Fall 2020 Safe Reopening

Chowan University procedure follows recommendations from the CDC, the state of North Carolina and local health providers as general guidance.

We are committed to implementing a range of measures to help promote health and well-being among students, employees, and campus visitors and to help reduce risk from potential exposure and spread of COVID-19. Procedures set forth in this document are meant to meet minimum threshold requirements for general campus, day-to-day experiences. Where applicable, more stringent requirements will be communicated via signage or university personnel in areas in which potential risk of exposure or infection of COVID-19 are greater.

Responsibility to follow these university policies fall to individual faculty, staff, students, and campus guests in order to promote a good social order with mutual care and respect for others. The language primarily employed in these policies reference the main campus in Murfreesboro, NC, these policies also apply to off-site locations in which Chowan students learn and employees work.

All members of Chowan community (faculty, staff, students, and approved campus visitors) returning to campus are expected to adhere to these primary responsibilities:

1.           Daily health monitoring
2.           Practice physical distancing and wearing cloth coverings when appropriate
3.           Practicing good personal hygiene
4.           Reporting symptoms or possible exposure

Social Distancing

Currently, the CDC reports that the COVID-19 virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person who are in close contact with each other even when symptoms are not present.  CDC Social Distancing Guidelines

Masks

Because infection of COVID-19 may not produce symptoms, the cloth covering of the nose and mouth is meant as an added precaution against potentially infecting others. Continue to maintain separation from others of at least 6 feet.  CDC Mask Guidelines

Community Spaces

As individuals may be without symptoms of COVID-19 yet test positive for the disease, all persons on campus must maintain at least 6’ of space (physical distance) of separation from others. CDC Social Distancing Guidelines

Health Monitoring Responsibility

Any individual on campus must monitor potential symptoms daily before coming to or interacting with others on campus.  According to the CDC, anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

· Fever
· Cough
· Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
· Fatigue
· Muscle or body aches
· Headache
· New loss of taste or smell
· Sore Throat
· Congestion or runny nose
· Nausea or vomiting
· Diarrhea

Faculty and staff who have symptoms including a fever of 100 F / 38 C degrees or greater must stay home and contact their primary medical provider and notify Human Resource. Human Resources guidelines can be found at chowan.edu/hr.

Students with any symptoms including a fever of 100 F / 38 C degrees or greater must call Health Services at (252) 398-6248. Commuting students must not come to campus and residential students must not leave their campus residence. CDC Symptom Monitoring Guidelines

Physical Distancing and Cloth Covering Responsibility

Currently, the CDC reports that the COVID-19 virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person who are in close contact with each other even when symptoms are not present. Limiting face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Physical distancing, also called social distancing, means keeping space between yourself and other people outside your home. As individuals may be without symptoms of COVID-19 yet test positive for the disease, all persons on campus must:

·       maintain at least 6’ of space (physical distance) of separation from others
·       limit gathering into groups
·       minimize time in crowded places

In some scenarios that involve natural vocal projection (singing, lecturing, etc.) a minimum of 15’ is strongly encouraged. In general, this responsibility applies to all environments on campus (classrooms, offices, library, residence halls, etc.) There are naturally occurring congestion areas in day-to-day life on campus (dining, restrooms, elevators, etc.) that need extra consideration. When physical distancing is not possible (small spaces, entering/exiting classrooms and building, congested areas, etc.) cloth coverings are expected to be worn. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for physical distancing. Because infection of COVID-19 may not produce symptoms, the cloth covering of the nose and mouth is meant as an added precaution against potentially infecting others. Continue to maintain separation from others of at least 6 feet.  CDC Face Covering Guidelines

Good Personal Hygiene Responsibility

According to the CDC, handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself from getting sick. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. When soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.  CDC Handwashing Guidelines

All faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors are expected to follow posted signage regarding use of shared campus spaces and resources. Living in community commits us to consider the needs of others before ourselves.

The University is employing additional cleaning and disinfecting measures in response to COVID-19. However, all who live and work at Chowan are expected to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily in their areas daily. CDC Cleaning/Disinfecting Guidelines.

Daily Self Monitoring 

Students, faculty, and staff are expected to complete their own daily self-checkup to help monitor their own health.  Click here for more information.

Self Monitoring and Quarantine Protocol ​

All students, faculty, and staff who report COVID-19 symptoms or who are exposed to the virus must follow the testing, contact tracing, and quarantine protocols established by Chowan University. 

Students:

If you feel ill or experience symptoms of COVID-19:

• AVOID all contact with others. Stay at home or in your room. Do not go to class, work, dining halls, etc.
• CALL to self identify. 
• Call the Wellness Center at 252-398- 6248 between 9 am and 4 pm and our health provider will assess you. 
• If after hours or the weekend, please call Public Safety at 252-398-1234. Please share your mobile number with them and Public safety will contact our health provider with your phone number and location. Our health provider will call the student and assess.
• TRANSITION to a temporary self-Isolation space if you are directed to by our health provider. If so, Residence Life will coordinate the isolation space with you and the CARES Team will review service available to you while in self-isolation

Remember to protect yourself and others, you must ACT if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. 

