Archive of SU Communications About COVID-19

Dear students, faculty and staff,

We made it! We have reached the finish line of one of the most challenging academic years imaginable, and it’s all because of you and your can-do, creative, resilient approach to education and to life. That attitude will serve you, and SU, well in the years to come.

A lot has happened this year: Our amazing Core Team organized and ran a mass-vaccination clinic on main campus bolstered by partners and volunteers; we worked together to keep our COVID-19 numbers low and our university community safe and healthy; and SU marked its largest enrollment ever, while retaining our ability to deliver a premier education. Thank you for your hard work and dedication — you did the impossible and made SU Rise during an incredibly difficult year.

As we move through the summer and toward the fall semester, we will keep our university community informed about any health-related news or policy changes. This will, however, be my last Thursday COVID-19 update email (at least I hope so) as we move out of the pandemic toward a new normal; I hope that you found these weekly updates useful and informative during the uncertain times of this past year.

Please don’t forget to check out our updated Personal Conduct and Social Distancing Policy regarding mask wearing. And I know that you are tired of hearing this, but please … educate yourself on the benefits of getting your COVID-19 vaccination soon, especially if you are on the list of required groups. Once the vaccine becomes fully approved by the FDA, everyone will be mandated to get it unless you receive an SU-approved medical or religious exemption. Also, unless you are exhibiting symptoms, there is no longer a requirement to fill out the Shenandoah Go app.

Thanks to all of you, and have a great summer!  And to each of you who are graduating this weekend, I look forward to seeing you cross the stage … you have earned this moment in the limelight.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

On Saturday, Shenandoah announced that it would update its Personal Conduct & Social Distancing Policy so that masks are no longer required — indoors or out — for fully vaccinated individuals. These updates have been made and are effective immediately.

This decision was based on recently updated CDC guidelines and Gov. Ralph Northam’s lifting of Virginia’s universal indoor mask mandate to align with these guidelines.

According to the revised policy:

• Masks may still be required for all persons in a SU class or activity (e.g., Conservatory dance classes) where the class or activity leader has requested to maintain that measure, and the Provost or Vice President for Student Affairs has approved the request in writing.
• If you are not fully vaccinated, you must continue to wear a non-valved surgical, two-ply cloth, or other SU-approved face covering in any enclosed campus building or structure, and you must maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet from others. Greater distance may be required for some indoor campus activities (e.g., fitness classes). When unable to maintain an appropriate physical distance, please limit interaction to fewer than 15 minutes.
• There are instances when non-vaccinated individuals do not have to wear a mask, including eating in designated areas; during outdoor physical activities, athletic practices and athletic events (however, individuals must abide by the requirements of the specific facility in which the activity is occurring, and to follow, if applicable, NCAA/ODAC Standard Operating Procedures for masking and social distancing); when alone in an enclosed individual office, or when alone, or with your roommate(s), in an on-campus residence hall room or apartment/suite; and if you have a Shenandoah-approved religious or medical exemption.

Per the governor’s mandate, anyone who is not yet fully vaccinated must continue wearing masks in most settings (except for the instances provided above). We will operate on an honor system. Members of the university community have done well in following the SU pledge to keep everyone safe all year, and we are confident that everyone who is not fully vaccinated will abide by the CDC and governor’s mandate to continue to wear a mask.

And some good news! Starting Thursday, May 20, you do not need to fill out the symptom checker in the Shenandoah Go app unless you are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Those who have a perfect streak (starting Jan. 15) will be notified about their prize!

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Great news! Yesterday Governor Ralph Northam lifted Virginia’s universal indoor mask mandate to align with new guidance for fully vaccinated people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Therefore, Shenandoah is looking to update our Personal Conduct & Social Distancing Policy for the future so that masks are no longer required — indoors or out — for fully vaccinated individuals.

This means that those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask in:

• class
• residence halls
• meetings or small student events
• dining hall

While there is no longer an Executive Order in Virginia that requires fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks in most indoor settings, there are some exceptions when you are out in the community: public transit, health care facilities and congregate settings. And remember that you are welcome to continue wearing a mask, even if you are fully vaccinated, if it makes you feel more comfortable.

As per the governor’s mandate, anyone who is not yet fully vaccinated must continue wearing masks in all settings. We will operate on an honor system since the university community has done so well in following guidelines to keep everyone safe all year and we are confident that everyone who is not fully vaccinated will abide by the requirement to continue to wear a mask.

Governor Northam also announced that Virginia will ease all distancing and capacity restrictions on Friday, May 28, two weeks earlier than planned so Shenandoah will be looking into how that will impact our policy going forward.

After having made it to zero active COVID-19 cases across all Shenandoah locations just weeks ago, the university has a few new cases on its COVID-19 Dashboard. Also, please remember COVID-19 continues to rage in hotspots around the world.

The biggest thing you can do to help end this pandemic is to get vaccinated; if you haven’t done so already, please consider getting vaccinated.

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Next week is finals week and I want to wish students good luck on exams and safe travels if you are planning on leaving for home.

Hopefully everyone had the chance to read the email I sent yesterday explaining that some members of the SU community will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccination moving forward.

This was not a decision we took lightly. But there is a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission in a communal living environment and in many student activities where individuals have close contact with others. The health of our university community and that of the surrounding area are of the utmost importance in our return to normalcy both inside and outside the classroom. For those who would like to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, you may contact the Wilkins Wellness Center at (540) 665-4530 or wwcenter@su.edu to request an appointment to get the Moderna vaccine.

Because so many of our students and employees have already been fully vaccinated, our COVID-19 cases remain low. Therefore, we have relaxed a few of the requirements of the Personal Conduct & Social Distancing Policy. Most notably: if you have been fully vaccinated, you need not wear a mask at a gathering or meeting composed solely of one or more SU community members who also have been fully vaccinated, regardless whether the gathering or meeting is inside a SU building or outside on campus. (Masks should continue to be worn when walking to any such meeting or gathering if otherwise required under the policy.)

Also, beginning May 24, students and employees do not need to submit a daily symptom check report on the Shenandoah Go app unless they are experiencing signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

These changes are a sign that things are returning to normal … but we are not there yet!  Please continue to be conscientious about hand washing, mask wearing and social distancing.

Students, before you return home for the summer, note that Shenandoah is offering optional COVID-19 saliva testing on Monday, May 17, at the Wilkins Athletics & Events Center. Please complete the registration form to sign up for a test.

Summer comes with the excitement of warm weather, time spent with family and friends, and fun outdoor activities. I hope that this summer brings adventures and joy to all of you.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

As we look forward to the Fall 2021 semester, I’d like to share the crucial role that COVID-19 vaccines will play in our in-person university operations to protect students and employees, contribute to achieving herd immunity, help to prevent serious illness and hospitalization among the members of our community, and limit the spread of COVID-19 variants. We believe that widespread vaccination among students, faculty and staff is the only way to facilitate a return to vibrant campus life that resembles Fall 2019 and not Fall 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shenandoah faculty, staff and students have worked diligently to keep our community as safe as possible through a myriad of measures, including online learning through ShenFlex, asymptomatic surveillance testing, our Personal Conduct and Social Distancing Policy, the Shenandoah Go app, and the mass-vaccination clinic at our Wilkins Athletics & Events Center.

