Campus COVID Case Reporting
weekly new cases
42
week of Jan. 17–21total cumulative cases
129
since August 27th 2021percentage of weekly new cases
1.68%
based on ~2500 students and employees
Planned Spring Campus Operational Mode
4
Expanded
Spring 2022 Key Dates
What Does Expanded Operational Mode 4 Look Like?
Below are some of the key elements of our expanded operational mode for the fall. The full Operational Mode 4 details can be viewed here.
Residence Halls
will be open and operating, with precautionary measures in place.
The Educational Experience
Teaching and learning will take place primarily in-person and on-campus utilizing the resources of the College. Given our highly vaccinated campus community and robust public health and safety measures, we are confident that we will remain so for the duration of the Spring 2022 semester.
Public Health Protocols
Indoor masking remains mandatory. Eating and drinking is only allowed in designated areas. COVID-19 vaccinations—or approved exemptions—for all faculty, staff, and students are required.
Campus Access
The campus is closed to members of the public and family members. On-campus visitor access is restricted to essential visitors only. View the complete On-Campus Visitation Policy page
Our international families
will continue to be a top priority as we assess the viability of students’ ability to return to the U.S. and the possibility for international programming in the fall. Watch the special message from President Sammy Hoi to international students
Testing
Testing Dates and Times:
MICA’s on-campus testing facility is located inside of BBOX in the Gateway building. The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 4pm from now through January 28th.
Who should be tested?
Students are required to be tested twice at MICA. Once upon return to campus and a second time a week later. Faculty and staff are required to be tested once, either at MICA upon return to campus or provide their own negative PCR test before returning.
Who should not be tested?
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days, you are exempt from MICA’s mandatory testing at this time. Should you develop any new symptoms since your positive test/recovery, you should immediately isolate and call the Health Center at 410-225-4118 for further instructions (students) or your primary care provider (employees).
Testing Registration
Everyone must register into the testing program before arriving at the testing facility.
Registration happens through the Maryland Genomics MG Sample Scanner mobile phone app.
Everyone participating in the testing program was sent an email from Maryland Genomics with details on downloading the app and registering for the program.
If you have previously participated in MICA’s on-campus testing in the Fall and have already registered with the app, you will not receive another email and can use the app already installed on your phone.
If you did not receive the email or have previously registered but deleted the app, you may request another through this process (Link)
BBox Testing Walkthrough
MICA's on-campus testing facility is located in BBOX within the Gateway building. Testing is open Monday through Thursday, 9am to 4pm
App Registration Walkthrough
Registration happens through the Maryland Genomics MG Sample Scanner mobile phone app. Here's a video walkthrough on how the app registration process works.
Vaccination Requirements
Except for approved exemptions, all students attending classes in-person, as well as all eligible faculty and staff will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 including boosters.
The booster requirement will not be put into effect until after the start of the spring semester and is not a requirement to return to campus. Further information will be released by the end of January.
Although any vaccine approved by a governmental agency, foreign or domestic will be accepted, international students are encouraged, but not required, to receive US-approved vaccines if available.
COVID Policies, Procedures, and Protocols
Navigating the ongoing pandemic is a community effort, with all of us contributing to—and responsible for—protecting ourselves and each other by following the College's published policies and guidelines.
The policies, procedures, and protocols you'll follow in the event of a COVID-19 exposure depend on both the type of exposure and the type of MICA community member you are. The MICA COVID-19 Exposure Policies page provides a comprehensive guide to these various scenarios
Campus Resources
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, please visit the individual resource areas below for up-to-date information, including policies, hours of operation, and schedules.
Spring Orientation
New Student Orientation will take place virtually from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, 2022
International and exchange students have an additional required meeting from 5-6 p.m.
Staggered Move-In
Residents who are returning to their assignments will be able to move in during designated hours between Friday, January 14, 2022 through Thursday, January 20, 2022. If you need to arrive outside of these times or dates, please contact residencelife@mica.edu for assistance.
The length of time to move into the residence halls is extended to afford ample opportunity for residents to move back in.
To maintain a low-risk environment, residents will be required to sign-up in advance for an arrival appointment using the Housing Portal. MICA will be limiting the amount of residents moving in each hour to each residence hall so that there are minimal interactions with others as residents arrive back to their rooms. Sign-up for a time to move in open at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, January 6 and close 9 a.m. ET Monday, January 17.
Please note that, if you already have travel plans that cannot be changed, you must email residencelife@mica.edu to ensure that we are aware of your plans.
For more information, read the January 5 Housing Memo.
Campus Access and Visitation
Outside of MICA's residential students and full-time employees, the campus is open only to specific categories of visitors and not to members of the public.
The Operational Mode 4 On-Campus Visitation Policy outlines those categories, defines their protocols, and provides a decision-tree to help you determine the appropriate category for your visitor or visitor group.
Building Hours & Access
Building hours will be expanded from the Spring.
Building access will be by card swipe only to aid contact tracing if necessary.
Shop, Studios, & Services
There will be modified to full access to studios, workspaces, shops, and fabrication studios for all students enrolled in classes.
Remote Production Services (RPS) will continue to be available to facilitate fabrication instruction.
Official MICA Correspondence
The most recent official memos from the College can be viewed here. To view a filterable archive of all official correspondence, follow the link below.
Recap
The latest issues of Recap can be found here
Town Halls & Info Sessions
The most recent recordings of offical College town-halls and info sessions can be viewed here. To view a complete archive of all them, follow the link below.
Frequently Asked Questions
These pages have been built to help answer questions about COVID-19, and are categorized by topic.
Community Feedback
Our planning work for the Fall Semester will continue throughout the summer and we will keep the MICA community informed regularly through Recap — the College’s official communication for AY2022 planning, progress, and emergent ideas — and through regular meetings with faculty, staff, and student leadership groups. You are encouraged to provide feedback here for inclusion in follow-up communications.
