Hampden-Sydney Campus Reopening Plan

Students are encouraged to quarantine for two weeks prior to returning to campus. Student Health Services requires all returning and incoming students to complete and submit a COVID-19 history form documenting possible illness and exposure. All parents and guests must perform a self-screening/symptom evaluation form before visiting and to bring a mask(s) for use on campus.

Additions to student packing list:

• Digital thermometer
• Tissues
• Disinfectant wipes and cleaning supplies
• Acetaminophen and/or Ibuprofen Cough medicine, for example, Mucinex or Robitussin
• Hand soap and hand sanitizer (at least 60 percent alcohol)
• Preferred fluids for rehydration
• Box of disposable gloves
• Several cloth face masks or several boxes of one-time use, 3-ply paper masks
• Quarantine bag: linens, towels, over-the-counter medications, thermometer, etc.

Students will move in during staggered move-in times. They will be provided with a daily self-symptom monitoring form that they will find in their dorm room.

Students will dine on a staggered meal service schedule.

All fall orientation student programming will adhere to guidelines for social distancing at social gatherings. Traditional large gatherings will be cancelled, conducted virtually, or reorganized in smaller groups to comply with related guidance.

New student orientation and specific training for upperclassmen will focus on the importance of social distancing, good hygiene, wearing face coverings, taking their temperature each morning, answering the questions on the daily self-symptom monitoring form, staying home if they are ill, quarantining, and not stigmatizing students who are ill.

Resident Assistants will emphasize and cultivate a stigma-free environment so not to discourage students from reporting illness.

The College is contracting with Kallaco Health & Technology to test all students upon or soon after their return to campus. Students are asked to minimize their contact off campus during their first week back and to not have visitors on campus during the first two weeks of class.

All members of the Hampden-Sydney community should maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from others.

Members of the community are encouraged to communicate, whenever possible, by email, messaging, video-conferencing, telephone, or other available technology. The use of face coverings does not replace the need to maintain six feet of physical social distancing or other recommended measures.

Since Governor Northam’s Executive Order 63 took effect, in addition to established social distancing requirements, the College requires all employees and others on campus to wear face masks when entering and exiting buildings, in public areas, and when meeting or working with others indoors, and anytime at least six-foot physical distancing cannot be maintained outdoors.

Masks must be worn so that both the nose and mouth are covered and remain covered. Multi-layer cloth masks have been found to be significantly more effective than neck gaiters and bandanas and are therefore required on campus. The CDC does not recommend using surgical masks or N-95 respirators, masks that have an exhalation valve or vent, or face shields as a substitute for masks.

Face coverings and social distancing will be required in residential common spaces, including bathrooms, lounges, kitchens, laundry rooms, and corridors outside of residence hall and college-owned house, apartment, and townhouse rooms.

Face coverings are required for students and faculty in all indoor classrooms at all times or in outdoor teaching spaces if six-foot social distancing cannot be maintained. If a faculty member wearing a face covering cannot be heard, he or she will contact the Dean of Faculty to discuss alternatives. 

Face coverings are required in all dining facilities, except while eating or drinking in designated areas.

TigeRec and Leggett Pool employees must wear masks at all times. Patrons must wear masks at all times in TigeRec Fitness Center, and as they enter and exit the building. The use of a mask in the locker room is strongly encouraged.

Building and Grounds staff will wear face masks when working in campus building.

The 10-4 Academic Plan

Designed specifically for the fall semester, this plan will reduce the number of courses being taught at any point in the semester, reduce building occupancy, free up classroom space, and facilitate potential remote learning needed to accommodate individual faculty or student illness.

Learning Environment

Daily class schedules have been modified to increase the time between classes to accommodate increased cleaning and travel time. Building traffic will be modified to allow one-way traffic flow through buildings. Students will be expected to clean their own desks and chairs at the beginning of each class period with materials provided in the classrooms.

Classroom spaces have been rearranged and reassigned to allow the requisite six-foot spacing between occupants. Class enrollments are limited as needed to maintain social distance. Weather and circumstances permitting, faculty are encouraged to hold class outdoors.

Teaching instruction and hands-on learning will be presented in ways to maintain physical distancing.

Other physical distancing expectations in academic spaces:

• walking around rather than through academic buildings that are not the destination,
• waiting outside rather than congregating in hallways before or between classes or meetings with faculty,
• limiting elevator usage to one passenger at a time, and
• limiting use to the maximum capacity noted at restrooms.

