Spring 2022 Semester Information

• Employees who have been exposed and/or have symptoms of COVID-19 should complete the Symptoms Tracker via the Gateway, contact Human Resource Services, and refer to the following chart for additional instruction.

Click on chart to view full image — Download PDF here

If a student reports to faculty that they are ill or appear ill, they can encourage the student to reach out to the Wellness Center at 717-245-1663. Students can also call the Nurseline at 866-491-4462 to receive medical advice and support 24/7, especially when the Wellness Center is closed.
 
If faculty have concerns about a student’s health or well-being, they may submit a Care Team report.

• For the most up-to-date information regarding study abroad and to see the messaging that has gone out to all of our students and other stakeholders, please visit the Center for Global Study & Engagement (CGSE) website.
• Currently, field trips are moving forward, but faculty should have alternative plans in case field trips are canceled at any point during the semester.
• Currently, employees and students are allowed to travel, but it is recommended that they consult the CDC’s travel planner website to assess the safety of traveling to a specific area. The CDC recommends that unvaccinated people not travel.

• Masking is a matter of personal responsibility and shared respect. A well-fitting mask is welcome, but not required, in campus indoor spaces.
• Well-fitting masks remain required in the following spaces:
  • Wellness Center
  • Athletic Training Rooms 
  • Testing Center in Allison Hall
  • MedVan
  • When using mass transportation
  • When traveling with others in fleet vehicles
  • Classrooms and labs when required by faculty
  • In individual offices when requested
• KN95s remain available on campus, with no limit on quantity, while supplies last. Pickup locations and times are as follows:
  • Department of Public Safety (Kaufman Hall): 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
  • Human Resource Services: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  • Student Life (HUB upper level): Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Please bring your smart phone to pick up your masks, as you will need to scan a QR code. Those who cannot do this will be able to provide their information manually.

• Vaccinations and boosters are a critical component of the health and safety of our campus community. They both reduce the severity of the illness and protect high-risk members of the community.
• All students are required to be vaccinated or to seek an exemption (religious or medical). Dickinson requires that students have received all recommended vaccine doses including boosters. The schedule below indicates when you are eligible to get a booster, after completing your vaccination (series):
  • Pfizer-BioNTech – 5 months
  • Moderna – 5 months
  • Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen – 2 months
• Documentation should be uploaded to the Wellness Center Patient Portal. 
  • If a student is not able to get a booster, they must provide proof of a medical exemption in order to be considered in compliance with the Dickinson vaccine requirement.
• If a student does not get the vaccine or request an exemption, they will not be permitted to live on campus or attend classes.
• Exemption information can be found here.

• Vaccinations and boosters are a critical component of the health and safety of our campus community. They both reduce the severity of the illness and protect high-risk members of the community.
• Employees are required to be vaccinated or have an approved medical or religious exemption. Proof of vaccination can be submitted electronically. Exemptions can be requested here.
• Booster shots are required as soon as the employee becomes eligible. According to the CDC, recent studies have shown that the vaccination effectiveness decreases over time. You can receive any booster you wish. The schedule below shows when you are eligible to get a booster, after completing your initial vaccination (series):
  • Pfizer-BioNTech – 5 months
  • Moderna – 5 months
  • Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen – 2 months
• Proof of booster shots can be submitted electronically.
• Approximately 90% of employees have submitted proof of an initial vaccination series. Booster records continue to be updated. 
• Unvaccinated employees include those with an approved exemption and those who are eligible to be boosted and have not yet done so. Those in this category are required to test weekly.

• Testing for asymptomatic students takes place in Allison Hall Room 1. Hours for testing for the remainder of the semester are as follows:
  • Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 
  • Masks are required
• Symptomatic students should contact the Wellness Center to arrange for testing. 
• Unvaccinated students with exemptions will be tested weekly.
• Unvaccinated student athletes with exemptions will be tested 3x a week based on NCAA guidelines.
• Vaccinated students may also participate in weekly testing.
• No appointment is necessary.
• There are protocols in place in the event that a student or employee tests positive with different protocols depending on whether they are unvaccinated or vaccinated. See Exposure, Quarantine & Isolation for more information.

• Testing for asymptomatic employees for the remainder of the semester takes place in Allison Hall on Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Masks are required.
• Employees who are not up to date on their vaccinations or haven't been vaccinated will be tested weekly. This includes everyone who comes to campus, even if only periodically. Telecommuters who work 100% of the time from another location are excluded.
• Employees who are up to date on their vaccination may also participate in weekly testing. 
• There are protocols in place in the event that a student or employee tests positive with different protocols depending on vaccination status. Details are communicated through our campus contact-tracing team. 

