Return to Campus Updates

Over the past six days, we’ve seen a dramatic increase locally and nationally in the number of positive new COVID cases due to the extremely fast-spreading Omicron variant. Knowing this, Goucher is doing its part over the next four weeks to ensure a safe and successful return to campus for the Spring semester.

As we head into the winter break, we want to update the campus regarding COVID cases and protocol reminders. We're incredibly proud that the Goucher community is 100% vaccinated (faculty, staff, and students) and we have continued to see a very low rate of breakthrough infections (1-2 per week.) However, in our effort to remain cautious and keep everyone healthy we cannot ignore the rise in positivity rates in the county and the state and the potential threat that the new Omicron variant presents.

The wastewater results in Welsh Hall indicated low-level traces of COVID-19 positivity. As per our established protocols, we have informed the residents and are testing each individual.

I hope you are as excited as I am to return to a primarily on-campus, in-person learning experience this fall. At Goucher, this includes our students living in our residence halls, participating in on-campus events, attending classes in person, and resuming all Landmark Conference athletic competition.

I hope you had as much fun as I did celebrating Goucher College’s 2020 and 2021 classes last week with our two commencement ceremonies. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to properly acknowledge the many accomplishments of our graduates and to see so many familiar faces — albeit masked — back on campus.