Welcome to Issue 15 of Recap, MICA’s regular communication on the College’s progress and planning around the return to campus for Fall 2021 and beyond.
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Welcome

Welcome to issue 15 of Recap, MICA’s regular communication channel.

Recap’s mission has been—and will continue to be—to help build shared understanding among the MICA community as the College navigated the complexities of the COVID-19 and reopening. As we begin to move beyond the pandemic, the ongoing need for an official College communications channel has not diminished—and Recap will carry on to fulfill this need. Here, we will continue to build shared understanding as One Team MICA.

We encourage you to use the Comment on This Topic button at the end of each story, and be sure to use the suggestion section at the end of each Recap not only to suggest ideas for future issues, but also topics for future One MICA Town Halls as well as feedback for previous ones.

And as always, some information may not apply to all programs and constituents, such as Open Studies. For specific information, please use the departmental directory at the end of this issue.


In This Issue:

  1. Fall 2021: Expanded Operational Mode 4

  2. Recap Revisit: Employee Vaccination Policy

  3. Recap Reminder: Student Vaccinations

  4. More Info: Telework Policy

  5. Looking Behind, Ahead: July One MICA Town Hall Summary + August Reminder

  6. Summing Up: Epidemiologist Town Hall

  7. What If: What if everyone in our office is vaccinated? Do we still need to wear masks?

  8. Transparency Report: A Snapshot of Responses from the Previous Issue of Recap

FALL 2021
Expanded Operational Mode 4
As we approach the Fall 2021 semester, we know questions remain about what campus will look like when students and employees begin returning in August.

We’ve previously announced that MICA’s Campus will be in an expanded Operational Mode 4.

But what does that mean?

This mode has been designed to create the most normal on-campus environment as we’re able, while still keeping our MICA community safe. It has also been designed with some flexibility in mind, so that as information around the pandemic changes—from local case numbers and vaccination rates to guidance from our epidemiological team and official agencies—the campus can pivot if needed.

MICA knows the importance of being on campus and in classrooms, studios and labs, and has prioritized the return to a physical campus. Instruction will follow Course Modality Definitions/Expectations for face-to-face and hybrid courses.

Classes will mostly be back to pre-COVID sizes, but there may be some modifications as needed. Field-based experiences, including academic field trips, may be in-person (with some modifications or restrictions) or hybrid depending upon what is deemed the most robust educational experience. College and program policies for field-based activities will be observed.

Here are some other key takeaways to keep in mind as we get closer to fall, TL;DR style. Please remember, the College will be continually evaluating the situation around COVID-19, and make changes to these plans and policies if necessary.


  • MICA won’t have weekly surveillance testing in place like it did in the spring, and the Health Center will be open for normal operations.

  • Masks are required indoors on campus including in all indoor teaching spaces. Masks may be removed briefly in the classroom for beverage breaks.

  • Curricular and co-curricular in-person engagements will be allowed with some modifications or restrictions, and gatherings must follow MICA’s Indoor Auditorium & Large Meeting Spaces guidelines for Fall 2021.

  • Visitors will be allowed on campus for essential educational and College activities, and will need to adhere to MICA’s On-Campus Visitation Policy, which will be published shortly.

  • Staff and faculty will return to campus to support students/campus operations and to provide hybrid or face-to-face instruction, and job positions and employees are being assessed for telework eligibility. Learn more about the Telework Policy later in this issue of Recap.

  • All students enrolled in classes can expect modified-to-full access to studios, workspaces, shops, and fabrication studios.
    • Service bureau/remote production will continue to facilitate fabrication instruction.

  • Galleries and all exhibitions will follow the standards of Operational Mode 4, including any policies and guidelines for campus visitors.

  • Residence halls will be open for normal use.
    • Designated quarantine and isolation spaces will be reserved.

  • The Fall 2021 Pet policy will return to the standard (pre-COVID) policy.

  • A full list of building hours can be found here.

  • Food service will be available at all four campus locations. In-person dining at Meyerhoff Dining Hall will be at lower density with physical distancing. There will be Grab and Go for Café Doris, with outdoor patio and tent seating on Cohen Plaza and in one Lazarus parking lot. Glace Grill and Java Corner will only have Grab and Go only. (These plans may be refined as we get closer to fall.) A full list of details can be found here.

  • The MICA Store, Decker Library and MICA Postal & Print will be open for all students, faculty, and staff.
    • The store will also be open to essential MICA visitors and at lower capacity limits.
    • The library will be continuing all new services introduced in AY21, with the exception of contactless pickup.

  • Campus Shuttles will be operating normal routes and schedules for on-campus buildings and residences, with limited hours for off-campus locations.

