Dear Students,
I write today as a follow-up from the Interim President Marcus-Newhall sent to our community yesterday. As many of you have seen in the news or experienced personally, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads quickly and is highly transmissible. We expect to have positive cases on campus, as we are witnessing a number of cases on college and university campuses across the country that started classes this week. This email is full of information and much detail. Please take your time and read it carefully. Any questions can be directed to your . There is a list of action items at the end of this email that all students should review and complete by the stated deadlines.
Return to Campus
As communicated yesterday, classes will be remote for the first two weeks of the semester, January 18鈥�28. The decision to move to remote classes during that time will support students who are navigating flight cancelations and delays in travel plans, along with students who may be sick or are experiencing symptoms. If a student is feeling sick on or around their date of travel, please stay at home, get a COVID test, and do not travel until symptoms have subsided or you have received a negative test. The Claremont Colleges presidents have agreed to reevaluate the decision to continue remote learning on January 21.听While residence halls will be open on the 16th, students are not required to be on campus until January 23 and can begin remote courses from home.
Scripps housing opens Sunday, January 16, 2022, at 10 am. We are asking students that are not housing insecure, impacted by a living environment that is not conducive to virtual learning, live locally, or are within driving distance to campus partner with Residential Life to听identify a date听after听Sunday, January 16 to return to campus. This will allow for a staggered arrival of our community, limit close contacts, and aid in Residential Life supporting students as they return to campus.听All students are required to complete and submit the听听no later than January 11 at 5 pm PST.听Again, students should plan to be back in residence no later than Sunday, January 23.
All students听are strongly recommended to get a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to arrival on campus. Regardless of the date of arrival, all students will be required to test within two days of arrival to campus at a听.听With most students returning to campus on January 16, students must test on January 17 or 18.
Once students arrive, out of an abundance of caution, students must quarantine in their rooms until they receive a negative COVID test from SHS. Students must also wear a mask at all times, including in their room if they have roommates or suitemates, and limit all close contact until they have received a negative COVID test from SHS. During this time students may pick up food from the Malott Commons dining hall but should maintain distanced and adhere to masking requirements. If a test comes back positive, students will be moved into isolation immediately.
Campus Life
At this time 7C students will not be permitted in Scripps housing. Scripps housing will remain Scripps only until further communication is provided. Students should not be gathering inside and should limit all close contacts both inside and outside. With the exception of the Malott Commons dining and student rooms and suites in the residence halls, indoor areas that are shared common spaces will be closed. This includes the Student Union, SCORE, the Motley Coffeehouse, Tiernan Field House, classrooms, conference rooms, auditoriums, break rooms, and all common spaces in residence halls. All residence hall kitchens will remain open for food preparation only. There should be no eating or drinking in the shared kitchens. Masking is required at all times.
Students are encouraged to make use of our outdoor spaces for activities such as dining and studying. These spaces include the outdoor classrooms on Alumnae Field and the outdoor dining and study spaces located on Elm Tree Lawn, the Edwards Humanities Building鈥檚 Lyddon Court, Seal Court, and the Mary Wig Johnson Court, adjacent to Vita Nova Hall. Tiernan Field House will be open for outdoor activities only; however, the Field House pool will be closed. The will be open by appointment only, and the will maintain regular operating hours. Events sponsored by Student Affairs will be shared in the coming weeks. Again, when distancing is not achievable, we strongly recommend wearing masks at these outdoor locations.
CLORGS and other Scripps-only groups will be able to plan events at this time. All events must be virtual or outdoors. A surgical mask or higher is required at all times for in-person outdoor events and there is a capacity limit of 10 people at any outdoor event. All events must be approved through the Office of Student Engagement. Any unauthorized or unapproved gatherings/events (indoor/outdoor) are not allowed and a violation of COVID protocols.
Dining
As communicated yesterday, the Malott Commons dining will provide all menu items to-go in the servery, along with some additional grab-and-go options. Mobile ordering will continue to be available with additional offerings. More information about dining will be made available in the coming weeks.
