August 17, 2021

Dear UM Family,

As we approach the fall semester, we do so with excitement and anticipation for a return of the vibrancy that makes our campus such a special place. We also recognize, however, that we are living in the midst of a continuing pandemic. The goal we as a community set at the start of the pandemic remains the same: enable our students to keep on learning while protecting the health and safety of the UM Family.

The wide availability of safe, effective vaccines to combat COVID-19 means that we are able to return to full in-person learning this semester. And I again urge every member of the UM Family to get vaccinated if you haven’t done so already. Vaccination provides the best means of protecting yourself – and others in our UM Family – from the risk of COVID-19.

UM’s COVID Response Team (CRT) is working closely with state and local public health officials as we continue to adjust our operations and policies to protect the health and safety of the UM Family. As directed by the Commissioner of Higher Education last week, we will continue to work with the Missoula City-County Health Department (MCCHD) in adapting our campus policies to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2, including the more contagious Delta variant.

Unfortunately, we have seen a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases in Missoula County over the past few weeks, placing us in a “high risk” category as defined by the CDC. As many of you know, the CDC reports that the Delta variant is more contagious than previous strains. This is a risk primarily to unvaccinated individuals, although data indicate that vaccinated individuals can contract the virus and may transmit it to others. Available data suggests “breakthrough” cases are rare, however, and vaccinated individuals are extremely unlikely to contract a severe case of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization.

In light of these developments, and at the recommendation of the MCCHD, we ask all individuals on our campus – vaccinated or not – to wear masks indoors. This includes public spaces in residence halls, Mansfield Library, computer labs, study lounges, University Center, Lommasson and the Food Zoo (when not eating or drinking). For classrooms and laboratory settings, we will require the use of masks. This is not a campus-wide mask mandate, but as students return to our campus from various parts of the country, health officials have advised us that by immediately wearing masks in these settings where social distancing is not possible, we can more successfully mitigate the spread of the Delta variant during the initial weeks of the semester. As we’ve seen over the past 18 months, the pandemic will ebb and flow in Missoula County, and we will revisit this guidance on Sept. 20.

None of us are happy to see the resurgence of COVID-19, and we all long for a time when we can return to full normalcy on our campus with masks a distant memory. That time will come! But at this moment, we must come together as a UM Family, treating each other with compassion, kindness and respect. If we each take small steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we will enable and protect the vibrant campus our students deserve and the experiences that are so vital to their development. As we’ve said from the start, we are in this together, and we will get through this together.

Sincerely,

Seth