Dear Pitt-Johnstown Students,
We hope you are enjoying a restful holiday season and look forward to welcoming you in the New Year.
Not surprisingly, the rising Omicron variant has caused us to modify our plans for the start of the Spring Term to ensure a healthy and safe environment for our community. To that end, the University requires all in-coming Pitt students to shelter-in-place beginning Saturday, Jan. 8. until at least Jan. 13th. During this time, students may only leave their rooms or apartments when necessary such as to pick up food, exercise, attend class, work, shop for essentials and attend to medical needs.
To maximize campus safety, all in-coming students are welcome to order a COVID-19 Test through Quest and return it to Quest before arrival on Campus. Unvaccinated Campus residents are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to university housing. Unvaccinated commuter students (with approved exemptions) must also provide a negative test prior to attending classes in person. All unvaccinated students are required to test weekly as during the fall semester. Please read the December 30 message from the COVID-19 Medical Response Office which addresses important information about testing before and after you arrive on campus as well as sheltering in place.
Classes will begin as scheduled on January 10. To facilitate a smooth and safe transition, we are providing a remote option beginning Jan. 10 and ending Jan 17th. During this transitional period, faculty and students will have the flexibility to choose between being in the classroom or using Zoom for synchronous course delivery. Faculty will communicate how their classes will be offered (remotely or in-person) for the first week of the semester as was the case in the Fall 2021 semester. In effect,
- Instructors may deliver classes from a location of their choice, including the assigned classroom.
- Students may choose to attend class and learn from a location of their choice, including the assigned classroom.
- Campus study and experiential spaces—including all classrooms, computer labs and libraries—will be open and available to all members of the University community to use during this time.
- All field placements, practicum experiences, lab classes, and research labs will continue activities as planned.
The transitional period will end on Monday, January 17 and classes will return to regular in-person status on Tuesday, January 18th.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together to provide a safe and healthy living and learning environment.
Happy New Year!
Jem Spectar