The following message was emailed to the undergraduate students on October 2, 2020.
Happy Friday Broncos,
The new academic year is off to a great start. I am so grateful for the many ways that our community has come together to begin the fall term – managing the impact of the ongoing pandemic, issues related to racial and social injustice and our shared experience of missing our Bronco community. A special welcome to the newest members of our community during this unique and sometimes challenging time.
Today’s message provides important updates on testing, access to campus, personal responsibility and when you can expect a decision about the winter term. Please review this information carefully.
Let me start by thanking you for taking responsibility for your own health and for upholding the Bronco COVID-19 Pact. Your efforts to wear face coverings, maintain social distance and stay home when you are sick are helping to keep the spread of COVID-19 to a minimum. The On-Campus Testing Dashboard is regularly updated to reflect total tests conducted on SCU's campus, and positive results.
Each of us can be the difference in how quickly we will be back on campus to live and learn together. Our best chance for clearing a path to reopening campus in January is for each of us to take seriously the need for hard sacrifices now to protect our own health and that of our fellow Broncos. Don’t forget to have a conversation with your housemates or roommates about behavioral expectations, social behavior, and living arrangement during the pandemic.
Failing to comply with our collective commitment to safety efforts during this pandemic is a violation of the Student Conduct Code. The Student Conduct Code and disciplinary action applies to all students whether on or off campus. Students who are cited for failing to abide by campus, county and state health and safety protocols are subject to the full range of disciplinary actions including fines, restricted access to campus facilities, disciplinary probation, deferred suspension, suspension, and expulsion.
COVID-19 Testing and Flu Shot Clinics
Testing for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is required of all who will be living, working, taking classes, or studying on Santa Clara’s campus in fall 2020. If you missed the previously announced on-campus COVID-19 testing, you can still get tested at one of SCU’s Testing Tuesday events. Testing Tuesdays take place at Cowell Health Center from 9 a.m. to noon. Please follow the directions at the Testing Protocol website to register in advance for a test. By pre-registering, you ensure your time at Testing Tuesdays goes much faster.
Note this change from my previous email: Students who have participated in one of the on-campus COVID-19 testing clinics will not be charged for the test, even if the student has previously been tested on campus. Students should be tested if they are experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms, have had a close contact exposure, or were identified by the Contact Tracing Team.
Any student who experiences a positive test—with or without symptoms, no matter where they live—is asked to report their situation to 408-554-5100. The information collected confidentially will be used to inform campus departments handling SCU’s COVID-19 response, including the SCU Tracking Team; Cowell Health Center; University Operations (for cleaning, closure, etc.); required county authorities; and University Marketing and Communications for website updates.
The annual flu shot is highly recommended and currently available for $25 at Cowell Health Center on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon while supplies last.
Campus is Open for On- and Off-Campus Residents
We know that it is challenging to be cooped up in your house or apartment during online learning. Don’t forget, currently enrolled students are authorized to come to campus to study at the library, pick up take-out food at Benson, or utilize grass lawns and designated outdoor dining areas. Outdoor ‘social-distance circles,’ where students can enjoy a change of scenery, have been chalked throughout the campus. Be sure to complete the Daily Symptom Tracker before coming to campus. The Daily Symptom Tracker can also be accessed by downloading the SCU Mobile App.
Update About the Winter Term
We continue to work tirelessly to plan for the weeks and months ahead. We are closely monitoring guidance and directives from the State of California and Santa Clara County Public Health Department in order to make decisions about the winter term, currently slated to begin Jan. 4. Information about the winter term—including updates on teaching modality, any potential changes to term start dates, and availability of on-campus housing—will be communicated to students by the middle of October. This will allow students to make decisions that fit their unique situations prior to the course registration period, which begins on November 9.
Please continue to stay safe and well.
Jeanne Rosenberger
Vice Provost for Student Life