All of these measures and thoughtful preventative actions allowed Shenandoah to remain operating in person and our teaching and learning to remain uninterrupted, which provided continuity during a very chaotic and challenging time. As we look toward Fall 2021, we need to adapt our actions and policies to ensure that we are doing all that we can to keep our students, faculty and staff as safe as possible. As a university, it is our responsibility to meet this challenge head-on and implement policy changes that mitigate the risks to each other and to the local communities.

We recognize that some in our community are hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine because, to date, the vaccines have only received  emergency use authorization from the FDA (rather than full approval). Therefore, Shenandoah is not, at this time, requiring all faculty, staff and students to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Instead, SU is requiring that individuals within certain groups — those who have high levels of contact with others at the university or pose a greater risk to our community — be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by August 1 for Fall 2021 or have at least the first dose by June 1 for groups that will be in person this summer (with full vaccination following as soon as possible), unless they have an SU-approved medical or religious exemption.

Once the COVID-19 vaccines have full FDA approval, which could be as soon as this fall, we expect to require vaccination of all faculty, staff and students. If those who are required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine now aren’t fully compliant by August 1, they will no longer be eligible to work or study at SU (unless they have a SU-approved medical or religious exemption).

It’s not just about your individual health; it’s about the health of everyone around you.

The groups required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by August 1 for Fall 2021 due to their high-contact personal interactions, their ability to cause major spread on their campus and in the general population if exposed and, in some cases, their interactions with vulnerable populations, are:

• All students living in university housing
• President, vice presidents, and deans
• All students, coaches and staff involved in both university-sponsored (NCAA) athletics and intramural sports activities
• All students, faculty and staff involved in any music, theatre, dance or other group practice, rehearsal, ensemble or performance, whether for a class, a co-curricular activity, or a public event (this includes SCAA staff and teachers)
• All nursing/pharmacy/health professions/music therapy students, faculty and staff who a) are in-person for teaching, studying or clinical rotations or b) interact in person with individuals in (a)
• All students doing in-person student-teaching
• All Department of Public Safety (DPS) employees
• Anyone working/volunteering in SU’s Childcare Center
• Anyone working in/with student housing
• All employees working in-person at the Wilkins Wellness Center and Counseling Center
• Any student, faculty or staff member traveling on university-sponsored or university-supported group or individual travel
• All students who are serving as Hornet Ambassadors, Orientation Leaders, Resident Advisors or FYS Mentors
• Anyone that regularly works with visitors, including Brandt Student Center (BSC) Info Desk employees, BSC staff, Student Financial Services staff, and all Admissions employees
• Food services employees
• All students participating in university-sponsored internships and select volunteer opportunities

We estimate that vaccinating the individuals in these groups will result in at least 80% of the undergraduate population, 90% percent of the full-time graduate population attending in-person classes, and 85% of employees to be vaccinated by the beginning of the fall semester (assuming the COVID-19 vaccines are still under emergency use authorization). The actual number of vaccinated individuals on campus will likely be even higher as many of the students and employees who do not fall into one of the required groups have already been vaccinated voluntarily.

The populations outlined above will be asked about their COVID-19 vaccine status and be required to show proof of vaccination prior to arrival on campus for the fall semester. More specific information about the submission process will be sent shortly.

As is true every semester, all students are required to have medical insurance, specific immunizations and a completed health form on file at the Wilkins Wellness Center prior to registration (if enrolled in 7 credit hours or more). Students admitted to the School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Health Professions (Physician Assistant Studies, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Athletic Training) in addition to the Music Therapy program must provide evidence of specific immunizations prior to the applicable date set forth on the Health and Insurance Requirements for Health Professions Students form.

Students enrolled in fully online programs or remote employees who are not required to come to campus may be exempt from vaccination. Please also note that SU will consider requests for an exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. We will share with you early next week how to apply for a medical or religious exemption, and a description of the evaluation/approval process.

Students, faculty and staff who do not receive a COVID-19 vaccine because SU has approved their request for a medical or religious exemption will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 surveillance testing (and other requirements may also apply) starting in August. We know you will have questions and will want more details about how this new policy will be implemented, and we will provide specifics in the coming weeks.

The Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia issued an opinion statement April 26, 2021 that “colleges and universities may take steps to protect the health and welfare of their students by conditioning attendance in various activities or settings on the receipt of an approved COVID-19 vaccine” and noted that no federal law prohibits Virginia universities from imposing such a requirement.

While only the groups outlined above are required to get vaccinated at this time, SU continues to encourage everyone to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in anticipation of full FDA approval of the vaccine so we can begin to return to pre-pandemic operations.

This decision was made so that Shenandoah can return to all in-person classes and activities this fall and do so in an environment that is as safe as possible. Depending on state and national guidelines, this measure will likely also allow us to relax many of our current COVID-19 restrictions relating to mask-wearing and social distancing, but we won’t be making many of those final determinations until July.

As we move into the summer, please know that SU reserves the right to alter our position on COVID-19 vaccines as guidelines change or new information becomes available.

Thank you for understanding and compliance — SU is strong and safe because of its students, faculty, and staff. Let’s keep it that way,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

You are doing an amazing job keeping yourselves, each other, and our university safe. Amazingly, the Shenandoah dashboard again today has ZERO cases of COVID–19! That includes across all of our campuses, across undergraduate and graduate students, and all employees. Thanks to all of you who continue to take the precautions seriously and all of you who have gotten vaccinated.

As we begin to think about the summer sessions and fall semester, we are hopeful that we may be able to relax some of our COVID–19 restrictions and return to a more normal university environment. To be able to do this, however, we need to know that many of our students, faculty and staff are fully vaccinated. 

We can only gather this information if you upload your vaccine cards (first and second doses) via the Shenandoah Go app or Google Form. It is only through this measure that we can identify whether our university community is close to achieving herd immunity and what restrictions we can loosen. Your participation is vital in our return to normalcy!

As the governor’s mandates require in Virginia, we must continue masking up and socially distancing. If you haven’t yet gotten vaccinated, please consider doing so! There is still an opportunity to walk in and get your first Pfizer vaccine dose at the WAEC today until 5 p.m. Although this is the last clinic Valley Health will host at Shenandoah, they will have a clinic at Apple Blossom Mall opening May 12. In addition, most pharmacies, health clinics and doctors offices will soon offer the shot, if they aren’t already.

Let’s finish the semester strong,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I hope that you are doing well and preparing for a strong end to the semester.

I also hope that in the midst of workload stress and Apple Blossom fever, that you are mindful of national and global events that are shaping our society. To that end, I remind you of today’s Zoom: A Space for Support and Solidarity from noon to 1 p.m. Join Dr. Hakeem Leonard, Dahlia Ashford, DeShon Foxx, Karen Cornejo Guillen, and Dr. Ting-Yu Chen for a community conversation. This is a space for Shenandoah University community members to share their feelings about the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial and other recent events.

Although our COVID-19 numbers remain low at SU, we must continue masking up and socially distancing. If you haven’t yet gotten vaccinated, please consider doing so! SU alerts will advise you about walk-in clinics happening at our Wilkins Athletics & Events Center next week. It’s not too late to get vaccinated — but next week is the last opportunity to get a first dose at the SU clinic on main campus.

Once you get vaccinated, even if it’s not at our clinic, please upload your vaccination card (after your first and second doses) to the Shenandoah Go app. We are all mindful of how critical healthcare privacy is, and we are working to balance privacy issues with the need to know when our SU community reaches herd immunity in order to be able to relax some of the standards.

