Below is an archive of communications emailed to students regarding COVID-19 procedures for the Spring semester.
3 Key Things:
- Following state guidelines, our return-to-campus process will include a “containment” period that will last until the start of in-person classes on February 1 to promote a COVID-safe start to the semester.
- Check out our list of 8 COVID protocols that are new or changed, based on our fall experience.
- Students not following their assigned move-in dates and/or testing schedules will be delayed in participating in on-ground classes and activities.
Dear students,
The entire Quinnipiac community looks forward to welcoming you back to campus. While many of our policies and protocols remain in place from the fall semester, there are also some changes we’re making and new services we will be using to deliver a safe and successful in-person experience for the spring semester.
Please review this information so you are fully prepared for your return to campus and know what to expect the first couple weeks.
8 COVID protocols that are new or changed
- Check out the image gallery we have assembled for a rundown of what’s new, or enhancements we have made, for the spring semester.
8 New Things You Need to Know for the Spring
1. Dedicated RNs for students in isolation and quarantine — QU has partnered with UST Global, a health care service and technology company, to provide a dedicated team of registered nurses who will support any student who tests positive for COVID, or who is asked to quarantine due to possible exposure. RNs will make daily phone calls to students, perform contact tracing and support other services for QU Student Health Services. UST Global is being used by other colleges in Connecticut as well as by Fortune 500 companies, such as Microsoft and Salesforce.
2. Increasing student responsibility for on-campus testing — We heard your feedback about increasing students’ personal accountability in following our health protocols — and enforcing penalties for those who do not comply. This spring, the first time a student misses their assigned on-campus COVID-19 testing appointment, they will be denied access to all university facilities, activities, and in-person classes, and residential students will have 48 hours to get their own test, or else they will be removed from their QU-owned housing. Regular testing is the #1 way we protect the Bobcat Bubble — and each other’s health.
3. University-wide campus arrival “containment” period — We will begin the semester with a university-wide campus arrival “containment” period. This period will extend from the time a student returns to their on- or off-campus housing until the start of in-person classes on Feb. 1. We reviewed state and CDC guidelines and determined this approach, coupled with our on-campus COVID testing, is the best way to minimize community spread as students return.
4. “Healthy Bobcats Tip Line” to report COVID policy infractions — We have set up a tip line where students, faculty and staff can report possible health and safety policy violations. All submissions will be kept confidential, but anonymous tips will not be accepted so we can follow up on and validate information provided. We all have a proactive role to play in supporting — and enforcing — our COVID policies. The “Healthy Bobcats Tip Line” can be reached by phone at 203-582-4333 or by email at COVID19SupportCenter@qu.edu
5. One-time log-in for the mobile symptom checker app – and you’re done! — No more signing in with your QU credentials each time you use the mobile symptom checking app. The app has been updated so that after signing in the first time, you’re in for the rest of the semester. Use the app daily to log your health status, note any COVID-related symptoms and “check in” to note whether or not you’re on campus. Using the app daily is one of the best preventive measures we have to detect the presence of COVID early.
6. More ways to engage and stay active on campus — A committee of students and staff spent the last month devising creative, fun ways we can safely stay engaged with each other throughout the semester. We don’t want to spill all the beans, but activities will include a Superbowl watch event, St. Patrick’s Day celebration, snowmen building contests, Winter Warrior Dash and QU’s first-ever “Bobcat Day.”
7. Self-care days for students — It’s important we support the physical and mental well-being of our QU community. Even though we will not have a traditional spring break, we will offer several self-care days throughout the spring semester during which classes will not be held. Self-care days will be held March 9 and April 21, and May 3 will be a study day with no classes in preparation for finals.
8. Enhanced university communications — We know we sent A LOT of communications during the fall. While the nature of COVID will require we continue to communicate frequently, we have made several enhancements we hope will make it easier to cut through the clutter: The Key 3 – we’ll call out the 3 most important actions or pieces of information you need at the top of every email, before you even have to start scrolling on your phone; COVID Dashboard – we are enhancing the design and information provided on our COVID dashboard on QU.edu.
COVID-19 testing program
- Pre-arrival testing – All students returning for the spring semester must complete a pre-arrival test at home before they will be cleared to move into their assigned housing, access our campuses, or engage in any in-person instruction. You have already received this testing information.
- On-campus return test – We will test each student upon their return to campus; all residential students will be tested as part of the check-in process on their assigned move-in date, and commuters will be assigned a testing date.
- Weekly testing of all undergraduates in February – Based upon a new state requirement, we will be testing ALL undergraduate students weekly through Feb. 28.