To cut down on shared surfaces, some classrooms have desks marked by color, specific to class period. Where possible, students and faculty members will not share workstations, computers, or other classroom equipment.

Faculty will offer online office hours, outdoor meetings, or meetings in a large open space (e.g., Bortz Library, Brown Student Center, or an empty classroom) that allows for social distancing.

Committees, departments, or other groups are encouraged to consider online meetings as well as outdoor or large, open indoor spaces for in-person meetings, when appropriate, to allow for social distancing.

Bortz Library

Students may access library resources and research assistance in person (maintaining physical distance and wearing a face covering) or by phone, email, or chat feature on the library’s website. Library spaces and services have been arranged to allow for adequate space between patrons, including at service desks and seating areas.

Patrons are asked to be diligent about the following:

• leave all furniture where it has been placed,
• limit use of group study rooms to the posted occupancy,
• use outside porch and covered areas as weather permits,
• use book drop/equipment return areas rather than handing materials to staff members,
• maximize use of electronic interlibrary loan services for articles and book chapters,
• limit shared materials,
• observe social distancing requirements, and
• wear face coverings when using library services in person.

Lectures, programs, and other events normally open to the College community will be restricted in number of attendees in each space according to current guidelines.

All large campus events, including athletic events and traditional large gatherings, ceremonies, and performances, will be cancelled, conducted virtually, or postponed during the fall semester. Such events that cannot be conducted virtually may be held in person, with prior approval of the College COVID-19 Coordinator (Dean of Faculty), and will be restricted in number of attendees in each space according to current guidelines.

Event organizers will plan to use larger venues than would ordinarily be the case, working with the College Events Office to reserve locations. Seating will be spaced six feet apart in those venues to allow for social distancing, and all other safety protocols currently in place, including face masks, staying home if ill, and handwashing or sanitizing, will be required.

In the event of larger potential audiences than can be safely seated in a venue, tickets will be issued and required for attendance. Video feeds may also be provided in overflow locations to provide additional capacity.

Face coverings and social distancing will be required in residential common spaces, including bathrooms, lounges, kitchens, laundry rooms, and corridors outside of residence halls and college-owned housing, apartments, and townhouse rooms.

Residential students will have ID or key access to their assigned residence hall or residential facility only. They will need to be the guest of another student to gain access to another residential facility. Residential lounge furniture will be removed from residential facilities to discourage gatherings within common spaces. No more than ten people may be gathered in one place at one time inside any residential facility, including common spaces.

Students will receive information regarding the importance of sanitizing living quarters daily and guidance on effective use of household cleaning products.

Resident Assistants will check in on their residents’ health and wellbeing. While on their duty rounds, Resident Assistants may assist in sanitizing and cleaning efforts, including wiping down public areas, seating and tables, door handles, stairwells, etc.

The College and its food service provider, Thompson Hospitality, will require all students, employees, and guests to wear face masks while in Pannill Commons, Tiger Inn, and at catered functions. Patrons may remove their face coverings while eating and drinking in designated dining areas.

Dining Service modification in the Commons will include restricted capacity, six-foot table spacing, limited seating, one-way traffic flow, designated one-way entry and exit points, expanded outdoor seating areas, and floor markings at food, beverage, and checkout lines.

Diners may dine in or carry-out food. Weather permitting, students are encouraged to pick up food and move outside. Additionally, students may be assigned a time period for dining based on their academic schedules.

Floor stickers will denote six-foot spacing for food, beverage, and checkout lines. Cashier stations have Plexiglass barriers, and contactless checkout is available.

Custodial staff will perform deep cleaning in bathrooms at least after each meal period at the Pannill Commons and Tiger Inn (every 60 minutes during operations) in high-traffic areas, including the serving area, dining area, stair railings, and entrance and exit doors.

All student clubs and organizations, the Student Senate, and the Honor Court are required to conduct meetings, fairs, activities, events, orientation, training, trials, elections, debates, etc. using virtual platforms during the fall semester or until in-person activity can be done in compliance with social distancing guidelines.

Outdoor student activities are encouraged if they comply with social distancing guidelines. The College Activities Council will provide students with engaging virtual events (gaming and digital competitions) as an alternative to in-person activities.

