This message is to announce that the campus testing program conducted through SHIELD will end effective this Friday, December 9. Please note that the Student Health Center will still continue to provide testing for symptomatic students.
The SHIELD program has served the campus and the greater Monmouth-Warren County community very well since we engaged with SHIELD in 2020. It provided a testing capacity that enabled us to return to campus for the spring 2021 semester with greater confidence and that helped the wider community.
However, while COVID is still present, it has receded to a much lower and manageable level. Also, testing options have become much more accessible. These developments are reflected in the sharp decline in traffic at our testing center. From July 1 through December 1, campus community tests have dropped from 66 per month to 2 per month. Testing of Monmouth-Warren County community members has declined from 15 to 0.
The efforts of many people contributed to the success of the SHIELD program on our campus:
- Generous contributions from the Community Health Foundation made the program financially possible; thanks to Foundation Board member Professor Mike Connell and VP for Development Hannah Maher for their work with the Foundation.
- Thanks to former and current VPs for Finance Melony Sacopulos and Holly Tharp for their management of the finances of the program.
- Thanks to CIO Nick Carlson and the IS staff for making the information technology aspect work effectively.
- Great thanks to Professor Joan Wertz, who led the organization of our return-to-campus testing in January 2021, and to all who volunteered for that effort.
- Very special thanks to Executive Assistant to the President Amy Warrington for her organization and management of the program for most of its duration, and to Assistant to the Academic Dean Jevanie Gillen who took over from her.
- Thanks as well to all the student workers who opened up early, handed out vials, collected samples, and drove them to the labs in order for us to get results back quickly.
- Finally, thanks to all of you whose diligent and patient use of the SHIELD program helped us to navigate through all the challenges that COVID presented to our community.
***Courtesy of Monmouth College***
