Coronavirus 2021

Be-Friend Initiative Begins on 3/22

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What is be-friend?
BE-FRIEND aims to pair Wes students with each other to connect and share thoughts, ideas, and themselves. It is open to all Wed students regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or ability. We hope to foster connections in the midst of a time characterized by social distancing and disconnect.

How it works:
Interested participants will complete an initial survey designed to help the chaplain’s office pair you with someone based on your preferences, including faith or no-faith tradition, gender identity, race/ethnicity/ethnic identity, and any specific preference you might have.

The program will begin on March 22 and go through the end of April. If the pair of “friends” want to continue to meet, in-person or online, that’s up to them. We will gather safely outside in early May to enjoy a celebratory meal (provided by a local restaurant). For those participating from elsewhere, we will mail a care package to their preferred address. Each participant will receive a free t-shirt.

Here is the link to the survey: https://forms.gle/qE1HTwXpPQJMm9GZ8

 

Announcement for Be-Friend Initiative with flowers

COVID Safety and Spring Sports Update

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To the Wesleyan Community:

The Pandemic Planning Committee continues to monitor conditions on campus and in the surrounding community. Campus has seen only a small number of COVID-19 cases, which are attributable, we believe, to students visiting one another without wearing masks. The success of this semester depends on everyone taking the COVID safety precautions – wearing masks, maintaining appropriate distance and limiting indoor interactions.

We are encouraged by the declining positivity rates in the surrounding community, with Middletown lowering its alert level from Red to Orange. Wesleyan’s alert level remains at yellow. Wearing a mask in public – whether on campus or off – is still critical for reducing risk to the campus community. With warmer weather this week, we ask you to look for opportunities to meet with others outside rather than inside to reduce risk of transmission.

Please note the following changes and reminders:

  • Dining: Grab-and-go dining is available at campus venues; there is limited indoor dining in the Usdan marketplace. See the Dining Website for more information.
  • Travel: Students may leave campus only for travel within Middletown – be it trips to grocery stores, pharmacies, or for medical appointments. Students may also go into Middletown for work, internships, retail shopping and take-out dining. But, students are restricted from dine-in restaurants and off-campus fitness centers. Other off-campus travel is not permitted without prior approval from Davison Health Center.
  • Residence Halls: Students may visit with others who live in the same residence hall or program house, while adhering to safety protocols—wearing masks, maintaining six-foot distancing—and abiding by COVID capacities. Students living in wood frames and apartments are permitted to welcome other students to visit their units, if other residents are comfortable. Keep in mind the COVID capacity applies to the entire house or apartment, so communication with roommates is essential to ensure compliance. Community Advisors (CAS) are available to advise housemates on having these conversations and negotiating terms to ensure everyone feels comfortable.
  • Usdan University Center is open and available to students. No visitors are permitted.
  • Testing and Contact Tracing: Please be sure you are complying with the University’s requirement for ongoing COVID-19 testing. Students and employees should schedule their own tests, which must take place at the campus testing site. Students who miss more than three tests will be immediately required to leave campus and study remotely for the rest of the semester. Please use this form if you must miss a test due to extenuating circumstances.

The NESCAC presidents have reached agreement on a limited schedule of conference competition for spring sports from mid-April to mid-May. Each institution will make its own decision whether to participate, based on local considerations and restrictions, and competition will take place in a sport only if at least six NESCAC teams sponsor play. Wesleyan will participate in NESCAC intercollegiate competitions with appropriate safeguards if pandemic conditions remain stable. See the Athletics Website for more information. In addition to athletics, the student activities office will be sharing information to reserve outdoor spaces for student use as well as reinstalling tents for student programming. Opportunities for supervised off-campus activities by academic programs and student groups will be reviewed by student activities staff.

Finally, please ensure that you are familiar with the spring COVID Code of Conduct and continue to follow all the guidelines detailed within. We appreciate your care and attention in keeping our community safe.

Thank you,

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students
Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

CAPS Presents: Coping with Burnout during COVID-19 – 3/5

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Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Presents

Coping with Burnout during COVID- 19

Join Anthony Carnevale, CAPS Doctoral Extern, as he discusses burnout during the pandemic. Anthony will define what burnout is and discuss various types of burnout, as well as explore the signs, symptoms, and stages of burnout. The webinar will conclude by exploring strategies to prevent burnout. 

