As of March 29, 2022

 

MARTIN UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

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COVID-19 Vaccination

All Martin students are required to be vaccinated from COVID-19 beginning in the Fall 2021 term. Information about Fall 2021 and the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate is available here.

 

Martin also requires all employees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. As with the required flu vaccine, employees who have a medical or religious reason, or philosophical belief, will be exempted from this requirement but will be required to follow the protocols outlined below.

 

COVID-19 BOOSTER

The University requires all students and employees to receive a COVID-19 booster shot as soon as they reach eligibility for a COVID-19 booster vaccine. This requirement is based on recommendations from the CDC and FDA.

 

SUBMISSION OF VACCINATION AND BOOSTER SHOT INFORMATION

• Students who have received the required vaccinations & booster shots should provide a copy of their completed vaccination card & booster document to muhealth@martin.edu.

• Employees should submit vaccination and booster shot information to muhealth@martin.edu.

• Employees & students looking for vaccine sites in our area can check https://www.vaccines.gov/.

• Employee exemptions should complete the exemption survey here. 

 

HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT

All appointments at off-campus vaccination locations must be made in advance by visiting https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine.

 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I'M FULLY VACCINATED

Under CDC guidelines, a person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 once it has been at least two (2) weeks since receiving the last required dose of the vaccine. (For example, a person who receives the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose, and a person who receives the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the single dose.) Students, faculty, and staff should note that some COVID-19 vaccines may require two or more doses multiple weeks apart before the recipient is considered fully vaccinated. Thus students, faculty, and staff should ensure that they can receive all required doses.

 

Based on guidance from the CDC, fully COVID-19 vaccinated students and employees will no longer be required to quarantine following exposure to someone with COVID-19 as long as they remain asymptomatic. These students and employees will still be required to monitor their symptoms and seek care for COVID-19 like symptoms and illness. Students and vaccinated employees are still responsible for following Martin's recommendations and requirements, including physical distancing standards and community mask usage.

 

In addition, fully vaccinated students and employees are no longer part of the asymptomatic testing pool for the 90 days following their second vaccination, consistent with students who have a COVID-19 diagnosis within the past 90 days.

 

From the CDC:

Get Vaccinated and Stay Up to Date

• Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible.

• Fully vaccinated means a person has received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.

• More information from the CDC can be found here.

 

These recommendations and requirements will be updated as new information about the virus develops, and we monitor and evaluate data. (last updated 03/29/2022)

 

UNVACCINATED EMPLOYEE TESTING

Martin employees who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including employees who are unvaccinated, have only received one dose of a two-dose vaccine, have received an exemption to the vaccine requirement, or have failed to disclose their vaccine status to human resources, will be considered unvaccinated against COVID-19 by Martin University. For purposes of this policy, an employee is considered "fully vaccinated" if it has been at least 14 days since the employee received the last dose, as recommended by the manufacturer, of a COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) or WHO (World Health Organization), including vaccinations that have been approved according to the Emergency Use Authorization, the employee has provided proof of receiving such vaccination doses to Human Resources. Martin may revise this policy in the future to require an employee to provide proof of receiving any CDC or FDA-recommended "booster" shots for the employee to maintain "fully vaccinated" status.

 

Unvaccinated employees will be required to be tested for COVID-19 once per month. The frequency of COVID-19 testing will be relative to the number of positive COVID-19 cases on campus and in the local community. Employees will remain in a paid status for the time taken to complete any required testing.

 

The results of the test will not be shared with Human Resources. Negative COVID-19 test results for tests conducted under this policy need not be reported to Human Resources. Still, Martin will conclude a record of a test being conducted means the test result was negative unless the employee reports a positive result. The employee's responsibility is to truthfully report test results to Human Resources if they are informed that their COVID-19 test is positive. Any employee who receives a positive COVID-19 test and fails to report the test to Human Resources promptly is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

 

Employees who would prefer to seek testing at a physician's office or a state-authorized testing site are welcome to do so. For a test to be accepted as an unvaccinated employee test by Martin Human Resources, the COVID-19 test can either be:

1. Performed at a physician's office

2. An FDA authorized molecular or antigen-based at-home test

3. A state-authorized testing site and the results must be valid. 

 

The employee's responsibility is to ensure the secure transfer of valid testing information to Martin, including providing documentation of a valid test being conducted (as described below) and truthfully reporting to Human Resources if the employee is informed of their COVID-19 test being positive.  

 

Any employee who does not comply with the testing directives could lead to corrective action up to and including termination of employment. 

 

Mask Usage

Effective April 1, 2022, masks will be optional for faculty, staff, and students regardless of vaccination status. Those that are unvaccinated will be required to get monthly testing and notify muhealth@martin.edu if the test is positive.

