Maintaining Quarantine and Isolation Procedures

Happy New Year!

As we wait for the ball to drop and welcome in 2022, please remember to celebrate New Year’s Eve safely; avoid crowded indoor areas, wear a mask in public, and keep gatherings small. Taking these precautions and getting vaccine boosters when eligible will help the PLU community kick off J-Term the right way.

Our quarantine and isolation procedures are based on information and guidance from our local public health officials. We will continue to follow our current protocol of 10 days of isolation if positive for COVID 19, as well as no quarantine if exposed and vaccinated. Per the CDC, the newly announced recommendations do not supersede state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations.

We will notify everyone with updates and changes to the current policy as soon as we receive direction from local and state public health partners.

PLU students testing positive for COVID 19 will be required to isolate for ten days (we will update everyone if this policy changes). Depending on the course and the timing of the absences, it may be necessary to drop or withdraw from a JTerm class. The drop/withdraw dates are on the REGI website.

Students who need to be absent from class and are considering dropping or withdrawing from JTerm should work with the Center for Student Success to understand the impact on their degree progression, and Student Financial Services to understand any impact on their billing or financial aid.

If a faculty member teaching a J-Term course needs to quarantine/isolate, there will likely be different solutions depending on the timing of their absence from campus and the particular course. Students will be informed of any changes via Sakai and email.

We continue to strongly encourage anyone who is eligible for a booster dose of the vaccine (6 months after completing 2 dose vaccines or 2 months after a 1 dose vaccine) to obtain that as soon as possible. Anyone eligible but not yet vaccinated should consider beginning the series. The Tacoma Pierce County Health Department will be running COVID Vaccine Clinics on the PLU campus through January 29. The clinics are open to the public.

Clinic Schedule:

• Wednesdays | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Columbia Center
• Saturdays | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Columbia Center

We strongly encourage all members of the PLU community to proactively test on their own before returning for J-Term. While this is not a requirement, we hope that you will treat this as an expectation for participating responsibly in community. It is important to take this step, regardless of vaccination status, out of care for others, so you know where you stand as an individual.

On-campus testing:

Students who have any illness symptoms should call the Health Center (253-535-7337) for evaluation and testing.

All on-campus testing for healthy, asymptomatic individuals, whether required or encouraged to test, takes place in AUC CK Hall (walk-in only, no appointment necessary).

Testing Schedule: 

• Sunday, January 2, | 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. | AUC (CK Hall)
• Regular weekly schedule:
  • Mondays | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.| AUC (CK Hall)*
  • Tuesdays | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | AUC (CK Hall)
  • Wednesdays | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | AUC (CK Hall)
  • Thursdays | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | AUC (CK Hall)

*No testing clinic January 17 due to the holiday, testing will take place Tuesday and Wednesday of that week. Testing locations within the AUC may change, check the website for updates.

In community,

Teri Phillips
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
COVID-19 Site Supervisor

Shawn Thompson
Associate Director of Emergency Programs
COVID-19 Task Force Coordinator

Michelle Ceynar
Dean of Social Sciences
Professor of Psychology

Mike Snyder
Director of Athletics and Recreation

Chris Albert
Director of Web Development & Design