As announced on May 17, all Missouri S&T students, faculty and staff are no longer required to wear a facial covering or physically distance when outdoors. However, for their own safety and the safety and protection of others, all unvaccinated students, faculty and staff are encouraged to continue to wear facial coverings and socially distance while outdoors as well as indoors. (This is a recommendation but not a requirement.)

In addition, students, faculty and staff who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to wear a facial covering or physically distance indoors as long as they do not exceed the approved gathering sizes of no more than 35 people indoors and no more than 50 people outdoors. (The gathering size requirements are for non-academic, non-classroom activities only.) For the safety of all students, faculty and participants, summer session classrooms and in-person camps will continue to require facial coverings and social distancing over the summer.

Individuals are not required to disclose to their supervisors, classmates or co-workers if they have been vaccinated. Supervisors and other individuals should not ask employees or students if they have been vaccinated.

Missouri S&T updated its guidance following a recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). S&T’s updated guidance is modeled after the CDC’s but is not identical to it.

Missouri S&T also encourages all unvaccinated individuals to become fully vaccinated as soon as possible. S&T’s goal is to achieve an 85% or greater vaccination rate to provide the greatest possible safety on campus. For updates on vaccination sites and schedules, please visit S&T’s vaccination page.

Who is fully vaccinated?

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

What S&T guidance has changed

Under the new Missouri S&T guidance, fully vaccinated students, faculty and staff:

• Are no longer required to wear a face covering or physically distance when outdoors.
• Are no longer required to wear a face covering or maintain physical distance of 6 feet or more when indoors as long as they do not exceed the approved gathering sizes of no more than 35 individuals indoors and no more than 50 outdoors.
• Will no longer be identified as a “close contact” if exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19.
• Will no longer be required to quarantine if exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

What guidance continues

The university strongly encourages unvaccinated or partially vaccinated students, faculty and staff to continue following previous guidance regarding facial coverings and social distancing. For their safety and the safety of others, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals should:

• Wear approved facial coverings indoors and outdoors (recommended but not required).
• Maintain social distancing (recommended but not required).
• Quarantine if exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

For all students, faculty and staff, vaccinated or unvaccinated, current limits on non-academic gatherings (no more than 35 people indoors and no more than 50 outdoors) will continue. Larger gatherings will require prior approval, and depending on the nature of the event, participants may be required to follow physical distancing and facial covering requirements. Consult the events and gatherings page for additional guidance and information.

What happens next?

Missouri S&T encourages all students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated. The goal is to attain a vaccination rate of 85% of all students, faculty and staff. The more members of the campus community who are vaccinated, the greater the possibility that the campus will return to pre-pandemic operations in the fall – including more in-person instruction, social activities, and larger in-person meetings and gatherings.

The S&T Incident Command Team will continue to evaluate local, state and national trends, as well as the latest guidance from the CDC and local and state health and medical agencies and experts, to inform decisions moving forward.