If a student tests positive while on campus, and if they are able to travel home by personal vehicle, they will be encouraged to do so. The CDC warns against mass transportation for anyone testing positive. If they are unable to leave campus, they will be relocated to our quarantine residence hall. Our University nurse will provide the necessary care and monitor them daily. Students in quarantine will be provided their meals and access to any services necessary to include, counseling, pastoral care, etc. If a student tests positive we will begin contact tracing to test all persons they may have encountered in conjunction with the local health departments.  

Faculty & Staff:

If you feel ill or experience symptoms of COVID-19:

• Employee reports Covid-19 exposure to supervisor 
• Employee is sent home immediately if on-campus or remains at home if not on campus
• Human Resources alerted to the situation by the supervisor and responds by contacting our health provider to being the exposure evaluation process. 
• Human Resources completes documented confidential log on the medical event, specifying date/time frame, event details, resolution.

Full Employee details are available at chowan.edu/hr. 

Care Commitment
Responsibility to follow the university policies fall to individual faculty, staff, students, and campus guest in order to promote a good social order with mutual care and respect for others. Students will be required to sign the attached community compact, Chowan Strong-Safer Together. The compact is our agreement to care for self, others and this place.

The timeline for move-in of residents will be expanded over a three day period and staggered for students depending upon where their on-campus space is located. Staggered move-in will support physical distancing guidelines and limit the density on floors and in buildings. Please follow all University and CDC safe practice guidelines. 

All NEW students, including freshmen, transfer, or readmit, regardless of your room assignment location, your move-in date is Saturday, August 22nd.

Students will have a reasonable block of time to move in (for example, traditional residence halls will have 2 hours and Whites Crossing will have 3 hours) and there will be a limit on the number of moving helpers a student may have with them during their move-in time. Only 1 helper is recommended. Students are encouraged to only bring their bare essentials and necessities. 

Early Move-in for International and CDC Identified States 

International and The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that travelers from many foreign countries self-monitor for 14 days upon entering the United States. In accordance with the CDC and in an effort to be proactive for the safety of our campus community, we are asking our international students to return to campus on August 10th.  If you have visited one of the identified states* in the past 14 days, you may be asked to return early. Given the increase of COVID-19 cases in the United States, we are requiring students from some states to return and self-monitor as well. Students who never left the United States may not have to return to campus on August 10th. See more details here. 

Self Monitor 10 Days Prior to Check-in

Given the increase of COVID-19 cases throughout the country, we are also requesting our students throughout the United States to self-monitor for at least 10 days prior to coming to campus. During self-monitor, you are asked to wear a face mask in public, limit your interactions with others, and wash your hands often.

Check-in Assessment 

When you arrive on campus, you will be required to participate in a health screening before you check-in. The screening will include having your temperature checked and answer pertinent questions. The Chowan community will be expected to complete a daily self-health screening prior to attending classes or beginning your day on campus.

The Academic Calendar

Chowan University has made adjustments to the fall 2020 semester to support health and encourage learning. We will continue to evaluate the calendar and make adjustments as necessary.

August - Traditional events including athletics, concerts, convocation, homecoming, etc. will be assessed by August 3, 2020 and initial guidance determined.

New students will move-in on Saturday, August 22nd, and returning students will be assigned either August 23rd or August 24th move-in dates. Classes begin on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

September - Classes will be held on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2020.

October - Fall Break has been removed for 2020 to support an accelerated schedule. 

November - Classes will meet on campus until Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 5 p.m. All residence halls will close on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 10 p.m. for the remainder of the semester. Any adjustments to the spring semester calendar will be announced in November.

December - Final exams for all 2020 fall semester classes will be administered remotely from December 7-14, 2020. The last week of instruction, November 30-December 4, will be held online as Study Days. On a Study Day, instructors may hold study sessions, conduct labs, require presentations, etc., remotely. These days are designed to review and reinforce previous course work. No new material is introduced on a Study Day. A Study Day is also used to study for exams, complete papers and projects, make remote presentations, etc. Final Examinations will begin Monday, December 7, and end Monday, December 14.

The calendar for Spring 2021 is under review.

Teaching and Learning

As always, Chowan’s goal is to offer an outstanding academic experience to every student. In spring 2020, Chowan faculty had one week to pivot to remote instruction; this fall will be very different.

·  Social distancing will be practiced by limiting classroom occupancy. 
·  Masks will be worn in all classes and meetings at all times.
·  Measures such as removing chairs and posting signs and floor/table stickers indicating where to enter and exit a building, classroom, and stairwell, where to sit or stand, how to use an elevator, etc., will be in place.
·  Courses will be designed to be delivered both remotely and in-person.
·  The majority of remote and hybrid sessions will be delivered in real-time, to enable immediate interaction and discussion.
·  Some classes will consist of remote lectures and small, in-person sessions.
·  Some courses will assign alternating groups of students to attend in the classroom on alternating days.
·  Some courses will break large classes into smaller cohorts.

