COVID-19 Campus Plan for Fall 2021

SXU will follow its standard academic calendar for the fall 2021 semester. Classes will begin on August 23, 2021 as scheduled.

SXU will return to pre-pandemic levels of in-person teaching and learning, with classrooms and labs returning to full capacity.

On August 26, 2021, J.B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois, held a press conference announcing a state mandate requiring all educators, including higher education, along with all higher education students, to become vaccinated.

Accordingly, all Saint Xavier University students and employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Students and employees will be required to receive their first dose by September 5, 2021, and their second dose within 30 days of the first. 

If you are already fully vaccinated or have received a first dose at a location other than the SXU Health Center, please upload your documentation to our confidential Patient Portal.

We continue to monitor details of the Governor's order, including attention to medical and religious exemptions and testing, as they become available.

The SXU Health Center is available to answer any questions and will provide vaccinations to SXU community members free of charge. Contact the Health Center at 773-298-3712 or book an appointment on ZocDoc. You can also discuss the COVID-19 vaccination with your health care provider.

Be reminded that all individuals are required to wear a mask at all times while indoors regardless of vaccination status.

In accordance with the Governor's recent press release, students, faculty and staff are required to provide proof of vaccination by September 5, 2021, using our confidential Patient Portal. 

If you are already fully vaccinated or have received a first dose at a location other than the SXU Health Center, please upload your documentation to our confidential Patient Portal.

Note: To be HIPAA-compliant, it is not recommended to email your vaccination card to healthinfo@sxu.edu or healthcenter@sxu.edu 

Based on recently updated public health guidance, SXU requires that everyone on campus, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors, effective Monday, August 2, 2021.

At this time, masking remains optional for fully vaccinated individuals for outdoor activities where distancing is possible. Unvaccinated community members are required to mask at all times on campus. Students do not need to mask in their own residence hall rooms when not with others. Vaccinated faculty and staff do not need to mask when alone in a private office. We remain a mask-friendly environment for everyone.

Students wishing to seek a medical accommodation related to masking should contact the SXU Health Center by emailing healthcenter@sxu.edu. Employees wishing to seek a medical accommodation related to masking should contact the Office of Human Resources (humanresources@sxu.edu). When applying, please be prepared to provide medical documentation from your health care provider regarding your inability to mask for your safety and the safety of others.

We ask that non-vaccinated community members report if they learn they have been exposed to an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 or if they exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 to the Health Center. Vaccinated community members should report testing positive for COVID-19 to the Health Center using the confidential COVID Reporting Form.

The Health Center will perform contact tracing as appropriate.

Community members should follow current CDC guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation.

As a reminder, the campus operations policies (previously, informed consent policies) for students and employees, as amended, remain in place.

New and returning resident students will receive communication from the Residence Life staff with additional residence hall information and protocols, including move-in procedures, housing and roommate assignments, and further details for international students. There will be no restrictions on the use of residence hall space. On-campus guests will be allowed in residential areas with proper approval. Residents are required to wear masks and socially distance when in the residence halls and common areas unless alone in their rooms.

SXU will resume dining operations this fall. The SXU community is required to wear masks indoors in the SXU Diner, except when eating, and must continue to social distance.

Campus shuttles will resume normal schedules. All shuttle patrons will be required to mask while on shuttles, regardless of vaccination status.

Athletics is awaiting further guidance from the NAIA and CCAC regarding vaccination and testing requirements for student-athletes as well as spectator policies for competitions. Additional information and protocols will be shared with student-athletes and coaches.

Campus facilities will maintain standard hours of operation, access and capacities. Campus events such as meetings, conferences and social gatherings can take place without capacity restrictions. Hand-sanitizing stations will remain in place. Enhanced cleaning protocols will remain in place. The SXU community is required to wear masks indoors at all times and outdoors when social distancing is not possible.

SXU employees are working on campus on a full-time basis with campus offices open during standard business hours (typically 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday).

If circumstances emerge that an employee believes may qualify them for workplace accommodations, please contact the Office of Human Resources via email to humanresources@sxu.edu.