- Ongoing surveillance testing – We will again conduct weekly surveillance testing of approximately 20% of our student population after February, through the remainder of the semester.
Campus arrival “containment” period
- Consistent with state requirements, we will begin the spring semester with a campus arrival “containment” period. Coupled with our on-campus testing, this is the best way to minimize community spread given higher infection rates nationwide compared to the fall.
- The “containment” period will extend from the time a student moves into their on- or off-campus housing until the start of in-person classes on Feb. 1.
- During the “containment” period, students must limit their interactions to those who are part of their family unit (who they live with). Residential students will not be able to make trips off campus, and students living off campus should not come to campus, except for testing.
- Students can take time outdoors to get meals and take “fresh air breaks,” doing so with their family unit.
- Students still can place in-person orders at all dining locations, but meals will be to-go, and seating in dining locations will be closed during this period. We will then follow the capacity restrictions for indoor dining at the end of the “containment” period.
NOTE: Students who do not follow their assigned move-in and/or on-campus testing schedules will be delayed in participating in on-ground classes and will be responsible for getting their own COVID-19 test to be cleared for in-person activities.
Classes
- As originally communicated in our Spring 2021 calendar, the first week of classes January 25–29 will be online (except for certain law, medicine and clinical programs), and in-person instruction begins February 1 for all students.
- Students electing to complete the spring semester with fully remote learning must complete the Remote Learning Declaration Form and receive approval from their respective school.
Library, study spaces, campus bookstore
- Libraries and study spaces on all campuses will be open to students during the “containment” period, but only for independent study or to provide a quiet place to attend your online class (no group gatherings or meetings). Classrooms can be used as study spaces during the “containment” week before February 1.
- The bookstores will be open, but patrons must observe the posted capacity limits and physical distancing. There will be no impact on the arrival of students’ textbooks.
- Mailroom operations will follow standard hours.
Athletics, exercise and fitness facilities
- Student athletes will continue to follow specific guidelines related to both testing and the “containment” period as prescribed by coaches, the Athletic Department and NCAA policies.
Exercise and fitness facilities will be closed during the “containment” period, and we anticipate we can safely open and operate the facilities at the end of the period.
What HASN’T changed?
Most policies and protocols remain in place from the fall, including limits on gatherings, discipline policies related to the QU Pact, and commitments to keep our neighbors and community healthy. Please review the student return to campus guide
Stay well and healthy as you prepare to return to Bobcat Nation!
David R. Hill, MD
Senior Medical Adviser, COVID-19 Task Force
Professor of Medical Sciences
3 Key Things:
- All residential students should take their Quest pre-test January 12–13, and commuters and law students on January 17; see the table below for your assigned date.
- If you have not yet ordered your test kit from Quest, do so immediately.
- Students choosing to get their own PCR test rather than using Quest must complete an opt-out form by January 11.
Dear students and families,
Happy New Year! We hope your holidays were healthy and relaxing. This email provides details on when students must take their COVID-19 pre-arrival test before returning for the spring semester. Residential students received a copy of this information, along with their assigned move-in date, in an email sent yesterday by Residential Life.
You should have already ordered and received your at-home test kit from Quest Diagnostics, based on the instructions we provided in our December 19 communication to you. If you have not ordered your test, please do so immediately, as it takes 3–4 days on average to receive the kit.
When to take your pre-arrival test
| Student Cohort | Return to Campus Date | Date to Take Your Quest Test | You Must Ship Your Test to Quest... | Date of First On-Campus Test |
| Residential Students, Group 1 |
Thursday, January 21 | Tuesday, January 12 | No more than 18 hours after taking test | Thursday, January 21 |
| Residential Students, Group 2 |
Friday, January 22 | Wednesday, January 13 | No more than 18 hours after taking test | Friday, January 22 |
| Residential Students, Group 3 |
Saturday, January 23 | Wednesday, January 13 | No more than 18 hours after taking test | Saturday, January 23 |
| Residential Students, Group 4 |
Sunday, January 24 | Wednesday, January 13 | No more than 18 hours after taking test | Sunday, January 24 |
| Undergraduate and Graduate Commuters | n/a | Sunday, January 17 | No more than 18 hours after taking test | Saturday, January 23, Sunday, January 24, or Monday, January 25 |
| Law Commuters | Monday, January 25 (on-ground classes) | Sunday, January 17 | No more than 18 hours after taking test | Saturday, January 23 |
- Review the table above to determine when you should take your at-home COVID-19 test based upon your return-to-campus date. Note: first and second-year medical students (M1 and M2) will receive a separate communication from their school with information on testing times and requirements.
