Fall 2022 COVID-19 Operations

The decision to require COVID-19 vaccinations for students on Doane University’s Crete campus was made to help keep our community safe and provide students with the experience we promise. More than 1000 other higher educational institutions have required students to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Because much of our Crete campus population lives in our residence halls or other communal living environments, this reduces the chance of outbreaks. Students attending our Lincoln and Omaha campus locations are encouraged to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but are not required.

Throughout 2021 and now into 2022, we have monitored CDC guidelines, state and local infection rates, and vaccination rates, all of which have factored in making this decision.

The experiences Doane is known for — our close relationships with students and faculty, our campus events, our athletic and performing arts programs — are far less likely to be interrupted due to quarantines if a majority of our campus populations are fully vaccinated.

The American College Health Association (ACHA) also supports institutions of higher education in requiring COVID vaccination.

Students can request an immunization exemption with additional responsibilities.

Although not required at this time, we encourage Doane students and employees to receive a COVID-19 booster shot as recommended by the CDC. This will further reduce the chance of serious illness and outbreaks, and may impact the time required in quarantine or isolation. 

Students on the Crete campus can submit a photo of their vaccination card to the Student Health Portal.

1. Login with your Doane username and password
2. Use the document upload tab and select immunization
3. Attach the photo of your immunization card and click submit
    

At this point in time, Doane University no longer broadly requires students and employees to wear masks inside buildings on our campus locations.

While no longer required, we do encourage that masks continue to be worn indoors, especially if social distancing cannot be maintained. As always, the pandemic continues to be a fluid situation and we will update policies as appropriate for the safety and health of our communities.

This does not change the CDC’s masking requirements if you are in quarantine or isolation due to testing positive or exposure to COVID-19. As a reminder — if you are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 and you are boosted, per CDC guidelines you will not be required to quarantine as long as you are not symptomatic, only to self-monitor for symptoms and wear your mask for 10 days.

We recognize that masking preferences vary – for many reasons. Faculty or staff may request, but not require, students to wear a mask in the classroom space. Specific classes or activities may request masks to be worn.

• For example, if it is necessary for students to work in close proximity to each other for an extended period of time, such as labs.
• Masks may also be requested to be worn in personal spaces, such as offices.

Please note that several exceptions will remain:

• In a public health area, such as the Student Health Office, individuals will still be required to wear a mask to enter.
• Accommodations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you need ADA accommodations, please contact Diane Kaye, director of disability services at diane.kaye@doane.edu (students), or Anne Ziola, director of human resources at anne.ziola@doane.edu (employees).

As a note of common sense — masks help prevent the spread of many illnesses beyond COVID-19, including influenza and the common cold. If you feel sniffles, it’s an excellent idea to keep wearing a mask.

As a reminder — if you are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19, per CDC guidelines you will not be required to quarantine as long as you are not symptomatic, only to self-monitor for symptoms and wear your mask for 10 days. It is recommended that you test on day 5. If you are on the Crete campus, free tests are available through the Student Health Office in the lower level of Perry, residence halls (in the community assistant offices), in athletic training offices and the Student Affairs Office.

If you are a student on our Crete campus and are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 (regardless of your vaccination status), please self isolate (stay in your room or off-campus residence and contact the student health office by emailing studenthealth@doane.edu or calling 402-826-8265). Do not attend class, practice or other activities.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• Fever
• chills
• loss of taste or smell
• shortness of breath
• cough
• muscle or body ache
• diarrhea/upset stomach/nausea
• sore throat
• headache
• congestion

If you have any of the above symptoms and have tested negative for COVID, you are still expected to self isolate and contact the student health office to determine the length of isolation/quarantine. 

Due to limited isolation space on campus:

• If your home is within 250 miles of campus, and 
• If you can and it is safe for you and your family to do so 

Please go home to isolate and contact the student health office. 

If you become ill over the weekend, self isolate and contact the student health office. Any messages left during the weekend will be returned on Monday morning.

Using a rapid COVID home test is acceptable at this time. If using an at-home rapid test, before you begin the test, write your name, date and time of the test on the test card (if your test does not have a card, write this information on a piece of paper and lay it next to the test). Once you have your result, take a photo of the test and upload it to your student health portal.

