COVID-19 Vaccinations Coming to SMU

Dear SMU Community,

SMU is pleased to announce that the Dr. Bob Smith Health Center will be a provider of the COVID-19 vaccination for the campus community. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved an emergency authorization for a vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech.

The Texas Department of State Health Services will be laying out specific procedures and timelines for distribution. Initial allocation of doses will be limited and will focus on health care workers (starting with inpatient facilities), frontline responders and vulnerable/high risk populations.  

Our Health Center will administer the vaccine in phases according to the State’s guiding principles for distribution. Supplies allocated to our campus are not expected until after the first of the year, but vaccination plans are in place for when they arrive. Our campus health care workers and frontline responders – Health Center employees and SMU police ­– will receive the initial allotment of vaccines, followed by members of the SMU community, as directed by county and state health officials. Plans are in place to make the vaccination available to spouses and dependents of SMU employees as well.

More information on what to expect and how to register for the vaccine will be forthcoming, but we wanted to let you know that SMU is making this important preventive measure available to our employees and students. We strongly encourage all members of the SMU community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when available, and help us all stay Mustang Strong.

Sincerely,

Randy Jones

Executive Director, Dr. Bob Smith Health Center

SMU Releases 2021 COVID-19 Operations Plan

Dear SMU Community,

We hope you had a safe and restful holiday and are recharged to finish the fall semester strong.

As we prepare for winter break, planning for next semester is well underway. We learned a great deal over the past eight months about how to keep teaching, working, living and interacting on campus as safely as possible during a pandemic. We are using that information to make the SMU experience even better going forward.

Members of the University’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), who represent various departments and functions across campus, have developed and released the 2021 COVID 19 Operations Plan. The information contained in this comprehensive plan is reflected in the newly-updated Mustang Strong website, that is easier navigation. The strategy for Spring builds upon our Fall 2020 Operations Plan that guided our campus community through a successful return to classes and campus life while minimizing the spread of COVID-19.

SMU will strive to continue delivering the outstanding personal education that is our hallmark while ensuring the health and safety of our campus community. We will continue working with state and county public health officials, following federal and local COVID-19 guidelines and employing safe practices in our campus operations and services to the greatest extent possible.

Please take some time to review the 2021 Operations Plan as well as the refreshed Mustang Strong website. We encourage you to bookmark the site and check it regularly so you can stay updated on our campus response to COVID-19.

Sincerely,
Chris Casey Regis
Vice President for Business and Finance
President’s Executive Council Liaison for the Emergency Operations Center