Dear UMPI community,

With summer approaching, and with federal and Maine CDC guidance changing on health and safety protocols as vaccination numbers climb, I wanted to provide you with an update on how we’ll be handling access to campus for the next several months. In short, our plan is to reopen campus spaces to as close to normal as possible for members of campus starting May 10, and to reopen campus spaces to the public starting July 1. More details will be forthcoming in mid-June, but here’s what I can share at this point.

Return to Work

I feel it is especially important to make note of our return to work efforts. Very soon, the University of Maine System will be sharing the systemwide recommendations for return to work standards (remote/blended/on campus). We will develop our plan for offices on campus to dovetail with our reopening for the public on July 1. In the meantime, campus work situations will continue for faculty, staff, and students as they have throughout the spring semester, unless a change is approved by your supervisor. If you are currently working remotely, but need to visit campus, please complete the one-time temporary campus access request form.

Summer Plans

Plan May 10-June 30

• Campus, including the Houlton Center, will be open to faculty, staff, and students only, as long as they are participating in weekly testing or can show proof of being completely vaccinated or have a negative test within 72 hours of coming to campus or the Houlton Center. Employees and students who are fully vaccinated can report their status by filling out the volunteer vaccination submission form here.
• Health and safety protocols, including 6 foot social distancing and wearing face coverings indoors, will continue. As mentioned in my recent email to campus, face coverings will no longer be required outside when social distancing is easily maintained (they are still recommended for outside when social distancing would be difficult to maintain). If this changes, we will send follow-up messaging.
• There will be limited access for Upward Bound starting June 20. Testing will be required for this group.
• There will be a limited opening of Gentile Hall, including the pool, to employees and students. This will be for lap swim only; reservations will be required..
• Access to the Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) will continue for employees and students as it has been for the spring semester.
• Campus Center access will be by request/permission only. Please contact Lydia Kieffer-Till for more information.

Plan July 1-Aug. 31

• Campus, including the Houlton Center, will be open to members of campus and the public, with the expectation that individuals would show proof of being completely vaccinated or having a negative test result within 72 hours of coming to campus or the Houlton Center. Details are being worked out and we may have updated parameters as we get closer to July. Employees and students who are fully vaccinated can report their status by filling out the volunteer vaccination submission form here.
• Health and safety protocols, including 6 foot social distancing and wearing face coverings indoors, will continue. Face coverings are no longer required outside (but they are still recommended for outside when social distancing would be difficult to maintain). If this changes, we will send follow-up messaging.
• There will be campus access to day camps and other summer programming, as overseen by our Conferences and Special Programs office.
• There will be public access to the Campus Center, with community groups able to host events in our conferences spaces. These activities will be closely overseen by our Conferences and Special Programs office.
• There will be a more robust opening of Gentile Hall, including the pool, to the public. This will be for lap swim only; reservations will be required.
• There will be an opening of more components of the CIL, including the art gallery, to students, employees, and the public.

As we work through those details, we are so pleased to be able to open up more spaces on campus this summer and incredibly thankful to all those who have received or made plans to get their COVID vaccinations so that we can keep each other safe and plan for a fall semester that is as close to normal as possible. As promised, I’ll be sharing more information in mid-June about our more robust opening to the public. Until then, please do all you can to stay safe and healthy.

Ray