Welcome to SLC's resource site for the 2021-22 academic year. This site will be updated regularly with information as the fall 2021 semester approaches. Please explore the information below and on the pages within this site to find everything you need for an informed and successful year.
Fall 2021 Semester Overview
Sarah Lawrence College plans to return to primarily in-person engagement in the fall of 2021.
While we expect most students to return to campus, for those students whose circumstances make it impossible to join us in person, a selection of classes will be offered online, particularly those that are well-suited to and, in some cases, enhanced by a virtual venue.
First-year students and sophomores will be required to live on campus during the academic year, and will be guaranteed housing; this will help our newest students best connect and engage with a fully residential campus community and culture. The housing selection and lottery process is underway for returning students, and housing assignments will be released in mid-June. The housing process for new students will begin later this summer.
To ensure the safest experience for all on campus, the College is requiring all residential and commuter students—both undergraduate and graduate—to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to arriving on campus for the fall semester. All vaccinations approved by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) will satisfy the College's requirement. Exceptions will be granted for students who cannot be vaccinated due to approved medical or religious exemptions.
As a result of widespread COVID-19 vaccine access in the United States and improvements in therapeutics, we are in a different position going into this academic year than we were last year. Despite this, many areas of the country are again seeing a rise in COVID-19 infections. We know that the pandemic will continue to impact some aspects of our campus operations as we plan for the fall semester, and the College reserves the right to adjust these plans based upon updates to public health guidance.
Communications Archive
May 26: Campus Mask Policy & Vaccination Reminders
Dear Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community,
As we enter into the summer months and continue our planning and preparations for the fall 2021 semester and 2021-22 academic year, we are writing to share an important update and provide a reminder about Sarah Lawrence’s COVID-19 policies.
Campus Mask Policy
In mid-May, the CDC updated its guidance regarding mask wearing for vaccinated individuals, stating that, with some exceptions (mass transit, hospitals, and air travel, for example), vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a face mask nor practice social distancing in both outdoor and indoor settings. New York State has since adopted this new guidance. Consistent with these recommendations, Sarah Lawrence College will update its mask policy, effective June 1, 2021, and vaccinated individuals may be on campus and inside campus buildings without a mask. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated, regardless of possible medical or religious exemptions, must continue to wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing requirements, at all times, both indoors and outdoors.
While we anticipate the above general policy to be in place for the summer (pending any changes in circumstances), there is one notable caveat. The College will welcome EXPLO summer camp to campus at the end of June. NYS has issued specific guidance regarding COVID-19 safety protocols for youth summer camps, and all EXPLO camp participants and instructors, regardless of vaccination status, will wear a face covering. As part of this policy, all SLC community members and contractors, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask when interacting with or in close proximity to EXPLO students and staff.
Following more than a year of mask wearing, this shift in guidance, understandably, may feel abrupt. Many vaccinated individuals in our community may be uncomfortable foregoing a mask. This is a personal choice and the College supports the continued use of masks for those individuals with this preference. The CDC also recommends that vaccinated individuals with weakened immune systems consult with their physician about whether they should continue taking appropriate precautions, including wearing a mask.
Guidance from the CDC and State may change during the summer and the College will continue to closely monitor these developments. At this time, it is the College’s intent for the above mask policy to be effective through the summer, to be updated and/or extended prior to the start of the fall semester to provide additional guidance regarding the classroom environment and other components of life at Sarah Lawrence.
Reporting of COVID-19 Vaccination
As of today, more than 60% of Sarah Lawrence’s faculty and regular staff have reported that they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 - a far higher rate than New York’s vaccination rate. As a reminder, employees who are fully vaccinated should report their vaccination status via MySLC, as doing so will be essential in our planning for the coming months. (Log in is required).
The deadline for students to submit a copy of their official vaccination card, indicating completion of the COVID-19 vaccination series is July 8, 2021 (to coincide with the College’s housing process). To submit proof of vaccination, students should log into the Health & Wellness Patient Portal, enter their vaccination date(s) by clicking on the “immunizations” tab, and upload a photo of their official vaccination card by clicking on the “upload” tab. If students are unable to be vaccinated by then and/or they live in a country where the vaccine is not available, they should reach out to Health & Wellness to discuss their personal circumstances and receive an extension, if appropriate. More information about the College’s vaccination policy is available here.
Thank you for all that you have done to support each other and our community during the last year, and as we look ahead towards next academic year, we wish you a restful and recuperative summer.
Sincerely,
Daniel Trujillo, Dean of Studies and Student Life
Kim Ferguson, Dean of Graduate and Professional Programs
Danielle Coscia, Vice President for Human Resources & Organizational Development
April 22: Student COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Fall 2021
Dear Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community,
We are writing today with an important update for the fall 2021 semester. As you know, our plan is to return to primarily in-person engagement in the fall, and our hope is that most of you are planning to return to campus. While we expect that COVID-19 will still have some impact on our daily lives when the semester starts, as we continue to see increases in the supply of and access to vaccines, we are filled with great hope that the next academic year will be more akin to life before the pandemic.
To ensure the safest experience for all on campus, the College will require all residential and commuter students -- both undergraduate and graduate -- to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to arriving on campus for the fall semester. Exceptions will be granted for students who cannot be vaccinated due to approved medical or religious exemptions. Students residing outside the United States must receive a vaccine approved for use in the U.S. (thus far Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen). [Note: The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine is now also accepted to satisfy the vaccination requirement.]
The deadline for students to submit a copy of their official vaccination card, indicating completion of the COVID-19 vaccination series, is July 8, 2021. To submit proof of vaccination, students should log into the Health & Wellness Patient Portal, enter their vaccination date(s) by clicking on the “immunizations” tab, and upload a photo of their official vaccination card by clicking on the “upload” tab.
We are currently monitoring federal and state regulations pertaining to vaccination requirements for faculty and staff, and will communicate any updates on that as they become available. Faculty and staff should report their completed vaccination on MySLC. The College strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The Sarah Lawrence community has done an exceptional job throughout the pandemic of following necessary precautions to keep themselves and each other safe. We believe a fully vaccinated student population is our best next step to ensure a productive, engaging, and enjoyable fall semester for all.
Sincerely,
Mary Hartnett
Director of Medical Services
Health & Wellness Center
Danny Trujillo
Dean of Studies and Student Life