August 15, 2022: Following Up on Ursinus COVID-19 Guidance

Dear Ursinus Students and Families,

Last week, some important updates were shared with you regarding our approach to COVID-19 this academic year, primarily surrounding changes to masking and testing guidance. As you are now aware, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced a shift in its own recommendations, which align with what was sent to you last week.

We wanted to take a moment to share some additional information regarding isolation practices. Students who test positive during the academic year should isolate from others for five days per CDC guidelines, and–most importantly–should isolate at home. There will be no isolation housing on campus this year, so it will be important for every student to have a plan for isolating at home in the event of a positive test. If students cannot return home, those who test positive will need to isolate in their existing room assignment and adhere to all public health policies as outlined by the CDC and the guidelines provided by the college.

We understand this may impact roommates and suitemates. Before the academic year begins, we kindly ask all roommates to spend time together and discuss how they will approach living arrangements should COVID disrupt your residential experience. It is important that you have a plan in place that you’ve all agreed upon in advance. We know these may be challenging conversations, so we’ve provided a few suggestions on how to approach this decision on our Defend the Den page at https://www.ursinus.edu/offices/wellness-center/defend-the-den/residence-life-covid-19-considerations/

Information about isolation, masking, and testing is also on the Defend the Den page. Although there is no weekly testing on campus, all students are encouraged to self-test or make an appointment to test at the Wellness Center.

We continue to adjust our practices as necessary, keeping in mind the most recent guidance of the CDC and the Montgomery County Office of Public Health. We also remain in contact with other leaders at other higher education institutions to help us keep our campus as healthy as possible.

Thank you again, Bear families, and see you on campus soon!

Sincerely,

Missy Bryant, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Laura Moliken, Vice President for Health and Wellness