Ready. Set. Fall 2022!

At Marywood University, we are committed to ensuring that our campus community can:

» Work safely » Live safely » Learn safely » Play safely

The following practices and infrastructure will continue to support these health and well-being measures, in accordance with CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines:

• Vaccine is the best frontline protection; students, faculty, and staff are highly encouraged to get vaccinated, while not required to do so.
• Covid re-entry testing will be required for unvaccinated students. Tests are to be performed no more than 1-3 days prior to arrival on campus. On-site testing will be available to those who become exposed or symptomatic throughout the semester.
• We will continue to follow current, operational public health guidance on masking/distancing.
• Meetings among students, faculty, and staff can be held in person or virtually.
• The University will continue to comply with all mandated employee safety training requirements.
• Air filtration system ionization stations, installed in Spring 2020, are changed/monitored on a regular basis.
• A modern HVAC system, in place since Spring 2020, will continue to introduce fresh air into large spaces.
• Sanitizing stations, plexiglass barriers, and distancing stickers are installed throughout the campus to maintain health and safety practices in high-traffic, public spaces.

Please Note: Marywood University does not currently mandate the Covid-19 vaccination for students, however, there are many workplaces that are mandating the vaccine, including various healthcare organizations, K-12 school systems, and businesses. Some of our degree programs require students to complete field experiences, practicums, clinicals, and other types of off-site coursework in order to graduate. You should be aware that Marywood’s formal, legally binding agreements with these workplaces to provide our students hands-on experiences include the requirement that students must comply with their mandates and protocols, including any vaccination requirements, as a condition of participating in such placements.

Admissions Visitors

Masks are strongly recommended to be worn in spaces that do not allow for physical/social distancing.

Transportation and Travel

University Travel

University-sponsored travel will continue. Admissions counselors' travel will be determined by the schools/areas to which they are traveling, in keeping with the prevailing visitation policies at each school and the health and safety guidance in those destinations. Admissions counselors will adhere to Marywood's indoor masking policy regardless of the mask policy of the school they are visiting.

Study Abroad Program

Marywood University will continue study abroad activities for the Spring 2022 Semester. The University will continue to monitor international and national travel advisories and will communicate changes as warranted. If you are interested in studying abroad, or if you have questions about Marywood’s Study Abroad Program, please contact the Coordinator of Global and Multicultural Education.

COVID-19 Vaccination

Please be aware that countries around the world are currently considering the issue of whether or not to require that travelers provide official proof of vaccination upon entry. As a campus community, we are responsible for others, as well as ourselves, so by practicing safety measures and behaving responsibly in public spaces, we will each do our respective part to ensure the well-being of the entire campus and the surrounding community.

For students, especially those who reside on campus, and for staff members, we encourage you to exercise caution and adhere to the prevailing health and safety measures of areas you visit. All students, faculty, and staff are expected to adhere to local, state, and federal travel advisories as they relate to COVID-19 testing and quarantine. Be sure to monitor COVID-19 information for Pennsylvania travelers prior to making any travel plans. It is important to be aware of where you go and how you interact with others, and, when possible, to keep track of persons with whom you’ve interacted, or places you have been for the purpose of contact tracing. (See Section IX Monitoring Campus, Part B - “Contact Tracing”)

Housing

All residence halls are operating at full-capacity status, and we are operating at full capacity in academic spaces. If you do not feel well, do not report to campus; instead seek medical consultation and follow provider recommendations prior to coming to campus.

Students who previously submitted proof of vaccination to the Student Health Portal do not have to resubmit or repeat the process. If you receive a booster, please update your records accordingly. Proof of completion of the COVID-19 vaccine/boosters should be uploaded electronically to the Student Health Portal. All documents must be legible and in English. To complete your Health Information Requirements please log into your Student Health Portal using your MU username and password and upload your required documents.

Quarantine & Isolation Protocols for Residential Students

Rooms have been set aside in the event that students are required to isolate. Students who are able to safely travel home are encouraged to do so. Students who need to isolate on campus will move to a designated location for the duration of the isolation period, and services, such as meal delivery, will be provided during this period. Students required to quarantine due to a suspected exposure to COVID-19 will remain in their assigned room for the duration of the quarantine period. Refer to the section on Testing, Contact Tracing, and Quarantine in this document for more detailed information.

Academic Calendar

We are operating at full capacity in academic spaces, but there are online resources and virtual options that may be helpful for some academic support services, such as tutoring and advising. Contact individual areas/services for more information. For specific information about the academic year, including dates for add/drop periods and university breaks, please refer to the Academic Calendar.