 

Standards for Physical Distancing

As of March 29, 2022, Martin University will not require extra physical distancing in classrooms or other educational spaces, although we will take steps to correct some isolated pre-pandemic instances of classroom overcrowding. We will provide spaced seating in most classrooms for those who wish to be distanced.

 

Work environments are recommended to continue physical distancing for in-person interactions.

 

These recommendations and requirements will be updated as new information about the virus develops, and we monitor and evaluate data. (last updated 03/29/2022)

 

Quarantine and Isolation Guidance

Effective February 21, 2022, Martin University will adopt the following protocols for close contacts of COVID-19 positive individuals and for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19.

 

IDENTIFIED AS A CLOSE CONTACT OF POSITIVE COVID-19 INDIVIDUAL

FOR STUDENTS OR EMPLOYEES WHO:

• Have received all recommended vaccine doses, including a booster and additional primary shot for some immunocompromised people

• Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna within the last five months

• Received the single-dose J&J vaccine within the last two months

• Have a confirmed COVID-19 infection in the last 90 days (i.e., tested positive using a viral test) and have recovered and remain asymptomatic.

 

ACTION REQUIRED:

• Quarantine is not required

• Wear a well-fitting mask for ten days* when around others.

• Be tested at least three days* after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.

• Those who test positive will be directed to isolate as indicated below.

 

FOR STUDENTS OR EMPLOYEES WHO*:

• Have received all recommended vaccine doses but have NOT received a booster when eligible

• Are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated

 

*Individuals in this category will be required to submit to random, asymptomatic testing.

 

ACTION REQUIRED:

• Quarantine for a minimum of five days*, which means not attending in-person classes, in-person work obligations, activities, or events. Meals should be grab-and-go only. Light exercise is possible outdoors as long as contact with others is avoided.

• Wear a well-fitting mask for ten days* when around others.

• Watch for fever (100.40F or greater), cough, shortness of breath, or other COVID-19 symptoms.

  • If you develop symptoms:

    • Get tested immediately and isolate until you receive your test results.

    • If you test positive, follow the isolation directives below.

• If you do not develop symptoms, get tested at least three days* after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.

  • Those who test positive will be directed to isolate as indicated below.

 

TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS:

• Remain asymptomatic after testing or

• Whose symptoms are improving and are fever-free on day five without the use of fever-reducing medication

 

ACTION REQUIRED:

• Isolate for 5 days**

• May test on day 6 of isolation with an antigen test

  • If the antigen test is negative:

    • Individuals must continue to wear a mask for ten full days from the initial test date, if asymptomatic or ten full days from symptom onset.

    • Individuals must avoid travel for ten full days (until day 11).

  • If the antigen test is positive, the individual will need to complete the full ten-day isolation period.

 

**Day 0 is the date of the positive COVID-19 test for asymptomatic individuals or the date on which symptoms began for individuals who were symptomatic on the test date.

The Indiana State Department of Health has created a tool to assist in calculating dates related to isolation and close contacts.

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These recommendations and requirements will be updated as new information about the virus develops, and we monitor and evaluate data. (last updated 03/29/2022)

 

Testing and Transition

The University follows the CDC definition of fully vaccinated, referring to an individual who is two weeks past their final dose of an FDA-EUA or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine.

 

These recommendations and requirements will be updated as new information about the virus develops, and we monitor and evaluate data. (last updated 03/29/2022)

 

Contact Tracing

Contact Tracing is a well-defined cornerstone practice in eliminating infectious diseases. Contact tracing at Martin involves notifying individuals who have been identified as close contacts of an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 or is presumed positive and is awaiting test results. A close contact, as defined by the CDC, is someone who spends 15 minutes or more within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for a period of 24 hours. University contact tracers will reach out to a person's close contacts once the University is notified of a presumed or confirmed positive diagnosis to inform them about quarantine and/or required testing procedures and will continue to connect with close contacts until they are cleared to resume normal behaviors.

 

It is required that all members of the Martin community engage in and cooperate with contact tracing as requested by the Indiana State Department of Health and Martin University.

 

In preparation for potential illness or needed participation in contact tracing, we recommend that each individual in the Martin community know their closest contacts as defined by the CDC.

 

These recommendations and requirements will be updated as new information about the virus develops, and we monitor and evaluate data. (last updated 03/29/2022)

 

Cleaning and Disinfection

Facilities staff will continue cleaning across campus. Disinfection following CDC guidance will be completed in high-use spaces using products that meet EPA's criteria for use against the virus that causes COVID-19.

 

These recommendations and requirements will be updated as new information about the virus develops, and we monitor and evaluate data. (last updated 03/29/2022)