Wishing you all well,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

The Lord Fairfax Health District is currently in phase 2 of COVID-19 vaccination, which means everyone 16 years and older is eligible to get the vaccine in Winchester and the surrounding area. Starting Sunday, all of Virginia will enter phase 2. This is great news and a light at the end of this very long tunnel.

However, we are not there yet! The virus continues to spread and COVID-19 variants continue to cause uncertainty, which means we must remain vigilant. 

The entire SU leadership team highly encourages everyone to get fully vaccinated. You can do this wherever and whenever, but please consider doing it soon. We need as many people to get vaccinated in order to reach herd immunity (reaching herd immunity through infection rather than vaccination is just not a scenario that we should even be contemplating!).  Once we can get a significant number of SU folks vaccinated, we can start to get back to operating and functioning normally.

We are already making great progress … more than 55% of SU faculty and staff have been vaccinated, and more than 30% of SU students. Can we push those numbers higher? Get vaccinated! Upload your card to the app!

Remember that once you have been fully vaccinated, you do not need to quarantine if you have been exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 (unless you develop symptoms). 

Our COVID-19 cases remain low, but please remember to be safe and get vaccinated to prevent outbreaks. 

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

SU family, I need your help. If we are going to “get back to normal” in the next few months, we all need to get vaccinated and to upload our vaccine card to the Shenandoah Go app to let SU know that we have indeed received the vaccine.

I don’t know how much clearer I can be. If you want a return to normal, if you want to gather freely and put aside the masks and travel and be safe, we need to get to herd immunity — and we need to know that we are there. So please, get the vaccine and then let us know you got it.

The Lord Fairfax Health District is currently in phase 2, which means we are able to immediately offer vaccinations to all of our university community at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center (WAEC). 

The entire SU leadership team highly encourages everyone to get fully vaccinated and to do so before the end of the spring semester. Because Pfizer and Moderna are a two-shot process spread over three to four weeks, you must act quickly so you can receive your second dose in May before the Shenandoah/Valley Health vaccine clinic stops operating. It does not matter whether you study or work on the Winchester, Loudoun or Fairfax SU campus — all students, faculty and staff are welcome to be vaccinated on the main campus.

Our two clinics for SU (students, employees and the families of employees) will be Wednesday, April 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday, April 15 from 3 to 6 p.m. Getting this vaccine should be your priority. Work, class and athletics conflicts should not be an excuse not to get it. Shenandoah considers getting a vaccine to be an excused absence.

Process for Students to Register for Vaccine

Please complete this pre-registration form if you are interested in receiving the vaccine at SU’s clinic in the WAEC on main campus. As appointments become available at the SU clinic, you will be emailed an invitation link (likely for April 14 or 15 with boosters on May 5 or 6). Students should notify their professors ahead of time to be excused if they need to miss class due to their vaccination. 

Process for Employees to Register for Vaccine

Faculty and staff, we are offering vaccines to family members of SU employees at our clinic. This would include your immediate family members (age 16+ Pfizer). If you have family members who might be interested in this SU family clinic, please respond via this link. Employees should also notify their supervisors ahead of time if they need to miss work due to their vaccination.

Getting vaccinated is extremely important to your health and that of others. It can prevent you from getting sick and helps to slow the spread of the virus. The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely the virus has a chance to mutate and escape our vaccines. Remember, being young and/or healthy is not a safeguard against COVID-19! We must keep encouraging each other to get vaccinated and continue with safety precautions like wearing masks and social distancing.

Furthermore, remember that once you have been fully vaccinated, you do not need to quarantine if you have been exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 (unless you develop symptoms).

Our COVID-19 cases remain low, so please mask up and get vaccinated to prevent outbreaks.  As always, our goal is to keep Shenandoah open and running smoothly for the remainder of the academic year so that students can continue with their classes, performances, athletic competitions, clinicals — and have an in-person graduation!

We hope that you will take this opportunity to get vaccinated in the pursuit of both your personal health and public health.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Whether you’re taking classes or you’re enjoying time with family and friends, I hope you all are well and you’re gearing up for the remainder of the spring semester.

Undergraduate and residential students, next week you will be required to take a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test. You must register to test either April 5 or 6 on the COVID-19 Test Appointment Sign-Up. Only those who have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days or those who were fully vaccinated before March 28 are exempt from return testing.

Any student returning to classes after April 6, or any faculty or staff who wish to take a test, should contact salivatesting@su.edu to schedule a test time.

Also, we anticipate being able to offer vaccinations to all of our university community very soon and need everyone who is interested in becoming fully vaccinated before the end of the spring semester to register with SU.

Please complete this pre-registration form if you are interested in receiving the vaccine at SU’s clinic in the WAEC. As appointments become available at the SU clinic, you will be emailed an invitation link.

No matter where you are or where you might be traveling to or from, please continue to wear a mask, especially indoors around others, and stay socially distanced.

Thank you,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

For those starting spring break, I wish you many hours of enjoyment, sleep and rejuvenation. I am also excited that many students are staying on campus next week for our first-ever Staycation; enjoy all of the fun events that are planned throughout the week! And whether you are on break or not, let’s continue to be mindful that the pandemic is not over and that across our country and world, the struggle for health and for basic human rights is far from over.

Undergraduate and residential students, upon your return to campus from spring break, you will be required to take a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test. Testing will take place April 5-6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wilkins Athletics & Events Center and will be available by appointment only. Any student returning after April 6 should contact salivatesting@su.edu to receive a reentry test. 

Undergraduate and residentials students must register to test either April 5 or 6: COVID-19 Test Appointment Sign-Up. Only those who have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days or those who were fully vaccinated before March 28 are exempt from return testing.

Also, everyone should continue to monitor their symptoms and fill out the Shenandoah Go symptom checker daily for the rest of the spring semester, even if you’ve been vaccinated (be sure to upload your card after each dose in the app). Prizes will be awarded to those who have perfect streaks at the end of the semester.

Our COVID-19 numbers have declined since two weeks ago, and that’s attributable to the quick response of our staff and health officials in identifying affected individuals and placing them in quarantine and isolation. However, we’ve seen how quickly the virus can spread in social settings when precautions aren’t taken. Although we want you to have fun outside as the weather gets warmer, we also want you to remain cautious. Please continue to wear a mask, especially indoors around others, and stay socially distanced. 

Faculty and staff, please look for a short survey via email at the beginning of next week about future communications and returning to work in-person. Similar to the Return to Work surveys we did last semester, this survey should take less than five minutes to complete and will come from SUeval. Please take the time to fill it out if you can; the surveys that you completed last spring, summer and fall very much helped inform SU decisions related to COVID-19 and workplace safety.

With springtime comes hope, and my hope is that soon we will be able to open up vaccination to all of our Shenandoah community. When that time comes, we encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible. In the meanwhile, faculty and staff are ALL eligible to be vaccinated now since they are part of Phase 1c — please, please do so in order to keep yourself and others safe and healthy!

Speak up to keep everyone safe. Speak out to ensure that everyone is welcomed.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

While most of you are starting to look forward to spring break, our graduate students and faculty in Pharmacy/Nursing/Health Professions just finished their spring break. I hope that whether you are in classes or on break, that you continue to be mindful of your health and that of your peers, co-workers and friends.