With the support of a new Instructional Designer, the staff in Information Technology, and a team of faculty members working this summer, instructors will incorporate innovative pedagogies for blended, hybrid, and remote learning. This will allow every student to have hands-on learning with fewer person-to-person contacts. 

Course Delivery and Attendance Policy
The University will offer in-person, blended, hybrid, and online courses. Class delivery methods are determined by the number of students in the class and classroom capacity. Some classes will be small enough to be in person. A blended class means they will go to class most of the time, but there will be some online instruction. A hybrid class means classes will meet in person on a rotating basis with the other portions delivered online. Some courses will be delivered fully online. Each faculty member will be notifying students via email the delivery of each course, in addition to posting the delivery method on Blackboard. If it is delivered fully online, it will be noted on the class schedule. Classroom Attendance Policy will be determined by the delivery method of the class.  In-person courses will follow the traditional attendance policy. All policies will be outlined in the course syllabus.

Accommodations 

A student who may need special accommodations for an underlying medical condition may contact Dr. Ella Benson, Dean of Accessibility Services, at bensoe@chowan.edu for assessment. 

Fall 2020 Move-in
New students will move-in on Saturday, August 22nd, and returning students will be assigned either August 23rd or August 24th move-in dates. See details here. 

Residential Guidelines 
Residence Life guidelines, modifications, and education can be found here. 

Student Life and Campus Ministry Programming
Student Life and Campus Ministry will follow all University Guidelines and Policies regarding COVID-19 and created additional safety guidelines found here. 

Chowan University dining services lead by Pioneer Catering has completed the fall 2020 start-up reconfiguration of the Turner Cafeteria, Chowan Room, and Hawk’s Nest designed to ensure social distancing during meals.  All three locations will be serving the same menu at each location providing the greatest flexibility for student dining.  The maximum dining occupancy at each location is as follows: (Note: Traditional maximum occupancy provided for reader convenience)

Thomas Dining Hall – 242 patrons (Traditional Max Occupancy – 495)
Chowan Room – 40 patrons  (Traditional Max Occupancy – 88)
Hawk’s Nest – 222 patrons  (Traditional Max Occupancy 855)

Each table will have a sticker reflecting where students are to sit for dining.  This strategy allows for rapid cleaning recovery as students complete their meal and assists with making certain the social distancing requirements are maintained.  Meals may be consumed in one of the three locations subject to the new maximum limits or may be selected in a “To Go” model.  Students selecting a “To Go” option will have the option to receive a second carry-out box to facilitate “seconds.”

In the event a student is quarantined on campus, the university will deliver meals to each residence hall location subject to medical guidelines for each meal period.  Quarantined students will be provided a menu ahead of the meal delivery to note their preferred meal choices  

Thomas Dining Hall will open for early arrivals on Monday, August 10, 2020 beginning with the lunch meal following a weekend brunch and supper schedule – Lunch 12 Noon to 1 PM and Supper 5 – 6 PM.  This schedule will be followed until Monday, August 17 where the university will then follow the traditional Monday through Friday three meal per day schedule beginning with breakfast.

Dining Calendar:
Hawk’s Nest will begin serving meals on Monday, August 17 beginning with the lunch meal to support the return of the fall student-athletes in addition to the early arrivals.  The Hawk’s Nest will then follow the same schedule as Thomas Dining Hall for the rest of the fall semester.

Faculty and staff who wish to take advantage of Pioneer services will be asked to take their meals in a “Take Out” fashion.  This will ensure that the dine-in resources are adequate to meet student demand.

Dining: 
During the week of August 3, Chowan University will have a professionally installed disinfectant barrier installed throughout the campus to include all dining areas.  The disinfectant barrier is designed to enable our surface and seating areas to act as a retardant of bacteria exchange thereby providing a level of protection against contagions to assist with flattening the pandemic curve.

Our custodial service provider – Aramark – has realigned their cleaning schedule to introduce an early morning and early evening deep cleaning strategy for all our dining and academic facilities.  Teamed with Pioneer resources, the university feels that the dining facilities will be continuously monitored and cleaned as patrons complete their meals.  Each evening, Aramark will perform an exhaustive cleaning after each cafeteria location is closed in alignment with the specifications and expectations of the disinfectant barrier to achieve maximum protection throughout the fall semester. 

To provide meaningful, safe, and healthy experiences for all members of the community, the University will be reimagined. 

The University will modify facilities to include limiting capacity in spaces; closing, where possible, informal gathering places; creating visual cues to direct community members where to enter, exit, stand, etc.; installing, where possible, barriers to ensure physical distancing; and removing furniture in public spaces.

Please see the Fall 2020 Safe Reopening Student Affairs Guidelines for more details. 

Prospective Student Visits
Chowan University has a desire to ensure the health and safety of our students and community. The COVID-19 pandemic state and federal current restrictions limit the interaction and travel of our community. We are committed to keeping our campus safe by limiting the visitors to campus and our movement from campus. Prospective student campus visitors must register and adhere to CDC and government guidelines in addition to the Chowan University guidelines. 

Residence Life Guest Visitation Policy
No outside guests are allowed, only Chowan University students can visit each other in the residence halls and apartments. Social distancing is expected throughout campus.