Students and on-site employees must be fully vaccinated before arriving to Campus/Housing for  Fall 2021

When You've Been Fully Vaccinated (CDC)

People are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

All students are required to submit their proof of COVID-19 vaccination(s) or request religious or medical exemptions via students' SRS account. Please take the following steps to access the module:

Step1: Log in to your SRS account

Step 2: Click on "COVID-19 Doc Upload" under "My Profile" tab

Step 3: Choose one of three options to complete the process.

 The deadline for submitting proof of COVID-19 vaccinations or request for religious or medical exemptions is July 16th, 2021.

 If you have vaccination access concerns, please contact Student Affairs as soon as possible. We encourage everyone to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

 If you have any immediate questions, please feel free to contact us at studentaffairs@digipen.edu.

What if I'm not fully vaccinated when I arrive to Campus/Housing for Fall 2021

DigiPen is requiring students and on-site to be fully vaccinated before arriving to Campus/Housing this Fall. In the case that you are not able to be fully vaccinated by the time of your arrival, please contact Student Affairs studentaffairs@digipen.edu as soon as possible. Those who have started the process of being fully vaccinated, but are not fully vaccinated yet, can work with Student Affairs to have access to Campus/Housing with restrictions.


What if I cannot get vaccinated for medical or religious reasons?

DigiPen recognizes that some cannot get the vaccine for medical or religious reasons. Contact Student Affairs studentaffairs@digipen.edu as soon as possible to start the medical/religious exemption process.


I have concerns about vaccination access.
For assistance, please contact Student Affairs studentaffairs@digipen.edu as soon as possible.

Vaccination Information

Everyone 16 years of age and older is now eligible to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Use the Washington State Vaccine Locator to find a vaccine near you.

Want to learn more about the vaccine? Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines (CDC)

Note regarding Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine: CDC and FDA recommended a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine in the United States out of an abundance of caution, effective Tuesday, April 13, 2021. That pause was lifted on April 23, 2021.

Finding Vaccine Appointments

• Vaccinate WA — Vaccinate WA seeks to present up-to-the-minute appointment availability. You may need to search several vaccination locations to find availability near you. Additionally, many locations may require you to create an online account to set up an appointment.
• VaccineFinder — Operated by Boston Children’s Hospital and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Digital Service. VaccineFinder shows locations that have available COVID-19 vaccines and provides either a link to schedule an appointment through that location’s website or a phone number to call to make an appointment.

Finding Transportation

• Lyft Vaccine Access — Sign up with Lyft to see if you can get a free ride or fund a ride to your vaccination appointment.

COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

• King County Community Vaccination Resources — This page contains a variety of information on the COVID-19 vaccines in several different languages.

• Washington State Department of Health — The state’s Department of Health offers a Vaccine Locator to help find an appointment, as well as additional information to know before and after you receive the vaccine.

• Accessibility at King County Vaccination Partnership Sites (updated April 1, 2021) — This document indicates the location of King County’s mass vaccination partnership sites.

• Getting Vaccinated in King County — King County’s vaccine distribution page outlines all of your options for booking an appointment and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Masks Required Indoors

Rules will be updated on August 20, 2021.
Rules may loosen or stay the same depending on conditions.

Vaccinated:
Masks required: all indoor areas + shuttles
Masks optional: outdoors

Not Vaccinated:
Masks required: all indoor areas + shuttles
Masks optional: outdoors

Details

• Free masks are provided upon request at the front desks of Main Campus and The Wing. 
• Even if a mask is required, masks can be removed when actively eating, drinking, or if you are the only person in a room. 
• Face shields, gaters, bandanas, 1-ply cloth masks, and vented/valved masks are not permitted instead of a standard mask, but can be worn in addition to standard masks 
• Students who cannot wear a mask should contact Disability Support Services dss@digipen.edu. Faculty and staff who cannot wear a mask should contact HR at hr.us@digipen.edu. 

Stay Home When Sick

If you aren't feeling 100%, please do not enter campus. Please visit this page to learn what to do when sick: What to do: Infection/Exposure

Basic COVID-19 Prevention Required

• Clean your hands often. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Do not touch your face with unwashed hands.
  Cover your coughs and sneezes. Throw used tissues away and wash your hands.
• Don’t share personal items with anyone, including dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with people or pets in your home

Follow Travel Guidelines

DigiPen provides travel guidelines and also had COVID-19 testing/quarantine requirements before returning to campus after both domestic and international travel. Read more here: Travel Requirements 

Campus Safety Precautions

Air Quality + Fresh Air

The primary medium for the spread of COVID-19 is through the air. Extra precautions are taken in terms of air quality on campus. The campus HVAC system has been upgraded to MERV 13 filtration and fresh air intake has been set to a maximum. Busy areas on campus are equipped with additional HEPA filters. Outdoor seating has been expanded and is widely available.

Free Masks 

Free masks are provided upon request at the front desks of Main Campus and The Wing. 

Free Full PPE Employees and Student Employees 

Employees and student employees who are working on-campus will have access to personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost. PPE includes various types of masks, N95 respirators, gloves, face shields. P100 respirators and coveralls are available upon (facilities@digipen.edu) for high-risk tasks. Employees and Student Employees can also request to order any special PPE needed. You may request access to PPE at the Security Desk.

Main Entrance Health Screening 

Entry to Main Campus and The Wing will be limited to their main entrances, while other external doors will be exit only. At the main entrances, community members will be presented with signage encouraging to stay home if feeling unwell and will go through no-touch thermal screening is required. 