- It is critical you follow these timelines to ensure sufficient time for your test to be received and analyzed, and for Quinnipiac to then approve your return to campus. Students who do not follow their assigned move-in and/or on-campus testing schedules likely will experience a delay in participating in on-ground classes and will be responsible for getting their own COVID-19 test to be cleared for in-person activities. Given the importance of testing to protecting our community, exceptions to the move-in and testing schedules will not be made.
- Students choosing to get their own PCR test must complete an opt-out form by Jan. 11, but still must have their test taken on the date that aligns with their return-to-campus date.
On-campus testing upon students’ return
- Upon returning to Quinnipiac, all students will be tested by the university through its on-campus testing program before attending in-person classes. Students will receive a separate email from QU with confirmation of their assigned on-campus testing dates.
Have questions about getting your COVID-19 pre-arrival test?
- Review our Frequently Asked Questions for important information and deadlines about both the Quest pre-arrival test and submitting your own COVID-19 test if you choose not to use Quest.
- Questions about the student testing plan should be emailed to COVIDPretest@qu.edu
Thank you in advance for your commitment to health and safety for yourself and all of our community members. We look forward to seeing you back on campus in a few weeks!
- Order your test immediately from Quest Laboratories and hold onto it.
- Do not take your test until you receive an email from Quinnipiac instructing you to do so.
- Students can choose to get their own PCR test, but must complete an opt-out form in advance.
We look forward to welcoming students back to campus for the spring semester after a well-earned break. Our pre-arrival testing program helped us start the fall semester COVID-free on our campuses. Based on that success, we will again require students to be tested before returning to Quinnipiac for the spring.
This letter provides important details about the pre-arrival testing process, which will be very similar to the fall. However, we have changed lab partners and reduced the cost so we ask you to please review the instructions thoroughly.
Who needs a pre-arrival test?
- All students — undergraduate and graduate — are required to be tested for COVID-19 before returning for the spring semester, with a few exceptions noted below.
- Pre-arrival testing is NOT required for students who are enrolled in degree programs that are fully online or who have applied for and been approved for 100% remote study in the spring.
- Pre-arrival testing is NOT required for students who have had a positive COVID-19 test after Oct. 15, 2020, and have reported that test result to Student Health Services.
- International students and the basketball and ice hockey programs will use a separate testing protocol, which will be detailed in a separate communication.
- Pre-arrival testing is required before a student can be cleared to move into their assigned housing, access our campuses, or engage in any in-person instruction.
Quest Diagnostics is handling the pre-arrival tests
- The test is a non-invasive nasal swab, and you do not need to have someone observe you taking it.
- Once you order a test kit, it will be mailed directly to you at the address you specify.
- The pre-arrival test costs $95 and will be a pass-through charge assessed to your Bursar account.
Order your test kit NOW from Quest – but WAIT to take the test**
- Order your test kit immediately.
- DO NOT take the test until instructed to do so by Quinnipiac. You will receive an email from the university in January noting a specific timeframe to take the test before your return-to-campus date.
- Residential Life will notify students in early January of their return-to-campus date.
- **Students in the Schools of Engineering, Nursing, Health Sciences, Medicine and Law who have been approved to return to campus January 4—24 will receive an additional communication from their school regarding testing dates for their return.
- Test results will be available online through Quest’s MyQuest portal, and QU Student Health Services will automatically receive a copy. Anyone testing positive will receive a call from a Quest physician.
If you choose to get your own test, here’s what you need to know
- You must complete an Opt-out Form by Jan. 11, 2021, if you wish to get your own COVID-19 PCR test instead of using Quest.
- Remember: It must be a PCR test (not a rapid test or antigen test) taken according to the testing timetable that the university will provide to you.
- Test results must be uploaded at least 48 hours prior to your return to campus via the Patient Portal for review and approval. The test you upload must include: full name, date of test, type of test and test result. Tests missing this information will not be accepted.
- Students cannot move back to campus — or if living off campus, cannot access campus or attend on-ground classes — without a negative test result meeting these requirements.
We will again perform on-campus testing in the spring
- The university will test all returning students twice through our on-campus testing program by the end of the first week of on-ground classes.
- Weekly sample testing will then be performed again throughout the semester.
For all students living in university housing, your card access to your residence will not be activated unless you have completed the Quest pre-arrival test or have uploaded your own PCR test. Questions about the student testing plan should be emailed to COVIDPretest@qu.edu.
Your commitment to following our COVID testing guidelines, and encouraging your peers to do so, will be critical to our success in keeping our campuses and classrooms open this spring. Thank you in advance for your commitment to health and safety for yourself and all of our community members.