TigeRec Fitness Center is limited to 20 patrons at a time. Patrons and staff members must adhere to physical distancing guidelines and maintain ten feet between themselves and others, when possible. Some machines are closed to adhere to physical distancing guidelines. Furniture in the lobby is unavailable for seating or waiting. Patrons are not permitted to bring guests. Use of Leggett Pool is limited to ten lap swimmers with no more than two swimmers per lane.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference and its member institutions, including Hampden-Sydney, have voted to postpone conference competition and championships for fall and winter sports through the end of the 2020 calendar year. Sports with fall championships (cross country, football, and soccer) will not compete this fall, but will instead compete next spring. Sports with split seasons (golf and tennis) may compete this fall as long as social distancing can be maintained and travel can be done in accordance with local, state, and federal guidelines. Sports with winter championships (basketball and swimming) are anticipating a January 2021 start.

Team meetings and athletic staff meetings should be conducted virtually unless or until in-person meetings can be done in compliance with social gathering restrictions and guidelines for social distancing.

The College will not initially allow any social gatherings involving alcohol on fraternity circle. Fraternities are encouraged to host events virtually. This policy will be reviewed periodically by the COVID-19 campus team and Senior Staff.

Fraternities should conduct official business in chapter houses if they comply with social distancing guidelines. However, fraternities are encouraged to conduct virtual meetings until further notice.

Fraternities are permitted to host recruiting events, chapter development programs, and small social gatherings, but they must be registered via the Event Request System, monitored by the Associate Dean of Students for Student Engagement and Judicial Affairs, and must comply with social distancing restrictions.

The Interfraternity Council should conduct only virtual meetings, including weekly meetings to discuss new member education, philanthropy, and social events until further notice or for as long as social gathering guidelines remain in place.

Appointments

The Student Health Center will no longer provide walk-in service. Care will be provided by appointment scheduled by phone. Non-COVID-19-related health services will continue to be available.

• Entry doors are locked. Students are asked to call for an appointment or to ring the doorbell in case of emergency.
• Masks and hand-sanitizer stations are available at the entrance.
• Use of the waiting room will be minimized. Friends may not accompany a student to an appointment. Chairs are spaced according to social distancing guidelines. The waiting room is large enough to allow for social distancing among four students and a supplemental area is available for an emergency walk-in.
• Procedure. Health Center staff will conduct triage screening of callers for COVID-19, discuss chief complaint, record demographic information and phone number, and conduct screening for PHQ4. Calls will be referred to a Primary Care Nurse for nursing evaluation, assessment, plan, education and need for follow up. If the nurse determines that evaluation by a physician is needed, an appointment will be scheduled.
• Day of appointment. Students given an appointment to see the nurse or physician will receive a call within 30 minutes of the appointment and will be verbally screened for COVID-19. If the screening is positive, the Health Center staff will follow established protocol for consideration of the student for testing, including asking the student to stay in his room until given further instructions. If the screening is negative, the student will be instructed to arrive at the appointed time wearing a face covering. Upon the student’s arrival, the student will call the Health Center or ring the doorbell. A Health Center staff will check the student’s temperature and verify that he is wearing a face covering. If not feverish, the student will enter the Health Center, use hand sanitizer, and be directed to an exam room.

Student Health Equipment

Computers have been upgraded with camera and microphone capability to allow tele-visits when appropriate. A telephone is available in each room except the waiting room, supply room, and medical records room.

A supply of medical-grade PPE for use by Health Center staff will be maintained, including gloves, gowns, face shields, and N-95 respirators. Masks and hand-sanitizer stations are available at the entrance.

Cleaning Protocols

Disinfecting high-touch surfaces (light switches, doorknobs, faucets, toilet handles, phones, computer keyboards, counters, tables, and handles) will be the responsibility of the Health Center staff each morning and prior to leaving the building each evening. The staff will also disinfect exam rooms, bathroom, waiting room, and front doorknob after each patient, and as needed throughout the day.

Open-air circulation. The Health Center will be closed for one hour at lunch for at least 30 minutes to open all windows and allow for open-air circulation.

Custodial staff will clean and disinfect the building daily and as requested by Health Center staff during regular hours in the event of contamination.

Training

Health Center staff will complete Johns Hopkins Coursera COVID-19 Contact Tracing training. They will monitor information pertaining to Health Center procedures from the CDC and Virginia Department of Health regularly.

The Counseling Center

A hybrid of telehealth and in-person counseling will be available. In-person counseling will be used for students new to counseling and urgent/crisis concerns. Counseling Center staff and students will wear face masks during counseling sessions. Group meetings will be conducted virtually.

Student Health Services staff will identify students with known risk factors and contact them over the summer. The Dean of Faculty’s Office and other campus departments will work with students with underlying health conditions to arrange for them to take classes and access other academic support services remotely.

