This message provides an update on the Fall 2021 Illinois State University health and safety standards applicable to the University community for students, faculty, and staff. These health and safety standards are subject to change and are adopted as a part of the University’s COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategies as recommended by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For the most up-to-date information about the University’s approach to COVID-19 and the Fall 2021 term, email Coronavirus@IllinoisState.edu or visit the Coronavirus website.
Vaccination Requirement
Students, faculty, and staff who are taking courses and/or working on campus and/or property owned or controlled by the University, are required to provide evidence of receiving an approved COVID-19 vaccination to Student Health Services (SHS). (See instructions below.) The University is accepting vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO). Learn more about on-campus vaccination clinics below and where to find additional vaccination sites.
On-campus Vaccination Clinics
Walk-in on-campus vaccination clinics coordinated by Jewel-Osco will be held from 1-5 p.m., August 9-15 at the following campus locations (Find a pdf of the map):
- Basketball court, Cardinal Court Community Center – open to all students, faculty, and staff
- Kong Room, Vrooman Center – open to all students, faculty, and staff
Those attending will have the choice of the Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer vaccine. Clinics for the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be September 7-9 on campus. Jewel-Osco will provide further information.
There is no fee for the vaccine, but insurance information will be collected, if available. Please have your information or insurance card ready. International students will be able to show their Redbird ID or passport at the clinic to be vaccinated.
For questions, contact the Jewel-Osco Pharmacy at (309) 663-6341.
COVID-19 Testing Requirement
Beginning August 9, 2021, several on-campus COVID-19 testing sites will be available. Students and employees will receive an email with details regarding the testing program. Students, faculty, and staff who are on campus and who have not provided Student Health Services (SHS) with evidence of vaccination are required to participate in weekly on-campus saliva-based COVID-19 testing provided by SHIELD Illinois.
Individuals must do one of the following to be in compliance with the vaccination requirement and be exempt from weekly testing:
- Upload your COVID-19 vaccination record to the Patient Health Portal as soon as possible.
- Upload proof of a positive COVID-19 test taken between 90 and 10 days prior to returning to campus to the Patient Health Portal. (Following the CDC advice for those who test positive to refrain from retesting for 90 days to avoid false-positive tests.)
Specific information regarding vaccination and testing requirements related to the University Housing Move-In process was sent via email to on-campus students on Friday, July 30. On-campus students should review this email prior to Move-In.
Students, faculty, and staff who are not in compliance with the testing requirement implemented as part of the University’s health and safety standards may be subject to the appropriate discipline process which could include sanctions up to and including suspension and/or dismissal/discharge/termination.
Specific information about SHIELD COVID-19 Testing can be found on the Coronavirus website, including information about scheduling a test, which should be completed in advance of arriving at a testing center when possible to avoid potential delays in testing. Registration instructions are included on the Coronavirus website. Learn more about SHIELD COVID-19 testing.
Students in need of an accommodation may contact Student Access and Accommodation Services. Employees in need of an accommodation may contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access.
Testing Locations and Hours
Asymptomatic students who have not yet submitted their vaccination records may test at any of the testing locations listed below. Asymptomatic employees who have not yet submitted their vaccination records should test at the location nearest their worksite. Find a pdf of the map.
Asymptomatic retirees, dependents, and university volunteers may only test at the Bowling and Billiards Center Activity Room. The former fire station at 604 N. Adelaide St. will be a walk-up testing center for students, faculty, and staff. There is limited parking near the facility. Overflow parking is available in marked spaces at Cardinal Court beginning August 11 and lot U-91 on August 11–12.
August 9 -15:
- Bowling and Billiards Center Activity Room: Mon-Wed, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thu, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri, 5 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat-Sun, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Redbird Room in Redbird Arena: Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat-Sun, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Former fire station at 604 N. Adelaide St., Normal (this will be walk-up testing site): Wed-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tentative fall schedule beginning August 16:
- Bowling and Billiards Center Activity Room: Mon-Wed, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thu 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri 5 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Redbird Room in Redbird Arena: Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Rosa Parks Room in Watterson Towers: Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Shawnee Room in Tri Towers: Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Escalante Room in Vrooman Center, Hewett/Manchester: Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Former fire station at 604 N. Adelaide St., Normal (this will be a walk-up testing site): Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Students experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms or who believe that they were exposed to a person with COVID-19 should contact Student Health Services at (309) 438-7676 for direction regarding quarantine and/or to schedule an initial screening and make an appointment to be tested. Symptomatic employees should follow the Guidelines for Managing COVID-19 in the Workplace.
At this time, individuals who are fully vaccinated (2 weeks past the last dose of the vaccine) should not undergo testing unless they are symptomatic, or have known exposure. The CDC recommended on July 27, 2021 “that fully vaccinated people with no COVID-19-like symptoms and no known exposure should be exempted from routine screening testing programs.” Find out more about the CDC guidelines for fully vaccinated people.
Face Covering Requirement:
Face coverings are required in all public indoor spaces to align with updated CDC masking recommendations released Tuesday, July 27, 2021. The IBHE and IDPH are in full support of the CDC recommendations, which state that “everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas with substantial and high transmission.”
McLean County is currently designated as having “high” transmission by the CDC. Therefore, until further notice, face coverings are required for students, faculty, staff, and visitors on campus, including Laboratory Schools, in all common indoor spaces (classrooms, conference rooms, hallways, restrooms, breakrooms, dining facilities, elevators, public spaces within on-campus residential living environments, etc.).
Vaccination Incentives:
Students who are enrolled in fall courses, who are fully vaccinated, and who upload their COVID-19 vaccination information prior to the first day of class will be entered to win one of the following incentives.
- $1,000 scholarship (Awarded to 100 students)
- $100 in Flex Dollars added to the Redbird ID Card (Awarded to 75 students)
Winners will be notified at their Illinois State University email address the week of August 23. Learn more about the vaccination incentive program.
Why Get Vaccinated?
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are readily available throughout Illinois and the nation. The current vaccines protect against COVID-19 variants, including the Delta variant. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines.
- Even if you have had COVID-19, vaccines provide added protection against future COVID exposures.
- Getting vaccinated protects against the spread of this disease and protects you and others from getting COVID, including the Delta variant. Vaccinated individuals are less likely to become seriously ill or become hospitalized in the unlikely event they get COVID-19.
- As the CDC has stated, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can participate in many of the activities that you did before the pandemic.” Learn more about what to expect when you are fully vaccinated.
Submitting Vaccination Records
- Students and employees should submit their vaccination records as soon as possible to the secure Patient Health Portal by uploading an image of your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or a COVID-19 immunization record provided by a healthcare provider. The same process can be followed for submitting positive COVID-19 test results. Student Health Services is required to follow all confidentiality rules and regulations regarding medical information.
- Students who were vaccinated at an on-campus clinic already have a COVID-19 vaccination record on file with SHS and do not need to upload a COVID-19 vaccine record. However, employees who were vaccinated at an on-campus vaccination clinic are encouraged to login to the secure Patient Health Portal to ensure that their record is on file. If the record is not on file, employees should upload a copy of their record. If the employee is unable to upload the document, the employee can bring the record to Human Resources for assistance in uploading.
- Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.
- Student Health Services verifies immunization records as they are received using information provided in governmental immunization databases.
