EMU Today

YPSILANTI --  Eastern Michigan University President James Smith today (Dec. 31) announced plans to begin the winter semester with remote classes effective Monday, Jan. 10, through Monday, Jan. 17, with the regular class schedule to resume on Tuesday, Jan. 18. President Smith's full message to the campus community is below:

To the Eastern Michigan University community:

I hope you are enjoying a well-deserved winter break. I write today with an important update about the winter semester course schedule.

Winter semester classes will begin as scheduled on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, but will be delivered in an entirely remote format for the first week. The regular class schedule (which includes courses with an in-person format) will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 18. (As a reminder, there are no classes on Monday, Jan. 17, as we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day). Instructors should contact students with more specific information about attending class remotely during the week of Jan. 10.

The University made this decision after evaluating the changing conditions in our community and rapidly-evolving guidance from government health agencies. Specifically, we expect that COVID-19 case counts will increase following the New Year’s Eve holiday, and this one-week shift to fully remote classes is intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on our campus and throughout local communities.

On-campus housing

Campus housing will reopen as scheduled on Sunday, Jan. 9, but we strongly encourage new students and those who left campus for the winter break to delay moving in or returning to their on-campus housing residence until closer to Jan. 17.

As a reminder, all on-campus housing residents are required to receive a negative COVID-19 test no more than five (5) days prior to returning to campus and report those results to the University before moving in. Students who stayed on campus in Winter Recess Break housing must submit their results no later than Sunday, Jan. 9. Housing residents may also be required to complete additional COVID-19 testing after returning to campus regardless of vaccination status.

Staff

All University staff are expected to work as scheduled beginning Tuesday, Jan. 4, either in-person or remotely consistent with the arrangement with their supervisor.

Dining facilities

Campus Dining facilities will be open. Check the EMU Dining website for hours of operation at various on-campus dining facilities.

COVID-19 Testing Center

The EMU Campus Testing Center (located in the lower level of the Student Center, next to the Bookstore) is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. Check the Testing Center website for hours of operation or to schedule a testing appointment. On-campus COVID-19 testing is free of charge to all Eastern students and employees.

Campus COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic

A COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be held on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. No appointment is needed. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be offered for individuals 12 years of age and up wanting a first, second, or booster shot.

In the coming weeks, the University will continue to evaluate our operating policies, and changes will be made as needed to ensure that we offer a safe campus environment while providing excellent service to our students. We appreciate the continued hard work of the entire campus community as we navigate the ongoing pandemic.

James Smith, Ph.D.