CHICOPEE, Mass. - When students return to classes this week at Elms College, they’ll be following the school’s updated COVID-19 guidelines for the Spring semester.

College president Harry Dumay announced all students, faculty, and staff will be required to have received a booster shot by no later than March 1.

Prior to the start of the fall 2021 semester, Elms had required all students, faculty, and staff be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination before returning to campus.

According to Dumay, this new policy isn’t a change, but an update in the right direction for school safety.

"The fundamental safety measure that we've put in place have helped us thus far to be a safe campus," Dumay said in an interview Tuesday. "The solidarity of the college community: faculty, staff, students coming together to maintain the campus safety has been a key factor to the success. So we're going to maintain that in place."

Elms College students return to in-person classes on Wednesday. All were required to have a negative COVID-19 test before moving back to the resident halls.