Spring 2022 Update
LEXINGTON, KY. (Jan. 7, 2022) — As the university prepares for a new semester, we face the challenge of continuing to ensure the health and safety of our community while also honoring our critical missions of education, research, service and care.
Here are the university’s plans to return to in-person classes for Spring 2022 and how we plan to continue to keep our community safe.
Masking
Face coverings are required in all indoor campus spaces where people gather — including Rupp Arena and Memorial Coliseum.
More masks will be provided for our community: Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance about the most effective mask wearing protocols, the university has purchased two KN95 masks for everyone who comes to campus. More details will be provided soon about plans to distribute these masks to students, faculty and staff.
More information about masking can be found here.
Testing
Free testing services will continue to be offered for those with symptoms and the required weekly testing of unvaccinated faculty, staff and students will resume.
More information about testing can be found here.
Vaccines, Boosters and Flu Shots
The omicron variant is much more transmissible. It also appears much less likely to cause serious illness for those who are vaccinated, particularly those who have received booster shots. Sign up for a vaccine or booster here.
In addition, the university is initiating a booster shot incentive campaign, like what we have conducted previously. Stay tuned for more details about this effort.
Flu shots also are critically important. Experts expect that the flu will be particularly harsh this season. As such, it's more important than ever to receive your flu shot. You can learn more about locations where flu vaccines are available here.
Campus Life
The return to campus — with students living in residence halls and most of our courses being offered in-person similar to our recent fall semester — remains a priority for the university. However, we will vigilantly monitor the trajectory of the virus and do what needs to be done to protect our community.
The university is adopting the latest isolation protocols as recommended: Specifically, according to the CDC, “People with COVID-19 should isolate for five days, and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by five days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the one to two days prior to onset of symptoms and the two to three days after.” You can read more about these protocols here.
More information about Spring 2022 can be found here, including available resources, the COVID-19 dashboard and much more. The university will continue to communicate frequently and adjust as necessary.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.