Greetings, campus community,
I hope this note finds you well and excited for the beginning of our spring 2021 semester. I'm thrilled to see more of you on campus and to welcome a greater number of students back. We'll be offering about 20 percent of our classes in person, and we'll have 635 students living on campus, compared with 500 last fall.
The new year holds endless possibilities, and a few challenges. Both are part of life, as is change. We've certainly had our share of change since last March due to COVID, but things are looking up with the arrival of a vaccine. While the situation remains fluid, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it's bright!
Up-to-date information on COVID cases will be available on our COVID tracker webpage. We have worked together, and we held positive cases to a minimum last fall. We must make every effort to keep everyone healthy and safe this spring. To do that, each of us must step up.
Here are a few reminders:
- Monitor your health daily (including taking your temperature) and complete the questionnaire on the Clarion LiveSafe app.
- Wear your mask properly, with mouth and nose covered. If the mask has a metal guard in the nose area, adjust it to fit your nose; the mask will stay up even when you talk.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Practice physical distancing.
- If a colleague shows symptoms, encourage them to get checked.
Student groups will be tested upon arrival:
- All residential students
- Education students with field assignments and nursing students involved in clinicals
- Athletes
We will have ongoing weekly surveillance testing of about 10 percent of students. Any student who has symptoms or has been exposed to someone who has tested positive will be directed to the Center for Wellness. Any faculty or staff member experiencing symptoms or who has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID should stay home and contact their healthcare provider.
All student-support offices will have in-person staffing in place as the semester begins. Employees who are working in offices without regular contact with students will continue to work remotely, if possible. If you have questions, please check with your supervisor regarding expectations.
For more details about Clarion's spring 2021 plan, visit our updated COVID page.
We're all in this together. Let's look out for ourselves and each other. You can count on me, and I know I can count on you.
Wings Up!
Dr. Dale