Frequently Asked Questions
Return to Campus
Last Updated: August 25, 2020
Elizabethtown College is partnering with CSI® for employee and student testing. CSI® employs the
FDA-recommended, TaqPath RT-PCR COVID-19 test system. It is important to note that CSI® has been
certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA Lab ID Number: 37318) to perform COVID-19
testing as of May 1, 2020. CSI® is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) and The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) of 1988 (CLIA
Number: 39D-2180522). The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is considered the gold standard of
tests currently available, as it provides an indication of the presence of the coronavirus by
looking directly for its genetic material. Such tests can determine if someone is carrying the virus
and whether or not symptoms are present.
The first day of classes is Monday, August 24. Students will
remain on campus through November 20 with the final two weeks of the semester including finals will
be conducted remotely. View a list of important dates for the fall semester:
- Momentum/Kinesis/RAs/Peer Mentors Students Move-In Date: August 17
- First-Year Honors Students Move-In Date: August 18
- First-Year Students (including incoming transfer students) Move-In Dates: August 19, 20
- Fall New Student Orientation Dates: August 21, 22, 23
- First Day of Classes (in-person and remote): Monday, August 24
- Seniors and Graduate (fourth and fifth-year) Students Move-In Dates: September 5, 6
- In-person Instruction for Senior and Graduate Students Begins: September 7
- Class Instruction Day: Monday, September 7 (Labor Day)
- Sophomore and Junior Students Move-In Dates: September 17, 18, 19
- In-person Instruction for Sophomores and Juniors Begins: September 21 (This day is designated for professional development and training sessions for both faculty and students.)
- No Fall Break/Class Instruction Days: October 1, 2
- No Class Instruction: October 20 (Professional Development and Training Session for Faculty and Students)
- Students Depart Campus for Fall Semester: Saturday, November 21 or Sunday, November 22
- Remote Learning Days: November 23, 24
- Thanksgiving Break: November 25, 26, 27
- Remote Learning Week: Monday, November 30 to Friday, December 4
- Remote Finals Week: Monday, December 7 to Friday, December 11
First-year and incoming transfer students will move in on August 19 and 20. All
returning students will move in during a staggered schedule that will be communicated to students
prior to arrival. There will be a limit of two people to assist with student move-in as well as the
screening of all individuals per entrance to campus.
Campus buildings will have lowered capacities and will have additional signage
with guidelines on access and procedures. Hand sanitizing stations will be accessible in all
buildings along with markers for social distancing.
Commuter students and those students who live in off-campus housing are
required to follow all regulations while on campus including but not limited to wearing face
coverings, social distancing, and will need to complete the daily digital monitoring screening. We
strongly encourage all students to limit travel, especially those residing in the community versus a
campus residence. If commuter or off-campus housing students depart campus in the same day and
return, they will be directed to complete a screening as would other students leaving campus for
internships, work, etc.
Commuters should come to the assigned move-in date for their respective class
to get tested (and obtain their ID, etc.). Students will go through the screening, testing, and
check-in process and are directed to return home to quarantine until receiving results.
Yes. The building will be open with adjusted hours. Students will also still
have access to the fitness center, demonstration kitchen, group fitness classes and the field house
track. There will also be a limited number of intramural sports available. Some areas/features of
the building will not immediately be available, but may be offered in a phased approach as
guidelines allow including the sleep pod, equipment rentals and select fitness center areas
containing multiple high-use pieces of equipment. View
the Bowers Center reopening policies and procedures.
Masks will be required inside the building at all times. Increased cleaning
will be enforced throughout the building. There will be a decreased building capacity to ensure
social distancing. Guests will also be required to sign-up in advance for the use of the fitness
center, demo kitchen, group fitness areas, etc. View
the Bowers Center reopening policies and procedures.
Unfortunately, we will not be holding Campaign this year due to the sequenced
move-in of our students. However, Student Senate is working to include a video of our performance
groups so that you can experience all of the excitement of Campaign while celebrating the talents of
these groups (and maybe you’ll get excited to join one!) Campaign is an event planned by Student
Senate that highlights the performance groups and opportunities to get involved on campus.