  • All MICA international travel programs are suspended until further notice, but travel within the State of Maryland is permitted. For more details, read the Travel Policy.
    • Domestic travel, outside of the State of Maryland, is allowed when approved by the responsible Vice President.
    • International travel necessary to College operations is allowed when approved by the responsible Vice President.

Don’t forget, you can read a more in-depth breakdown of the Expanded Operational Mode 4 here.


RECAP REVISIT
Employee Vaccination Policy
Vaccinations have been proven to significantly reduce the risk of illness or death from serious illnesses like COVID-19 and influenza.

With this—and the health and safety of our campus community in mind—MICA is adopting a policy requiring all employees who have a regular on-campus work schedule, including those with defined telework agreements, to receive both a US-based COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson) AND a FDA-approved influenza vaccination, unless a reasonable accommodation has been granted.

Non-compliance with this policy may lead to denial of access to MICA’s property and electronic resources and/or progressive discipline.

Reasonable accommodations include:
  • A medical condition
  • A sincerely held religious belief
  • A philosophical objection

Please note—accommodations based on philosophical objections will only be considered for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Accommodations will be granted where they do not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, and employees receiving accommodations may be required to take additional health and safety measures before or during on campus visitation.

Employees who are working fully remote and/or only accessing campus for limited, non-regular engagements are not required to comply with this policy, but will need to adhere to MICA’s On-Campus Visitation Policy, which will be published shortly.

For more information, including about the accommodations and how to apply, as well as how to submit proof of vaccination and more, visit the Employee Vaccination Policy page.

RECAP REMINDER
Student Vaccinations
As a reminder, MICA announced on May 13 that students would be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination for students was due on July 15, 2021, and documentation should have been uploaded via MICA's secure Medicat Student Health portal found on the Student Health Center's page.

The Health Center is aware that some students had issues meeting the July 15 deadline. If this is the case for the COVID-19 vaccine, please upload your documentation (CDC Vaccination card) as promptly as possible.

Be aware: students who fail to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccine or a vaccine exception will not be allowed to access campus this fall.

Please send other required health forms in as soon as possible, too. After the July 15 deadline, registration holds are placed on those student accounts who have incomplete/missing documentation; however, these holds will not affect your campus access to courses or services in the fall. Once the required documents have been uploaded and verified, the holds will be lifted.

Please note: once you've uploaded your documents, it can take several days to verify, so refrain from contacting Student Health to inquire about the status of your documents, and instead, you may log back into the Medicat portal 5-7 days after upload to check your status. For your convenience, here is the link to any health forms you may need.

The CDC has updated recommendations that will help you complete your health requirements. Here’s what you need to know:
  • You don’t have to wait 14 days between getting your COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccinations.
  • It is now advised that you can get the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccinations in the same timeframe.

MICA also has additional guidance for unvaccinated international student travelers, as well as other students who have been approved for an exemption from our mandatory vaccine policy.

Unvaccinated international travelers or students who have been approved for an exemption for religious beliefs or medical reasons should read this document, which outlines information around details and timing around required testing, quarantine and more.
  • Students can submit proof of their negative COVID-19 test to MICA’s Student Health Center by uploading their materials to the secure Medicat Student Health portal found on the MICA Student Health Center webpage.

If you’re an unvaccinated international traveler, please note: those arriving the week of August 23, 2021, will be able to receive their vaccine thanks to a partnership with the Baltimore City Health Department. MICA will hold on-campus vaccine clinics on Thursday, August 26, 2021 and Monday, August 30, 2021 from 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
  • Students will be registered to get their first shot of the Moderna vaccine on one of these two dates. Second shots will be scheduled four weeks later.
  • No action is required at this time.
  • Later this summer, unvaccinated students will receive a link for pre-registration. For those students in self-quarantine on the dates of the vaccine clinics, you are allowed to leave your residence for your vaccine.

It is important to note that students who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and who have a roommate who is unvaccinated, will not need to take additional precautions.

Data has shown that vaccinations are effective at preventing both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections, and fully vaccinated people are unlikely to spread COVID-19 infections to others. Read more guidance related to health recommendations post-vaccination on the CDC’s website.

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact Matt Baker or Lindsey MacNeil at MICA's Student Health Center, either by phone at 410-225-4118 or by email at healthservices@mica.edu.

MORE INFO
Telework Policy
MICA has announced its provisional telework policy, which can be found in full here. We’ll go over a summary of key details below, but as the policy has a lot of layers to it, we recommend everyone read it in its entirety to best understand its implementation.

