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Return to the Hilltop
Jan. 4, 2022
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As with the initial outbreak of COVID in spring 2020, the omicron outbreak is moving fast and requiring adjustments as we bring students back to campus. In this weekly update, I will clarify some of our protocols and update you on the number of positives we have thus far.
First, I want to address both those who are concerned of coming back in person as well as the skeptics who believe that we are overdoing it with our protocols.
To those concerned, we believe that we can keep our campus as safe or safer than the world outside these gates AND bring our students back to campus for a high-quality (although not typical) academic and social experience. As before, that is our benchmark. If the data comes back indicating that coming back to campus is exacerbating the spread of omicron relative to Jefferson County, then we will significantly adjust our protocols. We will watch the data closely.
For skeptics, who, I hope, are correct, there is no reason to take unnecessary risks. Moreover, we are one of the only colleges in the country that will hold classes in person and where most students will be back on campus prior to omicron peaking. Most of our peers are postponing the return to campus, going online, or both. We are bringing students back because we think we can do so safely. While we know there will be many COVID-19 cases on campus, we believe that we can manage the spread of this variant while keeping campus functioning. It is our hope that omicron peaks by mid-January and that we can return to last term’s protocols in February.
Like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day," we find ourselves in the same situation once again – another outbreak, more protocols, and varied, but passionate, views on how we are managing the student body through this pandemic. What seems to be different this time is the speed of contagion and the limited symptoms of the outbreak (at least for those who are vaccinated and boosted). All indications since last week point to a near-term peak and a dramatic drop in cases with minimal hospitalizations in between. If this trend turns out to be correct, we will once again be on the other side of an outbreak soon.
Until then, and especially in these first few days of 2022, please be patient with the process as we ramp back up with testing, contact-tracing, the delivery of instruction, and everything else that keeps the campus safe.
Thank you for all you are doing to help us maintain the BSC experience during these trying times.
Forward, Ever!
Daniel Coleman
President
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In recent days, just over 40 students have tested positive and are being supported through our quarantine/isolation process. We will test more today. We are also adding individuals through self-reporting of positive tests and symptoms through BSC HealthCheck. We don’t have enough data to give a “positivity rate” for campus but, given the data we have, we can assume that the positivity rate here is greater than 10%. (Jefferson County is at 39.2%!)
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| ADJUSTMENTS AND CLARIFICATIONS TO PROTOCOLS FOR FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS
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Masks
We strongly encourage the use of N-95 masks during classes held inside. If you do not have an N-95 mask, please double-mask during classes.
We have N-95 masks for every student, faculty, and staff member on campus during the Exploration Term. Masks will be available for pickup at Panther Print and Post. Show your campus ID for your free N-95 mask. This mask should be good for three or four classes. You can clean an N-95 mask, but it is complicated and not as simple as washing. We are working with the Bookstore/C-Store to sell additional masks in the coming weeks.
In-Person, Hybrid, or Online Classes
We want to have all classes face-to-face, but this will not be possible. From time to time, faculty will be exposed to or infected with COVID-19 and will need to teach online. We may have a situation where most of a class is infected or exposed, and the entire class will need to go online. We are asking faculty to use their best judgment when deciding to go hybrid or online. Our clear preference is to maintain physical presence in the classrooms. Similarly, many of our students may need to be quarantined or isolated for periods of time. We ask faculty to be as flexible as possible with these students, in many instances effectively creating a hybrid class for a few sessions.
Gatherings
No gathering can be more than 50 people outside or 30 indoors. Exceptions to this rule MAY be approved AHEAD OF TIME for indoor gatherings if the number of people in the venue is less than 10% of occupancy of the indoor space.
HealthCheck
As in the fall term, we will use BSC HealthCheck to record individuals’ COVID-related issues. If you have symptoms, do not assume they are due to allergies, the weather, or other causes. Immediately report your symptoms, a positive test, or exposure by:
1. Clicking on MyBSC on the BSC home page
2. Clicking on BSC HealthCheck at the bottom of the dropdown list
3. Submitting all relevant information.
Someone will follow up with you within a few hours during the workday, or the following morning if you report in the later evening or overnight. Until you are contacted, avoid contact with all others as much as possible.