First-year student who are studying remotely in the fall will receive their
student ID when they arrive on campus in the spring semester.
New Student Orientation will be held on August 21 through August 23 both
in-person and remotely. Students who have elected to learn remotely will participate via Zoom. New
students living on campus will participate in face-to-face orientation in segmented groups to
maintain social distancing. Incoming transfer students as well as commuters should participate in
New Student Orientation either in-person or remotely. Visit the College’s New Student Orientation webpage
for more details.
All students, faculty, and staff are reminded to complete the required Daily Digital Health Report each day prior to arriving on campus. The College's Daily Digital Health Report is a short survey of several questions that will need to be completed each day by logging onto Jayweb (and click on the Health Monitoring tab) or by accessing the link through the LiveSafe app.
Health and Safety
Yes. Face masks or face coverings are required to be worn by all community
members while in public spaces both indoors and outdoors. An exception will be made while eating,
but social distancing should still be observed, and the facial covering must always be used when
stepping away from the table. One face mask will be provided to all Etown students upon arrival on
campus.
All students, faculty, staff and visitors must ensure their
face-covering/disposable mask fits over the nose and under the chin. For example, a face shield
(that does not go under the chin) without a mask under it is unacceptable.
As students arrive on campus, students will be directed to a specific COVID-19
testing tent on campus where medical professionals will collect an oral swab sample for testing so
that we have a baseline affirmation that our community is protected as we begin the semester. Within
24 to 48 hours, the student and College will be notified of the results. While waiting for those
results, students will be quarantined in their residence halls. There will be an initial testing fee
to students of no more than $89 placed on their student accounts. Students who experience hardship
from this fee are encouraged to contact the College’s Financial Aid Office. Any further
testing throughout the semester to identify and address the potential emergence of the infection
early and avoid further spread through symptomatic and random testing will be funded by the College.
Meals for residential students who are quarantining until they get their test
results, will be delivered to their respective residence hall.
Yes. All students and employees will participate in safety and health training
to educate and familiarize themselves with new campus standards.
Any student testing positive for COVID-19 will not be publicly
identified and the College will follow its FERPA and HIPAA requirements which guarantees privacy.
With that said, notification of a positive test must be shared with local and state
officials. Additionally, the campus community will be notified by email of any reported positive
case on campus confirming the presumed location and any contact tracing information. The
College will only report positive cases that are self-identified. Identification suspected and
reported by another individual is prohibited and will be met with
swift and significant actions through our student conduct system or Human Resources office.
Prompt and efficient contact tracing is an essential public heath activity to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The College has assembled a team of contact tracers who will be conducting the tracing process and each of them are certified through the Johns Hopkins University contact tracing program. When we learn that a student has tested positive for COVID-19, the College will follow the following procedure with that student:
- Communicate with the student to offer support, share information about resources, and discuss Isolation procedures.
- Make plans to stay in communication.
- Work with the student who tested positive to develop a list of people who have had close contact on a regular basis (within six feet for at least 15 minutes) with the student since 48 hours before the student’s symptoms started (or two days prior to the positive specimen collection if the student who tested positive is not having symptoms).
Each person named on the contact list will receive communication via phone where we will follow the following procedure:
- Identify ourselves and let the person know we are calling because they have been identified as someone who has had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
- Let them know that the purpose of the call is to reduce the transmission/spread of COVID-19, explain confidentiality guidelines and clarify that the person is in a private location where they can talk.
- Without naming or identifying the person who tested positive, we will share information about the date when the most recent contact occurred, how close contact is defined, and the requirement that contacts quarantine until two weeks pass from their most recent time of contact.
- Explain Quarantine procedures.
- We communicate with the student to offer support, share information about resources, and discuss Quarantine procedures.
- We make plans to stay in communication.
Students who exhibit symptoms are directed to immediately tell Student Health
to be tested. If positive, it is within the 48 hours of your present symptoms that the College will
contact trace. Current researchers estimate that the majority of people who get infected with the
coronavirus are most contagious 1 to 2 days before they feel sick. This is the basis for the
CDC’s current 48 hour window that we are using for contact tracing. We have also assembled a
College team of contact tracers who will be conducting the tracing process for us, and each of them
are certified through the Johns Hopkins University contact tracing program. Should faculty or staff
report symptoms, they should not report to campus and should contact their healthcare provider.
