March 31, 2021 - Newsletter Issue 001
Return to Campus Update: Wednesday, March 31
March 31, 2021
Dear Loyola Community,
We are excited to announce the first edition of our weekly Return to Campus update. This roundup of resources will help keep the Loyola University Chicago community informed as we continue our phased reopening. Check in each Wednesday for health and safety reminders, timely updates about campus operations, and local and national news impacting Loyolans.
Vaccine Distribution
As of Monday, March 29, all Loyola faculty and staff in Chicago and Illinois are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Read our latest email update or to learn more.
We also ask that you please take a moment to complete this short survey before Tuesday, April 6, about your plans for vaccination, questions you may have, or support you may need. Your insights will help Loyola administrators, faculty, and staff make plans for the summer and fall.
We understand that vaccination is a personal decision. Your responses are completely voluntary and confidential. Information from this survey will not be shared in any way that could allow people to identify responses of individuals.
On-Campus Testing Compliance
Thank you to our students, faculty, and staff who continue to comply with Loyola's on-campus surveillance testing program and follow the ! Shown below are the most up-to-date testing numbers as of Tuesday, March 30.
Financial Assistance for Students
We expect an online application to request HEERF II Student Share Grant funds will be available to students during the week of April 5. In the meantime, we encourage students to visit LUC.edu/heerf to learn more.
Fall Semester 2021 Reopening Plans
Loyola announced its plan to return fully to our Chicagoland campuses in fall 2021 with in-person classes and residence hall occupancy. This decision was based on the best available data and intelligence, and with the health, safety, and overall wellness of our community in mind. Read the full update.
In The News
- Chicago Tribune: Chicago is readying two new mass vaccination sites, one near Wrigley Field and one at Chicago State University.
- Chicago Tribune: As Chicago sees a ‘quantum leap’ in coronavirus cases, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says more significant reopening will have to wait.
- The New York Times: After weeks of decline followed by a steady plateau, COVID-19 cases are rising again in the U.S. Deaths are still decreasing, but the country averaged 61,545 cases last week, 11 percent more than the average two weeks earlier.
- The Washington Post: The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 90 percent effective after two doses in study of real-life conditions, the CDC confirms. The vaccines reduced the risk of infection by 80 percent after one shot. Protection increased to 90 percent following the second dose.
- Chronicle of Higher Education: A major study will seek to enroll more than 12,000 students at 21 universities to answer a key question: does COVID-19 spread after vaccination?
Return to Campus Resources
- Return to Campus Website
- COVID-19 Website
- Return to Campus Checklist
- Vaccine Information
- COVID-19 Dashboard
All previous Return to Campus Updates can be found on our Return to Campus Communications page.
Return to Campus Update: Wednesday, March 31
March 31, 2021
Dear Loyola Community,
We are excited to announce the first edition of our weekly Return to Campus update. This roundup of resources will help keep the Loyola University Chicago community informed as we continue our phased reopening. Check in each Wednesday for health and safety reminders, timely updates about campus operations, and local and national news impacting Loyolans.
Vaccine Distribution
As of Monday, March 29, all Loyola faculty and staff in Chicago and Illinois are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Read our latest email update or to learn more.
We also ask that you please take a moment to complete this short survey before Tuesday, April 6, about your plans for vaccination, questions you may have, or support you may need. Your insights will help Loyola administrators, faculty, and staff make plans for the summer and fall.
We understand that vaccination is a personal decision. Your responses are completely voluntary and confidential. Information from this survey will not be shared in any way that could allow people to identify responses of individuals.
On-Campus Testing Compliance
Thank you to our students, faculty, and staff who continue to comply with Loyola's on-campus surveillance testing program and follow the ! Shown below are the most up-to-date testing numbers as of Tuesday, March 30.
Financial Assistance for Students
We expect an online application to request HEERF II Student Share Grant funds will be available to students during the week of April 5. In the meantime, we encourage students to visit LUC.edu/heerf to learn more.
Fall Semester 2021 Reopening Plans
Loyola announced its plan to return fully to our Chicagoland campuses in fall 2021 with in-person classes and residence hall occupancy. This decision was based on the best available data and intelligence, and with the health, safety, and overall wellness of our community in mind. Read the full update.
In The News
- Chicago Tribune: Chicago is readying two new mass vaccination sites, one near Wrigley Field and one at Chicago State University.
- Chicago Tribune: As Chicago sees a ‘quantum leap’ in coronavirus cases, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says more significant reopening will have to wait.
- The New York Times: After weeks of decline followed by a steady plateau, COVID-19 cases are rising again in the U.S. Deaths are still decreasing, but the country averaged 61,545 cases last week, 11 percent more than the average two weeks earlier.
- The Washington Post: The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 90 percent effective after two doses in study of real-life conditions, the CDC confirms. The vaccines reduced the risk of infection by 80 percent after one shot. Protection increased to 90 percent following the second dose.
- Chronicle of Higher Education: A major study will seek to enroll more than 12,000 students at 21 universities to answer a key question: does COVID-19 spread after vaccination?
Return to Campus Resources
- Return to Campus Website
- COVID-19 Website
- Return to Campus Checklist
- Vaccine Information
- COVID-19 Dashboard
All previous Return to Campus Updates can be found on our Return to Campus Communications page.