The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event that has affected every part of the lives of the Elizabethtown community. To return to a “new normal,” the College is reopening for the Fall 2020 semester with a plan and safeguarding protocols in place to protect students, professors, faculty and visitors from COVID-19.
Before the College reopened, updates about returning to campus and answers to frequently asked questions about reopening were sent to students and faculty. One of the email updates detailed the sequenced return to campus for students, where first-years, seniors, sophomores and juniors would return to campus in two week increments, with sophomores and juniors arriving the same week. This is to prevent a potential uptick in cases due to an increased density of students coming back to campus at one time.
“The College’s phased return plan is unique to the surrounding area. Several schools in our regional area have made the move to primarily remote instruction whether students are living on campus or not,” Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager and COVID-19 task force member Austin Crull said.
Once students return to campus, each is given a COVID-19 oral swab test and must quarantine in their living arrangement until their results are emailed. All test samples are sent to Vault Medical Services who will provide results to the College within a few days.
However, safety does not stop once a student receives a negative test result, as the College has put in place community and personal safety measures. Community safety measures include social distancing and limited capacity for group gatherings. Everyone must wear a mask or some face covering when inside buildings, as well as practice personal hygiene by washing hands frequently, not touching your face and using tissues instead of your hands when coughing or sneezing.
Common areas in housing buildings have been reconfigured to promote social distancing, and bathrooms in residence halls will have capacity limits. No visitors will be allowed in any residence halls, apartments, quads or SDLCs.
All students, faculty and staff on campus must complete the Daily Digital Health Monitoring survey each day before entering campus to monitor symptoms. The survey link can be found on the LiveSafe app.
A student who tests positive for the virus will isolate on the first floor of Royer for at least 14 days or until they are symptom free for over three days. Any students who may have been exposed to COVID-19 will quarantine on the second or third floor of Royer for 14 days.
As for classes, students had the choice to receive instruction in-person or remotely. In-person instruction will last through Wednesday, Nov. 25 where fully-remote teaching will continue until the end of the semester. Some classes have adopted a hybrid format where some instruction days are in-person while others are remote. Many professors are also offering office hours through Zoom to minimize face-to-face contact.
Seating for all dining areas has been drastically reduced for social distancing. The Marketplace is allowing students to take out as many meals as they want up to the numbers on their meal plans. From 11a.m. to 1p.m. the Jay Truck, the KAV and the Jay’s Nest will be offering additional meal items for students.
As of now, any fall sports games scheduled to take place this semester have been postponed. Students must make reservations to use the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being as the building is operating at limited capacity. Face coverings must be worn while in the building, and equipment must be wiped down after use.
The College is now preparing for the sophomore and juniors to return to campus from Sept. 17 to Sept. 19, although this move-in will be somewhat different compared to the first-year, senior and graduate students. Any students who already have a roommate on campus will receive an at-home COVID-19 test as to not force roommates to quarantine while waiting for test results. Students returning to campus who are not impacted by this will receive a test on-campus.
“The College is proud of the community’s overall compliance with the reopening plan,” Crull said. “We have not faced any major issues however we continue to monitor and address our plans in response to the evolving pandemic.”