• Any individual who is feeling ill and/or has been exposed to a COVID positive individual should report this information via the symptoms tracker in the Gateway.
• All community members are encouraged to use the COVID Alert PA app.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its recommendation about higher education institutions. The guidelines state that “housing (for example, dormitories) in institutions of higher education is considered a lower risk congregate setting due to the lower risk of severe health outcomes…Therefore, the CDC recommends shared housing in IHE settings follow the general public guidance for quarantine and isolation.” As a result, the quarantine and isolation period for students and employees has been changed to 5 days unless symptoms worsen or persist.
• Beginning Feb. 25, students will quarantine and isolate in their residence. 
• Roommates who are boosted can continue to go about their usual activities while wearing a mask. Students who are exempt or not up to date with their vaccines will be required to quarantine with the person in isolation.
• Wellness Center staff will continue to check with students in quarantine and isolation and will require students to test before they are permitted to end their quarantine period. Similarly, Human Resource Services will work with employees on this updated protocol.
• Food will be delivered to students who are isolating or quarantinig in their rooms. All other students will be able to go to the dining hall, although dining services may be modified. Additional dining space will be made available in the Social Hall so that students can spread out more easily.

Reference Flowcharts

For Students

Click on chart to view full image — Download PDF here

For Employees

Click on chart to view full image — Download PDF here

• Campus buildings returned to pre-COVID access status (vs. card access only) when students returned to campus. Some buildings remain accessible with a Dickinson ID card after business hours as they were pre-COVID. 
• To ensure a safe campus environment, facilities management maintenance staff will closely monitor the performance of building air handling units daily via the automated controls program. Due to the concern surrounding COVID-19, more detailed in-person spot checking will also occur, especially in those buildings without these controls. Where possible, facilities management will be increasing air exchange rates to maximize the amount of fresh air. This will be accomplished by disabling demand-controlled ventilation and opening outdoor air dampers as outdoor conditions permit. 
• It is possible to open windows in most campus classrooms and facilities will check on their operation prior to the start of school.  If you find they cannot be open, please contact facilities management for assistance.  If you open windows, please pay attention to the outside air temperature and humidity conditions. On very hot and humid days, introducing too much warm air will make it difficult for the mechanical systems to maintain building set-points. This could result in environmental hazards such as mold and mildew. Ideally, acceptable outdoor air temperatures should be between 50 and 60 degrees to open windows. Humidity levels should be less than 6%. Windows should be closed when leaving spaces. 
• A number of our classroom buildings have CO2 sensors as part of the HVAC controls systems. In classrooms without operable windows, portable HEPA filters/air purifiers may be provided in some classrooms.  Appropriate locations will be determined based upon occupancy levels and type of building HVAC system.
• We are not planning to return to social distancing. We feel that our anticipated high vaccination rate for our full community does not require returning to social distancing. 
• The same campus protocols will apply to any outside groups that are utilizing space on campus. They will need to abide by whatever the campus health and safety protocols require.
• To qualify for a HEPA unit, spaces needed to meet the following criteria:
  • Windows are inoperable, AND
  • The space is served by an HVAC system where it is challenging to increase the amount of fresh air.  In this instance, the system is either of a residential type nature or the current setting cannot be manipulated to easily increase the designed amount of outdoor air.
• Any building or space where windows can be opened did not meet the requirements identified above and thus were deemed ineligible for the HEPA units. For those buildings where windows may be stuck or difficult to open, we ask that members of the community please contact Facilities Management by submitting a work order or calling 245-1212 and our staff will work to get that rectified.  It should be noted however, that the facilities team is currently deployed in preparing the campus for the arrival of students and the request to unstick windows will be addressed as soon as it is feasible to do so.
• It should also be noted that some buildings with inoperable windows do have the capacity to increase their outside air volume through the HVAC system, and thus do not qualify for HEPA units. Buildings in this category include Tome, Kaufman, the Library, Weiss and the HUB.
• All requests for HEPA units were reviewed carefully and each one was thoroughly vetted against the above criteria.
• The Kline Fitness Center and pool are open, however capacity is limited. Prior to coming, please access the occupancy counter to see if there is space available. 

