MTSO Student COVID-19 Healthy togEther Protocols

Members of the MTSO community have observed COVID-19 protocols since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, reflecting a balance between safety and a strong desire to be together in community.

These protocols have been updated periodically as scientific understanding of the virus and best practices for fighting it have evolved; guidelines from the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are important sources of information in our decision-making.

As we have throughout the pandemic, we will pivot as needed in response to new realities.

All students must be fully vaccinated and boosted in order to attend in-person classes, reside on campus or be present on campus for any reason at any time. 

Beginning with the start of Spring Semester 2022, we require all who study, work and live on the MTSO campus to meet the CDC’s definition of “up to date” vaccination status. This currently means one booster shot in addition to the initial full vaccination. Our requirement also applies to any future boosters that might become widely available.

Either of the following is acceptable proof of vaccination status:

• A CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card.
• A  vaccination record from a physician’s office or online health portal.

Instructions for submission: Cut a small piece of dark paper to cover only your date of birth on your CDC card or vaccination record. Upload your record to Populi using this form (if you're not logged in to Populi, you'll be directed to log in when you click the link), attach a digital photo of the card to an email addressed to COS Coordinator Grace Wallace at gwallace@mtso.edu, or mail a photocopy of it to: COS at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, 3081 Columbus Pike, Delaware, Ohio 43015. 

We don’t anticipate a need for exceptions to MTSO’s vaccination requirement. Students seeking exceptions of any kind must email MTSO President Jay Rundell at jrundell@mtso.edu or Dean Valerie Bridgeman, vbridgeman@mtso.edu to schedule a meeting with President Rundell and Dean Bridgeman to discuss the request.

Masks can slow the spread of the virus by inhibiting its transmission to others. Wearing a mask acknowledges each person’s responsibility to the health of others. For that reason, all Course of Study students, faculty, staff and visitors are strongly urged to wear a mask inside classrooms, Centrum, and common spaces in buildings.

Wearing a mask is a complementary measure, not a replacement for other preventative measures, which include physical distancing, daily health self-assessments and hand hygiene. Please refer to this CDC link to learn more.

We will offer free KN95 masks, which have been shown to help protect those who wear them from the virus.

Students should stay home if they suspect they are ill. Students who show signs of illness while in community spaces should leave for home immediately. Those who have reason to suspect that their illness is due to COVID-19 are required to report their illness to Coordinator Grace Wallace. Students who test positive for COVID-19 must report this test result to Coordinator Grace Wallace within 24 hours of receiving the diagnosis.