Faculty members have been asked to ensure that a clear and complete syllabus with embedded deadlines is posted on Canvas prior to the start of the semester in case individual students or faculty members become ill or quarantined or the College is required to transition to remote learning on short notice. For students who need to be quarantined or isolated during the semester, faculty members will do their best to provide accommodations, using recording equipment if possible and appropriate, or asynchronous alternative assignments.

Hand sanitizer is available at entrances to dining facilities, Student Health services and the Counseling Center, academic buildings, Bortz Library, Brown Student Center, TigeRec Fitness Center and Leggett Pool, the Campus Store, the post office, and at cashier/checkout, food service, and other service locations.

Building and Grounds staff have been trained in the enhanced hygiene and cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting procedures required by the College’s reopening plans. The custodial supervisor and building custodians have created a checklist for each campus building--including quarantine and isolation spaces--to ensure that cleaning and sanitizing protocols are maintained.

Special emphasis will be placed on sanitizing and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, including handrails, door handles, elevator control panels and buttons, restrooms, water bottle-filling stations, and countertops.

Facility Cleaning Breakdown

• Restrooms in all academic buildings and student communal bathrooms will be cleaned twice daily, first thing in the morning and after lunch, Monday through Friday. Bathrooms in student suites will be cleaned by the student occupants.
• Student rooms. Building and Grounds custodial staff will disinfect all student rooms prior to August 7 with electrostatic spray and VitalOxide. In all campus buildings where possible, staff will maintain relative humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent to minimize viral spread.
• In academic buildings, students will be expected to clean their own desks and chairs at the beginning of each class period with materials provided in the classrooms. Signage will ask anyone using a shared piece of equipment, keyboard, or other shared surface in labs or classroom spaces, to clean it before and after use.
• Bortz Library. Spaces and services in Bortz Library are being adjusted to address the need for additional cleaning of shared surfaces and materials. Custodial and library staff will clean diligently, and additional supplies will be provided for patrons to wipe surfaces.
• Student Health Center staff will disinfect high touch surfaces (light switches, doorknobs, faucets, toilet handles, phones, computer keyboards, counters, tables, and handles) upon entering and prior to leaving the building each day. The staff will also disinfect exam rooms, bathroom, waiting room, and front doorknob after each patient, and as needed throughout the day. Custodial staff will clean and disinfect the building daily and as requested by Health Center staff during regular hours in the event of contamination.
• Fraternity house common spaces will be cleaned and disinfected twice weekly. Resident Assistants on Fraternity Circle will be encouraged to conduct official maintenance and house cleanliness walkthroughs each week and will submit reports through the Fraternity House Maintenance reporting system monitored by the Associate Dean of Students.
• Campus Store. Custodial staff will sanitize campus store areas including doors, stair rail, elevator, and bathrooms. Store employees will use antibacterial wipes at the registers to frequently clean counters and plastic credit card machine covers.
• Post Office employees will clean surfaces upon entering and prior to leaving each day and will sanitize each piece of equipment after each use. Employees will frequently wash hands and/or use hand sanitizer and wear gloves when handling packages.
• TigeRec Fitness Center staff will clean and disinfect equipment, benches and chairs after each use and Leggett Pool staff will clean and disinfect bleachers after each use.

All employees are encouraged to contact Human Resources to arrange for reasonable accommodations if they have concerns due to a condition that places them in a high risk group or if they reside with an individual who is in a high-risk group. Reasonable accommodations for employees at higher risk from COVID-19 include but are not limited to telework, alternative office hours, flexible work schedule, change in work environment to minimize exposure to others, and provision of extra PPE or cleaning supplies.

All employees who can work from home or self-isolate on campus have been doing so and will continue to do so. Supervisors and Human Resources have devised plans that best suit individuals and departments to preserve the wellness of the College’s workforce and especially those at higher risk. Those who are not able to telework or work on campus may be eligible for paid sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) or any similar benefit that may be offered by the College if FFCRA eligibility or benefits end.

Emergency Sick Leave, for employees directly impacted by COVID-19, provides ten days of paid sick leave at 100 percent of the employee’s pay rate. Employees are considered directly impacted if they have been quarantined by a local, state, or federal order, or a health care professional (for any reason), or if they exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 and are seeking diagnosis and treatment.

Emergency Sick Leave, for employees indirectly impacted by COVID-19, provides ten days of paid sick leave at two-thirds 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.

Expanded FMLA is available 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 two-thirds of the employee’s pay rate. There is a ten-day waiting period, but those ten days can be covered by Emergency Sick Leave.