All classroom schedules will have a minimum of 20 minutes built in between
classes in order for the room to be cleaned and surfaces to be wiped down.
No. Students are asked to practice the same health and safety measures off
campus as they do on campus. This includes social distancing, wearing masks, and practicing good
personal hygiene.
The student will be placed in quarantine either at their home residence with
their guardians or in Royer Hall—if they need to remain on campus. Student Health Services will
monitor the student daily and they will be supplied with food and any other necessities needed. The
student will remain in quarantine until cleared by a medical professional. Additionally, any student
testing positive for COVID-19 will not be publicly identified and the College will follow its FERPA
and HIPAA requirements which guarantees privacy. With that said, notification of a positive test
must be shared with local and state officials. Additionally, the campus community will be notified
by email of any reported positive case on campus confirming the presumed location and any contact
tracing information. The College will only report positive cases that are self-identified.
Identification suspected and reported by another individual is prohibited and will be met with swift
and significant actions through our student conduct system or Human Resources office.
All students and employees will receive more cleaning protocols in our
return-to-campus guides which will be shared this evening by email and on our website. In terms of
the classroom buildings, rooms will have lowered capacities and there will be additional signage
with guidelines on access and procedures. Hand sanitizing stations will be accessible in all
buildings along with markers for social distancing. In addition, all classroom schedules will have a
minimum of 20 minutes built in between classes in order for the room to be cleaned and surfaces to
be wiped down. For students in their residences, our Campus Services team will be increasing the
cleaning protocols, however it will be imperative that all students keep their living and work areas
clean. This means wiping surfaces regularly, residential students taking out the trash and
recycling, laundering clothing/linens, vacuuming/sweeping, and dusting. And, a reminder that deep
cleaning is the not the same as sanitizing.
All students, faculty, and staff are reminded to complete the required Daily Digital Health Report each day prior to arriving on campus. The College's Daily Digital Health Report is a short survey of several questions that will need to be completed each day by logging onto Jayweb (and click on the Health Monitoring tab) or by accessing the link through the LiveSafe app.
Academic Instruction
All faculty members will be delivering courses primarily in one of four main ways:
- Face-to-face - meeting on campus at the scheduled course time in large enough space to ensure appropriate social distancing
- Hybrid (HYBR) - Combination of Face-to-Face and remote instruction, the latter of which may be synchronous or asynchronous, often indicated when rooms are not large enough for the entire class to meet at the same time
- Remote (RMTE) - Distance learning with synchronous component via Zoom during the scheduled class time
- Online (ONLN) - Exclusively online and asynchronous
This is Myer Hall. There are two large spaces that have been converted to
classroom spaces for this fall.
Most schedule adjustments have been completed and can be viewed by logging into
JayWeb and viewing your fall 2020 class schedule. Classes will be designated as Hybrid, Remote, or
Online. There are very few true online courses. These were approved as online well before we began
modifying the schedule to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hybrid courses are a combination of
face-to-face (i.e., in a classroom) and remote instruction. Remote classes refer to distance that
has a synchronous component. You will notice that both hybrid and remote courses still have class
days and times listed on the schedule. Students need to be prepared to meet during these class
times, either in a classroom space or in a virtual learning space.
Students needing assistance with technology for remote instruction should visit the Student Resources tab on the Etown ITS website for information and solutions on connecting remotely. Students can also submit an ITS help ticket and a member of the ITS staff will connect with you directly to answer your questions.
The library has a whole set of procedures that were put into operation this
summer to provide continued services in a safe manner. These are available on the library's website
and include limited access to the stacks of books and journals and reduced occupancy.
The College is using a combination of prevalence and containment metrics to
regularly assess on campus conditions and to make decisions about maintaining in person instruction.
A few of these metrics include:
- Number and trend of infections on campus
- Availability of quarantine and isolation facilities
- Percentage of cases linked to known cases
- Inventory levels of personal protective equipment
- One of the most important metrics we’ll be monitoring is the level of student and employee compliance with the College’s Health & Safety Measures. Are people wearing masks, are they practicing social distancing, etc. These measures are our first line of defense against the virus and if they are adhered to will go a long way to ensuring a safe and healthy campus environment.
