#StaySafeCarthage update: Important update on #StaySafeCarthage practices and compliance

Dear students,

We have officially completed our first full week of in-person classes since March! It is indeed a happy Friday! It has been wonderful to see you back on campus and in classrooms again.

We appreciate your compliance with our #StaySafeCarthage guidelines, and I am happy to report a high engagement rate with our Daily Check-in Symptom Monitoring tool.

That said, we have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases among students living on and off campus. It is extremely important that we all follow the #StaySafeCarthage guidelines so we can keep each other healthy and continue in-person classes without disruption.

I’m sure that you are hearing from friends at other schools or reading in the news about colleges needing to quarantine entire residence halls, switch to remote learning, or, in some cases, even close their campuses for the semester. I want to share with you the College’s options if we see a spread of the virus in our community.

What happens if there is an increased spread of COVID-19?

If there is an increased spread of COVID-19 within our student population, Carthage may need to take one or more of the following steps:

• Move to a strict no-guest policy in the residence halls. Right now, residential students are allowed one guest per room during approved visitation hours. If we move to a no-guest policy, that means no one is allowed in your room except for you and your roommate.
• If we exceed our quarantine space capacity on campus, we may relocate students to a non-Carthage housing facility in the local community for quarantine.
• Quarantine an entire residence hall wing, floor, or building.
• Quarantine all residential students for a set period of time, and likely move to fully remote classes during that same time period.

What can we do to keep ourselves and each other healthy?

Follow our #StaySafeCarthage guidelines all the time.

• Wear a face mask in any indoor space (including empty conference rooms).
• Wear a face mask outside when other people are around.
• Make sure you’re wearing and taking care of your masks correctly.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds.
• Use hand sanitizer.
• Follow physical distancing guidelines when walking across campus, standing in line for food, and when talking with friends.
• Use the Daily Check-in Symptom Monitoring tool.

Remember: Some people show no symptoms of COVID-19, but they may have the virus and be able to spread it to others. That’s why we need everyone following these guidelines all the time. The Dean of Students Office will continue to monitor and address non-compliance.

Thank you again for your cooperation and enthusiasm for being back together on campus. We’re thrilled you’re here and that our students, staff, and faculty are able to engage in in-person activities again. Let’s keep that going!

Sincerely,

Kimberlie L. Goldsberry, PhD
Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students