The COVID-19 pandemic impacts many facets of life at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). IAIA’s priority is the safety, health, and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. We will continue to prepare a dynamic and flexible educational experience that considers the realities of life during this pandemic. Accordingly, we will reimagine how we deliver our academic programs, housing and dining services, extracurricular activities, gatherings, and events.

The 2022 fall semester will require flexibility, compassion, patience, and persistence, so each of us will be required to act conscientiously in ways that benefit our community. As the pandemic has taught us, we are all in this together.

IAIA administration will evaluate and discuss the college’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and update our plans as required. Our Fall 2022 Semester Reopening Plan is based on the latest medical and scientific guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Mexico Department of Health.

For more information about the reopening plan, contact IAIA President Dr. Martin (Cherokee) at (505) 424-2301 or by email at rmartin@iaia.edu.

To report a positive case, please contact IAIA Dean of Students Nena Martinez-Anaya at (505) 424-2331 or nanaya@iaia.edu or IAIA Academic Dean Felipe Colón at (505) 424-2354 or fcolon@iaia.edu.

COVID-19 and Monkeypox

IAIA has a COVID-19 vaccination mandate. Students, if you are unvaccinated due to an approved exemption and you are symptomatic or have been in close contact with a positive person, you are obligated to notify Deans Felipe Colon, fcolon@iaia.edu, and Nena Martinez Anaya, nanaya@iaia.edu. Please follow the protocol for COVID-19 testing outlined below.

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills or shaking, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell, pleaseobtain a test. It is highly recommended that students, faculty, and staff obtain their own rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits. You can find information about getting tests at www.findatestnm.org. Tests can be ordered from:

• www.accesscovidtests.org
• www.covid.gov/tests

If you live on-campus, please use the following address to receive your tests by mail:

83 Avan Nu Po Road Mailbox # (your mailbox number)
Santa Fe, NM  87508

Make sure you include your mailbox number to receive your tests.

If you test negative but your symptoms persist, please set up a PCR with your medical provider or at one of the following sites:

• CVS Health
• Walgreens
• Walmart

If you have not yet obtained a COVID-19 booster, find out how to get one by visiting the CDC’s website.

The Institute of American Indian Arts will also work with the NM Department of Health to host booster clinics for the Fall semester.

IAIA is offering a $50 incentive if you have received your booster shot. Please fill out a form to submit.

Additionally, while rare, monkeypox cases are on the rise. Monkeypox is a rare disease spread by close personal contact, intimate partner contact, or contact with an object or surface used by someone with the virus that causes a rash or sores (pox) and may cause flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, body aches, and exhaustion. Infection may last 2­–4 weeks.

Students, faculty, and staff should be vigilant about this virus and visit a healthcare provider if symptoms appear. While vaccines are not yet widely available in New Mexico, anyone concerned about their risk for monkeypox and interested in a vaccine can call the NM Department of Health (NMDOH) at 1 (855) 600-3453, option 4, for a confidential consultation.

Please refer to the CDC’s Monkeypox 2022 U.S. Map & Case Count web page for current New Mexico and national case counts.

Campus-Wide Guiding Principles

• Town Hall meetings will be scheduled as needed for faculty, staff, and students to provide general information and updates regarding the pandemic and its impact on programming at IAIA.
• The State of New Mexico lifted the limited capacity restrictions for community gatherings in July 2021 as the state made progress with vaccination rates and experienced reductions in COVID–19 case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths. As a result, and after 16 months of closure in 2021, the IAIA campus reopened to the public. However, visitors and the IAIA community are required to follow the COVID–19 guidelines provided by the State of New Mexico.
• Masks are no longer required to be worn indoors or outdoors, but are recommended for congested in-door gatherings
• We will continue to follow CDC guidelines, the New Mexico Public Health and Governor’s health orders, and COVID–19 safe practices.
• We signed the White House’s COVID–19 Vaccine Challenge, pledging to encourage our campus community to get vaccinated. All students enrolled in in-person classes will be required to be vaccinated. Given the spread of COVID-19 variants, we must continue to be diligent in our efforts to increase vaccination rates among students, faculty, and staff. We will host vaccination and testing clinics on campus.
• Fall Semester classes will be approximately 70% in-person and 30% online, including “hyflex” courses that can be taken either online or in-person.
• Hand hygiene is recommended (frequent washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizer).
• Signage and other communications will remain in place to remind students, faculty, and staff of the utmost importance of social distancing, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.
• Protective equipment is provided, including face coverings, goggles, and Plexiglas
• Environmental cleaning and disinfection will occur daily and multiple times in high-traffic areas and high-touchsurfaces with CDC-approved materials.
• Employees are required to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to work.
• There may be temperature checks for entry to classrooms, offices, and other areas.
• Those who have contracted or have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 must quarantine.
• Testing and isolation are required for symptomatic students, faculty, and staff.
• We will work with the New Mexico Department of Health, New Mexico Environment Department, the New Mexico Governor’s Office, and TCU Rapid Response Team to ensure we can effectively respond to and control
• If weather permits, we encourage outdoor activities that are safer than indoor
• Contingency plans will be implemented in the event of an on-campus outbreak for students housed on campus, including quarantine meal delivery and contact tracing on campus.
• Using social media and other communication strategies, the Student Life Division will collaborate with the Associated Student Government leadership to work with clubs to implement COVID-19 safe practices.
• We will continue researching ways to engage students in campus life while maintaining COVID-safe practices.
• Ongoing outreach will continue to support student wellbeing through counseling, training, workshops, and seminars.
• Daycare services will remain closed for the fall semester.
• An increase in the frequency of van transportation will be implemented to accommodate fewer students in each van.

Bon Appetit Café

• Outside patio seating is available with furniture separated and structured to ensure social distancing.
• In cases of quarantined students, Bon Appetit Café will ensure that meals can be prepared and delivered in disposable to-go containers.

Museum

• The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) will follow all New Mexico Public Health order’s COVID-safe practices.
• Signage is placed throughout the museum to remind visitors of protocols and control traffic flow.

Museum Store

• Disposable face coverings will be available upon request and free of charge.
• Signage is placed outside the building that lists protocols for the museum and store.

Campus Improvements

Below are examples of the campus safety improvements completed or in process using COVID-19 relief funds:

• Water bottle stations and fountains
• Campus gallery expansion
• Student Union HVAC replacement
• Academic building HVAC replacement
• Ceramic studio and kiln ventilation
• Auditorium A/V overhaul to maximize the use of this space for maintaining social distancing in large classes
• Added outdoor classrooms
• Added awnings and natural gas heaters to outdoor café patio
• Sculpture Foundry awning for courtyard
• Lighted pathway, increase security and use of the cultural Hogan
• Security camera upgrades
• Internet bandwidth upgrades
• Electronic entrance sign
• Additional student passenger and ADA-compliant vans will be purchased

Thank you,


Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation), EdD
President
Institute of American Indian Arts
83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508
P (505) 424.2301
F (505) 424.0050
E rmartin@iaia.edu
www.iaia.edu

IAIA’s Mission: To empower creativity and leadership in Native arts and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and outreach.