For first-years who will be living on campus, the College Store will be
open Monday, Aug. 17 through Friday, Aug 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 23 from Noon to
4 p.m. for textbook pick up. If you are commuting, remote, or an upperclass student who ordered
books from the College Store, please email
them to make the necessary arrangements.
Students electing to learn remotely will not need to change their
schedule.
For the safety and well-being of our faculty and students, we
will reconfigure classrooms and other spaces on campus to provide appropriate social
distances within these spaces. Although most instruction will continue to be in-person, some
courses will intentionally be constructed to provide a vibrant remote learning experience to
maintain social distancing regulations and reduce larger groups of students in our
instructional spaces.
Elizabethtown College will accommodate students who must stay home due to an
underlying health condition that may make them or a family member more susceptible. Students who
need to study remotely should contact the Office of Student
Health. If you are a student who would elect for remote learning if given the
opportunity, please contact us. We are
working on details to ensure our academic model is a good experience for everyone.
Student status is defined by their entry year and is NOT
based on credits earned or expected graduation year. Students who are starting this fall 2020
(including new transfer students) are 1st year/new students for determining return to campus.
Students who started at Etown during the 2019-2020 year (fall '19 or spring '20) are 2nd
year/sophomores for return to campus. Students who started at Etown during the 2018-2019 year
(fall '18 or spring '19) are 3rd year/juniors for return to campus. Students who started at Etown
during the 2017-2018 year (fall '17 or spring '18) AND Students who started earlier are 4th
year/seniors or graduate students for determining return to campus.
Yes. The College will resume clinicals/fieldwork/internships in
accordance with best health and safety practices for the fall 2020 semester. All academic-related
student assignments will be reviewed and approved.
Housing & Student Life
Students are permitted to go home on the weekends, but we ask that you consider
staying and taking advantage of the activities and events we have planned throughout the fall over
the weekends. Minimizing travel is another way to keep our community safe. We highly encourage all
students to stay on campus until they depart for Thanksgiving break as we want to mitigate as much potential
exposure to the virus as we can.
Clubs and activities will still go on as planned as long as they follow the
state and CDC health orders as well as the College’s guidelines. We will also be adding more weekend
activities for students to encourage our community to stay on campus and refrain from traveling
off-campus.
Movie nights on the Dell, Bob Ross outdoor paint nights, Bingo on Brinser
Field, Price is Right on the Dell, GeoCache competitions, Outdoor Silent Disco, Comedians and
Hypnotists, and more activities to be announced during the semester.
The College asks for your final decision no later than August 12th. This will
give us enough time to adjust classroom spaces to uphold occupancies.
You will remain in your fall assignment. You will not be charged extra. You
could be assigned a new roommate at any point throughout the semester as needed.
We will do our best to uphold housing assignments. However, there are no
guarantees that you will be placed in the same room for spring.
It will be updated no later than Friday, August 7.
We will be sending these out no later than Friday August 7.
Students will remain in typical housing set-ups as they are accustomed. There
will be social distance measures taken within the buildings including bathroom and laundry
guidelines that will be shared with students.
You will recieve your move-in date and time from the Office of Community
Living. Students are allowed 2 guests to help them move-in. On your move-in date, you are to check
in at Leffler Chapel where you will be tested and your guests will complete a health screening. All
members in your party will have their temperature taken and be asked the screening questions. You
will complete the oral swab testing, which will be handled by an third party company. Only the
student needs to complete this testing. First-year new student orientation materials, ID card, and
parking decal at this time. If you are n first-year commuter student, you can return home at this
point and are asked to quarantine at home until receiving your test results. If you are negative for
COVID-19, you will us on-campus for New Student Orientation activities. Should you test positive for
COVID-19, Student Health will contact you on next steps.
At this point in time, we are not anticipating a complete move out of the
residence halls at Thanksgiving break for those students who are returning to campus housing for the
spring semester. However, we recommend that students take all belongings they might anticipate
needing between Thanksgiving Break and the start of the spring semester as access to the residence
halls will be restricted over the winter break.