If you are a student on our Lincoln or Omaha campuses:

1. If you have tested positive or have symptoms of COVID-19, you need to stay home and not report to classes or extracurricular activities for five days starting the first full day after your positive test or the start of your symptoms. Please notify your professors via email or phone.
    
2. If after five days, you have no fever and your other symptoms are gone or getting better, you can leave isolation but wear a mask when around others for five additional days, even when at home or in a residence hall if you live with others.
    
3. If after five days, you continue to have a fever or symptoms, stay home and continue to isolate until you feel better. Wear a mask around others until at least day 10. 

Students on the Crete campus can submit documentation of their COVID-19 test to the Student Health Portal.

1. Login with your Doane username and password
2. Students on the Crete campus can submit documentation of their COVID-19 test to the Student Health Portal.
3. Use the document upload tab and select immunization
4. Attach the photo, screenshot or PDF of your test result and click submit

If you are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19, per CDC guidelines you will not be required to quarantine as long as you are not symptomatic, only to self-monitor for symptoms and wear your mask for 10 days. It is recommended that you test on day 5. If you are on the Crete campus, free tests are available in the HR Office located on the lower level of the Art/Ed Building.

Employees that test positive for COVID-19 should contact the HR Department (humanresources@doane.edu).

If you have tested positive or have symptoms of COVID-19, you need to stay home for five days starting the first full day after your positive test or the start of your symptoms. 

If after five days, you have no fever and your other symptoms are gone, you can leave isolation but wear a mask around others for five additional days, even when at home. 

If after five days, you continue to have a fever or symptoms, stay home and continue to isolate until you feel better. Wear a mask around others until at least day 10, even when at home. 

Students have the option to seek an exemption from the vaccination requirement due to medical or religious reasons. Requests will be reviewed by the university’s offices of student health and religious and spiritual life.

• Medical Exemption Form
• Religious Exemption Form

Our employees are role models for our students. As of June 2021, 82% of our employees had reported completing their COVID-19 vaccine and this number has only risen throughout the summer and fall.

Acceptable vaccines for coronavirus include Comirnaty (formerly known as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine) and Spikevax (formerly known as the Moderna vaccine), which have both received FDA approval; those authorized for limited use by the FDA (Johnson & Johnson); and any COVID-19 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization for international students.

For booster shots, a single dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is encouraged for eligible individuals who completed their primary series (the initial two doses) of either vaccine at least five months ago, or who received a single dose of the J&J vaccine at least two months ago. 

Individuals age 50 and above are also eligible for a second booster dose of any of the previously mentioned vaccines. 

Receiving an additional dose regardless of brand is safe and effective at achieving an antibody response that will help protect you against COVID-19 infection.

Faculty will not need to prepare simultaneous lesson plans for in-person and remote learning students (unless this is already a part of their course curriculum). Students who miss class for quarantine and isolation will need to work individually with their professors and instructors to determine how to keep up with coursework.

Students will also only be excused from classes if their quarantine is directed by student health.

Please note, if a fully vaccinated and boosted (if eligible) student is exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 and remains asymptomatic, they will not have to quarantine. If a student who has not received their vaccine, is not fully vaccinated, or is not boosted if eligible is exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, they will have to quarantine regardless of whether they demonstrate symptoms.

Vaccination clinics on the Crete campus will be available to any Doane student or employee. Updates on clinic dates and times will be sent through Doane’s email system.

Testing will only be available for symptomatic students on our Crete campus. However, all students can continue to order free, at-home rapid tests through the USPS to self-test. 

If a test returns positive at any point during the academic year, we require students to take appropriate measures as determined by the CDC. Note: See question six for more information on what measures to take if you test positive.

Crete students should upload any test results to the Student Health Portal. 

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S., visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/your-vaccination. At this webpage, you will be able to learn about why the currently available vaccines are safe and effective, how to get a vaccination, what vaccines have been approved for emergency use by the FDA, and how you can prepare for your vaccination.

Emails can be directed to university.comm@doane.edu.