FAQ - Elizabethtown College

Frequently Asked Questions

Return To Campus
Health & Safety
Housing & Student Life
Quarantine
Athletics
General

Return to Campus

Elizabethtown College has updated our COVID-19 guidelines to make mask-wearing optional on campus, effective March 4 for students, employees, and all guests. The College fully supports anyone who chooses to wear a mask and expects all members of the campus community to be respectful of this choice.

Students and employees engaging in College-related experiences off-campus will need to comply with the requirements of external facilities when it comes to masking.

Should COVID-19 cases on our campus rise to significant levels or our county move into the CDC's high transmission categories, the College may reinstate the indoor masking mandate and will communicate that immediately.

Students and employees are able to upload their vaccination and booster status on Jayweb.

Elizabethtown College is not currently mandating the COVID-19 vaccine but stronly encourages all members of the campus community get vaccinated. The College is requesting both employees and students to submit proof of their COVID-19 Vaccination status in order to be exempt from additional protocols including the completion of the Daily Digital Health Report and surveillance testing.

Yes. The building is open to the both students and employees. Students and employees will have access to the fitness center, demonstration kitchen, group fitness classes, and the field house track. These areas are not open to the general public.

Non-vaccinated individuals will be subject to random surveillance testing. Testing will occur each week and a percentage of these individuals will be selected randomly.

The College is not offering students the option to take in-person classes remotely this spring. Unless a class is scheduled to be online or remote, it will be delivered in-person.

Students exhibiting any symptoms of COVID and/or marking “yes” to any question on the Daily Digital Health Report and awaiting next steps from a physician or Student Health should not report to class. The College will send a courtesy notification to faculty if the student requests it. Students are responsible for discussing options with their faculty for completing missed coursework during this time. Students who are unable to attend class for an extended period of time or who are diagnosed with a health condition they believe precludes their adherence to College Guidance regarding COVID should contact Lynne Davies in Disability Services to discuss reasonable accommodations.

Commuter students will need to register for entry testing on one of the move-in days to be tested and may not arrive on the first day of classes without being tested on campus during the provided test times.

Students who have tested positive within the past 90 days should send verification of the positive test result and date to Student Health to have the move-in/ check-in testing requirement waived.

Health & Safety

Any student testing positive for COVID-19 will not be publicly identified and the College will follow its FERPA and HIPAA requirements which guarantee privacy. With that said, notification of a positive test must be shared with local and state officials. Additionally, the campus community will be notified through the Dashboard of any reported positive cases on campus, and contact tracing will be promptly conducted. 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 health 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 is 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 a total of at least 15 minutes during a 24 hour time period) 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 from a member of the College’s contact tracing team to discuss next steps with them.
- Unvaccinated contacts are required to quarantine (either at home or in Royer Hall) for seven days if they are not having symptoms and test negative at day five from their most recent contact.
- Vaccinated contacts who are not having symptoms do not have to quarantine, and we ask that they get tested 3 to 5 days from their most recent contact with the person who tested positive (this can be a rapid antigen test). Contacts who are having symptoms (whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated) need to quarantine and be tested.

Students, regardless of vaccination status, who exhibit symptoms are directed to not go to class/work and immediately notify Student Health through one of the following ways:

During Business Hours you can reach Student Health:
- Call 717-361-1405—you can leave a message; or
- Mark “yes” on the Daily Digital Health Report (DDHR) on JayWeb
After Business Hours or 24 hours/day :
- Campus Security (717-361-1264)

If testing is indicated, students will quarantine at their home off-campus or in Royer Hall awaiting results. If the test result is positive, the student will be supported to begin isolation and the College will follow the contact tracing procedures described above. Unvaccinated students and employees are required to complete the Daily Digital Health Report to facilitate monitoring for potential symptoms. 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 is certified through the Johns Hopkins University contact tracing program.

Should an employee answer yes to any of these questions, they should stay home and notify their supervisor that they cannot report to work. Human Resources will be automatically notified and will reach out to you for assistance with next steps.

Housing & Student Life

Yes.

Yes, students are allowed to visit others on campus.

