Protect The Nest

Good afternoon, Eagles.

FGCU is aware of the recent change in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Campus leaders are working around the clock to review and update our policies and procedures relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. Updates will be shared to the campus community through email and posted to the Protect The Nest website.

FGCU leadership will hold a virtual town hall for faculty and staff from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5. We will provide updates to Fall ’21 plans and answer your questions. A link will be shared closer to the event.

Thank you for your patience as we make any necessary adjustments to ensure FGCU remains a safe and healthy place to learn, work and thrive.

Good afternoon, Eagles!

FGCU anticipates a record-setting enrollment as it returns to full-capacity residence halls, academic facilities and events for the Fall 2021 semester. As campus activities increase, it is critical for students to understand their responsibility in keeping our campus safe and healthy.

We urge you to get vaccinated and to protect yourself against the COVID-19 virus.

Fully vaccinated individuals are less likely to spread the virus to others or face serious health complications, including hospitalization and death. COVID-19 tests and vaccinations are accessible across the community, Florida and the U.S., and FGCU continues to offer students free access to these resources.

If you choose not to get vaccinated, please be aware that FGCU will not be offering services to the same extent as it did before vaccinations became widely available.

For example:

• FGCU has limited isolation space for residential students. If capacity has been reached, it will be up to students to provide their own lodging for isolation away from campus.
• FGCU continues to follow quarantine guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which differentiates between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Unvaccinated students who are exposed to the coronavirus may be advised to quarantine for up to 14 days, but vaccinated individuals generally would not be required to quarantine.
• FGCU cannot record and distribute every class meeting, and faculty have been advised to apply the same make-up process for COVID-related absences as they would to other illnesses, such as strep or flu. Students who are sick or need to quarantine at home should be in contact with their instructors. 
• Students who test positive for COVID or have been exposed to the virus will be asked not to attend in-person classes, events or activities.

Attached is a letter from the State University System of Florida. Please help us start the new academic year as healthy as possible by taking care of yourself and those around you.

Unvaccinated students are strongly encouraged to confirm their COVID status with a test before arriving on campus for the Fall term. Be mindful that the Florida Department of Health has the authority to mandate COVID-19 testing based on a substantial increase in the campus-related positivity rate.

Here are three upcoming vaccination options at FGCU:

Student Health Services: Free Moderna vaccines are available every Thursday. Call 239-590-7966 to make an appointment.

Walk-up clinic: The Florida Department of Health is offering free Pfizer vaccinations to students and employees from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 16-20. The clinic will take place on the pavers next to the bus loop in Parking Lot 5.

University Recreation & Wellness Center: Pfizer vaccination clinics are scheduled Aug. 23 and Sept. 13. Each day, the clinics have the capacity to vaccinate 1,000 students and employees. Scan to register:

Aug. 23

Sept. 13

Remember, Eagles, we are in this together.

#WingsUpVaxUp

Click here to read a letter from the State University System of Florida.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, FGCU students, faculty and staff have worked together to keep campus safe, and it is vital for those collective efforts to continue as we prepare for the Fall 2021 semester.

As previously announced, the university is following State University System guidelines to remove all remaining social-distancing requirements from campus – a move that will return classrooms, common areas, meeting rooms, activities and athletic events to full facility capacity for the Fall.

FGCU continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 virus and variants that still exist in our community. We are prepared to ramp up mitigation efforts as warranted in order to Protect The Nest.

The best way to ensure a more normal school year is for everyone to get vaccinated.

Based on our current population of students taking summer classes, 38% are known to be fully vaccinated. The university does not collect COVID-19 vaccination records for employees, and vaccinations against the coronavirus are not required to attend, visit or work at FGCU at this time.

The known student vaccination rate is limited, based on information voluntarily self-reported into the Student Health Services Portal and data shared through Florida Shots, an online immunization data system for health providers and schools. The information supplied through Florida Shots will not include students vaccinated outside of Florida or individuals who opt-out of sharing their vaccine data with the university.

Students should visit https://fgcu.studenthealthportal.com to see if their immunization history in the Student Health Services Portal is correct. Any missing documents can be uploaded directly to the portal. Information uploaded to the portal is protected under federal law (HIPAA) and will not be shared for any reason. This information is used solely for medical care, treatment and decision-making in regards to quarantine and isolation procedures.

We recognize our known vaccination rate is not a complete snapshot of our population, but we hope this transparency helps spur students and employees to get vaccinated before Fall semester.

Upcoming FGCU vaccination clinics:

Every Thursday, as supplies last, students can receive free Moderna vaccinations through Student Health Services. The weekly vaccine clinics are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., but appointments are required. Call 239-590-7966 to reserve a spot.

Employees and students can sign up now for two upcoming Pfizer vaccine clinics at the University Recreation & Wellness Center. The free events have the capacity to vaccinate 1,000 people. Inoculations will be given from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 23 and Sept. 13, but vaccines may be administered until 3 p.m. based on demand.

• Register for the Aug. 23 Pfizer vaccine clinic | Eventbrite
• Register for the Sept. 13 Pfizer vaccine clinic | Eventbrite

Visit FGCU’s Protect The Nest website for more information.

Remember, Eagles, we are in this together.