LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – In-person classes at Siena College will resume as scheduled for the Spring semester on Monday, January 24, with all eligible returning students required to have a COVID-19 vaccine booster. The Spring 2022 semester is beginning one week later than usual this year, a strategic decision previously planned to help avoid a possible post-holiday spike in COVID cases.

The Siena community was informed of details regarding the spring semester return in an email from College President Chris Gibson, Ph.D. “We are on the path to relegating the COVID-19 scourge to endemic status. In the meantime, we must respect the risks and appropriately adapt to the current climate given the arrival of the omicron variant,” said Gibson. “Reflecting on this past fall, we experienced a safe and lively semester, which offered confirmation that our approach to the virus and our commitment to the Siena experience is working. Looking ahead to the spring, I expect the same vibrant atmosphere guided largely by the same protocol that facilitated our successful fall term.”

Updates to college operations for the upcoming semester include:

• All students who are currently eligible for the booster must receive it before returning to campus. For students who will become eligible this semester, the College will host a series of eight on-campus clinics for students throughout the semester, beginning on January 27. Siena previously hosted three on-campus booster clinics in December.
• All students are required to receive a PCR COVID test 5-7 days before returning to campus. Rapid antigen test results will not be accepted for pre-entry screening.
• Wastewater testing will be conducted every other week, an increase over monthly then tri-weekly testing conducted in the fall. Campus testing sites will be determined by the College’s wastewater field team.
• The College is planning to provide rapid testing options on campus for asymptomatic students interested in testing during the spring semester. Health Services will once again offer diagnostic testing for all symptomatic students.