Date: Friday, March 5th, 2021

Time: 3 pm –  4 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/97760701376?pwd=Z3M1eHpzdVN2ekxodGlGcVZ5dUFUQT09

Meeting ID: 977 6070 1376

Passcode: 542224

Campus Life After Quarantine

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To Our Wesleyan Community,

Tomorrow, we will emerge from our initial campus-wide quarantine. I want to thank you all for your patience and cooperation in following quarantine protocols. I know they are challenging, but your participation has been critical in starting off our spring as safely as possible.

As we enter the next phase of the semester, I write with important information about campus life post-quarantine starting February 22.

  • Academics: Classes will be taught in their indicated modality (in-person, hybrid, or online).
  • Dining: Grab-and-go dining will continue to be available with additional venues and hours. More information can be found on the Dining Website.
  • Travel: Students may leave campus only to travel to grocery stores, pharmacies, and for medical appointments in Middletown.
  • Libraries: Olin and Science Libraries are now open. Learn more about library hours and operations.
  • Residence Halls: Students may visit with others who live in the same residence hall or program house, while wearing masks, maintaining six foot distancing and abiding by COVID capacities.
  • Usdan University Center is open and available to students.  No visitors are permitted.
  • Health Services: The Davison Health Center is open by appointment only, and both telemedicine and face-to-face visits are available. More information is available on the website.
  • Test and contact tracing: Please be sure you are complying with the University’s requirement for ongoing COVID-19 testing. Students and employees should schedule their own tests, which are required to remain on campus this semester. Students who miss more than three tests will be immediately required to leave campus and study remotely for the rest of the semester. Please use the form if you must miss a test due to extenuating circumstances.
  • Athletics: Freeman Athletic Center is now open for all students. Please register via the online booking form.

By March 8, we will evaluate Middletown positivity rates and the possibility of opening off-campus travel to restaurants and retail outlets in Middletown as well as allowing students to visit other residences, including woodframes and apartments.

Finally, please ensure that you are familiar with the spring COVID Code of Conduct and continue to follow all the community guidelines detailed within at all times. We appreciate your care and attention in keeping our community safe.

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students
Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

Testing Reminder

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Dear students,

I hope that you are settling into campus and getting back into your coursework!  First, let me offer a sincere thank you for your cooperation with our return to campus protocols.  I know, for many of you, getting a pre-arrival test was challenging but we believe the extra effort will help us get off to a safe and successful semester.   We had over twenty students isolate at home after receiving a positive pre-arrival test and conferring with Davison Health Center.   Despite high rates of positivity around the country, after almost a week of testing early indications are encouraging in that our on-campus positivity rate is under .30%.  The state mandated two-week arrival quarantine assists us in continuing to identify anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19 prior to arriving on campus and reducing the likelihood of spread.  Wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distancing is critical to our success again this semester so please continue to pay careful attention to these measures particularly when getting meals around campus.

Each student is expected to test twice each week on either a Monday & Thursday or Tuesday & Friday schedule. Because frequent testing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID on campus, it is your responsibility to adhere to this schedule.  Please test either today or tomorrow and then starting next Monday, you will be allowed only 3 missed tests during the course of the semester after which you will be required to immediately leave campus for the rest of the term.  The importance of keeping to the testing schedule should be as important as attending your classes as we rely on everyone to keep the campus safe. If you must miss a test (for a reason such as a medical emergency or illness), it is your responsibility to alert the University to an upcoming lapse in testing via this form.

Please refer to the Testing web pages for the link to schedule your tests and the hours of operation. For the spring semester, the testing site will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Friday from 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. It will be closed on Wednesdays and weekends.

Finally, the community standards board (CSB) compiled a report from the fall semester cases, many of which were related to COVID agreement violations.  The members of the CSB wanted to be sure that everyone was aware of the kinds of cases and associated outcomes during the fall semester in the hope that we can collectively work together to reduce the kinds of incidents that put the campus community at greatest risk. Thank you in advance for all of your efforts to Keep Wes Safe for all of the students, faculty and staff who make up this community.

Sincerely,

Dean Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Wesleyan University

Notes from the Class Dean – 2/5

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Dear members of the Class of 2021,

I hope that all of you have taken the time to rest and enjoy winter break. Classes begin on Tuesday, February 9th, and I’m writing to follow up with some additional information/resources to help you start the semester well and successfully complete the drop/add period. You may also access this message on our class blog.

