COVID-19 Response
Academic Year 2022-2023
The health and well-being of students, faculty and staff is a priority at Creighton University. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University has worked diligently to minimize the risk of the spread of the virus on our campuses – and in the community.
Currently, all students, faculty and staff reporting to the Omaha and Phoenix campuses are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their arrival on campus, unless an approved religious or medical exemption is filed with the University.
Effective July 1, 2023, the University will strongly encourage students, faculty and staff who are not actively engaged with a healthcare clinical partner to receive a primary COVID-19 vaccine. Health sciences students, faculty and staff will continue to be required to be up to date with their primary COVID-19 vaccine. This guidance is in line with public health recommendations and with updated guidelines in place at our peer institutions.
The University will continue to monitor COVID-19 data, as well as public health recommendations, and be flexible in its response.
Individuals who are feeling ill or recently tested positive for COVID-19 should not come to our campuses. Students, faculty and staff should follow these guidelines:
- What if I’m feeling ill or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms?
- What if I test positive for COVID-19?
- What should I do if I was in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19?
Questions? Email CoronavirusResponse@creighton.edu
Out of an abundance of caution for more vulnerable patient populations, Creighton University faculty, staff and students are required to wear face coverings in areas where there is direct patient contact, including clinic lobbies and waiting areas.
All full-time students are required to be compliant with Creighton University’s immunization requirements, unless an approved religious or medical exemption is filed with the University. To continue to make progress toward ever-changing federal guidelines, Creighton University is requiring all employees, including new hires, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved religious or medical exemption on file with the University. (See “Vaccine Exemption Request Forms” and “Federal Guidelines for Employees” below.)
Employees, working with their managers, can record paid time off for primary vaccination doses. (This does not include booster shots.)
The University also strongly encourages all students, faculty and staff to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines by receiving boosters as recommended by the CDC. More information regarding staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
All students, faculty and staff should upload confirmation of COVID-19 vaccinations to the Birdhouse.
Testing Options
- COVID-19 at-home test kits are available for purchase on the Omaha campus at the McGloin Market, Jack and Ed's Marketplace, online, in pharmacies and in retail stores.
- Testing options in Douglas County.
- Testing options in Maricopa County.
- If you are not on either campus, the local health department is an excellent resource or visit HHS.gov to find COVID-19 testing locations near you.
- See “What If I Test Positive for COVID-19?”
Vaccine Clinics
- Vaccination clinics in Douglas County.
- Vaccination clinics in Maricopa County.
- Upload confirmation of vaccination to the Birdhouse.
- If you are not on either campus, the local health department is an excellent resource or visit vaccines.gov.
Lost your vaccination card?
Immunizations are reported to the appropriate state health department’s Immunization Information System (IIS). The CDC has IIS records for all 50 states listed online, where you can look up and obtain a digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccination records after verifying some personal information.
In Douglas County, the health department has information on its website for requesting a replacement vaccination card. In Phoenix, individuals who have misplaced their COVID-19 vaccination card can submit an immunization record request to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) using this form.
What if I test positive for COVID-19?
The best way to care for yourself and others in your residence hall is to report your positive test result to Student Health Education and Compliance (SHEC) at studenthealth@creighton.edu.
Isolation in a residence hall can be done safely by following these instructions:
- Remain in your room other than to use the restroom, pickup meals or seek medical care.
- Wear a tight-fitting mask when your roommate is present and whenever you leave your room. If needed, masks are available for pickup at the Student Health Education & Compliance Office in KFC, #225.
- Avoid sharing personal items.
- Clean high-touch and shared surfaces often, such as electronics, counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures and toilets.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
- When utilizing a shared bathroom, wear a mask and sanitize the handwashing area and door handles after each use. Shower at low-volume times.
Campus Dining Options:
Visit Brandeis Hall or any retail dining location on campus and bring your meal back to your room to eat. Wear a mask at all times when leaving your room to obtain food items.
- Monday-Friday: students can go to the Grab and Go room at Brandeis to pick up breakfast and/or lunch.
- Seven days a week: students can go to the register at Brandeis and request a to-go container to get food to-go from the dining hall for dinner.
- Saturday and Sunday: students can go to the register at Brandeis and request a to-go container to get food to-go from the dining hall for brunch.
- Students can use two meal swipes to pick up multiple meals at a time (for example: picking up lunch and dinner on one trip).
Creighton continues to monitor federal vaccine mandates for employers, which include various policies under legal review requiring vaccinations, testing and masking for employees.
Currently, employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or obtain a religious or medical exemption approved by the University.
Vaccination Exemption Request Forms
All full-time students are required to be compliant with Creighton University’s immunization requirements, unless an approved religious or medical exemption is filed with the University. To continue to make progress toward ever-changing federal guidelines, Creighton University is requiring all employees, including new hires, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved religious or medical exemption on file with the University. (See “Vaccine Exemption Request Forms” and “Guidelines for Employees” above.)
The University asks employees seeking a COVID-19 vaccination exemption to complete a medical exemption request or the religious exemption request, and email the completed and signed* form to EmployeeExemptions@creighton.edu.
Please note: Use “COVID-19 Medical Exemption Request” or “COVID-19 Religious Exemption Request” as the email subject line depending on which form you are submitting, and allow up to five business days for a response.
All information provided will be kept strictly confidential. The details regarding the nature of the exemption will not be released, and all exemption forms will be kept in compliance with federal law.
*To sign an exemption form:
- Download the file to your computer, open the downloaded file in Adobe Acrobat, click on the signature field and sign using the “Sign with Digital ID” form that automatically opens.
- OR print the form, sign it manually with a pen and then scan the form back to PDF format to email.
FLPAs Require Vaccination
Faculty and students who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will NOT be permitted to participate in Faculty-Led Programs Abroad (FLPA) in summer 2022. The reason for this is that most countries (and currently all where FLPAs might travel) require vaccination for arrival and are not subject to the U.S. federal exemptions.
Register for Travel
As a reminder, any University-sponsored travel more than 75 miles away MUST be registered with the Global Engagement Office. The University’s preferred travel company, Concur (formerly Travel & Transport), will help to ensure that trips are strategically sourced, with appropriate travel provisions.
University-sponsored Travel is Resuming Gradually
All University-sponsored domestic and international travel must be preapproved and registered in Creighton University’s Travel Registry System:
- Travelers must create a profile (first-time registration only) to submit each new itinerary and other travel documents (depending on destination).
- The registry system routes the proposed trip for administrative approval from designated college/school or divisional approvers.
- A risk management review is then conducted by the Global Engagement Office (GEO) to determine if any special waivers will be required before clearing the traveler to purchase a ticket.
- When cleared by GEO, international travelers must also enroll in Creighton’s Travel Security Program (includes University-approved supplemental insurance, the AlertTraveler app, etc.).
- All trips are tracked in the University’s Enterprise Risk Management Dashboard.
Creighton strongly recommends that all travelers (faculty, staff or students) refrain from purchasing travel tickets until the Global Engagement Office has confirmed they are cleared to travel. For more information about travel registration, participating in study-abroad opportunities, returning from international travel, or coming to Creighton as an international student, please visit Creighton’s Global Engagement Office.
For More Information:
Contact the Global Engagement Office for sponsored travel questions.