COVID Protocols and Testing
Masking
The College will require at least surgical-grade masks for students, faculty, and staff. The College will supply all students with surgical grade masks. More information on mask distribution to students will be forthcoming. Masks will also be made available in various Student Affairs offices across campus. I strongly urge students, if possible, to also purchase their own supply of surgical masks before returning for the spring semester.
Upon arrival to campus, during the initial quarantine and until a student receives a negative test, students must wear their masks at all times. is required when indoors at all times except when in a student鈥檚 individual residence hall room, suite, or apartment regardless of vaccine status. It is strongly encouraged for all students to wear a mask outside when distancing is not achievable. The CDC and听Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH)听in the most recent听听recommends a surgical mask or higher to guard against transmission. Experts have found that cloth masks do not provide enough protection against the virus. Surgical masks will be required and made available to all students, faculty, and staff.
Testing
If a student has received a positive COVID test over break and can provide a report from a medical practitioner or pharmacy, they will not be required to test for 90 days. Student Health Services (SHS) will need verification of the positive test to set a future testing date. Please send a copy of the positive test to both the and Shawnice Ross. SHS will set the date of a student鈥檚 next test and communicate that with the College and the student.
If a student took a self-administered, rapid at-home test and does not have a report, they will be required to continue with weekly testing upon arrival to campus.
Weekly COVID screening testing will resume for the spring semester for all vaccinated students.听Unvaccinated students will continue to test twice weekly.听We will maintain the daily testing schedule by classes:
- Monday: First-year students test
- Tuesday: Sophomores test
- Wednesday: Juniors test
- Thursday: Seniors and Post-baccs test
- Friday: Make-up test day
Isolation and Quarantine
As many students and your families have read in the news, the CDC has changed the guidelines for both isolation and quarantine. The College is working closely with SHS to determine the process to implement the updated guidance. I will send further communication in the coming week regarding updates for isolation and quarantine guidelines and protocols at the College.
COVID-19 Booster Requirement听
The College is requiring the COVID-19 booster for all community members by January 31, 2022. Scientific听听continues to show that COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are effective against the virus and its variants and that they can help to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Booster shots are recommended six (6) months past completing the initial Moderna vaccination, five (5) months past the initial Pfizer vaccination, and two (2) months past the Johnson & Johnson vaccination.
- Those who are not eligible to get the booster shot by January 31 must receive a booster within 15 days of becoming eligible. Please review the听on boosters. If you are not eligible for the booster by January 31, please email听Shawnice Ross听no later than January 17 with your eligibility date. Students who previously received an exemption from vaccination are not required to receive the booster.
- All students are required to upload booster proof to听听no later than听January 31, 2022.
- I strongly recommend students do not wait but get the booster before traveling back to campus. Proof of COVID-19 booster should be uploaded immediately.听听
听Student Action Items
- Complete and submit the no later than January 11 at 5 pm PST.
- Get COVID-19 booster shot! Upload proof of COVID-19 booster to 听 as soon as possible but no later than January 31, 2022.
- If a student has tested positive during break, send medical verification of positive test to both and Shawnice Ross. SHS will set the date of a student鈥檚 next test, 90 days after a positive test result.
- If possible and available, students should receive a negative COVID PCR test within 48 hours of arrival to campus.
- Plan to receive a COVID test upon arrival to campus at an SHS testing location and quarantine in room until receipt of a negative test result.
- If possible, purchase surgical, KN95, or N95 masks before arriving to campus. All community members are required to wear a surgical mask or higher. The College will supply surgical masks for students. Distribution information is forthcoming.
You have made it to the end! I know this is a lot of information to digest and that you might still have questions. Please reread this email, the answers might be here. For further questions, please contact your . As a reminder there are a number of available for our students. Do not hesitate to reach out!
I will continue to provide College updates as we know more from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Please visit the website regularly, as we continue to update the site when new information becomes available.听Stay safe and wear your mask! We are excited to see our students on campus in the coming weeks!Spring Return Update 2022
Warmly,
Dean di Bartolo-Beckman
Interim Vice President of Students Affairs and Dean of Students