Updates will appear in Lafayette Today.
To the campus community:
Over the past several days, Bailey Health Center has reported a concerning trend in the number of students and employees diagnosed with COVID-19. Ten students and two employees tested positive for the virus yesterday. Due to this growth in infection, the College is immediately moving to Operational Level 3 and extending this period of “soft quarantine” through at least Sunday, Feb. 7.
Students returning to campus for the spring must accept that we will transition among levels as conditions require and that their adherence to the rules and guidelines we establish will be what drives those changes. Students who can’t follow the guidelines, which at no point this spring will include large, in-person events, should remain at home. Violations of protocols outlined in the COVID-19 addendum to the student handbook will result in consequences up to and including suspension from the College. COVID-19 guidelines pertain to all Lafayette students in Easton, including those living in fraternities and off-campus residences.
For those currently on campus, all in-person activity, except for those limited exceptions authorized by the provost or director of athletics, will cease. Faculty members whose work involves in-person interactions on campus and who believe that work should not cease while the College is in Operational Level 3 should discuss this with their department head or program chair, and then they can petition the provost for an exception. For athletics, the only authorized exceptions are men’s and women’s basketball practices and competitions. The director of athletics will work with each head coach to determine new practice progressions to account for this timeframe of no activity.
Employees working on campus should continue to report as usual, and COVID-19 testing for faculty and staff will continue as scheduled.
The libraries and fitness center will close until we can establish there is no further spread of COVID-19 among our student population. Remote library services are still available. All meals will be offered as grab and go (or ordered on the mobile app for takeout when meal plans begin Monday, Feb. 1). All off-campus travel should cease, including travel related to internships and other academic development opportunities.
A change also will be made to protocols for students arriving from this point forward. The period of soft quarantine, which allows up to 45 minutes outside each day to pick up food and exercise, is extended until Feb. 7. The most critical piece of mitigating the spread of disease is limiting contacts with others. These restrictions will remain in place until all students are here and all tests have returned.
Students should not depart for campus if they have not received the results of the Vault test. For the health and safety of our entire community, no exceptions will be made to the pre-arrival testing process, the arrival testing process or the weekly testing process.
Everyone must take seriously their role in helping mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Annette Diorio
Vice President for Campus Life