Visitors
Due to the positivity rates in the surrounding community and Alabama, we are returning to a restriction of all non-BSC guests on campus in primary student areas, including residence halls, public spaces like the Norton Campus Center, or social settings like fraternity/sorority houses. Family members and friends may attend athletic events following the other protocols we have in place but should avoid being in the primary student areas noted above. Once positivity rates beyond and on campus decrease, we will remove this restriction as soon as possible.
Testing
Weekly testing will be held at the following times in Bill Battle Coliseum:
Monday, Jan. 10: Noon – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 18: Noon – 3:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 24: Noon – 3:30 p.m.
All individuals who have not reported full vaccination or who have recently tested positive for COVID must test weekly during this time. Randomly selected individuals who have reported full vaccination to BSC will be expected to test during this time as well; they will be informed by Friday of the prior week.
Limited additional times will be available to individuals to test Tuesday through Thursday in Norton Campus Center.
More details will follow on the complete testing protocol.
Symptomatic/Exposed Testing
All individuals who report symptoms or exposure must test following our protocols. Symptomatic individuals must test as soon as possible after they are guided toward testing by a BSC staff member who follows up on their BSC HealthCheck submission. Tests are available in Health Services at our Cahaba Medical Care Clinic, or you may obtain testing off-campus. Initial rapid tests are sufficient if positive results occur, but if the first test result is negative, a PCR test will be required to confirm the negative result. The symptomatic individual will be required to avoid contact with others until the PCR results return. The contact-tracing team will support them with contact with faculty members and other essential needs during their period of removal.
Process When Positive
All positive individuals will receive guidance on isolation from the contact tracing team. They will be expected to isolate in Hanson Hall if they share a residential space with others who are not positive, on their own in an apartment or suite if they live alone or all residents are positive, or away from campus. In all instances, the contact tracing team will support them with contact with faculty members and other essential needs during their isolation period.
Our current protocol, in line with CDC guidance, is as follows: Isolation for five days from initial antigen test.
After five days and 24 hours without fever and other symptoms improving, individual may leave isolation but must wear a mask in all circumstances around other people for another five days.
Process When Exposed
All exposed individuals will receive guidance from the BSC contact tracing team regarding testing. In last week’s message, we indicated that individuals “in close contact with an infected person will be tested daily and/or upon symptoms for four days, but not quarantined unless the exposed person tests positive.” Appreciating that the guidance from the CDC may change, we will follow the following protocols for those who have been exposed:
Vaccinated + boosted = no quarantine + wear mask around other people for 10 days
Vaccinated (not boosted) = no quarantine+ antigen test after five days + wear mask around other people for 10 days
Unvaccinated = 10 quarantine+ antigen test after five days
Exposed but vaccinated individuals who are not boosted may need to test daily if circumstances indicate that is best. In most instances, we will NOT need to test an exposed individual daily. If after five days, they remain asymptomatic, we will expect them to test after several days on their own or through our on-campus clinic before we officially clear them from our monitoring list. These individuals will not need to quarantine but must closely monitor symptoms and immediately report any issues.
We highly encourage obtaining boosters now if you have not already done so to reduce as much as possible the likelihood of becoming infected, or to minimize the symptoms if you become positive.
If symptomatic at any time, you must test under the symptomatic protocols.
= antigen test, if positive, isolate
=antigen test, if negative, PCR test (if positive isolate; if negative back to quarantine protocols)
The contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation process will determine the appropriate timeline for testing based on each situation. For anyone exposed who begins to show symptoms, they will be expected to test immediately and isolate until results are returned. Generally, individuals who are exposed but have no symptoms will be able to engage in regular activities while closely watching their symptoms.
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