Safety and Student Conduct Reminders

The following message was shared with students on Thursday, Aug. 27.

Dear Students,

Now that we are into our first week of classes, please remember to follow all health and safety rules and policies, including new protocols for dining services, that are in place for our safety.

Health and Safety Reminders

If you have not submitted your negative test result, you must do so before moving onto campus or, if you are commuting, before attending class. You must follow all posted protocols when eating in any dining facility on campus. Face masks are required when you are not in your personal living space. Whenever possible, keep six feet of distance between you and others who you do not live with, especially indoors. Remember to complete your daily health screening on LiveSafe before coming to campus, or before going to class if you live on campus. Participate in our contact tracing and random testing programs, and obey quarantine and isolation requirements. And, of course, wash your hands.

Commons and GSU

This week, for health and safety reasons, Dining Services had to unfortunately pause food service in the Commons because not all students were following the social distancing guidelines set in place.

As a result, the Commons and GSU will be reducing the seating capacity to one person per table and moving a majority of their operation to a grab-and-go format. I understand that this may be inconvenient for some, but it will remain this way until student behavior is in line with dining expectations. The Dining Services team has been incredibly student focused and we need your help in keeping their employees and our community safe.

We also ask you to be respectful of our hardworking grounds crew as you use the grab-and-go options. Please put your trash in receptacles and leave your location clean and litter free.

Our COVID-19 policies are in place to help ensure we are able to stay safe and stay on campus; everyone needs to follow these policies. If you have questions about safe dining, please visit the Healthy Hawks website or speak with any Dining Services staff member.

Guest Policy

In addition, it is critical that you follow our guest policy. I know this is particularly difficult, but it is necessary for the safety of our campus community and our neighbors, and our ability to continue to offer an in-person, residential experience. As referenced in my letters to the community on Aug. 11 and Aug. 19, guests are not permitted in the residence halls. Only the residents assigned to a room or an apartment can be in that space. Alleged violations will be documented and referred to the student conduct process. Separate from the student conduct process, interim measures including interim suspension could be put in place as soon as the next day after the alleged incident is reported.

I am happy to see that many of you are socializing in our new outdoor gathering spaces. That’s what they are there for! But please remember, mask and social distancing rules still apply. To make outdoor gatherings a little easier for you to navigate, we are painting grids on the Village lawn as a visual reminder to social distance in small groups.

If you need a refresher on any of our COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, you can find them all on the Healthy Hawks website. They will also be covered in the EverFI COVID Course you are required to complete. (You received an email from EverFI with instructions.)

Reporting Violations

It is our hope that you will remind one another to put on masks, stay six feet apart, and follow all other rules. As part of our pledge, you have the ability to remind community members to wear masks and be socially distant. For behavior that is belligerent or simply too large of an issue for you to manage, please use LiveSafe to report a violation. Go to the app, click “Report Tips,” and then “COVID-19 Concerns.” These tips can be anonymous, but should be submitted in a timely fashion. Reports that are submitted hours or days later may affect our ability to address the alleged concern.

Thank you.

Aaron Isaacs
Dean of Students