On today’s dashboard, we continue to report elevated cases related to the contained group outbreak of last week. Several of the students already in precautionary quarantine related to that outbreak are now positive. SU is fortunate to have an abundance of isolation and quarantine rooms so that these individuals can be comfortably accommodated while keeping the rest of campus safe. All close contacts have been notified and quarantined. We are finding these cases quickly due to the frequency of our asymptomatic saliva testing, which is one of the main reasons we are able to remain open and operating in-person.

To keep both our campus and the outside community safe, we will conduct rapid antigen testing for students who want to test before they leave for spring break. Testing will take place on March 25 at the Wilkins Athletics & Events Center and will be available by appointment only. To register, complete the COVID-19 Test Appointment Sign-Up. Results will be available within 30 minutes. 

Faculty and staff who wish to get tested at any time should contact salivatesting@su.edu. While Shenandoah protocol does not require those vaccinated to participate in surveillance testing, you can still sign up to test as a precautionary measure. 

Our hard-working pharmacy professors and students continue to test for COVID-19 variants, and while I have not been informed that there are cases in Winchester, we know that all variants have been reported in Virginia. This means we should assume the variant is here and that we must be extra vigilant to limit its spread.

I cannot stress this enough: We cannot let down our guard! We must continue to follow the 3 W’s: Wash hands, Wear a mask, and Watch our distance.

You have all been doing such a good job of adhering to these guidelines, and I encourage you to continue to stay committed. The finish line is in view, but we are not there yet and we do not want to go backward in our progress.

Thank you for all that you do to make Shenandoah a wonderful — and safe — place.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Beginning this past fall semester, my Thursday notes to you have been about the status of our Shenandoah community’s health and safety. Before we turn to coronavirus-related issues, let me underscore that Shenandoah is committed to thinking broadly about health and safety — we should all be mindful that the virus is just one piece of a much larger and more challenging set of issues.

As our country celebrates the progress toward vaccinations and gradual relaxing of public health guidelines, we should also continue to turn our attention toward the unmasking of racial bias and violence. The recent attacks against Asians and Asian-Americans across the United States are an indication that we still have much work to do to achieve a fully inclusive society.  While there have been no such reported incidents at any of our Shenandoah locations, I want to be unequivocal that such hate and violence have no place here at SU and that we stand by and firmly value our Asian and Asian-American students, faculty and staff.

With regard to COVID-19, you’ll notice an uptick of cases on main campus, which are almost entirely associated with one contained group of students. To ensure a safe and healthy community, we must continue to commit to all the safety measures that have allowed us to stay in-person, including filling out the symptom check on the Shenandoah Go app.

It is important that you fill out the symptom check every morning before you arrive on campus or leave your residence. It takes at least 15 minutes for your green pass to appear after you fill out your form. Those without a green pass will not be able to enter SU facilities.

Also, be kind and considerate to those checking passes. It is their job to keep Shenandoah’s spaces, buildings and community safe by refusing entrance to those without green passes. Please give them the respect they deserve.

It’s important that students continue to participate in asymptomatic surveillance testing. The random selection of participants may result in students being tested every other week or more often, depending on the activities in which they participate. We appreciate compliance since any positive COVID-19 samples are also tested for potentially more contagious variants. Graduate students, staff and faculty may request a saliva test by emailing salivatesting@su.edu.

Even if you have received a COVID-19 vaccine, you must still fill out your symptom check. Although some restrictions nationwide are being lifted for those who are vaccinated, our policies at Shenandoah remain the same: You must continue to wear a mask indoors, social distance and wash your hands.

There is an expectation, both locally and nationally, of an increase in vaccine supply over the next few weeks. Although we still do not know the start date for vaccination of those in category 1c, which includes faculty and staff in higher education, we are hopeful that this group can begin vaccination within the next month or so. You can pre-register at vax.preregister.virginia.gov.

Although the weather is nice, please continue to take care of your health and be mindful of the health of others. I appreciate all that you do.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Black History Month gives us much to reflect on, and as we enter Women’s History Month, we should be mindful that the pandemic continues to be particularly destructive to marginalized individuals. People of color continue to fall ill, be hospitalized and die of Covid in disproportionate numbers; and women continue to shoulder most of the challenges related to balancing work, at-home childcare and virtual learning. These are issues on which we, at Shenandoah, need to remain focused no matter what month it is.

Speaking of months … March has arrived, and hopefully with it comes warmer and better weather. This semester is flying by and spring will soon be here.

That also means it’s time for allergy season, which can bring congestion, coughing, headaches and other symptoms similar to those of COVID-19. Even if you believe you have allergies, please report these symptoms in your Shenandoah Go app symptom checker. Students should consult with the Wilkins Wellness Center to see if a diagnostic test is needed and employees should consult a medical provider to determine the origin of symptoms.

We will continue with random, asymptomatic surveillance testing for undergraduate students throughout the semester. Our testing capacity allows us to randomly test students about once every two weeks. We will continue to operate on this schedule in order to keep our campus community safe and open for in-person classes. Graduate students, faculty and staff without any exposure to (or symptoms of COVID-19) may request a test by emailing salivatesting@su.edu.

Tomorrow, we will begin administering the new single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the clinic in the Wilkins Athletics & Events Center. This is very exciting, as it means more people will be vaccinated, there will be less disease in the community and it will become harder for those unvaccinated to catch the virus.

We are encouraging our university community and students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them. You can pre-register at vax.preregister.virginia.gov. Our local and national health experts vouch for the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, with more than 30 million doses administered already in the U.S.

Those who have already received their shot, please remember to upload proof of your vaccine card on the Shenandoah Go app. This gives us a good idea of our community vaccination and health.

To end on an exciting note, our new season of competition for fall and spring athletic teams has kicked off. Visit suhornets.com to learn about our outdoor sports spectator policy.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the faculty and students in the Pharmacy School who, led by Professor Solomon Adams, are testing Covid samples throughout the region for variants.  We all know that multiple variants have already been discovered across Virginia and this country. While we have not identified the presence of any variants yet at SU, we can assume that it is only a matter of time as they become increasingly widespread. Therefore, hyper-vigilance to masking, distancing, and getting vaccinated when eligible is critical.

All the best,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I hope your semester is going well and that the warmer weather we’ve had this week reminds you spring will be here next month. It seems time is flying, which usually occurs when good things are happening — and we have a lot of good things happening here at Shenandoah!

Our COVID-19 case numbers remain low. We’ll continue to conduct screening saliva tests for undergraduate students, and to test the samples for variant strains of COVID-19. Shenandoah is also offering optional testing for graduate students, faculty and staff. To schedule a test, email salivatesting@su.edu. We can all take pride in doing our part to keep our community safe and healthy. But as always, please remain careful, conscientious and caring.

Another thing I’m grateful for is all the wonderful volunteers at our mass-vaccination clinic in the Wilkins Athletics and Events Center. These individuals are working non-stop to help those from the community and beyond get vaccinated. I’m so proud we have people willing to add more work to their already busy day just so they can help others.

We are encouraging students, faculty and staff who have not received their vaccine to pre-register at vax.preregister.virginia.gov to get updates about their pre-registration status, vaccination appointments, and other important public health information from the Virginia Department of Health or a partner organization. 

Higher education faculty and staff are not eligible to be vaccinated until Phase 1c (unless they fall into another category), and most students will not qualify until a later phase. We hope that you will indeed get vaccinated when the opportunity arises.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

We’ve been on campus for a few weeks now, and although I am pleased with where we are, we must not let down our guard. The variants of COVID-19, which are considered more contagious and potentially more serious, are in Virginia. This means they are likely in our local community, or will be soon, and that we must redouble our efforts to stay safe and healthy.

