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Summer 2021 Update:
Thank you for your support and your patience this past year as we navigated the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of everyone’s cooperation and perseverance, we accomplished our goal of keeping the Hilltop healthy, and delivering a valuable and highly personalized education to our students. For those of you on the Hilltop this summer, whether for summer courses, as on-campus residence, for summer camps, or as staff and faculty, here is the plan for our summer protocols. Though COVID-19 cases have subsided, and we are excited to alleviate some protocols, we must continue to do our due diligence in our campus and our community safe.
We have modified our summer protocols as of May 24. These changes, to mask requirements and testing, are effective immediately.
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Vaccines and Exemptions
If you are two weeks out of your last vaccinated dose date, you are exempt from regular testing. You are also exempt from quarantine and isolation protocols.
If you have been vaccinated (or will be during this summer): please fill out the form here. (If you were vaccinated on campus, you do NOT need to fill out the form.) If you have a positive test within the last 90 days, please send proof of positive test to [email protected].
If you have not been vaccinated: find a vaccine site near you at www.vaccinefinder.org or go to UAB Highlands at 1201 11th Avenue South, a drive-thru vaccination site with no appointment necessary.
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Testing
Faculty, staff, and students on campus this summer who are not fully vaccinated or have not received a positive test within the last 90 days are subject to the mandatory testing protocol. There will be an initial entry testing for students taking summer courses and people participating in summer camps. Additionally, if applicable, non-vaccinated students will be tested weekly. Non-vaccinated faculty and staff working on campus will be tested monthly. Required personnel should have received an email from [email protected] to sign up for testing.
The tests will be a 15-minute antigen test. Once cleared participants will be checked in on campus. If participants test positive, they will receive another antigen test. If the second antigen test is positive, the participant, depending on the duration of their stay on campus, will either isolate for 10 days or be sent home. If the second antigen test is negative, they will receive s PCR test to confirm results.
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Mask Protocol
If you are not fully vaccinated, you are required to wear a mask indoors.
If you are fully vaccinated, you do not have to wear a mask indoors.
Masks are optional outdoors.
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HealthCheck App and Symptoms
As many of us have naturally incorporated daily symptom checks into our routine this past year, we will discontinue the use of the BSC HealthCheck. Please continue to beware of your health. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or become exposed to COVID-19, please email [email protected] .
Here is a list of COVID-19 symptoms:
- Fever of 100 F or higher
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Lost the sense of taste or smell
- Muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headache
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Summer Courses
During summer courses, we will initially have classroom desks set up six feet apart; however, due to recent CDC updates on social distancing, classrooms do not have to adhere to the six feet distance rule. Professors will be allowed to rearrange furniture as they see fit and to enhance the curriculum or encourage discussions in their classes.
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Guest Protocol
For students, staff, and faculty: If the positivity rate of Jefferson County remains less than 10%, we will allow students to have guests on campus. A BSC sponsor (student, staff, and faculty) must continue to sign up guests in advance per the original “Return to Hilltop Plan.” The registration form is found on the BSC website, under Gingko Go, under “Hilltop Guest Registration.” A sponsor must accompany all guests on campus. The guest registration form is beneficial to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as well as ensure that everyone on campus is a guest of the College.
BSC Alumni are welcome back on campus this summer. They must call the Office of Alumni Engagement (205.226.4917) prior to arrival so that they can be registered as Hilltop guests. They will then check in at the front gate. Campus Police will ask to hold their driver’s license for the duration of their visit, as per the original guest protocols.
For Admissions Guests: Admissions guests must sign up in advance for a campus tour. They are exempt from checking in at the front gate. Campus Police will direct them to the Admissions office, where they will check in with the Admissions team. For the summer, Admissions will increase capacity in the welcome center from three families to five families. All guests must adhere to the mask protocol.
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Summer Camps
We are welcoming three types of camps on the Hilltop this summer: sports camps (soccer, football, volleyball, baseball, basketball), Girls Inc’s Eureka! day camp, and Student Life Camp. All participants in summer camps, who are not fully vaccinated, will take a COVID-19 antigen test when they arrive on campus. For camps with durations longer than a week, participants will be tested weekly. For team camps, if one of their participants produces a positive test, then the whole team will not be able to stay on campus. For individuals, if the individual tests positive, only they cannot stay on campus. A waiver will available to test minors.
Given the proximity and interactive nature of sports camps, all Athletic staff members must be fully vaccinated to be on campus. Masks are not required during competition.
Each camp will have their specific COVID protocols. Please see the Appendix for details.
Appendix
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Detail and Schedule of Sports Camps
Soccer: June 6-10 June 13-17 June 20-24
• Camp is designed as group work with a limit of 15 per group. Only crossover of groups would happen in competition in the evening.
• Camp would be 150-180 campers
Football:
June 8 - 9am-12pm day camp• Limit 15-20 campers per field quadrant
June 22 -Recruiting Combine 9am-4pm
• 2 sessions no more than 25 per position group using both turf and grass fields
Volleyball:
Individual camp: June 29-July 1• 80 campers 14-15 campers per group
Baseball:
• Cap on-campus camps at 75 campers
• 6 campers per group
Basketball:
Team Residential & commuter camps:
June 11-12, 14-15, 18-19,21-22,23-24,25-26• Residents will stay 2 per room. We will block teams together in dorms and keep them separated as much as possible. Extra workers available to help sanitize and turn over dorm facilities.
• Meals will be served in and around our facility so that we do not interact with students or other campers in Norton.
• Only 2 teams will be allowed on the floor at one time. Teams awaiting their game will be held outside or in designated holding areas. The stands will be reserved for families of the teams currently playing and will be limited to the capacity set by BSC for each facility in compliance with the social distancing necessary to combat whatever the spread of the virus looks like at that time.
• Social Distancing, Masking, and building capacity limits will be enforced per BSC and CDC guidelines.
• Extra staffing will be in place to help enforce distancing, and to help clean and sanitize all areas that our camp touch
Individual Skill Commuter Camps July 19-22, 26-29
August 2-5• 10 campers per Coach
• Social Distancing and masking guidelines will follow CDC guidelines.
• Meals will be served in and around our facility so that we do not interact with
• students or other campers in Norton.
• Limited opportunities for parents to come into facility. When they do, we will follow BSC and CDC guidelines for spacing, masking, and building capacity.
• No dorms needed
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Student Life Camp Protocols
- Youth Camp Guidelines: Visit website here
- Kids Camp Guidelines: Visit website here.