Enrollment

Starting on Saturday, February 6th you are required to enroll in the University. To enroll, login to WesPortal, click through the yellow alert banner at the top of the page, then click on the “Enroll Me” button. Please be aware that you will not be able to participate in drop/add until you have enrolled in the University. You must enroll in the University by Monday, February 22nd, at 11:59pm, EDT. You must do this regardless of whether you will attend classes in-person or remotely this spring.

In addition to enrolling, you must resolve any holds in your list of Action Items. To access your list, go to:

WesPortal > Enrollment Checklist & Addresses > Hold/Enroll

Instruction(s) on how to resolve each action item are provided on the page. Many action items can be resolved with a simple click of the mouse.

All action items must be resolved within the first week of classes. Please be aware that you will still be able to participate in drop/add even if you have unresolved action items (as long as you have already enrolled in the University using the “Enroll Me” button).

Change of Grading Mode

The last day to change the grading mode for courses with the Student Option is Tuesday, March 2nd by 5pm, EDT.

Digital Learning Tips for Classes and Drop/Add

Remember there are resources to help you navigate our online and hybrid learning environments. You may access a set of tips and resources to navigate the upcoming drop/add period and online learning through our class blog.

COVID-19 Campus Protocol for Students on Remote Study Status & Leaves of Absence

Students on remote study status are not permitted to visit campus for any reason during the Spring 2021 semester. This includes attending in-person classes, events, practices, meetings or visiting with students on campus, etc.

Students on medical, academic or non-academic leave must also adhere to the COVID-19 mitigation protocol to not visit campus for any reason during the Spring 2021 semester.

Additionally, the state of CT has a mandatory quarantine order in place for those traveling to any part of CT from other states on their list. You may access that information here: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel.

Senior Paperwork & Resources

I will begin sending reminders within the next few weeks to help you prepare to finish your last semester at Wes.

Please review the resources to help you prepare for completing your last semester and graduation. You may access the Senior Packet and more useful information on our class blog.

As of now, you should review your Credit Analysis Report, General Education Report, and Major/Minor Certification Forms in WesPortal. You may have already received an email from me about oversubscription. You may access more information about this here.

Check to make sure your full legal name is spelled correctly for your diploma. You may access information on how to confirm your diploma name here.

Additionally, don’t forget about programs and services offered by Gordon Career Center and the Cardinals Helping Cardinals program.

Commencement 2021

Commencement is scheduled for May 30th. Additional details about the format (e.g. in-person and/or virtual) will be available later this spring.

Class Dean Office/Appointment Hours

I am still working remotely until further notice, but I am accessible through email, appointment hours, etc. I will continue to conduct appointments through Zoom or Google Meeting, and my calendar is available through the following link for the duration of the Spring 2021 semester: https://tinyurl.com/deanleathers. I look forward to speaking with you soon!

Last year was difficult for so many of us, and we’re clearly not out of the woods yet. I’m hopeful for what is in store for us this year. And while uncertainty appears to be a hallmark of our present time, the love and care that we show for one another can be as well.

I wish you a wonderful start to spring classes, and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns moving forward.

All my best,

Dean Leathers

Keep Wes Safe Webinar – 2/12

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Please visit the Webinars page on the Keep Wes Safe website to find a listing of upcoming informational webinars on topics related to COVID-19.

The next webinar, scheduled for February 12, will feature Wesleyan’s medical director, Dr. Tom McLarney, MD, discussing COVID vaccines. Webinar details and log-in information, along with links to past webinar recordings, can be found on the website.

Arrival Day Testing – Spring 2021

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Dear students,

We are looking forward to seeing many of you back in Middletown this week! As you work through your final preparations to return to campus, I write with important information on testing.

As you know, all students are required to take a COVID-19 PCR test within 5–7 days before leaving home and upload a negative test result to WesPortal. This is an important step to keep the campus community safe as people are returning for the second semester. We understand that some students have encountered difficulty with their test as a result of the winter weather. For those who are unable to get a pre-arrival PCR test result, at this point a rapid antigen test will suffice. In addition, Wesleyan will have limited capacity to administer a rapid COVID-19 test in addition to the required PCR test upon arrival.

