COVID-19 Community Guidelines & Policies 2020-21

For a record of all College communications to the community regarding coronavirus Covid-19, please visit the COVID Communications page.

Following Governor Northam’s release of the Commonwealth’s guidelines for the reopening of Virginia’s colleges and universities, Hampden-Sydney College submitted an expansive campus reopening plan to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). This plan was reviewed by the State Council of Higher Education and found to be compliant in containing the required components of the ‘Higher Education Reopening Guidance,’ which was developed in consultation with the Virginia Department of Health.

Here is the short list of what we are doing to address your health and well-being:

• Enhancing campus-wide cleaning and disinfecting protocols
• Making hand sanitizer readily available all over campus
• Limiting the sharing of supplies
• Reconfiguring learning environments to allow for physical distancing 
• Accomodating and encouraging virtual communication, when possible
• Assigning limits to all classroom occupancy and enrollment
• Arranging library and other public spaces to allow for adequate physical distancing
• Arranging one-way traffic flow in buildings
• Limiting entry to residence halls and dorm rooms
• Reconfiguring living areas  to allow for adequate physical distancing
• Reconfiguring dining areas  to allow for adequate physical distancing
• Including take-out food options and outdoor dining areas
• Monitoring and limiting occupancy in dining areas
• Modifying activity, event, and social gathering protocols
• Helping and educating the community about monitoring their health
• Preparing a plan if/when someone becomes ill
• Working closely with local and state health experts

Here is what you can do:

• Wear a face mask
• Maintain social distancing
• Wash your hands frequently
• Keep your personal spaces clean and don't share supplies
• Follow dining area and food service protocols
• Follow residence hall social distancing guidelines
• Monitor your health daily
• If you feel sick, stay home

H-SC Reopening Plan FAQs

COVID-19 Fall Update FAQs

Please review Hampden-Sydney's reopening plan for the complete list of our extensive changes to campus and how it affects you.

No Visitation

No student may host guests on campus until further notice.  Unless absolutely necessary, students should refrain from visiting Farmville’s restaurants and bars, and they should avoid visiting Longwood University or any other nearby institutions.

The 10-4 Academic Plan

Hampden-Sydney has developed an innovative “10-4 Plan” for the fall semester and "4-10 Plan" for the spring semester. This will offer flexibility as we face continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. Please note that this has necessitated a shift to dates and deadlines on the official Academic Calendar.

Spring Calendar Changes

• January 9: new and transfer students move-in
• January 10: all other students report
• January 11: first day of 4-week session classes
• February 5: last day of 4-week session classes
• February 8-9: final exams
• February 15: first day of 10-week session classes
• March 27-April 4: Spring Break
• April 30: last day of 10-week session classes
• May 2-5: final exams
• May 8: Class of 2021 Commencement
  View Full Academic Calendar

Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds

For information on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants to students, please visit our  CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students page.

For information on the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) grants to students, please visit our CRRSAA Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students page.

For information on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP Act) grants to students, please visit our ARP Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students page.

Forms

COVID-19 History form

Daily Self-Monitoring form

Travel form

Please review the Campus Reopening Plan page for a complete look at the n ecessary steps to safeguard you and members of our faculty, staff, and community from the coronavirus COVID-19.

Please be scrupulous in following the recommended public health precautions on campus: wearing facial masks indoors, frequent hand washing, maintaining social distance (at least 6 feet from other people), and staying off campus and at home if you feel ill.

Face Masks: When you are on campus, you must wear a facial mask when entering or exiting your building and when you are meeting with and in close proximity to others. Exceptions are allowed for those who have a condition that causes trouble breathing or are unable to remove the mask without help, or if a health condition prohibits you from wearing a face mask. Please note that the use of face mask does not replace the need to maintain six feet of physical social distancing or other recommended measures.

Individuals who are at greater risk: Your health and welfare are of paramount concern. Initial guidance from the CDC indicates that certain individuals are at a higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19, including older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease. College employees who believe that they are at a higher risk, are immunocompromised, or live with family members who are at higher risk should contact Human Resources to discuss alternative work arrangements.

If you are not feeling well, contact your doctor.Please use this daily symptom checklist as a resource.  Do not unwittingly bring the COVID-19 virus to campus.

If you have been sick, you must be free of symptoms potentially related to COVID-19 or have had an evaluation and been cleared by a physician before returning to work. Contact Human Resources if you have any questions about coming to work if you are not feeling well or returning to work following an illness.