Please continue to wash your hands thoroughly, social distance, and wear a mask (perhaps even two!). 

The worst thing we can do is presume that with the vaccine being administered that we are out of the woods. For those who have already had COVID-19, you must continue to follow safety measures. It’s still possible to become reinfected and spread the virus to others. Don’t presume that youth and good health will protect you from serious side effects. No one can be sure how the virus will affect them, including variants of the virus. Now is not the time to become cavalier about COVID-19. Remember, we are all in this together and we must act in unison in our efforts to be prepared and safe.

COVID-19 surveillance testing remains an important part of our in-person operations at Shenandoah and one of the best ways to contain the spread of the virus. Every week, 450 students are randomly selected to participate in saliva testing; they receive an email the week prior from salivatesting@su.edu with details, including the link to register for their test. Testing for undergraduate students is mandatory and failure to test will result in an orange pass through the Shenandoah Go app. Students with an orange pass will not be allowed to access campus facilities until they receive their COVID-19 test. In addition, Shenandoah is offering weekly optional testing for all graduate students, faculty and staff. To schedule a test, email salivatesting@su.edu.

Virginia is currently in Phase 1a and 1b of the COVID-19 vaccination response to ensure that healthcare personnel, frontline essential workers, and people ages 65+ (or in some regions those 16-64 with an underlying medical condition) receive the vaccine. Higher education faculty and staff are not eligible to be vaccinated until Phase 1c (unless they fall into one of the above categories); and most students will not qualify until a later phase. No matter which phase you fall into, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to pre-register at vax.preregister.virginia.gov to receive updates about their pre-registration status, vaccination appointments, and other important public health information from the Virginia Department of Health or a partner organization. At this time, SU is not requiring members of our university community to get vaccinated, but we strongly encourage it when the opportunity arises — for your own protection as well as the protection of others.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I hope that spring semester continues to go well for you, and that the sporadic snow has brought you some joy.

Our COVID-19 cases across the university community remain low, and for that we can all be thankful. Please remember, this is an ongoing and ever-changing situation, and we must continue to remain vigilant and careful. Avoid large social gatherings, wear a mask, wash your hands and social distance.

We will continue to test our university community through saliva-based surveillance testing over the course of the semester. If you receive notification, please follow the instructions to get tested promptly. This is one of the most important ways we can keep our community safe and healthy. 

I am so proud of Shenandoah for inspiring students through transformative learning with both online and in-person options, the work SU pharmacists are doing to test positive COVID-19 samples for variant strains of the virus, and the regional and national recognition of our mass-vaccination clinic with Valley Health and Lord Fairfax Health District.

As this week concludes, I commend you all for your commitment to care not only about your own health, but also the health of others.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I hope everyone is getting back into the full swing of things and that you are enjoying your return to the classroom or office. I’m so excited to get our first official week of spring undergraduate classes (and our third week of most graduate programs) under our belt and to continue with the successes we saw this fall!

I also want to thank you for your participation in the reentry testing program to have everyone in our Shenandoah community checked for COVID-19. Surveillance testing plays a large part in our ability to continue with in-person operations and will continue throughout the semester.

As a reminder, if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19, please upload a photo of your vaccine card or use the Shenandoah Go app (after the first dose). 

Our Wilkins Athletics & Events Center will continue to serve as a mass-vaccination site for those who fall in Group 1b, with our partner Valley Health prioritizing groups within that category. (If you want to determine your eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine, check the Virginia Department of Health website.) We thank our athletic teams for letting us share this space with them. We know sacrifices have been made and we can’t thank them enough.

The SU Pledge is in place for every one of our campus community members. Please continue to socially distance, wear a mask, and abide by our Personal Conduct & Social Distancing Policy. Our university campus continues to see a low number of COVID-19 cases, but these numbers can fluctuate without proper vigilance. Continue to check the COVID-19 Dashboard that is updated at noon on both Monday and Thursday for an updated count of COVID-19 cases at Shenandoah.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

This week, we are finishing up a successful J-Term, while many in our health professions have already begun their spring semester. We are so excited to continue with this success as we welcome most of the rest of our students back on Monday.

Remember, as more people return to campus this week, it’s imperative that you get tested immediately upon reentry. Please take your saliva test during the assigned time slot so you will receive your results in a timely manner. Note that the testing is being done in Shingleton Gym this week.

We committed to a goal of having all members of our community (students, faculty and staff) tested the week of Feb. 1 and we’ve made great progress with 2,487 total saliva tests being administered across all Shenandoah campuses in 2021. If you have any questions about testing, please contact salivatesting@su.edu.

We are keeping an eye on COVID-19 cases not only on our campus, but both regionally and nationally. Our university numbers remain low as Virginia’s numbers are mostly remaining flat. Please remain vigilant in safety practices, even if you have had a vaccine, and check the COVID-19 Dashboard that is updated at noon on both Monday and Thursday.

I want to thank all the athletics coaches, staff and student-athletes who have been so flexible in sharing the Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center with the local community as a mass-vaccination site. In fact, the men’s basketball team shifted their upcoming Saturday game from home to Roanoke. They will spend six hours on a bus on Saturday so that 1,000 people can get a life-saving shot! This says so much about how that team and others want to do their part to take care of the entire community.

As always, I’m proud to be a Hornet!

Tracy

Faculty/Staff Colleagues:

Dear students, faculty and staff,

We are excited to have some students back on campus, as student leaders, Resident Assistants (RAs), and winter and spring student-athletes have already returned!

We would like to remind everyone about the importance of our reentry testing program for the spring semester. We committed to a goal of having all members of our community (students, faculty and staff) tested by the week of Feb. 1 and we’ve made great progress with 1,488 total saliva tests being administered across all Shenandoah campuses in 2021. 

As more people return to campus this week and next, it’s imperative that you get tested immediately upon reentry. Please take your saliva test during the assigned time slot so you will receive your results in a timely manner. If you have any questions about testing, please contact salivatesting@su.edu.

I am so proud that we’ve continued to provide a tremendous service to our community with the COVID-19 mass-vaccination distribution at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center. In partnership with the Lord Fairfax Health District and Valley Health, we’ve vaccinated approximately 7,000 people through the vaccine clinic at Shenandoah! 

Earlier this week, we sent out information about COVID-19 vaccinations and to request that those who have received the vaccine upload a photo of their card after their first dose and complete the Proof of Vaccine Form. If you want to determine your eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine, check the Virginia Department of Health website. 

Shenandoah’s active COVID-19 cases continue to be reported on the COVID-19 Dashboard, which is updated every Monday and Thursday at noon. Cases continue to rise nationally. Please remain conscientious as we start the spring semester to protect the health and safety of our community.

Thank you,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Now that vaccination efforts are well underway locally and nationally, we have some important reminders and instructions. If you have received your COVID-19 vaccination, please upload a photo of your card to the Proof of Vaccine Form after you have received your first dose. Currently, those in the priority categories of Group 1B (as defined by the CDC and the governor) are being vaccinated.

I am happy to report that more than 300 individuals in our Shenandoah University community have already received the vaccine — most of whom are faculty, staff or students who are in healthcare fields and fulfilling a patient-facing role.

For those who have been vaccinated, if it hasn’t been 10 days since you received the first vaccine dose, you are still required to participate in Shenandoah’s COVID-19 saliva test for reentry (before returning to campus for the spring semester).

