7/8/2021
Ferrum College is pleased to announce that its campus is once again open to the public. This reopening comes after the May 2021 guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which updated COVID-19 safety protocols for vaccinated individuals.
While the College is not requiring students, faculty, or staff to receive the vaccination at this time, President David Johns said that the institution is strongly encouraging it. Ferrum has joined the White House COVID-19 College Vaccination Challenge which seeks to vaccinate as many young adults as possible prior to them returning to campus for fall classes. This means that Ferrum has committed to taking the following action against the virus: engaging every student, faculty, and staff member by providing resources to get vaccinated; organizing its college community by implementing a vaccination plan; and delivering vaccine access for all.
“We will definitely host at least one flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinic on campus, ideally in early September, where students, faculty, staff, and the community can get either or both vaccinations,” explained Dean of Student Life and Pandemic Coordinator Nicole Lenez. “Or if it is easier for a community member to get vaccinated elsewhere, we’ll help them find a clinic. All they need to do is reach out to our Student Life office by calling (540) 365-4461 or emailing studentlife@ferrum.edu.”
More information about upcoming vaccination clinics will be available in the near future.
Additionally, the College is preparing for fall courses to begin on August 23. The semester will offer 14-week courses as well as two seven-week sessions, with all courses ending on November 23 prior to the Thanksgiving holiday break. The majority of courses will be delivered in the classroom (face-to-face) or through a hybrid method (50 percent virtual, 50 percent in-person). Ferrum faculty have completed an intensive online teaching certification to provide high-quality instruction both in the classroom and online.
On campus, physical distancing will be encouraged and sanitizing protocols will be maintained, including twice-daily disinfection of high-touch areas like light switches, bathrooms, and door handles. The College will not require masks indoors for individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Likewise, masks will not be mandated for anyone attending outdoor events unless three feet of distance cannot be maintained.
Athletics will return to normal competition this fall, with Panther football taking on Averett University on Ferrum’s campus on September 4 at 6 p.m. For more updates, check the official Ferrum College athletic website.
“The pandemic’s most pernicious work has been to separate us, keeping us from many of the things and people we enjoy,” wrote Johns in a campus-wide email. “What we learned so well over this past year will help us as we prepare for the year ahead: we are always stronger together.”
View Ferrum College’s plan for the 2021-22 academic year, and sign up to receive news and updates, on the Stronger Together website.
Learn more about the White House COVID-19 College Vaccination Challenge by visiting here.
