LATEST GUIDANCE

COVID-19 VACCINE REQUIREMENT

All students, faculty and staff who will be on campus are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccine requirement applies to all students who are enrolled in any in-person class, whether the class is held on campus or at another location.

Villanova accepts the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Villanova also accepts vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) evaluation process. A listing of COVID-19 vaccines that have been evaluated by the WHO and have met the necessary criteria for safety and efficacy can be found on the WHO website.

Proof of vaccination should be uploaded through Villanova's secure portal. Information submitted through this portal will remain confidential.

COVID-19 BOOSTER REQUIREMENT

The COVID-19 booster dose is required for all eligible students, faculty and staff.  Individuals are eligible for the booster five months following their second shot in the two-dose series (Pfizer and Moderna). Individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson shot are eligible to receive the booster two months following their initial vaccine.

Documentation of the COVID-19 booster must be uploaded into Villanova’s secure portal. Individuals not yet currently eligible for the booster can upload documentation as soon as they are able. All documentation will be kept confidential.

An individual who has previously been approved for a medical or religious accommodation to Villanova’s vaccine requirement does not need to request an additional accommodation for the booster requirement. Twice-weekly surveillance testing will continue to be required for those approved for a vaccine accommodation.

MASKS

• Masks are not required outdoors.
• All faculty, staff and students—regardless of vaccination status—are required to wear masks when inside classrooms and any public campus building including dining halls (except while eating or drinking) that is open to the public. 
• Masks are not required in the residential sections of residence halls, but are required in residence hall classrooms (unless you are in the classroom alone).
• Masks are required in fitness centers, but are not required while participating in athletic competitions.
• Masks for vaccinated populations are not required in the following spaces or situations: 
  • Residence halls, whether in your own hall or other residence buildings on campus; 
  • When alone in an office, classroom or off-hours study space or room. 
• Faculty, staff and students who are not fully vaccinated, are partially vaccinated or have received a medical or religious accommodation should wear a mask in all indoor settings. The only exceptions are when these individuals are alone in their personal residence room, or when eating or drinking.
  

• All visitors to campus, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside campus buildings (except when eating and drinking) to help protect our community.
  

Please visit the CDC website for information regarding how to wear a mask and what types of masks are acceptable (gaiters may be worn if they have two layers or are folded to make two layers).

Given that vaccination rates in the local community are considerably lower than the rate on campus, community members are encouraged to mask when shopping, dining, or otherwise interacting in the local community, for your protection and that of our neighbors in and around Villanova.

We will continue to monitor the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local public health departments to adjust our masking policies as needed.

CAPACITY

All campus spaces—classrooms, labs, residence halls, dining spaces, Masses, offices, libraries, common spaces, administrative offices, etc.—will be at full capacity.

CLASSES AND ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Classes will be taught in person and Villanova will observe its traditional fall/spring, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter breaks. The full 2021-22 academic calendar can be found on the Office of the Provost website. 

For additional information on academics, please visit our website.

SURVEILLANCE AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING

Surveillance testing includes a randomized sample of community members, regardless of vaccination status. Find more details on our University COVID-19 Testing and Contact Tracing page.

Students, faculty and staff who are unvaccinated are required to participate in twice-weekly surveillance testing throughout the academic year. Students, faculty and staff who are not fully vaccinated are also required to participate in twice-weekly surveillance testing until they achieve fully vaccinated status. (And once fully vaccinated may be chosen as part of the random sample of community members chosen for surveillance testing.) To be considered fully vaccinated, you must be two weeks past the second dosage of a two-shot series or two weeks past one shot in a one-dose series. 

Any student, regardless of vaccination status, who experiences any COVID-19 symptoms should promptly contact the Student Health Center for evaluation and diagnostic testing. Diagnostic testing is available for students at the Student Health Center. Any faculty or staff member who experiences these symptoms should stay home and reach out to their primary care provider for a COVID-19 test.

CONTACT TRACING

Villanova contact traces any students, faculty and staff with a positive COVID-19 test result, whether through surveillance testing or diagnostic testing.

ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE

The CDC guidelines for isolation and quarantine practices in the United States have changed.

Students:

Any student who tests positive for COVID-19 and lives within 300 miles of the University will be required to isolate away from campus for five days following their positive PCR test, regardless of vaccination status. Isolation space is available through Villanova for the mandatory five-day isolation period for students living further than 300 miles from campus. If a student in isolation remains asymptomatic, or if symptoms resolve, they may leave isolation on Day 6, but must wear a mask for an additional five days. If you are still symptomatic on Day 6, you should continue to isolate and complete a 10-day isolation period.

With regard to quarantine, students identified as close contacts or who have a known exposure to COVID-19 must follow this guidance:

• People who are unvaccinated or are more than five months out from their second mRNA dose or more than 2 months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and not yet boosted, need to quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days with a test on Day 5.
• People who have received their booster shot (or who have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines within the last five months, or who have completed the primary series of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the last two months) do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but need to wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure, with a test on Day 5.

Faculty and Staff:

Any faculty or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate at home for five days following their positive PCR test, regardless of vaccination status. If an individual in isolation remains asymptomatic, or if symptoms resolve, they may leave isolation on Day 6, but must wear a mask for an additional five days. If you are still symptomatic on Day 6, you should continue to isolate and complete a 10-day isolation period.

With regard to quarantine, individuals identified as close contacts or who have a known exposure to COVID-19 must follow this guidance:

• People who are unvaccinated or are more than five months out from their second mRNA dose or more than 2 months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and not yet boosted, need to quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days with a test on Day 5.
• People who have received their booster shot (or who have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines within the last five months, or who have completed the primary series of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the last two months) do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but need to wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure, with a test on Day 5.

EVENTS AND VISITORS TO CAMPUS

Events that include visitors are permitted. Visitors are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated, and regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks inside campus buildings (except when eating and drinking) and at any other time designated by the University.

Visitors are expected to wear a mask when attending gatherings on campus, and organizers of events should convey this expectation to attendees. Community members are encouraged to be creative around the use of technology to facilitate virtual programs or speakers and consider using outdoor spaces as appropriate.

PROGRAMMING INVOLVING VILLANOVA-SPONSORED STUDENT TRAVEL

Currently, domestic service-learning trips planned by Campus Ministry and professional development programs, such as Villanova on the Hill, are approved for fully vaccinated students. Participating students will be asked to sign a waiver form and are expected to follow the safety requirements of partner organizations. Students will be tested for COVID-19 before they depart and when they return to campus.

Vaccinated students may also participate in Villanova-sponsored domestic overnight trips and weekend trips. These trips are only one or two nights in duration. Participating students will be asked to sign a waiver form and pre- and post-trip testing will not be required.

Vaccinated students and unvaccinated students (because of an accommodation) are permitted to participate in daily service activities off-campus. Students will need to wear a mask when traveling to and from the location, while indoors and otherwise comply with the partner organizations’ requirements. If the partner requires vaccination, then only vaccinated students may participate.

PROGRAMMING INVOLVING VILLANOVA-SPONSORED FACULTY/STAFF TRAVEL

The University recommends that only vaccinated faculty and staff travel on University business, per CDC guidelines. In the event unique circumstances make University travel highly desirable for an unvaccinated individual, the faculty or staff member should confer with their Chair or supervisor to determine the best course of action. In all cases, CDC guidelines should be followed.