After 10 days of receiving your vaccine dose:

• You no longer need to be part of surveillance testing
• You do need to continue to wear a mask
• You do need to remain socially distant
• You do need to continue to complete your symptom check daily on the Shenandoah Go app

Even if you are vaccinated, you still may be able to spread the virus to others.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is responsible for the vaccine distribution across Virginia. Higher education faculty and staff will be able to be vaccinated in Group 1C, but a timeline has yet to be given for this phase. We will also provide information when the vaccine becomes available to students. If we are still running a vaccination clinic at Shenandoah when the VDH and the governor give the word for widespread distribution, we will move as quickly as possible to get the vaccine out to our university community.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Mitch Moore,
Chair, Executive Committee to Reopen Shenandoah University
Senior Vice President / Vice President for Advancement

Dear students, faculty and staff,

It’s a pleasure to see some of your faces — behind a mask, as always — as we begin to return to campus. If you’re around, you’ll notice that a lot has been happening this week, including the start of our COVID-19 mass-vaccination distribution at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center. Some of our faculty and staff have been volunteering in this effort, and I can’t express how grateful and proud I am of everyone who is helping in this community endeavor.

Although we are a site providing vaccines, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and our local hospital system Valley Health are responsible for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with state and federal guidelines. This means that you must fall in Group 1A or the priority status for Group 1B for vaccination. (If you want to determine your eligibility for the vaccine, check the VDH website.) So far, we’ve had a good number of faculty, staff and students who qualify in these categories who have already been vaccinated.

We encourage those in our SU community who are eligible for vaccination to sign up to be vaccinated in the athletics center. If you have the opportunity to get a vaccine in your state, by all means do so — guidelines are different depending on where you live. 

At this time it isn’t required that our university community get vaccinated, but we strongly encourage it when the opportunity arises.

Although relief is in sight for many, please note that we are not out of the woods yet and must continue to wear a mask and socially distance, even those who have received the vaccine. COVID-19 cases continue to climb nationally.

Shenandoah’s active COVID-19 cases continue to be reported on the COVID-19 Dashboard, which is updated every Monday and Thursday at noon.

For information about what to expect from the vaccine, check out this video with our new medical director, Dr. Elizabeth Bennett.

Thank you,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

As we return to campus and gear up for the spring semester, remember that cases remain on the rise locally and nationally.

Our goal, as communicated before the break, is to test everyone upon their arrival and prior to Feb. 1. So far, our reentry testing is going well and has included more than 440 faculty, staff and student-athletes. The process is quick and easy and helps to ensure the safety and health of our campus community.

Once you have been tested, please lay low and limit social interaction as best you can until your result is received. Note that those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days, or those who have received the vaccine, do not need to participate in surveillance testing.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had numerous faculty and staff aid with local and regional vaccinations efforts, and many of these individuals, along with our employees in the health care sector, have already been vaccinated. I could not be prouder that Shenandoah has stepped up in this time of need.

Please read and recommit to the behaviors outlined in the Pledge to Keep Shenandoah Safe and the Personal Conduct and Social Distancing Policy. Because of your dedication to these updated policies, we were able to remain open in the fall and to conduct in-person classes in a safe manner. We must stay on this path if we wish to continue this success in the spring.

Active COVID-19 cases will continue to be reported on the COVID-19 Dashboard, which is updated every Monday and Thursday at noon.

Also, because students are able to ShenFlex and employees are able to work remotely, we are looking to revise our Inclement Weather Policy. Please stay tuned for more updates on this.

Thanks,

Tracy

Dear faculty and staff,

Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying your time off and look forward to returning to in-person operations for the spring semester. As communicated prior to the break, the goal to have all faculty and staff (and students) tested before Monday, Feb. 1 based on the following timeline:

• All faculty/staff are required to participate in reentry surveillance testing, at the latest, on the day they return to campus to work in person. You may work the same day you provide a saliva sample. Until you are cleared, however, it is important to be extra cautious to observe Shenandoah’s social distancing and mask policies. Please remember that if you are showing any COVID-19 symptoms, you should not report to work and fill out the daily symptom checker to indicate your state of health.
• Some staff, especially those in physical plant, DPS, certain members of residential life, athletics staff, and others notified by supervisors, will be prioritized for testing early in the week of Jan. 4.
• Faculty members who plan to teach a J-term class from an on-campus location (any physical space in-person) are asked to test the week of Jan. 4. 
• Staff who are able to work remotely may continue doing so until Monday, Jan. 11, when SU is expected to resume in-person operations unless they have been approved for a temporary modified work request or received supervisor approval. Testing will be done the week of Jan. 11 but because of high testing demand employees will be allowed to test the week of Jan. 4 to be cleared for in-person work.
• Graduate faculty who will begin the spring semester on Monday, Jan. 18, are asked to test the week of Jan. 11 if possible. Test kits will be available at all locations (main campus, Health Professions Building, Scholar Plaza and ICPH beginning that week).
• Undergraduate faculty who are beginning the spring term on Feb. 1 are asked to test the week of Jan. 25. More information will follow.
• All faculty/staff should complete this Google form to indicate the date they expect to return to campus for in-person activity and the earliest date they are available to test.

Once employees submit the form, they will be contacted with more information and about a testing date and location.

Resume Tracking Symptoms Jan. 4

Due to the prevalence of COVID-19 cases, we are now asking that all faculty and staff resume filling out the symptom check on a daily basis beginning Monday, Jan. 4 — even while most employees may be working remotely. Any employee who will be working on campus the week of Jan 4 must fill out the symptom check and be prepared to show a green pass for access.

Thank you for taking the health of our campus community seriously and doing your part to stay as safe as possible in 2021.

Mitch Moore
Chair, Executive Committee to Reopen Shenandoah University
Senior Vice President / Vice President for Advancement

Dear Campus Community,

As we prepare to close the university for the holiday break and solidify our plans for the spring return, asymptomatic surveillance testing remains an important part of our preventative efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus.

There will be additional communication about testing schedules in early January. It is our goal to have all students, faculty and staff tested before Monday, Feb. 1.

• Some populations will be returning to the main campus as early as Jan. 4 with the majority of residential students returning the week of Jan. 25.
• You do not need to show proof of a COVID-19 test before you arrive on campus.
• Residential students will be required to take a university-administered saliva test on their assigned move-in day (details will follow in January) and “lay low” to limit contact with others until they receive their test results.
• Commuter students will receive more information on reentry testing opportunities.
• Students will be notified if an additional diagnostic test is needed and may need to quarantine or isolate depending upon the situation.
• Faculty and staff will also participate in reentry testing as they return to in-person work (more details will follow in January).
• Students who contract COVID-19 should continue to submit a report through the Shenandoah Go app. If you receive a COVID-19 vaccine, please notify the Wilkins Wellness Center at wwcenter@su.edu.
• Anyone who has received the vaccine is still subject to all SU Pledge protocols.

Monitor Symptoms via Shenandoah Go

Those who are on campus over break must continue to fill out the symptom check and be prepared to show a green pass for access. All students, faculty and staff should officially resume filling out daily symptom checks via the Shenandoah Go app starting on Friday, Jan. 15. If you broke your streak in the fall, you will have another chance for recognition and prizes in the spring!

Remain Safe Over Break

Mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing remain important to keep our community safe and are part of the SU conduct policy for EVERYONE. Thank you for your continued dedication to maintaining in-person operations at Shenandoah!

