An Update on Our Return to Campus This Spring

December 29, 2021

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

I write to share an update on our public health protocols for the opening of the spring semester. 

In recent weeks, we have seen the emergence and rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the Washington, D.C., region, across the country, and globally. Given that the surge in cases associated with the Omicron variant in the United States is projected to coincide with our return for the spring semester, we are adjusting our approach for the first few weeks of the semester. 

We will begin the spring semester as scheduled and will use virtual instruction through January 30, 2022. In-person classes across the University are planned to resume on Monday, January 31. 

Undergraduate residential students will be able to move into their on-campus residences beginning on January 11, 2022, unless they have been approved to move in earlier. Given that classes will be held virtually through January 30, residential students may choose to move in later in January.

In the period before January 31, staff members who are able to telework are encouraged to do so as much as possible. During this time, in-person gatherings will be limited with events being held virtually or outdoors.

We will have an arrival testing framework in place that students, faculty, and staff will be required to follow. 

For information on arrival testing, move-in for residential students, and all of our spring 2022 public health guidelines, please visit our COVID-19 Resource Center website. Our executive vice presidents will also be providing specific guidance to their respective campuses.  

These updates to our layered public health framework are shaped by the recommendations of our Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Ranit Mishori, and our public health advisory group, as well as guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the D.C. Department of Health. 

As we continue to monitor the trajectory of the pandemic, we will share any further updates to our plans as soon as they become available. 

I deeply appreciate the engagement of each member of our community as we continue to navigate this challenging moment, together, as a University. 

Sincerely,

John J. DeGioia