Updates
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you all saw the announcement to campus that, effective June 1, 2023, Brown will no longer require the COVID-19 vaccination for faculty, staff, students or visitors, but will strongly recommend that individuals obtain the primary vaccine series and stay updated with bivalent COVID vaccine boosters.
I know that you may have questions regarding what this means for classroom instruction in particular, so I wanted to reiterate some key points for our COVID policies starting June 1, 2023. We will follow up before the fall semester to reiterate the policies, including any changes made over the summer.
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CDC and RIDOH Guidance. Brown’s change in vaccination requirements aligns with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and follows President Biden’s signing of legislation on April 10, 2023, to end the national emergency for COVID-19.
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Masking in Classrooms and in Meetings. Instructors will continue to have the right to require students to wear masks in their classrooms. Faculty, staff or clinicians may continue to require masking in meetings or other settings in which people must be in close proximity. If students need to pick up masks, University Health Services will continue to make a limited number available at the key room and Graduate Center E.
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Medical School Guidance. The initial vaccine series and booster will continue to be required for Warren Alpert Medical School, Gateways, and Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) students prior to their matriculation at the medical school. These groups spend a significant amount of time in clinical settings where full vaccination continues to be required.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions at provost@brown.edu. I hope everyone has a healthy, safe and productive summer.
Sincerely,
Larry Larson
Interim Provost