strongly encouraged to test before traveling/returning to campus. Students should complete a COVID-19 test 48-72 hours prior to traveling/returning to campus. Students testing positive for COVID-19 should not travel/return to campus while contagious and instead immediately notify their instructors their first-day attendance will be delayed. Instructors will accommodate delayed attendance.
• Medical-grade face masks, such as N95 or KN95 masks, will be expected on campus. Cloth masks are less effective against the highly transmissible variants such as Delta and Omicron.
• PCR testing will continue to be available to all FSU students, faculty and staff at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. FSU students who complete a COVID-19 test at the Tucker Center between Jan. 3 – 14, 2022 will receive $5 in Dining Dollars on their FSUCard within 24-48 hours after completing the COVID-19 test. You can find more information at uhs.fsu.edu/coronavirus/testing.
• COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots will be continue to be offered and available during the spring semester to any interested students, faculty, and staff and to their eligible dependent children. We encourage everyone to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine/booster to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Spring vaccination clinic dates will be posted at vaccine.fsu.edu when available.
The university continues to stock ample COVID-19 supplies for use throughout campus. If you need assistance, please contact your department representatives.
The university continues to provide enhanced air filtration throughout campus buildings, and air purifiers are deployed in all classrooms/laboratories, etc.
You can learn more about the university’s efforts and view the COVID-19 dashboard at stayhealthy.fsu.edu.
We are closely monitoring all developments. We are following the guidance from our Medical Advisory team, contact tracing team, scientists, and other public health officials. We will keep you posted on any necessary changes or developments.
As the Chancellor of the State University System of Florida and the Chair of the Board of Governors stated in their letter earlier this week, we all share responsibility to remain vigilant and do our part to keep our communities safe and minimize the impact of COVID-19.
I appreciate your cooperation, and I look forward to seeing you all back on campus.
Sincerely,
Richard McCullough
President