Classes and Attendance Policy

Faculty will detail their requirements and expectations on their course syllabi, available on Brightspace, and, as always, students can contact instructors by email to ask questions. 

Students are expected to attend in-person classes. If a student must be absent for illness, a death in
the family, or another serious reason, then procedures for absences, as detailed by the instructor, should be followed.

If a student is going to miss multiple classes for reasons that are significant, the student must take the responsibility to inform the faculty member(s) offering the course(s).

If a student must miss classes because of being required to quarantine, Marywood's faculty will determine an alternate means for the student to remain current in the coursework. In addition, a student should contact advisors and staff in the Office of Student Success for a situation that requires multiple absences, which could be disruptive to making progress in the class(es).

Technology

View Technology Info online.

Academic Support Services

Academic Support Services have returned to normal, in-person status, but there are online resources and virtual options that may be helpful. Contact individual areas/services for more information. 

Students, faculty, and staff should not report to campus, clinical sites, internships, athletic practice/competitions, or University-sponsored events if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or if they have had a known or suspected exposure to someone with COVID-19. Instead, please isolate, seek medical consultation, and follow provider recommendations prior to coming to campus.

Marywood University’s Student Health Center has partnered with local healthcare organizations and other regional facilities to assure that COVID-19 testing is available for students who report to the campus Health Center with symptoms consistent with coronavirus infection and to those with a known
exposure to COVID-19. The Student Health Center responds to students’ health and wellness needs Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students should call ahead (570-348-6249) before visiting the Health Center, unless they are experiencing an emergency such as respiratory distress or an injury with profuse bleeding. (For all after hour medical emergencies call 911.)

Health Center staff will determine whether telemedicine services can be utilized, or if an in-person visit is warranted. Special arrangements will be made for students showing symptoms of an infectious nature. Students who are advised to report to the Health Center in person will be instructed on which entrance to use. Patients with general medical issues will use the front entrance; those with COVID-19 symptoms will use the back entrance. Health Center workers will use respiratory protection when encountering patients showing signs of infectious disease. 

Isolation areas have been identified for residential students who have tested positive for the virus. After hours and on weekends, students should utilize the Geisinger COVID-19 hotline at 570-284-3657 for answers about care recommendations and more. In addition to this option, students can seek guidance from Medicus Urgent Care by calling ahead to 570-207-2612. Other local care options can be found on the Student Health Resource Page.

**It is important to note that you must call ahead when seeking evaluation and/or treatment for COVID-19 symptoms from any health care provider**

Testing
Marywood University will no longer require that students show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they arrive on campus. However, we strongly encourage the following recommendations:

• Vaccination is the leading prevention strategy to protect individuals from COVID-19. A growing body of evidence shows that people who are up to date with their vaccines are at substantially reduced risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 compared with unvaccinated people. CDC recommends that all faculty, staff, and students should be vaccinated as soon as possible and remain up to date in their vaccinations, including receiving a booster when eligible.
• Consider getting tested for current infection with a viral test as close to the time of arrival as possible (no more than 3 days) before travel.
  • Find a U.S. COVID-19 testing location near you.
  • Place an order for FREE at-home COVID-19 tests here.
• At-home tests are acceptable. Students choosing to use at-home tests should do so either the morning of (before arrival) or 1 day prior to coming to campus to ensure the most up-to-date/accurate results possible.

Do NOT travel to campus if...

• You have COVID-19 symptoms,
• You tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days.
• You are waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test.
• You had close contact with a person with COVID-19 and are recommended to quarantine.

On-Campus testing will be offered throughout the normal semester months to:

• Students experiencing symptoms of COVID-like illness
• Students identified as a close contact of infected individuals on or after day five (day five = five days post-exposure) or sooner if symptoms develop 

(Individuals with a confirmed COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 infection in the last 90 days can refrain from testing.)

Proof of completion of the COVID-19 vaccine/boosters should be uploaded electronically to the Student Health Portal. All documents must be legible and in English. To complete your Health Information Requirements please log into your Student Health Portal using your MU username and password and upload your required documents.

Students who visit the Health Center with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will be referred for testing. Employees will be sent home and referred to their medical providers.

