Expected Fall 2022 COVID-19 Prevention Measures

Posted on July 20, 2022, 12:45 PM Updated on July 20, 2022, 2:15 PM

As the community prepares for the 2022–2023 academic year, Pepperdine continues to prioritize the health and safety of our community. For your awareness and planning, the University is sharing the following overview of COVID-19 protocols currently in effect and expected for fall 2022:

• Face Coverings: Masks are currently optional indoors, though L.A. County Public Health officials have indicated they will reinstate an indoor mask mandate if COVID-19 case and hospitalization numbers move the county into the CDC’s “High” Community Level for two consecutive weeks. Based on current projections, an indoor mask mandate could be in place by the end of July 2022. Once initiated, public health officials have noted the mask mandate will remain in place until Los Angeles County returns to the CDC’s “Medium” COVID-19 Community Level and remains in that level for two weeks.
  
• COVID-19 Vaccine Policy: With the objective of prioritizing the health and safety of our faculty, staff, and students, while ensuring the highest standards of academic excellence and a transformative student experience, the University requires that all faculty, staff, and students accessing any University campus or facility who do not claim an exemption be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine per the University’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. If you have not already done so, you must submit your information by August 15, 2022 by using one of the links below:
  • Submit Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination
    • Students
    • Employees
  • Claim an Exemption
    
• Entry Testing: As a precautionary measure and screening tool for the start of the fall 2022 term, all students are required to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours before arriving on campus and log the result on the Entry Test Reporting Form. If you test positive, do not come to campus, isolate, and complete the START Form. If you test negative, you may proceed to campus.

• Optional On-Campus PCR Testing: Screening tests will continue to be available on campus free of charge to Pepperdine community members at campus testing sites.
  
• START Form: The University will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases. All community members are required to complete the START Form to report a positive COVID-19 test result. Additionally, the form should be used to notify the University of a close contact exposure that has resulted in symptoms. (You do NOT need to complete the START Form if you received your positive test result through Pepperdine’s screening testing program as those results are automatically shared with University officials and processed accordingly.)

• Contact Tracing: The University will continue to conduct contact tracing of positive cases and the associated close contacts. While many other institutions of higher education have scaled back contact tracing efforts, Pepperdine continues to invest in supporting this important tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 within the Pepperdine community. 

• Isolation: Community members with COVID-19 are required to isolate themselves from the University community for the duration of their isolation period. The University will assign residential students to University isolation housing upon testing positive for COVID-19. Commuter students and employees should be prepared with a plan to isolate.
  
• Quarantine: Quarantine is no longer required for close contacts, regardless of vaccination status, unless symptoms arise. Instead, exposed contacts are required to wear a mask when around others for 10 days from their exposure to a positive case and to test three to five days after their last exposure.

As the pandemic progresses, while some mandates will occur (like the anticipated mask mandate listed above), L.A. County Public Health is largely moving away from detailed, prescriptive protocols and toward recommendations that guide individual decision-making based on personal risk tolerances. With the University community’s cooperation, Pepperdine will be ready for another successful academic year. Further details on each of the items above are available at pepperdine.edu/coronavirus or by contacting the University’s COVID-19 information line at 310.506.8110 or via email at covid19info@pepperdine.edu.

End of Spring 2022 Term COVID-19 Considerations

Posted on April 26, 2022, 3:00 PM Updated on April 26, 2022, 2:31 PM

As the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s response to COVID-19 evolves, the University continues its commitment to providing our community with relevant information. Recent Los Angeles County Public Health guideline updates are shifting away from mandates and replacing them with recommendations and guidance designed to assist individuals in making informed decisions best suited for their personal risk tolerance and response to the pandemic. 

Over the course of the past two weeks, Los Angeles County has experienced an increase in the average number of daily positive cases, and Pepperdine has likewise seen cases increase over the same period. A number of large events and gatherings will occur over the next several days and weeks, many related to commencement ceremonies and the end of the spring term. As you contemplate participation in these events, we want to ensure you are aware of the following resources:

• Pepperdine continues to offer optional free PCR testing and masks to all community members at the campus testing sites. 
• Rapid antigen tests will also be available to Pepperdine community members during the next few weeks. 
• Although masks are not required (other than in situations following COVID-19 positive cases and related exposures), you may consider wearing a mask around others, especially in crowded indoor locations.

The University has weathered this pandemic together. As Pepperdine approaches its numerous commencements, celebrating the accomplishments of graduates with their families, our collective effort to remain mindful of current circumstances, considerate of the well-being of our entire community, and informed regarding individual personal health decisions, will serve us well.