LiveHealth Online is available for all employees who need expert medical advice, care, and/or prescriptions but do not require an in-person doctor visit. An Employee Assistance Program is also available to offer emotional support during this stressful period. These benefits can be accessed through video technology available on most smartphones, tablets, and computers with a camera.

Return to Work After COVID-19 Illness

The Human Resources Office has notified all employees and also reinforced in supervisor training sessions that employees who begin to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 (as defined by the CDC) while at work are to leave the campus immediately, and that employees who begin to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 outside of work will not be permitted to return to work until a plan is developed for their safe return. 

In either case, supervisors and department heads are to:  contact the Building and Grounds Office to request special cleaning of the areas used by the employee displaying symptoms, notify the symptomatic employee’s colleagues of the situation so they can take extra precautions, and notify Human Resources to assist supervisors and departments in providing opportunities for the affected employee to work from home or to take FFCRA leave.  

Symptomatic employees must either be seen by a physician for an evaluation and possible testing, submit to free on campus testing, or be free of symptoms for 14 days before returning to campus. In all cases, employees must be free of symptoms before returning to work.  

If an employee has been exposed to COVID-19 (was in close proximity to someone presumed or confirmed positive), the decision to quarantine the employee will be made by Human Resources and Health Center staff, based on circumstances surrounding the case. In such a situation, work from home and/or FFCRA leave may be appropriate. 

The Student Health Center or the Office of Student Affairs will contact Building and Grounds to request special cleaning of the areas (residence hall, bathrooms, classrooms) occupied by students who have tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19.

Contact Tracing
Student Health Center staff will work in conjunction with Prince Edward County Health Department regarding contact tracing for any employee or student who tests positive.

Quarantine and Isolation
There will be 40 beds for quarantined students and 46 beds for isolated students.

Venable Hall—vacated for now postponed renovation—and the Women’s Guest House will serve as the primary quarantine and isolation spaces. Additional residential spaces on- and off-campus will be available if needed.

Upon initiation of quarantine or isolation, Student Health Center staff will review with the student self-care guidelines including availability of over-the-counter medications and thermometer, symptoms of an emergency, appropriate actions in case of emergency, and living space cleaning requirements. 

Student Life staff will provide or coordinate provision of contactless delivery of student meals. 

Students who remain on campus in quarantine or isolation are required to email the Daily Monitoring Log for COVID-19 to the Student Health Center each day before noon. If the form is not received as expected, the Student Health Center staff will notify the Office of Student Affairs to check on the student.

Campus Outbreak Management
Senior leadership and the Critical Incident Management Team/COVID Campus Team will manage a campus outbreak. The Office of Student Affairs and the Student Health Center will provide regular daily updates to senior leadership and the Critical Incident Management Team/COVID Campus Team and remain in continuous communication and collaboration with the local health department and Centra Southside Community Hospital to ensure that the College is aware of best practices for a large-scale outbreak. In consultation with these agencies, the College will determined whether it needs to further reduce or shut-down campus activities, aside from continuing to provide care and assistance to students in isolation or quarantine.

The College will continuously monitor all local, regional, state, and national health trends and continued guidance from the CDC, Virginia Department of Health, and local health officials. Decisions regarding a campus closure will be based on many factors including the number and trends of positive cases, rate of spread, the College’s ability to quarantine, isolate, and care for students who are sick, and the capacity of local and regional hospitals to care for those requiring hospitalization. These decisions will be made in consultation with local health officials and the Virginia Department of Health.

The College will update policies and operating procedures according to executive orders from the Governor and guidance from the CDC and Virginia Department of Health. This would include moving students off-campus to remote instruction, moving as many employees as possible to remote work, providing reasonable accommodations for employees at high risk of serious illness due to COVID-19, assisting employees in accessing related leave options, and accommodating on-campus staffing to the extent it is safe to maintain critical campus infrastructure, grounds, public health, safety, supporting supply chains, and other vital operations.

The College will consult with Virginia Department of Health about whether it would be more prudent to send students who are sick home or to keep them on campus. Considerations will include the prevalence of cases on campus, provisions for safe travel, and capacity of the College to support critical services and isolation and quarantine spaces.

The College will require students to return home in the event of a campus closure/shutdown with exceptions handled through an application process managed by the Office of Student Affairs.

Students will be asked to vacate campus within 72 hours of a campus closure decision to ensure the health and safety of students and faculty and staff members. International students and students with extenuating circumstances will be accommodated on a case-by-case basis