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What is the COVID-19 policy for the 2022-23 academic year?
Following advice from Franklin County Public Health, Otterbein has required students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 entering the 2022-23 Academic Year.

Incoming students are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. We also recommend the hepatitis B vaccine series and a meningitis vaccine. To be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you must receive two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Students may request a medical or religious exemption from any or all of the vaccination requirements. Exemption requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. To request an exemption, students must contact covid@otterbein.edu. For a medical exemption, students will be required to provide documentation from their licensed healthcare provider. For a religious exemption, students will be asked to complete a separate religious exemption form.

Students who receive an approved exemption must agree to regular asymptomatic testing on campus IF the University requires it based on the advice of public health partners, at no cost to the students.

Are employees required to be vaccinated against COVID-19?
Following advice from Franklin County Public Health, Otterbein has required students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 entering the 2022-23 Academic Year.

Employees may request a medical or religious exemption from the vaccination requirement. Exemption requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. To request an exemption, employees must contact hr@otterbein.edu.

Employees who receive an approved exemption must agree to regular asymptomatic testing on campus IF the University requires it based on the advice of public health partners, at no cost to the students.

Is the COVID-19 vaccination requirement permanent?
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Otterbein has followed the advice of public health officials to make decisions in the best interest of the health and safety of our community. At the start of the 2022-23 academic year, Franklin County Public Health advised us to require the vaccination because the vaccine is still the most effective way to prevent serious illness or death from COVID-19. We will reassess this requirement with Franklin County Public Health for the 2023-24 academic year.

Which COVID-19 vaccines qualify for this requirement?
To be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you must receive two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Do you require booster shots?
We strongly recommend but do not require booster shots.

Are there any exemptions from the vaccine requirement?
To request an exemption, students must contact covid@otterbein.edu and faculty and staff must contact hr@otterbein.edu. For a medical exemption, students, faculty, and staff will be required to provide documentation from their licensed healthcare provider. For a religious exemption, students and employees will be asked to complete a separate religious exemption form.

Can I take classes online if I don’t want to get the vaccine?
We are not able to offer fully online alternatives to our in-person or hybrid courses.

How do I report my vaccine information?
STUDENTS: Please report your status by sending a copy of your vaccination card to covid@otterbein.edu.

FACULTY AND STAFF: Please report your status to hr@otterbein.edu.

What is the mask policy on campus?
Otterbein is currently a mask-optional campus. This means masks are optional for all individuals on campus, regardless of vaccination status. While individuals are not required to wear masks on campus, they are welcome to wear one if they choose. Otterbein is a mask-friendly campus. We support those who choose to continue to wear a mask or need to wear a mask due to health concerns.

What if I want to wear a mask or need to wear one due to health concerns?
While individuals are not required to wear masks on campus, they are welcome to wear one if they choose. Otterbein is a mask-friendly campus. We support those who choose to continue to wear a mask or need to wear a mask due to health concerns. We will not tolerate discrimination against those who wear a mask on campus. Students may report any issues concerning their rights to wear a mask to covid@otterbein.edu. Employees may report any issues concerning their rights to wear a mask to hr@otterbein.edu or 614.823.1130.

Will I have to wear a mask at my off-campus experiential learning activities (internship, student teaching, nursing clinicals, community service, research, etc.)?
The masking rules of your host site apply when you are at that site. Please be aware of the host site’s rules in advance and be prepared to comply. As a general practice, you should always carry a mask with you, in case you are in a situation or at a location that requires masks.

Can faculty mandate mask usage in their classes?
Faculty cannot require the use of masks in their classes.

How do I get a COVID test?
Free at-home rapid antigen test kits are available for Otterbein students at Student Affairs and at the Promise House.

If you have health insurance, you’re covered for eight free over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 antigen tests each month. There are two ways to get your tests for free:

• Use a pharmacy or store that your health plan designates “in network” where you’ll be charged $0. Check with your health insurance provider to find an in-network pharmacy.
• Get reimbursed by submitting a claim to your insurance plan. Find out in advance what receipts or other documentation you’ll need.

You can get a PCR diagnostic test conducted at primary care providers, health clinics, or most retail pharmacies. You can find the websites, addresses, and phone numbers of local medical providers, clinics, and pharmacies here. Call ahead.

What are Otterbein’s exposure or isolation guidelines?
Otterbein follows the CDC guidelines for exposure and isolation. For more information, visit the CDC website or contact covid@otterbein.edu.

What do I do if I test positive for COVID-19?
If you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, follow these guidelines:

• Students are required to contact covid@otterbein.edu; employees are required to contact ekidwell@otterbein.edu.
• Do not attend classes, work, or come to campus.
• Everyone who has presumed or confirmed COVID-19 shall stay home and isolate from other people for at least 5 full days (day 0 is the first day of symptoms or the date of the day of the positive test for asymptomatic persons).
• Ending isolation if you had symptoms: If you have a fever or other symptoms that have not started to get better on day 6, stay home until your fever is gone and other symptoms are better. If your fever is gone and your symptoms are getting better, you may return to class or work on day 6 but must wear a mask for days 6 through 10.
• Ending isolation if you did NOT have symptoms: You may end isolation on the sixth day after your positive test.
• Take precautions until day 10: Wear a mask around all others, avoid travel, and avoid being around people who are at high risk.
• In addition to the above direction, you must follow any additional guidance from your healthcare provider.

You can find a list of nearby pharmacies and healthcare providers on the Health and Wellness page.

Who do I contact if I have questions, concerns, or symptoms?
The COVID Support Team is available at covid@otterbein.edu for students to ask questions and report information related to COVID-19. Students must contact the COVID Support Team if they have tested positive, have been exposed to someone with COVID, or have COVID symptoms.

Employees should contact ekidwell@otterbein.edu if they have questions, have tested positive, have been exposed to someone with COVID, or have COVID symptoms.

How does Otterbein determine its COVID-19 protocols?
Otterbein’s COVID-19 protocols are developed in consultation with Franklin County Public Health and OhioHealth (Otterbein’s campus healthcare provider) and adhere to the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Ohio Department of Health.

Are students and employees permitted to travel abroad for classes or work?
Fully vaccinated individuals may be permitted to travel abroad on Otterbein-sponsored trips, including class, work, and alumni trips, depending on conditions in the country to be visited. Students can request a waiver of Otterbein travel regulations to countries with a U.S. State Department Level 4 travel warning if the cause for the warning is due to COVID-19. See the Study Abroad office for more information. Unvaccinated individuals cannot participate in Otterbein-sponsored trips abroad. This decision has been made for the safety of our community due to the risks of unvaccinated individuals contracting COVID-19 while abroad and the changing rules in many countries regarding unvaccinated tourists. Please note, other travel restrictions could be imposed as cases increase in some parts of the U.S.

Do students have to be vaccinated to participate in an internship or clinical program?
Some off-site hosts of internships or clinical programs require their employees, including student employees, to be vaccinated. Check with the host of your off-site experiential learning program about any vaccination requirements.

If I must isolate or quarantine, how will that affect my class attendance?
All classes will be taught in the modality indicated in the course schedule. Instructors of in-person courses may choose to offer synchronous instruction along with in-person instruction to accommodate students who are unable to attend class due to illness but are not required to do so. COVID-19 will be treated like any other illness in regard to attendance requirements and making up classwork and exams.

Who will teach classes if my professor gets sick?
We have processes to continue classes if, for any reason, a faculty member is unable to continue teaching. We implement that protocol at least once during most semesters. We will use the same process in the event a faculty member becomes ill with COVID-19.