The message below was sent by Eleanor JB Daugherty, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, to students on all campuses on January 25, 2022
Subject: We're There: Time to Come Home, Huskies
Hello, Huskies,
We’re doing this. Buckle up: big email ahead with lots of important information on the return to campus (including plans for Saturday’s snow storm). Please read it carefully.
Medical Return to Campus:
- All students who have not tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days are required to download the results of a pre-arrival test (antigen or PCR) taken within three days of departing to campus. If you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days, you will likely still test positive although you are not infectious. We only want to isolate infectious positives. If you are positive, you should remain home and observe at 10 day isolation period.
- Arrival testing is available on all campuses for students who have not tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days.
- Off Campus/Commuter Storrs arrival testing was held this past weekend. Off-campus Storrs students who missed that date may stop by the second floor of Rome this week only through entrance A (Monday – Thursday 1:00pm – 3:00pm).
- Residential Storrs arrival testing will occur during move-in weekend (January 29-30) from 10am-4pm (no appointment necessary) in the Rome Commons Ground Floor.
- Regional campus students will receive communication directly from their campuses.
- Students who test positive upon arrival will be asked to isolate and return home. If unable to safely return home, isolation housing will be provided. A 10 day isolation period will be observed.
- Vaccinated students identified as a close contact by their provider or public health authority, will be required to quarantine if they are not up to date in their vaccination status, this means eligible for a booster but not boosted. All exempted students identified as a close contact will need to observe a full quarantine.
- Students who are up to date in their vaccination status, including a booster, will not need to quarantine after being identified as a close contact but will need to follow additional precautions for 10 days following the exposure.
- All exempted students are required to participate in weekly surveillance testing. Your campus will provide information, as they did last semester, on specific testing requirements.
- All students are required to receive the booster when eligible or obtain an exemption. Booster compliance should be uploaded into the Student Health Portal. Boosters are currently available to Storrs students Monday-Thursday in the Student Union Ballroom. Please schedule an appointment for a booster on the Student Health Portal.
Academic Return to Campus:
- Classes will begin, in person, on January 31. Over 90% of our classes will be offered in-person and masking will be required. I know we are all looking forward to seeing you soon.
Storrs Residential Life:
- Due to the potential snowstorm for Saturday, January 29, Residential Life will allow students to return to campus on Friday. Card access will be available starting at 7:00 am on 1/28/22. Students who need to pick up a key or wish to change their move-in date will receive additional communication from Residential Life this week about check-in times on Friday.
- Please note that on Friday, January 28 dining is limited to three dining halls, Whitney, South and Northwest.
- Arrival testing will be available to Storrs residential student on Friday from 10am to 4pm on the Ground Floor of Rome.
Stamford Residential Life
- Due to the potential snowstorm for Saturday, January 29, Stamford Residential Life will allow returning residents to move back to campus on Friday, January 28. Card access will be available starting at 7:00 am on 1/28/22.
- New residents who need to pick up a key or wish to change their move-in date will receive additional communication from Stamford Residential Life this week about check-in times on Sunday.
- Stamford will be adding Sunday as a move-in day for students to accommodate the winter storm.
- Additional information on residential testing will be provided by the campus.
Activities and Dining: We’re in red, my friends: masking and physical distancing are a key characteristic of this status. No one wants to stay in this long, but it’s how we are going to start. More on that in a later email.
- Athletics: This one matters a lot, I’m afraid. I need to talk to you about the men’s basketball game occurring this evening. As you know, Gampel is a facility that houses thousands of individuals. If transmission of COVID occurs among students attending the game, it could cause a wider student outbreak over move-in weekend 3-4 days later before this positivity is detected. This in turn could potentially overwhelm the university’s isolation capacity at the start of the in-person semester. Although vaccination cards are required for the game, our testing data over the last two weeks shows that a significant portion of positive tests occurred in vaccinated students.
As such, the university is encouraging students to watch the game remotely rather than attending in-person. Towards this end, the University has capped tickets in the student section at 50% occupancy. If you’ve already claimed a ticket, it is valid for admission. It is very important that attending students spread out and maintain physical distance from one another. Please note, this is only today’s game. We anticipate students will be able to attend all other UConn games during the spring semester. My sincere thanks to all of you and to our dedicated athletes for understanding.
- Dining at Storrs: While the University is in RED all students are encouraged to dine quickly and be safe. Students should be considerate of others and not use the space for studying or group meetings. Anytime a student is not eating they must wear their masks in the dining halls. All dining facilities will monitor capacities and determine when it is appropriate to offer alternatives to eating within the location.
Super awesome dining idea: I know how much you love to-go containers and we know that we need to keep the flow of folks moving through our dining halls. With that in mind, beginning on Monday January 31st Buckley Dining Hall will offer to-go only without pre-approval for any student with a meal plan until the University transitions from red. Dining Services encourages any student who has a specific need for a to-go container to visit their website and follow the options available for requesting a to-go container for the semester. We will try this out in red and see where we go from there.
- Student Activities: I am so grateful for the creative efforts of our students and staff to ensure that community continues at UConn –even when we need to observe physical distancing as we re-open. Please stay connected through UKindness and the many activities and programs available to you on all of our campuses.
- Recreation Center (Storrs): The Rec Center will reopen for activities on January 31 (limited hours are available this week only for students approved to live on campus). Rec will be observing limited occupancy and physical distancing while we are in red.
Still with me? Good! We’re here, we’re ready. Come home, Huskies.
Eleanor JB Daugherty, EdD
she/her/hers
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
For more information, contact: Janice Canniff at janice.canniff@uconn.edu