Dean shares full 2021-2022 COVID-19 policy with students as fall semester begins

Dear Students,

Allegheny County has unfortunately moved to the “high risk” category due to the elevated number of positive COVID-19 cases. Details may be found by clicking here. Our actions as a University community, through a commitment to the common good, remain critically important for overall health and safety.

Given the recent surge in positive cases, the University deems the following information important for you to know:

New This Week:

Full 2021-2022 COVID-19 Policy Available

Please take a moment to review the full 2021-2022 COVID-19 Policy in the 2021-2022 Student Handbook, which can be found by clicking here.

COVID-19 Campus Dashboard

We will be updating the Campus Dashboard Monday through Friday to remain transparent about COVID-19 infection rates among our campus community. The dashboard can be found by clicking here.

Commitment to the Common Good

All Carlow University students are asked to review and sign the Commitment to the Common Good, found by clicking here. This common commitment binds us as a University community and was key to our success in keeping COVID-19 infections low in the past academic year. Thank you in advance for your commitment to campus welfare.

Help Needed? Submit a Care Report

We all need assistance sometimes. If you become concerned about yourself or others, please submit a report and let the Care Team know about any needs, questions or concerns. We are active throughout the year, including the summer session, and will make contact with you to help. You may also contact the Student Affairs office at 412-578-6293 or studentaffairs@carlow.edu.

Reminders:

Welcome Week Fall 2021

Fall Welcome Week continues through August 22! The full schedule is posted here. We continue to be excited to have all new and returning students back for the fall semester. Go Celtics!

Testing Required for Unvaccinated Individuals

The Allegheny County Health Department has requested that all unvaccinated University students be tested prior to their return to campus and weekly going forward per CDC guidelines. Therefore, Carlow University is mandating that all unvaccinated students planning to attend in-person classes be tested and have a negative test result within 3-days prior to attending class for the semester and each week throughout the semester. Athletic and residential students will be tested on campus. Commuting students should access testing sites most convenient to them. If you do not have a clear mechanism for testing, please contact health services.

If you are uncertain where you may be tested, please consult the Allegheny County Health Department website.

Test results will need to be provided through electronic submission to Health Services. Details regarding that process will be provided in a separate communication.

Masking Now Required Indoors on Campus

Carlow University now requires all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear properly fitting masks indoors at all times. However, individuals are not required to wear a mask while outdoors on campus or inside campus buildings where they are alone in a self-contained space, such as an office or study room. This policy extends to all indoor spaces, including dining areas except when eating or drinking, owned or operated by the University. This preventative measure will remain in place until further notice.

The University continues to regard vaccination as the best prevention against contraction and spread of the COVID-19 virus and strongly recommends that all students be vaccinated prior to returning to campus and classes. In the coming weeks, to further assist us in keeping our faculty, staff, and students safe, we will be asking the community to upload their COVID-19 vaccination information to a centralized site. Please continue to read all University Communications for this important forthcoming information.

Please continue to frequently visit the University’s COVID-19 webpage for all updates. All COVID-19 related information can be found on this webpage.

Vaccination Status Disclosure Required

Per CDC guidelines and Allegheny County Health Department recommendations, Carlow University is requiring students to report their vaccination status. Students will report information directly to Health Services who will be sending information regarding reporting this information in a separate communication. Information will be gathered in aggregate form to guide University policy, prevention, and mitigation decisions.

Enjoy your final weekend before classes begin on Monday and be safe!

Sincerely,

Timothy P. Phillips, PhD
Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students

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