Leaders of Missouri S&T’s Incident Command Team sent the following message to students, faculty and staff on Jan. 14:

Dear S&T Community, 

As we begin the new semester with the start of classes Tuesday, we are writing to update students, faculty and staff about how the recent increase nationally and locally in COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant will affect campus operations.

Missouri S&T’s Incident Command Team (ICT) continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation in our community and will adjust plans should the need arise. We continue to follow the guidance of local, state and federal public health agencies as well as the guidance outlined in the recent message from University of Missouri President Mun Choi, S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani and the chancellors of the other UM System universities.
  
Vaccination and wearing facial coverings have allowed our community to operate safely throughout the pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these same precautions slow the spread of the Omicron variant and significantly reduce severity of illness.

Here are steps you can take to protect yourself and others:

• Get vaccinated (and a booster shot) if you are able to do so and have not. In partnership with Phelps Health, Missouri S&T will host a walk-in Pfizer vaccine clinic 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, in the Carver-Turner Room of the Havener Center. Individuals may get their first or second dose or a booster shot. If you have been vaccinated, bring your current vaccination record with you.
• Schedule virtual meetings and events when appropriate.
• Please wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, while indoors or in crowded outdoor settings. This is to protect all members of our campus community. There are people with personal and family health issues whose immune systems are comprised and who are at greater risk of becoming ill from the virus. We need to work together to protect everyone.
• Stay home if you are sick. If you are able to get tested, please do so to determine if you are positive for COVID-19. We understand that illness could cause staffing shortages and we encourage supervisors to be understanding. 

Any student, staff or faculty member who tests positive for COVID-19 needs to report positive results to Student Health Services by emailing COVID@mst.edu. This includes any positive test result from in-home testing as well as from any other testing site. 

Missouri S&T offices will remain open during normal operating hours to ensure we provide the highest levels of service to our students, faculty and staff. Students may request resources, accommodations and understanding that they may not ask for under normal circumstances, and we will honor them when it is possible to do so without being unfair to other students, and without compromising learning outcomes. 

The Miner community has been fortunate to maintain a healthy, vibrant academic and campus environment throughout the pandemic by taking these simple precautions. We are confident a similar focus on protecting ourselves and others will allow us to continue safe operations in 2022.

For updated S&T information, please visit coronavirus.mst.edu. Get the latest CDC guidelines at cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Thank you,

Missouri S&T Incident Command Team

Dr. Dennis Goodman, chief health officer
Alysha O’Neil, vice chancellor of finance and operations
Dr. Colin Potts, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs
Dr. Debra Robinson, vice chancellor of student affairs