Dear Students,
I write to you today to reiterate our desire to welcome students back to campus in September, as long as it is safe to do so, and to outline a series of steps that will help us to determine our ability to reopen and stay open this fall.
On August 12, we announced a three-week delay of in-person learning and on-campus living to begin the Fall semester in order to better prepare and assess our ability to welcome students back to campus in September. As a result, and as noted in that communication, we will begin classes as scheduled on August 31 in an online format. Since that time, our COVID-19 Task Force has continued to work diligently to reinforce our health and safety protocols, and upgrade testing procedures. We are also monitoring events at other campuses throughout the region and country as they work to address COVID-19 outbreaks and make decisions concerning the impact on their operations.
I know that the majority of you share in the desire to be together on campus as soon as possible. Critical to our ability to reopen and stay open, however, is securing an unwavering commitment from students to take actions that will help curb the spread of COVID-19 and avoid an outbreak on campus and among our students. These expectations for students, as well as additional enhancements to our Fall Plan protocols, are explained below.
COVID-19 Testing for Residential Students and Student Athletes
Students who will be living on campus and all student athletes will be REQUIRED to be tested for COVID-19 prior to their return to campus. Residential students must have a negative test in order to move into the residence halls, and student athletes must have a negative test to participate in any athletic team activities. John Carroll is collaborating with Quest Diagnostics, a leading clinical laboratory testing company, to make COVID-19 tests available at no additional cost to these students. On Friday, August 21, these students will receive an email with more information about our COVID-19 testing program, along with a link to register for the required testing. Your immediate attention to this email and the follow-up steps it will detail are crucial to our ability to prepare for a return to campus.
JCU COVID-19 Student Commitment
Every John Carroll University student is required to read and acknowledge the JCU COVID-19 Student Commitment via their Banner Student Profile. The public health and behavioral expectations in this Student Commitment include information about how to protect yourself and members of our community from the spread of the virus. Upon log-in, students will be presented with an action item that requires an acknowledgment of the JCU COVID-19 Student Commitment. This commitment by each and every student must be unwavering in order to protect the campus community.
Download the #CampusClear App for Daily Symptom Assessments
John Carroll University is also REQUIRING all students and employees to complete a daily symptom assessment PRIOR to arriving on campus each day or prior to leaving their residence hall room each day. Students should visit the Apple or Google App stores to download the #CampusClear app, which will prompt the daily symptom assessment each morning. Students with symptoms will be directed to a consultation with the JCU Student Health and Wellness Center in order to determine necessary next steps.
Practice Physical Distancing and Avoid Large Gatherings
We are monitoring situations at other universities where confirmed cases are on the rise following large gatherings and off-campus parties, causing more and more institutions to revert to online instruction. Such behavior simply cannot happen at John Carroll University if we expect to have an in-person fall semester. Physical distancing and wearing of facial coverings must be observed to the fullest extent possible both indoors and outdoors. Additionally, no student is to host or attend any off-campus social gathering of more than 10 people, consistent with Ohio law and University policy.
Students who leave campus for the greater freedom they perceive exists in non-JCU housing and who conduct themselves in ways counter to the expectations of the University and the State of Ohio guidelines will jeopardize their health and safety, the health and safety of others in the community, the on-campus experience that they desire, and possibly their standing as students in this community.
All of this is being done with the singular goal of protecting the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and community. Our plan is to provide a final decision related to in-person learning and on-campus living for the remainder of the fall semester by September 4.
We know this delay is hard on our students and families, and we share in your anticipation of being back together. Thank you for the patience, flexibility, and compassion you continue to display in the face of this challenge. Please join me in praying for all those who are affected by the pandemic.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Johnson, Ph.D. President, John Carroll University