Returning to Campus: Personal Responsibility
Dear UTRGV Family,
As we continue to make progress in the fight against COVID-19 through vaccinations, we would like to reiterate that the university continues to monitor the pandemic with the health and safety of our campus community in mind.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data on Wednesday estimating that the delta variant is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the United States. The CDC has also concluded that vaccination remains widely protective against the variant, and that fully vaccinated people are safe to resume most pre-pandemic activities without wearing masks or physically distancing.
This decision, which came after analyzing months of real-world data, has provided more hope for some that we are closer to returning to the normalcy we paused last March. But while we’ve reached a point where most of us can reclaim a sense of normalcy, it does not mean everyone can — or should — make such changes. That’s why our approach to successfully returning to campus this fall is one of personal responsibility.
Protect Yourself and Respect Others
As a Texas public institution, UTRGV cannot require you to get vaccinated against COVID-19, nor can the university require you to wear a face covering on campus. Because of these policies, UTRGV now encourages all members of our campus community to make decisions that affect ourselves, our colleagues, our students, and our loved ones. This is especially important as new variants of the virus continue to emerge. Below are some proven and effective ways to mitigate your risk of contracting COVID-19:
- Get vaccinated. To receive the vaccine, please log on to the UTRGV Vaccine portal and schedule an appointment or simply walk in to our student and/or employee health clinics in Brownsville, Edinburg or Harlingen.
- Wear a face covering. Per UTRGV protocols, face coverings are optional inside university buildings and outdoors. For individuals who are not fully vaccinated or who have weakened immune systems, face coverings are highly recommended inside university buildings, except when alone in a private office or single-occupancy space.
- Social distancing. Per UTRGV protocols, social distancing is optional for fully vaccinated individuals, and highly recommended for individuals who are not fully vaccinated or who have weakened immune systems. The university will transition all space types to 100% occupancy using a phased approach for the Fall semester.
Please continue to follow UTRGV’s COVID-19 Screening & Testing Protocol. Adhering to this process is as critical as ever, especially with expectations of increased domestic and international travel this summer. Until further notice, per UTRGV protocols, everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must:
- Review the COVID-19 Daily Self-Screening questions before accessing campus and
- Report any symptoms, confirmed positive tests or interaction with someone who has tested positive, to the UTRGV COVID-19 Response Team through this form.
If this looks familiar, it’s because science has confirmed the efficacy of these tools, and that’s worth repeating. Please remember that these university protocols and procedures, along with the latest updates on campus operations related to Fall 2021, can be found on the new Welcome Back Vaqueros resource webpage.
Regardless of how you choose to protect yourself, we all must respect others and their choices, no matter what they may be. That means we do not shame people for not being vaccinated, nor do we belittle them for choosing to wear a mask after being fully vaccinated. Adjusting to a post-vaccine world will take some time, and everyone deserves to move at their own pace.
Vaccine Portal
According to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Rio Grande Valley is among the most vaccinated regions in Texas — and the results are visible through drastically lower infection rates. Those strong vaccination rates are also evident within our UTRGV campus community.
Based on reports of our faculty and staff who have filled out our vaccine portal, upwards of 88% have been vaccinated. Only 3% of our faculty and staff report not wanting to be vaccinated.
Based on reports of our students who have filled out our vaccine portal, upwards of 80% have been fully vaccinated. Only 9% of our students report not wanting to be vaccinated.
If you have not yet completed the portal, please take a minute to complete and/or update the UTRGV Vaccine Portal to help the university’s efforts in creating a safe environment this Fall.
We are so close to defeating this virus. As we return to in-person activities, please continue to protect yourself and respect others for choosing to do the same.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Hocker, Dean, School of Medicine
Dr. Michael Dobbs, Chief Medical Officer