Spring Return to Campus Update

February 12, 2021

Dear Goucher Community:

As promised, our spring reopening task force has continued to monitor local and state positivity levels in the hopes of welcoming back students for the final seven weeks of the spring semester. I'm happy to announce that given the decrease we have seen in both Maryland and Baltimore County positivity rates, we anticipate meeting the Green Alert Level criteria we established last summer and will be moving forward with a return to campus for some of our students in late March.

There is a lot to share in this email, so please read to the end.

Housing

  • We encourage everyone who wants housing on campus to apply using this form. Priority is given to those currently living on-campus, student-athletes, graduating seniors, and students enrolled this semester for in-person classes. After assigning the prioritized groups, we will immediately assess the possibility of accommodating additional requests. Therefore, even if you are not in one of these four priority groups, we encourage you to apply for housing if you are interested in living on campus this spring.
  • Housing applications are due February 19 by midnight EST.
  • Students will learn of their housing status on February 23 by midnight EST.
  • The Office of Accessibility Services will honor all previously requested accommodations.
  • Room draw will take place on February 26.
  • Move-in will take place over four days from March 27 through March 30.
  • Housing will remain at Level 2 Housing: this restricts residential students from other halls from entering another building. Only students who live in a building and a small group of staff (Residential Life, FMS, Campus Safety) will have access to that building.
  • Students living on campus (and who are not graduating) may also have the option to stay on campus throughout the entire summer, which brings us to…

Summer & Fall Academic Calendars

  • This year we’re introducing new 4-week June and July summer terms. The June term will run from June 1 to 25; the July term will begin July 6 and extend through July 30.
  • We will post the summer course schedule on February 26, with registration for summer classes opening on March 15. The faculty has been working hard to provide compelling offerings for two summer sessions to take place in June and July, so stay tuned for further details on February 26.
  • Within the next month, we will also be sharing information regarding summer housing options for those who will not be residing on campus this spring.
  • Registration for fall semester classes will begin on April 19 and extend through April 23.
  • We anticipate that we will be returning to a primarily in-person instructional model for all classes in the fall but also plan to offer some classes in a hyflex or completely online modality.
  • The complete 2021-2022 Academic Calendar is now available on our website.

Athletics

  • All student-athletes are invited to return to campus housing in March.
  • Goucher will participate in competitions and championships in low-risk spring sports Tennis, Golf, Equestrian and Track & Field.
  • Student-athletes participating in traditional fall sports, traditional winter sports, and lacrosse are encouraged to return to campus to train with teammates and coaches. We will not however engage in intercollegiate competitions for these sports this spring.
  • Student-athletes participating in any athletic activities will be subject to additional testing recommended by the NCAA Sport Science Institute.
  • If an athlete has been diagnosed with COVID, you will need cardiac clearance before participating with your team. Please reach out to your athletic trainer for more information.

Health & Testing Protocol

  • All residential students should be tested before returning to campus in March and must show proof of a negative test before being allowed on campus.
  • Students are expected to quarantine for 14 days before returning to campus.
  • Once on campus, residential students will be tested upon arrival and one week after arrival and must adhere to a modified quarantine protocol until they have received their second negative test result.
  • Goucher continues to conduct wastewater surveillance testing twice weekly, and residential students will be individually tested should their residence hall report a positive wastewater test.
  • We will also test hyflex commuter students once a week. A testing schedule will be shared when hyflex classes commence.
  • Everyone coming onto campus must fill out the Campus Clear questionnaire daily and show their Campus Clear Fast Pass confirmation at the gatehouse before being allowed on campus. If a student has symptoms, a Health Center staff member will be in touch for follow up.
  • If a student receives a positive test from somewhere other than the Goucher Student Health Center, they must inform the health center immediately through this form, and someone will follow up with them.

A successful return to campus is mostly dependent on the cooperation of our entire community. Through wastewater testing, self-check updates in the Campus Clear app, and periodic testing of students, we intend to do everything we can to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy. While campus use is modified, there will be limited faculty and staff present for in-person meetings with students, and physical distancing and mask protocols must be observed at all times. The ability to engage students on campus and move safely toward a greater degree of freedom for all depends upon students' level of care in adhering to all College safety mandates and protocols. Students are expected to read and adhere to the Code of Conduct.

We will continue to send updates as we finalize more plans. Please be aware that as the CDC updates its recommendations, we may need to modify our plan or the color level criteria to reflect the most up-to-date information and guidelines.

Also, please keep in mind that while we are excited to start getting back to a semblance of normal, many aspects of campus life will still look very different from before the pandemic. I cannot stress enough that it is incumbent upon us to act responsibly both before and after returning to campus. A successful return in the spring will lead to a smooth transition to summer courses and a full return this fall. I sincerely hope and look forward to us all coming back together in August to kick off the fall semester.

Best,
Kent

Kent Devereaux, President