The following message was shared with students and families on July 23:
Dear Students,
We are happy to share that health conditions in Connecticut remain stable and our state continues to have one of the lowest infection rates in the country. This means that with safety precautions and protocols in place, we are still on track for a safe reopening in August. Here are several important updates:
Testing
We know many of you have questions about the testing process and requirement.
As a reminder, residential students must show documentation of a negative diagnostic COVID-19 test that was taken within 14 days prior to moving in.
However, there is a new executive order in Connecticut that requires travelers from 31 states to self-quarantine for 14 days or document a negative test that was taken within 72 hours prior to arriving in Connecticut. See our website to learn which states are impacted, but please be aware that as health conditions change across the country, this list will continue to be updated. We know this complicates matters for our families traveling from these states. We are working with other institutions in Connecticut on a process to help with logistics, including determining whether travelers can take their test after arriving in Connecticut. We hope to have that answer soon.
Please look out for other information on testing soon, including suggestions for families on how to obtain a test and document the result.
Residential Life
Early Drop Off
As communicated, we are offering an early drop-off period for residential students who can travel to campus. Please note: the dates have changed slightly and are Saturday, Aug. 15 to Wednesday, Aug. 19.
This will be a same-day, in-and-out process to drop off belongings in rooms and return home without an overnight stay. Advance sign-up will be required for time slots to allow us to maintain social distancing requirements and minimize traffic. Sign-ups will begin once final room assignments are communicated, which will be happening by the end of next week.
Here is how it will work:
- Sign up for one time slot between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Roommates, suitemates, and apartment-mates must sign up for different slots and cannot be in the living space at the same time.
- Participate in a “drive-through” process to sign your Housing Agreement and pick up your keys.
- You will have up to four hours to unpack and set up your living space.
- You may bring up to three people from your household to help.
- When you’re done, lock your unit door and return your keys before leaving campus.
- Students who participate in Early Drop Off may return to campus, pick up their key, and stay overnight beginning on Monday, August 24.
Move In
Please note we have slightly changed our move-in schedule. Returning students will move in on Saturday, Aug. 22, and Tuesday, Aug. 25. First-year and transfer students will move in on Sunday, Aug. 23, and Monday, Aug. 24.
Students who are participating in Early Drop Off may return to campus, pick up their key, and stay overnight beginning Monday, Aug. 24.
Sign-ups will begin once final room assignments are communicated, which will be happening in the next week:
- Sign up for one time slot between 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- Roommates, suitemates/apartment-mates must sign up for different slots and cannot be in the living space at the same time
- Participate in a “drive-through” process to sign your Housing Agreement and pick up your keys.
- You will have up to two hours to move into your room.
- You may have one person from your current household inside your building/room with you at any given time.
Let’s Keep Hawks Healthy Pledge
We have communicated some of the guidelines and expectations we must all follow to protect our health and our community, and there will be more to come. Some of these rules may seem inconvenient and different from how you originally envisioned your college experience. But for us to remain open this fall, we must all commit to doing our part. We are asking you to start by taking the Healthy Hawks Pledge. You can find the pledge on our website. Please take the time to read it and familiarize yourself with it. As we get closer to our reopening, we will share ways that you can sign this pledge.
We truly appreciate your patience as we work through our final plans to reopen safely next month. To keep you informed, we have launched our new Healthy Hawks website, hartford.edu/healthy-hawks. This site provides comprehensive information about our fall reopening plans and other aspects of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the emails we will be sending you, we will be frequently updating the site with details on testing and health screenings, campus services, residential life, and other topics. As always, if you have any questions, please email COVID19@hartford.edu.
Thank you.
Jessica Nicklin
Associate Vice President for Student Success