MICA’s provisional telework policy is in a pilot phase, and vice presidents (VPs) will be in charge of defining approaches for their areas.

VPs will work with AVPs, directors, and other leadership within their departments to develop a set of telework eligibility recommendations, which will be discussed and refined with each department’s staff input.

NOTE: This provisional policy does not apply to employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement or to student employees.

Decisions around whether an employee is able to work remotely or telework will take into account the essential duties of the position, area priorities, and institutional obligations—including the need to be present for any college-wide assignments or planning activities that aren’t able to be done remotely.

The primary factor whether a position is classified as eligible for remote or telework is whether the duties may be performed remotely without negatively impacting service quality or operations. Vice presidents will make decisions around these classifications after
consultation with their managers, supervisors and the Office of People, Belonging, & Culture (PB&C).

NOTE: The classification of a position as eligible for telework is not a guarantee that the person in the position will be approved for a remote or telework arrangement.

The main factor whether an employee is eligible for remote or telework is the employee’s ability to work independently, while meeting organizational and service goals. This decision will be made by vice presidents and People, Belonging, & Culture—in consultation with relevant managers and the employee.

Remote work and telecommuting decisions will be made based on fair and equitable criteria established by each division in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of this policy and the College’s policies prohibiting discrimination.

Individual employees may appeal a teleworking decision by first petitioning their vice president for reconsideration, and subsequently to People, Belonging, & Culture if necessary.
LOOKING BEHIND, AHEAD
July One MICA Town Hall Summary + August Reminder
On July 14, MICA held its monthly One MICA Town Hall, where topics discussed included details around the newly hired vice president of people, belonging & culture, the timeline for announcing the vice president of finance and business services, breakdowns on the visitor, employee vaccination, and telework policies, and more.

A recording of that meeting will soon be available at mica.edu/townhalls.

And don’t forget—next month’s town hall is scheduled for August 18, and MICA's consulting epidemiologists, Dr. Anthony Harris and Dr. Jonathan Baghdadi, will be in attendance.

Have questions that didn’t get answered in Wednesday’s meeting, or have questions for the epidemiologists for next month’s meeting? Submit using the Comment on This Topic button on this story.


SUMMING UP
Epidemiologist Town Hall
Last month, MICA's consulting epidemiologists, Dr. Anthony Harris and Dr. Jonathan Baghdadi, met with a handful of MICA employees to answer questions during a special informational session about COVID-19 vaccines.

In this meeting, the epidemiologist went over previously unanswered questions from the June 16 One MICA Town Hall, as well as other questions that came in ahead of, and during, the information session.

If you missed it, please make sure to check out both the video from the town hall and the informational session using the links below. As always, town halls and other recorded meetings can be found at www.mica.edu/townhalls.

WHAT IF
What if everyone in our office is vaccinated? Do we still need to wear masks?
As a reminder, What if? is an ongoing feature of Recap intended to help create a shared understanding by posing real-world "what if" scenarios submitted by the community.

What if everyone in our office is vaccinated? Do we still need to wear masks?

MICA’s current plans include a policy that anyone inside MICA’s buildings need to remain masked, regardless of vaccination status. As mentioned above, the expanded Operational Mode 4 allows for reevaluation as needed.

TRANSPARENCY REPORT
A Snapshot of Responses from the Previous Issue of Recap
As mentioned previously, we’ve included the ability for you to submit comments on individual topics for each issue of Recap in order to help provide an open dialogue around the complex and evolving issues of mounting the 2021 semester.

We thank all of you who have submitted thoughtful comments from past issues. Those comments are used to inform future issues, raise awareness on topics, and ultimately help build shared understanding as One Team MICA. And while we cannot provide individual recognition for each comment, we are providing a summary snapshot of those comments to promote transparency.

DEPARTMENTAL DIRECTORY
Please address specific questions to an appropriate departmental contact.
Graduate Studies: graduatestudies@mica.edu

Undergraduate Studies: ugstudies@mica.edu

Student Affairs: studentaffairs@mica.edu

Open Studies: openstudies@mica.edu

Finance and Operations: vpoperationsandfinance@mica.edu

Technology: helpdesk@mica.edu

Strategic Communications: communications@mica.edu

Human Resources: humanresources@mica.edu

Strategic Initiatives: strategicinitiatives@mica.edu

Advancement: advancement@mica.edu

Admission: admissions@mica.edu

Parent Relations: parentrelations@mica.edu

That’s it for this installment of Recap. Thank you for your engagement in this ongoing dialogue and building of shared understanding. If there are any topics you would like to have addressed in future installments—or in future One MICA Town Halls—please provide your ideas here.

Stay safe and be well.



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