Quarantine & Isolation

Your school's dean is a valuable resource and can help students navigate the support systems available in each school. The Center for Student Success can assist students in identifying appropriate academic support. Student Health can provide updated COVID-19 information and resources for ongoing health and wellness. COVID-19 related questions can be directed to the COVID Task Force.

Based on the recently published guidance by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the College has updated its quarantine and isolation procedures to the following:

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will isolate for 5 days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.

Additionally, non-vaccinated individuals or those who are more than six months out from their second vaccine dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted who are exposed will be required to quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.

Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask around others for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for COVID-19 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 throughout the semester will be isolated in Royer Hall as space allows. Student Health will check in with the student to ensure health, counseling, nutritional and academic needs are met. The College will send a courtesy notification to the faculty if the student requests it. Students are, however, responsible for discussing options with their respective faculty for completing missed coursework. College faculty will substitute a reasonable experience for students who miss class. These experiences will vary from class to class. Faculty have a variety of tools and approaches to help support students who are unable to attend class and will apply these tools in a way that meets the course’s learning objectives. Students who are unable to attend class for an extended period of time or who are diagnosed with a health condition they believe precludes their adherence to College guidance regarding COVID-19 guidelines should contact Lynne Davies in Disability Services to discuss their options.

Our Dining Services team will deliver meals to each student’s door while in quarantine/isolation. 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/isolation.

Athletics

The Landmark Presidents voted that all student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics events for the 2021-22 academic year shall have a signed proof of vaccination for COVID-19 provided to their institution OR an institutional exemption approved prior to any competition against a member institution.

Though not recognized by the Landmark Conference, the vaccination requirement also includes members of Elizabethtown College's men's volleyball and wrestling teams.

Elizabethtown College student-athletes must submit proof of their vaccination status in order to participate as a member of their respective athletic team. To submit vaccination information, please complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Verification Online Form ** including your vaccine manufacturer, dosage date(s), and a photo of your vaccination card. Students can submit this form at any time, however, until it is completed, you will be required to follow the procedures for non-vaccinated individuals beginning August 9. View vaccination location information .

*According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , people are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson [J&J]/Janssen).

**Please note: Newly enrolled student-athletes will have access to the COVID-19 Vaccine Verification Form beginning on Thursday, July 1.

All non-vaccinated student-athletes will be subject to antigen testing three times a week, with an antigen test within one day of competition while in season. Nonvaccinated student-athletes who are not in-season will follow the surveillance testing procedures which applies to general students which includes random weekly selection of 25-percent of nonvaccinated students one time per week.

All vaccinated student-athletes will not require testing unless symptomatic or based on a risk assessment of a documented close contact with COVID-19.

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.

More information and daily updates can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Elizabethtown College

717-361-1000

1 Alpha Drive
Elizabethtown, PA 17022

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Page Menu list

Return to Campus

NEW: What is the College's Mask Policy?

Where can I update my vaccination and booster status?

Will the COVID-19 vaccine be required for students and employees at Elizabethtown College?

Is the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness, and Well-Being open for students and employees?

If I choose not to get vaccinated, what are my requirements when on campus?

Can I choose to take classes remotely this spring?

If I am a commuter student, when do I show proof of a negative COVID-19 test?

What do I do if I have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days?

Health & Safety

If someone on campus tests positive, will I be made aware?

What is Etown’s procedure for contact tracing?

What if I have COVID-19 related symptoms?

Housing & Student Life

Am I allowed to leave campus to visit others?

Is interhall visitation allowed?

Quarantine & Isolation

Where do I go if I have more questions?

Have the College’s quarantine and isolation procedures changed?

What if I test positive for COVID-19 throughout the semester?

Will I have access to Dining Services while in quarantine/isolation?

Athletics

Are student-athletes required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination in order to participate in the Landmark Conference?

How do I share proof of my COVID-19 vaccination as an Elizabethtown College student-athlete?

What is the testing requirement for non-vaccinated student-athletes?

General Coronavirus-Related Questions

What is COVID-19 or coronavirus?

What are the symptoms?

How does COVID-19 spread?

What are ways to prevent the spread of coronavirus?