Dear Marietta College Community,
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) recently updated its facemask guidance to indicate that Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear a mask outdoors while walking, running, hiking or biking alone, or when in small gatherings, including with members of their own households.
Starting today (Tuesday, May 11), Marietta College will align its facemask policies with those of the CDC and allow employees and students to go without a mask while they are outside. However, I am asking everyone who comes to campus to always have a mask in their possession, and to put it on if you are with others — even when outside. Everyone must put on a mask before entering any buildings on campus.
We will permit small groups to meet without masks if everyone is able to properly distance or each person is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. I also ask that you be considerate if a colleague requests that you put your mask on during a meeting or interaction with them, regardless of your vaccination status.
We continue to encourage everyone who is eligible to get one of the three approved vaccines as they are scientifically proven to be effective against severe illness due to the COVID-19 virus. To help the College better understand our vaccination levels, I also ask that if you have received a full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, please email a copy of that record to Vicki Ford (fordv@marietta.edu) in Human Resources.
College officials will continue to monitor local trends and follow CDC guidelines for any future updates to our safety precautions. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Bill Ruud
President and Professor of Management