Mitch Moore
Chair, Executive Committee to Reopen Shenandoah University
Senior Vice President / Vice President for Advancement

Yolanda Barbier Gibson, D.A.
Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear faculty and staff,

Today, Gov. Ralph Northam issued enhanced rules and guidelines in order to try to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Virginia. Shenandoah already meets the standard set by these new mandates and has been following all current guidelines issued not only by the governor, but also by the CDC, the local health department and local health leaders.

The governor is now asking that everyone wear a mask indoors. The governor is also restricting social gatherings to 10 people starting Monday morning — that limit will not apply to businesses or institutions of higher learning. However, Gov. Northam is encouraging teleworking when possible. Given that our semester ends this week, SU is extending the opportunity to work remotely for all employees who are able to do so beginning Monday, Dec. 14 (previously, remote days were to begin Dec. 17).

At this point, our plan is to continue forward with the return to in-person work beginning Jan. 11, and to welcome students back shortly thereafter, as the governor’s announcement explicitly states that these restrictions do not apply to businesses and schools.

We will have a brief Faculty and Staff Zoom Session: Monday, Dec. 14 at noon in order to address related issues, and also to talk about some important work that we will be doing this coming spring. Please plan to join in for this 30-minute meeting.

The governor’s new restrictions remind us that the spread of COVID-19 is worsening and we must ramp up our commitment to mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing. We hope that by extending telework next week we are helping to do our part to keep our Shenandoah community — and our friends and loved ones — safe.

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

As finals week draws to a close, I want to l wish you the best of luck in finishing this semester on a high note. We are almost there!

Today, our numbers continue to remain low, according to our COVID-19 Dashboard. Thank you all for your diligence in making this happen. I want to let you know that the last dashboard update for this year will be Monday, Dec. 14, and we will return to reporting again on Jan. 4, 2021.

Also, if you are coming onto campus over the holiday break, you must fill out your Shenandoah Go symptom check and show a green pass for access.

Shenandoah Go streaks officially end on the last day of the semester, Dec. 12. Streaks will restart in the spring semester on Jan. 15! If you broke your streak this semester, you have another chance in the spring. Remember, those with long, unbroken streaks receive prizes.

I know many of you are heading home soon or have already done so. Please be careful, both during travel and with your family and loved ones upon your arrival.

Tracy

Dear students,

Shenandoah is offering COVID-19 surveillance testing prior to your return home for winter break. Testing is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to request a COVID-19 test, please complete the SU COVID-19 Test Student Request Form by Monday, Dec. 7, no later than 10 a.m. Should we reach testing capacity, we will begin a waitlist.

You will receive an email with a registration form on Monday, Dec. 7, at 10 a.m. This form must be completed by Tuesday, Dec. 8, at noon or your spot will be given to those on the waitlist.

Testing will take place Wednesday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Wilkins Athletics and Events Center. Any presumptive positives found will be referred for diagnostic testing. Learn more about Shenandoah’s asymptomatic surveillance testing.

Results are expected by the late afternoon of Friday, Dec. 11.

Thank You,

Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I hope you had a relaxing and restorative Thanksgiving break. I want to thank all of you for doing your best to lay low before the holiday and being ever-vigilant at keeping both yourself and the people around you safe. It’s only because of your diligence that we can observe holidays safely and still retain our in-person education.

We are in the final stretch of what has been a challenging semester, so hang in there! We know it has not always been easy, but you have handled it with determination, caution and respect. Thank you all.

Our Shenandoah community cases, as listed on the dashboard today, remain low despite the dramatic increase in numbers locally and nationally. While we should be proud, we must still be cautious because of the ability of this virus to spread quickly. Please, keep being vigilant with mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing.

We are almost to the finish line. Finals are next week — Students, I wish for you a strong end to this crazy semester! Don’t forget the importance of SLEEP even when studying for finals,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Thanksgiving is typically a time to enjoy traditions that include where we spend the day (and with whom), what we watch, and especially what we eat! I know that it may be different this year, but it remains a day to reflect on the people and things for which we are grateful.

I want to say thanks to each of you and to convey my deepest gratitude and appreciation for you and all that you are doing to make this unconventional semester a success. There is still work to do and successes to achieve, but we have made it this far through your commitment and hard work to keep our university community safe and healthy.

Although the university is closed today, I want to update you on our COVID-19 dashboard. Our Shenandoah community cases remain low despite the dramatic increase in numbers locally and nationally. Yet we must not let down our guard. Even though we will have fewer students on campus after break, we must remember that it only takes one misstep to spread the virus.

While you’re at home, please continue to fill out your Shenandoah Go symptom check and document all potential exposures, along with any testing you might undergo.

Residential students returning after break will have required testing upon their return, and commuter students will also have this option. Additional information about testing will be sent directly to students. If you don’t plan to return to campus after break, please remain vigilant at home. We are all members of the Shenandoah community, no matter where we are.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving! I am grateful for you and all that you do.

Tracy

Dear students,

The safety and well-being of our university community are at the forefront of all that we do here at Shenandoah, especially during this time of COVID-19. To better keep everyone safe, we have amended our Personal Conduct & Social Distancing Policy, effective immediately.

The changes, which address testing and specific conduct related to social gatherings, including those off campus, are also intended to make the policy more clear in response to student feedback. Our amended policy also coincides with stricter measures announced by Gov. Ralph Northam on Nov. 13 as a result of an increase in COVID-19 cases statewide.

According to the updated policy, Shenandoah University students are prohibited from:

• having multiple guests in their residence hall rooms (only one guest per occupant of room permitted).
• having a guest who is not another SU on-campus residential student in their residence hall room.
• hosting or attending an on-campus and/or off-campus party.
  • In determining whether a “social gathering” rises to the level of a party, Shenandoah will evaluate a number of factors, including, but not limited to, location and purpose, number of attendees (non-university sponsored events with more than 10 people are prohibited), and the presence of alcohol. SU shall determine in its sole and absolute discretion whether a social gathering constitutes a party.

The policy continues to require Shenandoah students, faculty and staff to socially distance and wear a mask on campus. Exceptions to these rules are included in the policy. If you become positive or are exposed to someone with COVID-19, make sure to read the guidelines listed in the policy to understand the steps you should take to isolate or quarantine.

Students who fail to comply with this policy may be removed from a classroom and/or subject to further discipline under the Student Code of Conduct, including for instances in which a student violates this policy at or in an off-campus location. (To report non-compliance, please fill out a Student of Concern form.)

University employees who fail to comply with this policy may be subjected to disciplinary action, including reassignment, probation and up to and including dismissal from employment by the university. (To report a faculty or staff member, please contact the Office of Human Resources.)

Thank you for taking the time to read the updated policy. We hope that with continued vigilance we can maintain the health of our campus community and the excellence of our in-person education.

Please have a fun and safe Thanksgiving break.

Best wishes,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I want to congratulate you all on making it through the 12th week of in-person and ShenFlex classes. As our Dashboard shows, our cases decreased slightly on Main Campus and remain flat in our ICPH and Scholar Plaza locations, despite the uptick locally and nationally. This is no small feat, and it’s only possible because of your commitment to doing things the right way!

That being said, we cannot lose sight of our goal of remaining a healthy and safe university community. As the holidays approach, I hope that you will consider laying low, limiting social interactions and avoid eating in groups. We must not only think about our university family, but also our family and friends whom we will visit back home.

