7-19-21: Important Wooster Fall Semester Updates

Dear Students and Families,

We hope you are well and enjoying a good summer.  We write with several updates about fall move-in plans.  We are so looking forward to seeing you and to the exciting year ahead!

Reminder! Provide your COVID vaccine record by 8/5: 

• The College of Wooster is committed to the health and safety of our community, and to a vibrant, in-person campus experience this fall.  To support that commitment, we are requiring that all students be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before the start of the term, as we announced in June. Vaccination records must be submitted via Scot Web under “Vaccination Information” by August 5^th.  You can refer to our vaccine policy and answers to frequently asked questions.
• Students may request a medical or religious exemption from the vaccination requirement.  The deadline to do so is July 20^th, and responses will be provided by the end of July. Exemption forms may be found here.
• International students who have not had access to a World Health Organization-approved COVID vaccine will be able to get vaccinated as soon as they arrive in Wooster.  The International Student Services team will be in touch with more details.
• Students, staff, and faculty who are not fully vaccinated must wear masks and keep socially distanced while indoors on campus, and they are required to test regularly for COVID.  Vaccinated students (as well as staff and faculty) are also welcome to wear masks at any time if they wish to do so.

Move-in:  

• Move-in dates and times are available on the Fall 2021 Guide, located here.
• For COVID safety, students will be allowed to have two family members (or friends) at a time assisting them inside the residence halls during move-in.  Students may have as many visitors as they like outdoors. Visitors, including family members, MUST WEAR MASKS inside the residence halls while assisting their students in moving in. Masks are not required outdoors.
• Students who need special assistance moving in, such as students with disabilities, should contact Residence Life in advance at reslife@wooster.edu. We will ensure you have the assistance you need for move in.

COVID testing: 

• Students who are fully vaccinated for COVID and have submitted their vaccination records do not need to take a COVID test before coming to campus or when they arrive.
• Students who are not fully vaccinated for COVID (those who have an approved exemption from the COVID vaccination requirement or who are getting vaccinated at Wooster upon arrival because they do not have access to an approved vaccine at home) MUST PROVIDE A NEGATIVE COVID TEST IN ADVANCE OF ARRIVAL, and will take a rapid test, which provides a result within 15 minutes when they arrive on campus. Unvaccinated students within the US will be mailed a COVID test to take from their home location this summer prior to departing for campus. International students can provide the results of the COVID test they are taking to travel to the US at testscots@wooster.edu. If you will not be fully vaccinated for COVID before arriving on campus, please watch your email for directions to obtain a COVID test before coming to campus and upon arrival. Those who test positive before coming to campus will need to delay their travel.  Those who test positive upon arrival will have a repeat test to affirm the result and will go to isolation housing for a period of approximately 10 days, as determined by the Wayne County Health Department.

ADA accommodations:  

• Students who have health needs for accommodations should contact Amber Larson (alarson@wooster.edu), Director of the Academic Resource Center (formerly called the Learning Center), as soon as possible so that we can make appropriate plans that work well for them—in the classroom, the residence hall, and elsewhere on campus. Information on accommodation policies is located here.

We hope this information about the start of the fall term is helpful. We know you may also have questions about fall activities. We are very much looking forward to having everyone back for a full and vibrant fall, with classes, music, theater, athletics and much more taking place safely, in–person, much as they did before the pandemic!

We are using all the available tools available to keep our campus running fully and safely this coming year, and are following the guidance of expert public health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ohio Department of Health, and the American College Health Association. The COVID pandemic is ever-changing, and we will continue to evolve our strategies based on expert guidance and local needs, with student health and student experience as our top priorities. Our policies may change based on a variety of factors including changes in expert public health guidance and local or campus disease prevalence.  We know that the changing situation is challenging for everyone, and we will continue to keep the campus updated regularly as we did last year.  We will share more specifics about campus opportunities and public health plans via email in early August,  will also hold an open Q&A session for students and families on August 3^rd at 7 pm, EST.  Please check your email for registration details.

We wish you all a great summer and look forward to seeing you soon.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at wooster-covid-19@wooster.edu.

With best regards,

The COVID leadership task force:
Sarah Bolton, Myrna Hernández, Jim Prince, Angela Johnston, Lisa Perfetti

Sarah Bolton, President

The College of Wooster
716 Beall Avenue
Wooster, OH 44691
Ph: (330) 263-2139
Fax: (330) 263-2539

Posted in Community Message on July 19, 2021.

---