Students diagnosed with probable or lab-confirmed COVID-19:

• If the student is residential, unless the student chooses to return home, s/he will be instructed to self-isolate in a designated area on campus and the Health Center will monitor their condition (preferably by phone or video conference).
• Students living off-campus will self-isolate in a designated area of their residence. Self–isolation in this context means isolating from others living in the same residence. If space limitations or limited facilities – i.e. bathrooms, kitchens – make some interaction unavoidable,
  the individual self-isolating should avoid usage when others are occupying these spaces, whenever possible, and maintain a minimum of six feet of social distance, wear face covering, and practice hand washing at all other times. Student Health Services will monitor their
  condition (preferably by phone or video conference).
• While a residential student is in isolation, University staff will arrange for food delivery and address other needs.
• The CDC recommends time for isolation to be a minimum of 5 days for everyone and quarantine to be a minimum of five full days for those who are not up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines. People who are severely ill with COVID-19 and people with compromised
  immune systems might need to isolate at home for a longer period.
• Shared housing (for example, residence halls) in institutions of higher education is considered a lower risk congregate setting due to the lower risk of severe health outcomes (such as hospitalizations and death) associated with young adults. Therefore, the CDC recommends
  shared housing in IHE settings follow the general public guidance for quarantine and isolation. To better align with this updated guidance, Marywood University has decreased the requirement for isolation to a minimum of 5 days from test date or symptom onset for all students, faculty, and staff. This protocol will go into effect immediately.
• A minimum of five full days of quarantine will be required of all those who are not up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines following a known exposure. As long as an individual remains without symptoms and has a negative COVID test performed on day 5 post exposure, they may return to normal campus activities on day 6. Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19 and wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others.

Who does not need to quarantine? If you have had close contact with someone who is COVID positive and you are in one of the following groups, you do not need to quarantine.

• You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
• You had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (meaning you tested positive using a viral test).

Students who: completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted OR completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted OR are unvaccinated and come in close contact with an infected individual, must quarantine in their residence as directed by Student Health Services (for residential students quarantine takes place in their residence hall rooms). This may include roommates/suitemates/floormates (if sharing a bathroom)/housemates. These students should refrain from entering public areas outside of their residence while the quarantine is in place. Residential students will not be permitted to remain in student housing if they refuse to quarantine under these circumstances.

Contact Tracing
If a member of the Marywood community is diagnosed with COVID-19, contact tracing can help to keep our campus safer by identifying others who may be at risk and directing them to quarantine or obtain medical care. A Contact Tracing Form is available for your convenience. Confidentiality laws prohibit the university from disclosing any identifying information about affected individuals. 

People who have been boosted OR completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months OR completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19, unless they have symptoms. However, everyone should get tested 5-7 days after an exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative. Several Marywood staff members have been trained and certified in contact tracing. 

All communication related to contact tracing is private and confidential. 

Students, faculty, and staff who are positive for COVID-19 must comply with requests for information related to the contact tracing process. In most cases, The Pennsylvania Department of Health will take the lead in contact tracing off-campus exposures. Student Health Services will take the lead in contact tracing for those exposed on campus. In the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19, the university will follow contact tracing and notification protocols as directed by local and state health authorities. Identified contacts will receive guidance about monitoring and testing.

Marywood University Student Life experiences have returned to full in-person status. Specific areas may have additional requirements and options. Depending on the nature and location of certain events, additional safety guidelines or remote options may be observed.

Athletics/Athletics Facilities

Marywood University Athletics have returned to full in-person practices and competition. COVID antigen testing may be required before participation and throughout the season if required. We will follow all public health recommendations in accordance with federal, state, NCAA, CDC, and institutional guidelines. 

The Athletic Training Room will continue to remain open by appointment only. The fitness and aquatics centers will have scheduled hours that they are open. Zumba class will continue to require a sign in. Please refer to the Athletics website to get more details on specific hours and occupancy limits, as well as specific health/safety protocols for various athletic facilities.

Office of Community Service and Social Justice

The Office of Community Service and Social Justice will continue to share information with students about how to engage in community service safely and how to support community partners, both in-person and remote/virtual. Students must observe all campus protocols related to face coverings and social distancing when serving in the community. Students who are at risk of complications of COVID-19 are advised to seek on-campus, remote, or virtual service opportunities instead. 

All group service projects will follow current guidelines from the CDC and PA Department of Education for group size, social distancing, and the use of face coverings. The Office of Community Service and Social Justice will provide support to assist student groups in identifying appropriate and meaningful group service projects. Groups must utilize the Community Service Approval process and follow Marywood procedures for transportation to off-campus service sites and care of vehicles.

Allocations: Marywood University received $4,747,471 in funds to be directly allocated to students through HEERF I, II, and III. As of Spring 2022, all student-related funds have been allocated.

Marywood University received $5,772,608 through HEERF I, II, and III to support institutions in navigating the pandemic. As of Summer 2022, all institutional funds have been expended or earmarked at this time.

To meet HEERF requirements all expenditure reports will be available at the below link until the end of
2025.

View CARES Act/HEERF Reports at marywood.edu/cares-heerf.