As a precaution, no guests will be permitted in on-campus residential spaces
for the fall semester. Residence halls will only be accessible to those students living in the
respective building.
Students are strongly encouraged to remain on campus and should report any
needs to leave campus to their Residence Director.
No. The RA position is an on-campus job so you are not able to serve that
position remotely.
All incoming transfer students should move in on August 19 and 20 with
first-year students. You should also participate in New Student Orientation and begin in-person or
remote instruction on August 24.
Quarantine
Yes. Any student living on campus who tests positive for COVID-19 will be
isolated in Royer Hall located on campus. Student Health will check-in with the student to
ensure health, counseling, nutritional, and academic needs are met.
Yes, all students who have elected in-person instruction, are living on campus,
and/or who hold an on campus student employment position will need to enter quarantine after taking
their initial COVID-19 test. Students who live on campus will complete this initial quarantine in
their residence hall rooms/apartments. Food and any other necessary supplies will be delivered.
Students who do not live on campus are asked to quarantine in their personal residences until test
results are received. Initial test results are expected 24-48 hours after testing has been
conducted.
During the initial quarantine period, student’s will be isolated in their
rooms; however, they are able to use the restroom on their floor at any time. In addition, each
resident assistant will meet virtually with the students on their floor to determine how they want
to handle showers to ensure everyone’s health and safety.
Our Dining Services team will deliver meals to each student’s door while in
quarantine. They will receive a lunch delivery and a dinner delivery; dinner will include
continental breakfast items for the next morning. The meal deliveries will continue until the
student is out of quarantine.
Our resident assistants and peer mentors (for incoming first-year students)
will be communicating with the students on their floor and in their FYS, respectively. This will
happen via group chats so they can stay in touch, and virtual gatherings will be planned. We will
work very hard to ensure that students feel connected even during quarantine.
Dining
The Etown Dining Services team is committed to offering high-quality
operations and students will have four location choices available to them. The Marketplace will
operate with social distancing, with the KAV being a new option to have a custom grab-n-go meal
prepared for you on demand. In addition, the Jayʻs Nest will feature pre-packaged grab-n-go
options and the Jay Truck will offer comfort food both during meals and again on weekend
late-nights. There will be modifications made in order to properly maintain safety and social
distance guidelines. Instructions will be clearly communicated and labeled for all community
members.
Athletics
On July 31, the Landmark Conference announced that all fall sport contests and championships that were scheduled to take place in the fall semester have been postponed. The College is currently exploring options for athletically related activities to ensure the fall is robust for student-athletes and will share more details as they are available. View The full press release from the Landmark Conference. The conference also has their own FAQ with more detailed questions and answers about this decision regarding fall sport contests and championships can be found
Yes. All three facilities will have availability for students this fall.
Yes. All of our Coaches are committed to the success of our student-athletes and remain a resource for them throughout the semester.
Yes, the Athletic Training staff will have availability for student-athletes to serve them.
Yes, if you plan on participating in athletic activities; please consult with your Head Coach for more information.
Yes. To update your decision, email campusnews@etown.edu by Friday, August 7 and we can adjust your selections.
General Coronavirus-Related Questions
According to the Centers for Disease Center (CDC), the Coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The
virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation
into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging
from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- According to the CDC, you should seek medical advice if you develop symptoms and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or if you live in or have recently been in an area with the ongoing spread of COVID-19.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person
- Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet for at least 15 minutes).
- Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
- These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
- Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
Finance
Yes. If Elizabethtown College would need to close campus due to circumstances out of our control, students living within on-campus housing residences would receive a prorated refund for room and board.
No. Students who live in off-campus housing do not pay room and board costs.
Thank you for making a contribution to enhance the lives of Elizabethtown College students. Please visit our Giving section to make your donation.
More information and daily updates can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.
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Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298© 2020 Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298© 2020 Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, possession of a general education development certificate as compared to a high school diploma, or any other legally protected status. This commitment applies but is not limited to decisions made with respect to hiring and promotion, the administration of educational programs and policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other College administered programs. Discrimination or harassment of any kind is strictly forbidden.