Oxford Forward
Based on the current COVID-19 conditions in metro Atlanta, and in consultation with public health experts, Emory University has developed guidelines and resources for a continued safe learning environment this summer. (Updated July 1, 2021.)
Summer/Fall 2021 Update
Emory University, including Oxford College, will require all students to be immunized for COVID-19 for the fall 2021 semester, with exemptions for those with medical conditions or strong personal objections.
At this time, Emory will not require vaccinations for staff and faculty, but it is strongly recommended that all Emory staff and faculty get vaccinated for COVID-19. We will continue to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 and the presence of variants and will be prepared to adjust our plans in response to evolving conditions and public health recommendations. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for students at Emory.
Oxford College Students: Immunization requirements and steps for reporting COVID-19 vaccination status are on the Oxford College patient portal.
Emory University has announced a full return to campus for fall 2021. Dean Doug Hicks outlines what this means in a letter to Oxford students for classroom learning, residential experience, campus life, dining, and transportation. Oxford will provide email updates to students as we fine-tune the details over the coming weeks.
Read the Letter from Dean Hicks
Please see the Emory Forward website for the most recent information about our 2021 plans. Please check our site regularly as we will continue to feature Oxford-specific updates and details as soon as that information becomes available.
COVID-19 Testing
Students
Fully vaccinated students are no longer required to conduct regular asymptomatic screening testing.
Unvaccinated students who live on campus are required to take a COVID-19 screening test twice per week.
Unvaccinated students who live off campus, and are accessing campus for any reason, are required to take a screening test within seven days of accessing campus.
The Oxford screening site is in the Whatcoat Street Building, located at the corner of Whatcoat St. and Emory St.
Get testing details & schedule appointments
Faculty and staff
Beginning July 1, any faculty or staff member who is not fully vaccinated (individuals two weeks past receiving both doses of a two-dose vaccine or one dose of a single-dose vaccine) will be required to conduct a weekly asymptomatic screening test. If you're not getting vaccinated, you will need to sign up for testing each week OR request an exemption for any given week. Starting July 1, if you aren't coming to campus, you will be required to fill out an exemption form each week.
All faculty and staff will be required to share their vaccination status with Emory by July 1.
Faculty and staff who scheduled their appointment through the university HOME portal and received their vaccine through Emory do not need to complete additional steps at this time. Your vaccination status should be reflected in HOME. To verify, log in to your HOME employee portal by clicking the "Self-Service Log In" button, click on “Workplace Health” tab and then “My Medical Information,” and review vaccines listed under current immunizations.
Faculty and staff members who received their vaccine from a non-Emory provider or as an Emory patient will need to upload their COVID-19 vaccination documentation via the HOME employee portal. Please review online instructions.
Mask Guidance
As of May 20, masks are no longer required when outdoors on campus. Unvaccinated persons are still advised to wear masks outdoors when attending a gathering or where physical distancing cannot be maintained. Mask requirements for certain outdoor gatherings depending on size and density may still be applied by the university. Such details will be shared when applicable.
With the highest risk for COVID-19 transmission occurring in indoor settings, and as we continue vaccinating our campus community, masks are still required at this time, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor public and common spaces on campus — including classrooms, laboratories, shuttles, and other meeting spaces.
Visitor Policy
To mitigate the risks of transmission of COVID-19, Emory is committed to maintaining a reduced density with minimal population on campus, and permits a few essential visitors under the revised Visitor Policy.
Our visitor policy has been updated to allow for visitors to come to campus to perform in a small, organized social activity in an outdoor setting — i.e. an outdoor performance — with size limits up to 50 people.
Permission for visitors to campus must be APPROVED and align with all health and safety measures currently in place. If a type of visitor is not specifically delineated in the guidelines, then those visitors are not permitted on campus.
Emory COVID-19 Dashboard
The Emory COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily to keep our community informed about reported cases of COVID-19 among faculty, staff, and students on and off campus.
Learn about our Operating Condition Status Meter that guides our behavior on campus.
As of May 20, Emory is in the yellow operating condition. This condition requires:
- Indoor gatherings of no more than 35 people, no longer than 90 minutes
- Outdoor gatherings of no more than 50 people
- Food and drink is available on a to-go basis at designated locations
- Fitness facilities will remain open by appointment to all onboarded students in compliance with mandatory screening testing
- Additional recreational facilities will open to all onboarded students
- In-person offices, classes, and labs will continue.
- Face coverings will be required on campus as well as distancing and other hygiene practices.
Follow the Event and Gathering Policy guidelines for in-person meetings.