Human Resources leave policies: We encourage all of our employees who are able to work from home, or self-isolate on campus, to do so. Work with your supervisor and HR on devising a plan that best suits you and your department. Many creative ways of accomplishing our daily job duties have sprung up recently, and we are happy to accommodate our employees so the wellness of our workforce can be preserved. Those who are not able to telework or work on campus may be eligible for one of three FFCRA leave parts:

1. Emergency Sick Leave, for employees directly impacted by COVID-19, provides 10 days of paid sick leave at 100% of the employee’s pay rate. An employee is considered directly impacted if she or he has been quarantined by a local, state, or federal order, or a health care professional (for any reason), OR if she or he exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking diagnosis and treatment.
2. Emergency Sick Leave, for employees indirectly impacted by COVID-19, provides 10 days of paid sick leave at 2/3 of the employee’s pay rate. An employee is considered indirectly impacted if an individual that the employee is caring for is quarantined by a local, state, or federal order, or a health care professional (for any reason), OR exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking diagnosis or treatment, OR if an employee has a child whose school or daycare closed due to COVID-19.
3. Expanded FMLA is for employees whose children are affected by COVID-19 school or daycare closures. Eligible employees can receive up to 12 weeks of leave, paid at 2/3 of the employee’s pay rate. There is a 10 day waiting period, but those 10 days can be covered by #2 above.

If you qualify for FFCRA leave, please notify your supervisor and Human Resources, as such leave needs to be documented properly. Full-time and part-time employees may be eligible.

Finally, if none of this applies to you, and if you cannot telework but simply do not feel safe coming to campus full time, please reach out as we may have a customized solution for you too.

Work-related travel: All non-essential work-related travel is prohibited. Please consult with your area’s senior staff member with any questions.

Other Travel Information: Are you or have you been traveling? All members of the community should continue to update the College about any travel using this travel information form.

Employee Wellbeing: LiveHealth Online continues to be available for all of our employees who need expert medical advice, care, and/or prescriptions but do not require an in-person doctor visit. The Employee Assistance Program is also available to offer emotional support during this stressful period. Both of these benefits can be accessed through video technology available on most smartphones, tablets, and computers with a camera. For assistance in accessing either benefit, please contact Human Resources.

Please review the Campus Reopening Plan page for a complete look at the n ecessary steps to safeguard our community from the coronavirus COVID-19.

Then, use this form to share any questions and concerns you may have as the fall semester approaches.

While we recognize the ongoing risk that COVID-19 continues to present across the United States, here are a few of the factors unique to Hampden-Sydney that allow us to provide our students with the best opportunity to live and learn in a safe environment on campus this fall. 

• Location. Our rural location in the Heart of Virginia enables us to educate our young men in a setting removed from the hustle and bustle of larger communities, and gives us confidence as we plan for a safe resumption of on-campus life in the fall.
• A lot of real estate and a small population. Our 1,330 acre campus provides more than an acre per student on which to socially distance! Seriously, with small classes and a large campus, it will be easier for us to manage the social distancing that will be required to have students back on college campuses.
• New student residences create timely flex space elsewhere on campus. A new residential complex will open this fall, allowing us a unique opportunity to have additional housing available if needed to quarantine students who develop symptoms or who need to be isolated based on their contact with someone known to have contracted the coronavirus.
• Flexibility and individual attention in teaching. Hampden-Sydney has always offered a personal approach to teaching. Our professors are used to working closely with students who become ill or who fall behind in their coursework, helping them to stay on track and successfully complete their classes. This is an ongoing commitment to our students.
• Medical staff, equipment, supplies, and testing. Showcasing the success and generosity of our powerful alumni brotherhood, an alumnus and trustee who owns a biotech firm that conducts biological surface testing for the coronavirus has offered to help us with ongoing monitoring and early detection of the virus on campus. We are also prepared to expand the services of our medical doctor and are procuring PPE and other supplies for our professional medical staff to use in assisting students and to support additional healthcare needs next year. Our staff continues to receive and follow guidance from the Virginia Department of Health and CDC as circumstances and best practices change.

These are just some of the advantages that will help us be positioned for a safe opening in the fall. We are working closely with state and local governments as we prepare to provide a safe environment in which to live, learn, and work. If you are concerned about the effects of the coronavirus on the large or urban campus that you may have chosen, or if you are looking for an campus-based personalized learning experience, then I hope you will consider the advantages our small, rural, idyllic college campus can offer.

Campus Visits
Virtual Campus Visit: In this format, you will receive a guided tour of campus and hear about the transforming power of the Hampden-Sydney educational experience from faculty and staff members and students via Zoom. We will get back to you regarding the details of your itinerary to ensure your experience is as personalized as possible and fits your needs to experience our campus in a meaningful way.

Personal Campus Visit:
We want to allow you the opportunity to see our campus in person. While practicing strict social distancing protocols, we will give you a guided tour of campus, answer your questions, and connect you with members of our faculty, staff, and students as best we can. Before you visit, please review the H-SC Pre-Visit Risk Assessment and H-SC's Social Distancing Protocols. We appreciate your cooperation.