Ready & Resilient update on travel, testing, events and expectations for Winter Term

Students,

The following information will be helpful as you return to campus in the coming days and prepare for Winter Term.

TRAVEL, ARRIVAL AND TESTING

Testing locations for Sunday, Jan. 10

• Sophomores, juniors, seniors: Schar Center (look for tent in back of the building)
• First-year students: Alumni Gym in Koury Athletics Center
• Testing for everyone on all other days will occur in Alumni Gym.

Travel or weather delays

• Same Day Arrival: If your travel is delayed and you can arrive at the test site during testing hours on the same day of your appointment, just come late to the test site.
• Next Day Arrival: If your travel is delayed to a later date, make a new appointment here.

Sick or experiencing symptoms?

If you are sick, experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or do not pass the daily health screen, do not come to campus and do not attend campus testing. Isolate and seek medical consultation with your primary healthcare provider at home or Student Health Services at 336-278-7230 (do not come to the office).

Mandatory quarantine

All students must quarantine in their rooms, either in campus housing or off-campus, until they receive a negative test result. While awaiting results, students may go to dining halls, wearing masks, to pick up meals. No other access to campus facilities will be allowed.

Prior Positive

Students with a prior positive PCR or antigen (with symptoms) test within 90 days of arrival must complete the COVID-19 Testing Exception form and provide documentation through their Phoenix Health Portal.

Test results

Results will be posted within 3 hours at the bottom of your My Readiness page.

• Negative results do not require confirmation via PCR test.
• Those with positive results are required to immediately return to the gym to take a PCR test and then quarantine at least until those results are returned within 24-48 hours (to avoid any chance of false positives).
• Those with a positive result, confirmed by a positive PCR test, will be required by the Health Department to isolate for 10 days. Close contacts to positive cases will also be required to quarantine for 14 days.

EVENTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

First-Year student events

Tomorrow, Director of Residence Life MarQuita Barker will email first-year students with information about special first-year events.

Winter Term events

All students should watch for additional in-person activities taking place during Winter and Spring Term, including smaller, in-person organization fairs and the return of athletic contests in the spring. All events will prioritize safe practices, including wearing masks.

We appreciate all members of the university community remaining vigilant about reducing virus transmission, even as we continue lower-risk activities that are consistent with in-person learning in our residential environment.

Learning guide, attendance and resources for students

In response to student questions, the Information for Students page has been updated with new resources, including:

• A Learning Guide which provides strategies for student success, including guidance for adjusting to blended, hybrid and online learning environments, tips for attending class virtually, best practices for utilizing video conferencing platforms, and campus resources
• Updated Academic Policies & Information, including updated attendance policies and expectations
• Learning and well-being resources and strategies for connecting/engaging on campus.

EXPECTATIONS

As we move into Winter Term and Spring Semester, all students should review the following guidelines and expectations.

• The revised Healthy Elon Commitment – shared practices to protect the community and decrease virus spread.
• Campus expectations for Shared Responsibility and Accountability, including student conduct outcomes expected for violations of university policies and local/state orders.
• Event and gathering guidelines are included on the website here. The Town of Elon emergency declaration continues to limit non-university-sponsored and unregistered social gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
• NC Stay at Home Order extended through January 29: North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order, through Friday, January 29.
  • The order requires all North Carolina residents—including students—to remain in their residence between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless traveling for work, grocery shopping, seeking medical attention or other essential services.
  • Restaurants may remain open after 10 p.m. for take-out or delivery service only.
  • Impacts on campus services and facilities include:
    • Facilities, including Koury Athletic Center, all recreation facilities, Belk Library, and Moseley Campus Center will close at 10 p.m.
    • Residential dining locations will be closed no later than 10 p.m., but take-out options will remain available after that time. Late Night in Lakeside will not be scheduled during Winter Term.
    • Even as we plan more in-person campus activities, they will conclude no later than 10 p.m.

Safe travels back to campus. We appreciate your commitment to protecting the health of the Elon community, and we wish you a successful Winter Term.

The Ready & Resilient Committee

• Jeff Stein, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Assistant Professor of English (Chair)
• Dan Anderson, Vice President of University Communications
• Ginette Archinal, Medical Director of Student Health and University Physician
• MarQuita Barker, Director of Residence Life
• John Barnhill, Associate Vice President for University Advancement
• Tom Flood, Assistant Vice President of Physical Plant
• Jason Husser, Associate Professor of Political Science and Policy Studies, and Director of the Elon Poll (Academic Council Representative)
• Deandra Little, Assistant Provost, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and Professor of English
• Paul Miller, Assistant Provost for Academic Operations and Communications and Professor of Exercise Science
• Kelly Reimer, Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies (Staff Council Representative)
• Carrie Ryan, Director of Auxiliary Services
• Kelli Shuman, Associate Vice President for Human Resources & Chief Human Resources Officer
• Gabie Smith, Dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Psychology
• Mary Southern, Project Manager for Provost and Academic Affairs Operations (Project Manager)
• Mike Ward, Deputy Director of Athletics
• Randy Williams, Vice President and Associate Provost for Inclusive Excellence and Assistant Professor of Education