• The Dickinson College Children’s Center continues to review its COVID health policies and procedures in consultation with the CDC, PA DOH, DHS, OCDEL, and OCDEL’s health and safety nurse consultant. 
• DCCC families are asked to vigilantly monitor their family’s health and the health of their children before sending them to DCCC each day.
• A DCCC child who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 is required to isolate for a period of 10 days. DCCC will follow the most recent guidance from DHS requiring that all test results for exposure or symptoms must contain a signature from a physician, nurse practitioner, or a CLIA certified pharmacist testing site (e.g., CVS Minute Clinic) to be permitted to return to the center.  

Updates for Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms (Yellow Bear, Blue Bear, Bunny, and Kindergarten)

• As of March 1, when an exposure occurs due to a positive case of Covid-19 within the classroom, the affected classroom will now remain open for children who fall into one of the following three categories:
  • Children who have been diagnosed with COVID- 19 within the last 90 days (child MUST have documentation on file stating such).
  • Children who were not present in the Center during the exposure time frame (if an additional case is identified, it may be determined that your child will be excluded).
  • Children who have a current copy of their Covid-19 vaccination on file in the DCCC office.
• All other children who were included in the classroom exposure will be contacted separately and will be permitted to return when the classroom re-opens after the 5th day of exposure. Families have the following two options to return on or after day 6:
  • Child may return on or after day 6 with a negative Covid-19 test – signed by a pharmacist testing site operating with CLIA Certificate of Waiver or Certificates of CLIA Compliance, such as a CVS or Minute Clinic, if they are unable to have their pediatrician provide a written note or a signed negative test result.
    OR
  • Child who has completed a 10-day quarantine period (with symptom monitoring) and remains symptom free – no note or negative test needed to return.
• If your child’s classroom is open and your child is permitted to attend according DCCC’s updated health policy (as of March 1), full tuition will be charged for your child.

The policy for the Duckling, Yellow Puppy, Blue Puppy, Yellow Bee, and Blue Bee rooms will remain unchanged at this time. If there is found to be a classroom exposure, DCCC will continue to follow the most recent guidance for early care from DOH and OCDEL and close the classroom for 10 days; all children will be required to quarantine for 10 days. 

The DCCC will monitor how these recent changes affect the Center as a whole. Any subsequent changes will be communicated to families and to the community.

Anyone with questions is welcome to stop by the office.

• Students who travel off campus are strongly encouraged to take a COVID test before returning. Students who test positive or are symptomatic should delay their return to campus and notify the Wellness Center.
• While there are currently no restrictions on student travel, the CDC recommends that unvaccinated students delay travel until fully vaccinated. The CDC shares the following recommendations for unvaccinated people who cannot delay travel.
• Any student who has traveled internationally should get tested upon return to campus at Allison Hall and must have a negative test before returning to class. 
• Student groups traveling overnight and/or outside of Carlisle, representing the college or on college business, must register their travel through the TRIPS system under travel in CLIQ.
• Masks are required for all using mass transportation.
• Masks are required for travel with others in fleet vehicles.
• Travelers are encouraged to use the CDC Travel Planner to understand the transmission rates in the areas where they will be traveling. 

• Speakers, guest lecturers and others invited to campus should be reminded by their host that the college has a vaccine mandate. Those not “up to date” on their vaccinations should have a negative test of any type no more than 72 hours before visiting campus.
• The Kline Fitness Center and Pool are open, however capacity is limited. Prior to coming to work out, please access the occupancy counter to see if there is space available. 
• Admissions visitors receive reminder messages regarding health and safety when planning their visits.

The college uses a set of observable conditions to guide decision making around health and safety measures for the campus and community. Factors considered include but are not limited to:

• Student vaccination level
• Employee vaccination level
• Number of students in isolation & quarantine
• Staffing levels
• Availability to deliver the academic program
• Availability to provide essential services
• Resource availability/shortages (food, cleaning supplies, PPE)
• Local hospital capacity
• County positivity rate
• County CDC transmission levels
• Federal and state regulatory guidance
• Unforeseen financial impacts

These factors are reviewed regularly by members of the college’s Emergency Management Team, COVID Planning and Implementation Committee, and its various subcommittees (Academic & Technology, Facilities, Health & Safety, Student Experience, and Financial Considerations). The EMT is comprised of faculty and staff; the COVID committees are comprised of faculty, staff and students from across the community.

Recommendations for changes to our current guidelines flow through the Implementation committee to president’s staff. Updates to campus are shared by the president.