Physical Distancing 

Physical Distancing should be practiced by every person on campus. Social gatherings should be kept small, and guidance will change depending on conditions. Students are encouraged to meet and gather outdoors as much as possible. 

Foot Traffic Management 

Physical distance markers are placed in busy areas of campus or any area that may require lining up. Directional stairwells will help manage the flow of foot traffic 

Classroom Safety 

• Classroom capacity is reduced capacity
• Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer are readily available in all classrooms
• Health Risk Protocol posted in every room: If someone is showing symptoms of illness (e.g. coughing, sneezing), occupants are to leave the area and follow reporting protocols. 

 
Special Lab Safety

Additional precautions are taken in our Music & Sound Design Lab, CE & ECE Labs, Physics Lab, Plastic Arts Lab: Read the details here: Special Lab Safety. 

 
1:1 Meetings  

Students will not be required to meet DigiPen employees in individual offices.  Students may request meetings in alternative places and spaces (e.g. large classrooms, outside areas on campus, Teams, etc.). 

New Outdoor Spaces & Outdoor Breakout Rooms

New outdoor seating has been made available in order to encourage interaction outdoors. We recommend you meet outdoors when possible. In addition, three new outdoor breakout rooms will be built and bookable by both students and employees. These rooms will be built from tents and will stay available as long as weather permits. Get help planning an outdoor event by contacting facilities@digipen.edu. 

Food Service Safety 

The food service team will keep food safety and accessibility as its first priority. Safety precautions include: 

• Seating will be at reduced capacity.
• Outdoor seating is available
• Social distancing markers installed.
• Hand sanitizer is readily available to all patrons.
• The kitchen, bookstore, and seating areas will be sanitized often. A staff member is devoted to sanitation.
• As always, staff wash their hands and wear gloves when handling food.
• As always, staff are not to touch their faces, cellphones, clothes, etc., when handling food. 

Sanitation Stations

Sanitation Stations are installed throughout campus. Hand sanitizer, wipes will be available throughout campus, and other EPA certified cleaners are available at the Sanitation Stations. Students will be able to wipe down their work areas/classroom desks as often as they like. 

Barrier Stations

Barrier Stations are installed throughout campus. Portable plexiglass barriers are available to use whenever and wherever on campus. 

Increased COVID-19 Signage

Signage encouraging community members to stay home when not feeling 100% well and to also practice COVID-19 prevention methods. 

Campus Sanitation

Campus sanitation will be heightened. Our sanitation regimen to mitigate disease-causing germs on campus include: 

• Sanitation staff are trained and equipped to sanitize an area visited by a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.
• Sanitation staff will only use EPA-registered products known to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 and virtually all disease-causing germs. 

Infection/Exposure Protocols

DigiPen provides information on “what to do” in the case of infection/exposure. Find our  protocols for 14 different infection/exposure situations: What to do: Infection/Exposure 

Case Response Protocol

DigiPen follows a COVID case protocol to mitigate exposure, contract trace, disinfect spaces, and support quarantining students in the case of a COVID case in our campus community. 

Additional Recommendations:

We know that during school break periods that students often take the opportunity to travel to be around family, friends and loved ones.

General Travel Safety Tips:

During your trip, take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

• Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when in public settings.
• Avoid close contact by staying at least 6 feet apart (about 2 arms’ length) from anyone who is not from your household.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Student Affairs

A Student Affairs representative will be located on the second floor from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Please stop by the Dragon’s Lair if you have any questions or need assistance.  

First Year and Second Year Experience

Tranistioning onto campus and back into the building will begin during the New Student Orientation program and continue through out the first week of classes. Events will focus on educating students regarding campus resources and connecting students to each other.     

Housing

DigiPen Housing will continue to be open for full capacity and operations for Summer and the 2021-2022 academic year. Students interested in our Early Arrival program should visit DigiPen Housing's website here for more details.  

Student Experience

Many on campus, off campus, and online activities will be announced for the Fall. Please check out the Student Announcements Teams channel for event details. To start a new student club or to check out current student club information. There will be a reserved area located in the outside for student activities while fall weather permits.

Discord:

DigiPen Students engage in a vibrant social network using the Discord networking platform. Each cohort has their own Discord Server where they can meet with other new students, find friends with similar interests, ask questions of their peers, and get updates on what is happening around DigiPen.

Additionally, new this year, DigiPen will have an Official Campus Discord Server that is open to all students on campus and managed by DigiPen Staff. This will serve a similar role to the cohort Discord server, but will additionally allow for staff to keep students in the know about campus events and happenings, and will a place where students serving in staff positions or student government roles will also be able to engage with students and create opportunities for connection and community.

DigiPen Twitch TV:

New this year to the DigiPen Community, DigiPen will have an official Twitch Channel allowing for regular interactive content and engagement between students and staff as well as students with other students. While we know that community members will devise creative ideas of what to showcase on the channel, we know that students may want to showcase games they are working on, faculty may host a meetup based on an area of interest, and staff may host any number of fun and interactive events. Community members will be able to sign up for a time slot on the channel, and the entire DigiPen community will be able to tune in and see what's happening. 

If you have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Student Life at studentlife@digipen.edu.

We have been working diligently to create a New Student Orientation experience that fully immerses you in DigiPen while ensuring the health and wellness of all our students, staff, and faculty.

Incoming fall 2021 students can plan for New Student Orientation to take place August 23 - 27, 2021. More details and information will be released during summer 2021.

If you have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Student Life at studentlife@digipen.edu.