If you find yourself without a test result prior to leaving home, please plan to arrive on campus at the time of your scheduled arrival test appointment and you will be directed to the West Dining wing in Usdan where you will first be directed to take a rapid test. If it is negative, you will go to Fayerweather to take a PCR test, and then will be directed to pick up the key to your residence. If the rapid test is positive, you will still take a PCR test but will need to immediately enter isolation for 10 days (per CDC guidance). More information on testing and isolation is available on the Keep Wes Safe website.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation as we all work together toward a safe start to the semester.

 

Sincerely,

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

Preparing for Student Move-In

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Dear students,

With the start of spring semester nearly upon us, I write with an update from Middletown, where the campus is freshly blanketed in snow.

We have been preparing for student move-in, which will take place February 5–8. After consulting with public health officials and carefully reviewing and refining our health and safety protocols, we believe we have a clear plan for students to safely return to campus. As always, we will rely on all students, faculty, and staff to do their part in following safety guidelines at all times to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Because the COVID positivity rate in Connecticut and across the United States is higher than when we began the fall, we will need everyone’s renewed attention as we begin the semester. Students should read the updated COVID Code of Conduct for spring, and acknowledge it in WesPortal, where it is posted as an alert. Students will also need to upload a negative result from their pre-arrival COVID test in WesPortal.

I strongly encourage everyone to review this checklist to Prepare for Arrival. Additional information on move-in and the beginning of the semester can be found on the Residential Life website.

All students must quarantine for two weeks after arriving on campus. We will observe an initial state-mandated, campus-wide quarantine period that will last through the end of the day on February 21. Because the period after arrival poses the highest risk for students to be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, the success of our semester will depend on all students taking the quarantine measures seriously. Beginning February 9 and through the end of the quarantine, students will take all classes online.

More information on campus health and safety during COVID-19 can be found on the Keep Wes Safe website. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

Preparing to Return to Campus for Spring 2021

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This is a repost of the message sent to the study body on January 14, 2021 by Dean Culliton.

Dear students,

Happy New Year! I hope this note finds you well, and that you have been enjoying a restful break. I write today with important information regarding our plans for the spring semester.

Members of the University community are very much looking forward to having students back in Middletown. Our experience in the fall allowed us to test and fine-tune our safety processes and protocols, and we feel confident that we have strong systems in place to limit the spread of COVID on campus. It will require all of us to be diligent in order to keep Wesleyan safe.

However, we are also mindful of the high levels of COVID spread in many parts of the country, and worrying news about new variants of the virus. Our plan remains to begin the spring semester in early February, with students permitted to return to campus beginning February 5, and spring semester classes starting February 9. We will alert you immediately if we determine that health conditions necessitate adjusting this schedule.

As a reminder, spring semester will once again begin with an initial two-week period of campus-wide quarantine and online instruction to comply with the State of Connecticut’s requirements.

Below is a checklist of important steps all students must take before returning to campus. Please read these steps carefully to ensure you are prepared.

  1. Beginning on January 22 until you return to campus, we ask students to limit exposure to others (quarantine at home), and especially to avoid large groups of people.
  2. All students will need to receive a negative COVID test result from a PCR test taken within five days prior to leaving home. Students will be directed to upload test results to WesPortal and have a copy upon return to campus. If you receive a positive result, do not come to campus. Recover at home and alert the Davison Health Center.
  3. If you have been in close contact with anyone with COVID or COVID-like symptoms please contact the Davison Health Center and delay your arrival on campus until at least 14 days after your close contact.
  4. Any student who did not get a flu shot on campus this fall is required to send proof that they have received a flu shot off-campus to healthforms@wesleyan.edu by January 20.
  5. Prior to leaving home, you must schedule your arrival COVID test appointment online. This appointment must be your first stop upon arriving to campus. Unlike the fall semester, you must use the app to schedule your COVID test and the number of available tests each hour is limited to reduce density as students move in. You will receive your residential keys after being tested on campus. For students travelling by plane with late arrival times, please contact reslife@wesleyan.edu with information about your travel day and time to secure a later time slot.
  6. Students who were not on campus in the fall semester must electronically sign a testing waiver for the Broad Institute and Wesleyan. These students can find waivers in their WesPortal beginning the last week of January.

I will continue to communicate with you in the weeks to come, including regarding updates to the COVID Code of Conduct for spring term. Information about campus health and safety during COVID can always be found on the Keep Wes Safe website.

Enjoy the remainder of your break, and I look forward to seeing you back on campus next month!

Sincerely,

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee