In March 2020, Chancellor Schmidt directed UW-Eau Claire staff and faculty to follow Governor Tony Evers “Safer at Home” directive. Only those employees essential to keeping critical campus operations in place were to remain working on campus while everyone else was to work from home. Those who remained working on campus included the UW-EC Police, the staff of the Children’s Nature Academy, support staff in the residence halls and food service, faculty with active research projects, and key facilities employees. Those helping students in Counseling Services, Student Health Service, Blugold Central, Admissions, Accounts Payable, and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning also worked on campus. By fall of 2020, UW-EC required staff and students to register and use a Blugold Protocol app to self-monitor their health. Bi-weekly antigen testing was required to work and be on campus. After the COVID vaccine became available during spring 2021, it was decided that campus would return to “normal” by the fall 2021 semester. Everyone was encouraged to be fully vaccinated and to upload their vaccination record to the Blugold “dashboard” - another source of COVID data related to the campus community. Several incentive campaigns were launched during fall semester 2021 to encourage students to be fully vaccinated. Additionally, masks were required to be worn indoors on campus through April 2022.