Kent State University’s Summer and Fall Plans
Most aspects of university life are very close to pre-pandemic normal, with a return of all in-person classes, engaging activities and residence halls that are at capacity. However, the nature of this pandemic requires us to remain vigilant to safeguard the health of our students, staff and faculty.
While looking forward to summer sessions and fall semester, we will continue to rely on the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our state and local health departments and our own experts from the College of Public Health as we set university policy.
Face Coverings
- Face coverings are required when the COVID-19 community levels are high in a county where we have campuses and locations.
- Face coverings are currently required in all of our healthcare settings and in the Child Development Center on the Kent Campus.
Vaccine Requirement
Beginning with the first summer session, COVID-19 vaccines, including all booster shots, are strongly recommended for our entire Kent State community but are no longer required. Being up to date on COVID-19 vaccines, including having all recommended booster shots, determines quarantine guidelines and can reduce risk of severe disease and hospitalization.
Vaccines and booster shots will continue to be available at the DeWeese Health Center on the Kent Campus and at numerous other locations throughout Northeast Ohio.
Continued Prevention Strategies
We also will continue to provide free, at-home COVID-19 test kits on all campuses and will continue to monitor wastewater from campus housing to look for spikes in virus shed to identify possible outbreaks.
Should case rates increase, we may bring back on-campus testing or random sample testing. How much testing and how often will be determined by the size of the outbreak within our university community and within the counties where our campuses and programs are located.
For athletics testing, we will continue to follow the recommendations and requirements of the NCAA and the Mid-American Conference.
Tracing and Alerts
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should continue to report their case to the university’s COVID Response Team by calling 330-672-2525. This information will allow us to continue to perform contact tracing and issue classroom alerts for new cases to prevent spread.