Health & Wellness

Campus COVID Updates and Reminders

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To the campus community,

We are writing to share a number of important COVID-19 updates, in light of recent changes to the State of Connecticut’s plans.

Effective tomorrow, Connecticut’s governor has relaxed a number of restrictions across the state, including no longer requiring offices to maintain a 50 percent occupancy limit. The University will generally follow the 50 percent occupancy of offices for the time being while cabinet members will continue to guide and direct staffing for their divisions.

In addition, the governor has accelerated the state’s age-based vaccine distribution plan. As of tomorrow, all individuals aged 45 and older may schedule their appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations. Scheduling will open to all individuals aged 16 and older tentatively beginning on April 5. (Please note that this new phase starting April 5 combines the 35 to 44 age range and the 16 to 34 age range, which had previously each been scheduled during separate weeks later in the spring.) The University encourages everyone to get vaccinated when you have the chance to do so.

Even with these positive developments, we must continue to stay focused and vigilant on keeping ourselves and our campus safe. We will continue to follow our COVID-19 testing and contact tracing protocols, including twice-weekly testing for students; wearing face coverings at all times when in public; and adhering to social distancing guidelines. Please make sure you are familiar with the COVID Code of Conduct (for students) and the Community Agreement (for employees). You will find more important information on the Keep Wes Safe website, including the COVID-19 Dashboard and public health updates.

Finally, a sincere thanks to our faculty and staff for their tireless efforts toward making Wesleyan a safe place to be this academic year. Your hard work has been critical, and is very much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Lisa Brommer
Associate Vice President for Human Resources

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students
Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

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

Understanding, Validating & Healing From Trauma – 3/3 & 3/10

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You are invited to participate in a two-part series we will be offering to students in the Wes community regarding personal trauma and substance use on campus.

In the first part, Understanding, Validating & Healing From Trauma, Demetrius Colvin (SRC), Jami Carlacio (ORSL), and September Johnson (WesWell) will speak about various forms of trauma they have encountered and the coping mechanisms- both healthy and unhealthy- that they have used to deal with it. In the second part, Coping and Connecting in Crisis: Substance Use and Self-Care During College, the speakers will share their experience as it relates to substance use (in the family and personally) and again, how they found hope by using effective coping skills and seeking help.

The presentation blends storytelling with professional knowledge and aims to reach students through presenters personal accounts of trauma and substance use. The focus ultimately centers on coping, recovery, and resilience, with the message being that life is messy but/and that we can emerge from it whole when we have the right support and resources.  We ask that you promote these two events with students, staff, and/or faculty you know who may benefit from it, whether as a trauma sufferer/survivor or as a resource for anyone who might need help. To be clear, we hope to start a campus-wide conversation about the increased intensity of challenges facing college students today as they navigate illness, death, isolation, fear, and insecurity due to the pandemic and to the effects of structural racism.

The presentations will be held on:

Wednesday March 3 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Zoom Link: https://tinyurl.com/validatingtrauma

Facebook Link

Wednesday March 10 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Zoom Link: https://tinyurl.com/copingincrisis

Facebook Link

Please reach out to us if you have questions or comments, and thank you in advance for spreading the message.

Sincerely,

Demetrius Colvin, Jami Carlacio, and September Johnson

Love, Violence, and Imagination: Moving from Righteousness to Humanity (Tonight) – 2/22

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Join The Resource Center and the SHAPE Office for a workshop, titled Love, Violence, and Imagination: Moving from Righteousness to Humanity, on the importance of healing-centered survivor advocacy that places love, healing, and personal transformation at the core of combatting violence in our communities and in ourselves (Facebook event).  This workshop will be on Zoom (link) on TONIGHT, February 22nd from 6:00pm-7:30pm.  If you have any questions about this event, feel free to reach out to Demetrius Colvin (dcolvin@wesleyan.edu) or Johanna DeBari (jdebari@wesleyan.edu)!

Resource Center Reopens Today – 2/22

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The Resource Center will reopen after the Wesleyan quarantine period ends on Monday, February 22nd at 12noon.  Our operational hours for the rest of the semester will be Sunday-Friday from 12pm-8pm.  If you need to check out a book from the RC, you can see what books are available in the library by checking out our catalogue.  You can also check out books from the RC or request a book to be purchased through the FGLI Textbook Fund (even if you are studying remotely- we will ship the book to you).  Visit our website (https://www.wesleyan.edu/resourcecenter/programs.html) for more details.

Also starting this semester, students can reserve a room in the RC (the spare office which contains a large desk, a comfortable office chair, and a clear view of the street outside) for studying, working, and relaxing by using The RC Calendly. If you do not show up within the first 10 minutes of your reservation, the space will be free for anyone’s use.  To claim your time slot, simply check in with an RC employee in the front room before using the space!

Beyond providing academic supplies, The RC staff is eager to continue engaging with the Wesleyan student body on creating meaningful virtual community spaces for underrepresented and marginalized students.  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop about our programs, initiatives, and opportunities that can benefit you and our community.  Also check out the Black History Month 2021 calendar on Ujamaa’s Instagram for other great programs to attend this month.  If you have an idea for a program or initiative that would help support underrepresented student populations on campus,  please reach out to us therc@wesleyan.edu with your suggestions.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

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

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