Studies show that after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, protection decreases over time. This is why it’s critical to get your booster shot. Boosters increase your protection from COVID-19, including against variants such as Omicron.

A recent study from the CDC showed that people who have completed the primary vaccination series with a booster dose had a 75% rate of protection against COVID-19, whereas people who were fully vaccinated without a booster dose had about a 35% rate of protection.

The CDC recently adjusted its recommended time for receiving the Pfizer and Moderna booster shots from six months to five months after completing the primary series. Primary and booster shots are available at numerous locations statewide, often without an appointment. Find a convenient location.

Once you have received your booster, please upload a photo of your vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form.

Reporting your vaccination helps to shape the University’s plans and decisions. Important to note: Those who report their boosters will be exempt from quarantine (in accordance with new CDC guidelines) if they are exposed to COVID-19 and not experiencing symptoms.

Booster shots will be key to our ability to enjoy a robust, in-person spring semester with all the traditions and activities we cherish. Please get your booster and report it as soon as possible.

Provost Sue Mattison sent a message to campus Jan. 11 announcing that the first two weeks of classes for the Spring 2022 semester will be held remotely. See highlights from her message below.

• Classes will begin Monday, Jan. 24, as scheduled, and the first two weeks of classes will be held remotely.  For Law students, classes begin on Tuesday, January 18, and will also be remote.  
• Based on current scientific evidence, cases are expected to peak in Iowa during the last week of January/first week of February.  This means the likelihood of extreme disruption to the classroom experience due to students in isolation and quarantine is very high.  

For students 

• Residence hall students may move in Jan. 22–23 as planned, although students are not required to return at this time. 
• Chief Student Affairs Officer Jerry Parker will share more information in the coming days regarding move-in details for residence hall students. Please watch your inbox.
• Students are strongly encouraged to administer a COVID-19 test at home prior to returning to campus. This could alleviate having to move to and from campus multiple times, and most importantly, exposing others.
• Students who participate in off-campus experiences such as student teaching, clinics, and practica must consult with their advisors and follow policies of their host institutions.  
• Law students will receive additional information on orientation to the Legal Clinic. 
• Many student activities and events will be postponed or held virtually during the first two weeks of the semester. This does not include athletic events. Chief Student Affairs Officer Jerry Parker will provide additional information to students later this week.

For faculty and staff

• Managers should consider allowing staff to work remotely during this time where practicable, but individual departments and managers will determine and communicate changes regarding remote work based on their departmental needs.
• Please watch for an update this week from Chief Administrative Officer Venessa Macro with more information.

For faculty 

• Information and resources on virtual teaching support will be sent from Deputy Provost Renee Cramer and Executive Director of Online Programming Christina Trombley.

The importance of getting and reporting your booster

• Emerging research shows that those who have been fully vaccinated—including a booster—have a much lower risk of severe illness compared to those who have not been vaccinated or who have not received a booster.
• Booster shots will be key to our ability to enjoy a robust, in-person spring semester with all the traditions and activities we cherish. 
• Once you have received your booster, please upload a photo of your vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form.
• Reporting your vaccination helps to shape our plans and decisions. Important to note: Those who report their boosters will be exempt from quarantine (in accordance with new CDC guidelines) if they are exposed to COVID-19 and not experiencing symptoms.

Meredith Hall is the most utilized building on campus, servicing over 5,000 students each semester. With that in mind, the Capital Projects Team is moving forward with renovations to Meredith in order to improve the building for many years to come. The planned renovations include improvements to the HVAC system, lighting, ceilings, exterior painting, technology, and auditorium style seating in the lecture halls. 

These renovations have been extended to last the entirety of the 2022–2023 academic year. This is a change from the original plan of just the Fall 2022 semester. Meredith Hall will be closed for the duration of this project. All faculty and staff that currently are in offices in Meredith will be relocated to other locations around campus. More information is to come as the project nears the start date. 

Faculty will have until Tuesday, May 31, to move out of their current offices in Meredith. If anyone who currently has an office in Meredith is interested in moving things during winter break, the University has the ability to store furniture or other items. If you are interested in this service, please email rob.ebel@drake.edu with the subject line including Meredith Office Move [FACULTY LAST NAME]. Boxes are also available for those who need to move things from their offices. More information regarding moving will be communicated to those who reside in Meredith in the Spring semester.

— Michelle Huggins, Planning and Design Manager

Full-time, part-time, and student workers are subject to these requirements

The recent emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with 100 or more employees to either ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or require unvaccinated workers to mask and produce a negative test result on a weekly basis.

Drake continues to review the ETS and is monitoring pending legal challenges. However, in the meantime, the University must prepare to meet the upcoming ETS deadlines to ensure compliance with its requirements. To be considered fully vaccinated by the Jan. 4 deadline currently set in the ETS, employees who are not already fully vaccinated will need to start the vaccination process by the dates listed below.

Moderna: First dose by Nov. 23, 2021.
Pfizer: First dose by Nov. 30, 2021.
Johnson & Johnson: Dose needed by Dec. 21, 2021.

An individual is fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is free and readily available in our community, often without an appointment. Find a convenient location.

Drake employees who are fully vaccinated but have not yet notified the University of their full vaccination status are asked to do so by Nov. 23, through Drake’s secure online form. Moreover, employees who have attested to being vaccinated, but have not yet uploaded a photo of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form, need to complete this step by Nov. 23. Failure to submit proof of vaccination, will result in these employees being considered unvaccinated.

As a result of our community’s efforts to encourage vaccinations, the vast majority of our employees are already vaccinated and have uploaded documentation of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form. For these individuals, there is no further action needed. Thank you for doing your part.

The federal vaccine requirement applies to all Drake University full-time, part-time, and student employees.

Let’s continue doing our part. If you haven’t been vaccinated, act now to protect yourself and others and to continue the important work of our University.  

Full-time, part-time, and student workers are subject to these requirements

An emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week requires all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or require unvaccinated workers to produce a negative test result on a weekly basis.

Drake continues to review the ETS and is monitoring pending legal challenges. However, in the meantime, the University must prepare to meet the upcoming ETS deadlines, to ensure compliance with its requirements.

As a result of our community’s efforts to encourage vaccinations, the vast majority of our employees are already vaccinated and have uploaded documentation of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form. For these individuals, there is no further action needed. Thank you for doing your part.

Drake employees who have not yet notified the University of their full vaccination status are asked to do so by Nov. 23, through Drake’s secure online form. The federal vaccine requirement applies to all Drake University full-time, part-time, and student employees.

Moreover, employees who have attested to being vaccinated, but have not yet uploaded a photo of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form, are expected to complete this step by Nov. 23. Failure to submit proof of vaccination, will result in these employees being considered unvaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free and readily available in our community, often without an appointment. Find a convenient location.

Let’s continue doing our part. If you haven’t been vaccinated, act now to protect yourself and others and to continue the important work of our University.  

The University will hold COVID-19 Moderna booster vaccination clinics at the Harkin Center on Friday, Nov. 5, from 12:30–3:30 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 8, from 8:30 a.m.–noon. The clinics will administer Moderna booster vaccines only. Sign up in advance for an appointment on Nov. 5 or Nov. 8.