Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

Campus members are doing a great job keeping COVID-19 to a minimum on our campus. We are self-screening, testing, wearing masks, washing hands frequently, staying 6 ft. apart, avoiding large gatherings, and following other safety protocols. Our COVID-19 positivity rate remains low, and we all need to remain vigilant, on and off-campus, especially as new variants of COVID-19 have been on the rise across the country.

We write to remind you that the university’s temporary restrictions on travel that were first put in place at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 are still in effect and have been refined as Washington State requirements and guidelines have changed. 

Travel on Behalf of the University. Puget Sound continues to prohibit international travel on behalf of or otherwise supported by the university and domestic non-essential travel on behalf of the university. The determination of the essential or non-essential nature of specific domestic travel will be made based on the facts, circumstances, and judgment of the approving Cabinet member. 

Personal Travel. All non-essential personal travel outside of Washington State is strongly discouraged. Travel may require self-quarantine up to 14 days upon return as determined by Washington State’s requirements for higher education institutions or other requirements in place at that time. Regardless, the university strongly recommends that faculty and staff travel outside the State of Washington self-quarantine for seven days upon return and test negative twice before engaging in in-person activities on campus.  Faculty and staff planning domestic travel outside of Washington are expected to notify their supervisor or department head in advance to promptly identify potential work impacts and necessary adjustments (including applicable impacts of compensation during voluntary self-quarantine) and assure the university stays in compliance with relevant regulatory requirements.

Faculty and staff who travel outside of Washington have access to the university’s asymptomatic pooled testing upon return. They should take care to maintain six feet of distance from others when dropping off testing samples at the Testing Pavilion and avoid movement elsewhere on campus until receiving two negative tests.

If you must travel, please take all appropriate precautions. You might find the CDC’s guidance on Travel During COVID-19 and State of Washington COVID-19 Travel Guidance helpful.

Thank you for upholding the Campus Community Pledge to protect our campus community.

Laura and Sherry

Laura L. Behling, Ph.D. | Provost
Sherry B. Mondou | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer