Indoor Mask Requirement: Outlook at STCC
I would like to draw your attention to the announcement below from the 15 Massachusetts Community College Presidents.
As the announcement shares, all community colleges will have transitioned to a mask-option environment by the end of Spring Semester. Noting the size of our School of Health and Patient Simulation (SHPS), it may be necessary for SHPS to maintain an indoor mask requirement given clinical considerations.
Please bear in mind that we do currently have an indoor mask requirement, but particularly after Spring Break next week, we will revisit this decision.
Thank you,
John B. Cook, Ph.D.
President
Statement of the Massachusetts Community College Presidents
March 2022
Over the past two years, the Massachusetts Community Colleges have been dedicated to keeping our campuses and communities as safe as possible from COVID-19 by following federal, state, and local public health guidance. including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). In January 2022, the Colleges implemented a systemwide vaccination requirement which, in addition to other health and safety measures, has allowed our campuses to increase our number of in- person classes and activities.
To that end, as the number of new COVID-19 cases in the Commonwealth continues to be low, and with updated guidelines from the CDC and DPH regarding masks, all community colleges are looking forward to transitioning to mask-optional environments by the end of the Spring 2022 semester.
The transition to mask-optional environments will be handled individually by each institution in consideration of their local circumstances. Additional communications relative to changes, timelines, and specifics will be forthcoming from each of our institutions.
We will continue to closely monitor conditions and reserve the right to change course if necessary, but are optimistic that trends will continue to move in a positive direction. The last 24 months have required unprecedented patience, adaptability, and creativity. On behalf of all fifteen community college presidents, we are grateful to our faculty, staff, and students for their flexibility and understanding.