Effective Immediately | Southwest Tech transitions to Phase V of the Return to Campus Plan

Dear faculty, staff, and students,

As you likely have heard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face-covering or practice social distancing. The Wisconsin Department of Health has indicated that it will be revising state guidance to align with these changes. While this is encouraging news, we also want to be clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended, and we all need to continue to make decisions that maximize the safety of our entire community.

Effective immediately, May 21, Southwest Tech will transition to a mask-friendly campus and Phase V of the Return to Campus Plan (please see attachment). We encourage you to all be mindful of this as people make their individual choices. We will follow the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) new guidance regarding the use of face masks and social distancing for fully vaccinated people. Face masks are no longer required for those who are fully vaccinated, nor is social distancing required for those who are fully vaccinated.

• Some fully vaccinated individuals may also choose to continue practicing social distancing and wearing face coverings. 
• Those who have not been vaccinated are required to continue to wear a mask. Compliance with this new CDC guidance will be enforced on the honor system, and we are asking you to be honest with one another. We continue to encourage members of the college community to be vaccinated if and when they can do so. We also acknowledge that some individuals have health conditions or other reasons why they cannot be vaccinated. Here is the link for making an appointment. Just over 70% of our full-time faculty and staff have been vaccinated. Our ability to relax additional safety protocols increases as the vaccination rate reaches 90%.  
• Those who fall under other regulatory agencies must follow those regulatory agencies’ guidelines (i.e., child care centers and clinical settings).

In compliance with CDC recommendations, we are still limiting group sizes. Non-classroom gatherings are limited to 50 or fewer people and must maintain social distancing. Therefore the Graduation CARcade will continue as planned.

We have reached a new milestone, and all of us are hopeful that we are finally starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel here in our community. COVID-19 remains a significant threat to safety and to our society. We have gotten to this point because all of you made the difficult choices along the way that prioritized the health and safety of your friends, colleagues, family members, and the surrounding community. That commitment to one another and that collaborative and compassionate spirit are points of great pride for this entire College. You have our thanks and our greatest admiration.

We ask everyone for your continued patience as we navigate this newest phase. If you have questions about any of these recent changes, you can always email covid19response@swtc.edu.

Please continue to demonstrate your commitment to safety and show kindness to one another as we move into this summer of change and transition.