Reminders for Returning to Campus — Including Vaccine Database Deadline

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community, 

As our return to campus rapidly approaches, we remind you to upload documentation of your COVID-19 vaccination to our Vaccine Database no later than August 2nd. For instructions on how to enter your COVID-19 Vaccine Information in HealthConnect, visit the COVID-19 vaccine database webpage.

CMU is committed to protecting the confidentiality of your vaccination registration data and will only use it for the purposes described in the COVID-19 Vaccination Data Collection Privacy Notice (PDF).

Other Essential Guidelines & Reminders for Returning to Campus

• If you have not yet been vaccinated, we will be offering free vaccine clinics in August and September open to students, faculty, staff and affiliates. An appointment is necessary to receive a vaccination at these clinics. To schedule your appointment, please visit this link.
• In connection with our launch of the fall semester, all students should complete two baseline tests through the Tartan Testing program. Ideally, the first of these tests should be completed within five days after arrival to the Pittsburgh area, while the second must be completed sometime during the second week in Pittsburgh. Students already living in the Pittsburgh area should plan to complete their testing within the two weeks prior to their engagement with campus activities, research, orientation or classes.
• Students requesting an exemption from vaccination must complete an application with their medical (PDF), religious belief/strong moral or ethical conviction (PDF) reasons by August 2nd.
• Faculty, staff and affiliates who are not vaccinated or do not upload proof of vaccination by August 2nd, will be expected to wear facial coverings (over the nose and mouth) indoors and also outdoors whenever physical distancing of six feet or more cannot be maintained. Completion of the Daily Self-Assessment and participation in weekly Tartan Testing will also be required. Students who have not received an approved COVID-19 exemption from UHS or who have not yet achieved full vaccination status must also follow these same mitigation expectations.
• Compliance with the university’s mitigation strategies has contributed to our success throughout the pandemic and we expect community members will continue to uphold their obligations to protect the community and their own health and safety. The university is committed to an educational approach to assure compliance; however, the university reserves the right to take employment or disciplinary action when necessary.

We are actively monitoring Delta variant cases as well as emerging guidance from the CDC about universal utilization of facial coverings and continue to engage with internal and external experts to inform our approach to on-campus preparations and policies. These protocols, driven by science- and research-based evidence, will allow us to adapt our campus mitigation postures as warranted. We will continue to keep the campus community apprised.

Thank you in advance for your compliance and timeliness in uploading your vaccine documentation and reviewing our latest COVID-19 mitigation protocols. It’s imperative that we continue to remain vigilant and safeguard the health and well-being of our community.

Sincerely,

Jim Garrett, Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Gina Casalegno, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Daryl Weinert, Vice President for Operations, Interim Vice President for Research, COVID-19 Coordinator