Shenandoah is offering COVID-19 surveillance testing to students, faculty and staff the week of Nov. 16-20 prior to returning home for Thanksgiving break. Approximately 600 tests will be available, and this testing will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Student registration completed today, and faculty and staff registration closes tomorrow at noon. We will begin a waitlist should we reach testing capacity.

Thank you for all that you do, and please stay safe!

Tracy

Good afternoon:

As a community, Shenandoah has worked hard to stay safe all semester so we can continue with in-person operations. We face another challenge as many of us prepare to travel for Thanksgiving. Now is the time to make plans and take action to reduce the chances of getting infected or infecting family members and friends, and to help keep the Shenandoah community safe.

Start Laying Low

While no one is being asked to quarantine before leaving or returning to campus, it’s advisable to lay low and limit social interactions in size and duration (risks increase with the number of people and the length of the gathering).

• Avoid parties, large gatherings, and eating in large groups
• Wear a mask at all times, stay at least 6 feet apart, and wash your hands frequently
• Engage in outdoor activities whenever possible
• When indoors, open windows or ensure there is good air circulation

Getting Tested Before and After Break

Regular surveillance testing of the Shenandoah University community will help to identify people with COVID-19 early and isolate them so they can better care for themselves and protect others. Shenandoah is offering COVID-19 surveillance testing to students the week of Nov. 16-20 prior to returning home for Thanksgiving break. This testing will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to request a COVID-19 test, please complete the SU COVID-19 Test Student Request Form by Nov. 12, no later than noon. We will begin a waitlist should we reach testing capacity. Any presumptive positives found will be referred for diagnostic testing.

The university is also making plans to test residential students upon their return to campus and will continue with surveillance testing of the Shenandoah community during the week of Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. Residential students will soon receive additional information regarding the plan to do a required COVID-19 test on campus immediately upon their return from Thanksgiving break. Commuter students will also have the opportunity to obtain a test.

As a reminder, getting a negative COVID-19 test result does not ensure you don’t have the virus. The incubation period for COVID-19 can extend as long as 14 days after exposure and many positive cases are asymptomatic. You can also become exposed soon after your test. So please remain safe and cautious.

Thanksgiving Break Reminders

The university is providing a number of options for the upcoming weeks so that students and families can make their own decisions about how to handle the holidays:

• Residential students may stay on campus for the Thanksgiving break, but they must go through the process outlined by Residence Life
• Students will have the choice of returning to campus after Thanksgiving break, or completing the semester online via ShenFlex
• If residential students choose not to return after Thanksgiving break, they must contact reslife@su.edu; they do not have to completely move out if they plan to return in the spring but should take all belongings they might need over the break
• Just as refunds are not provided when a student takes a long weekend away, departs in the middle of finals week or is gone over break, the university will not provide refunds for housing or meal plans if students choose not to return to campus after Thanksgiving break as the university is still open and in session
• Please remember to make good decisions over break — you have done a great job this semester! Help your friends and family at home to understand the importance of masks and social distancing.

I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and rejuvenating holiday break. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.

Dear students,

This year has presented many challenges, and I appreciate your perseverance and vigilance — I am so proud of the way in which our faculty, staff and students have risen to meet these challenges!

As you know, during this pandemic, SU’s two priorities have been your safety and continued transformative education for our students. Oftentimes, the most successful entities or individuals are those who are able and willing to pivot quickly in response to a changing environment. This is one such time.

To that end, the University Cabinet has approved changing the start date of the spring semester to Feb. 1, 2021 (with exceptions for specific programs as noted below). The Cabinet, which includes faculty, staff, and student and administrative leaders, is making this change for several reasons:

• It decreases two weeks of on-campus interaction during the height of the flu season.
• The delay also allows for two additional weeks of vaccine distribution, if indeed a vaccine is forthcoming.
• It also provides a buffer between the holiday season/New Year’s Eve and the return to campus. This longer window will allow those who might engage in gatherings during those special days to remain at home for a more-extended period after those gatherings and thus limit any potential spread.
• Finally and most importantly, this change will allow SU to test all students, faculty and staff upon their return to our campuses in January, and then to implement an even more robust surveillance testing system than we had this fall.

For the Spring 2021 Semester:

• Spring semester will continue to operate with most courses under the ShenFlex model. However, some programs will also be offering some classes designated as “face to face” (entirely in person) and others “online” (entirely virtual) so that students can choose which they prefer during registration.
• The spring calendar will maintain approximately the same number of days of instruction as previously scheduled, just with an altered start date. In most cases, inclement weather days will continue to be learning days through ShenFlex.
• We will still observe spring break, which will now be March 29 to April 2; this aligns with Passover and Good Friday and provides the break we were unable to have this fall. Many of you have shared that the lack of a break this fall has created great emotional stress and so we have ensured a break in the spring semester.
• SU campuses will continue to be closed on Apple Blossom Friday on April 30.
• Commencement will be a week later than originally planned, now taking place on May 22. We will continue to monitor the public health situation and may need to opt to offer several smaller graduations over the course of that weekend instead of one big one — but it will be an in-person graduation!

Exceptions to the Feb. 1 start date:

• Graduate students in the health professions, pharmacy and nursing will start classes on Jan. 19 and operate on the original spring calendar.
• We’re awaiting guidance on the start of winter and fall sports; however, it is likely that some student-athletes will return to campus earlier than Feb. 1. They will be notified by their coaches when that information is available from ODAC.
• Undergraduate nursing students on clinical rotation will start clinicals on Jan. 19; more information will follow from their dean.
• There may be other students in field placements, such as those student-teaching, who will also start those placements earlier than Feb 1. These students will be contacted by their dean or program director.
• Resident Assistants and some student leaders will return to campus earlier than Feb. 1; they will receive notification from Student Affairs.
• Although a select number of staff will return to campus on Jan. 4, most will have the option to work remotely starting on Jan. 4 and return to in-person work on Jan. 11; supervisors will communicate directly with employees about their return date.
• This calendar change will allow for the addition of some online January term courses! Information on these courses will be forthcoming from the provost and deans.

Although the active COVID-19 cases in our university community have decreased, there is an uptick nationwide, so please continue to be vigilant. Please also continue to monitor our COVID-19 Dashboard to get twice-weekly updates on our university community case count. And remember, we are only able to operate in person because of you and all your efforts to build and maintain a culture of caring.

I celebrate and thank you for all you have done!

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Thanks to all of you, SU is persevering and we are completing our 11th week of in-person and ShenFlex classes for the fall semester!

We continue to update the COVID-19 dashboard on the website each Monday and Thursday showing all positive cases in the SU community — a community that totals about 5,000 students, faculty and staff. Today, our dashboard shows 19 positive cases on main campus, plus 1 each at Scholar Plaza Loudoun, at ICPH Fairfax, and online — down significantly from last week and from Monday. As always, all positive cases are in isolation and their close contacts are in quarantine.

Shenandoah has performed thousands of asymptomatic COVID-19 tests this semester in order to keep our community as safe as possible, and the plan is for SU to continue to do asymptomatic saliva testing of students, faculty and staff through our surveillance testing process. We are expanding our testing measures next week to include Scholar Plaza Loudoun and ICPH Fairfax campuses.

I know that we are all pleased that the virus containment strategies are working. But, please, do not let down your guard: COVID-19 cases in the region are increasing, so wear a mask and social distance at all times!

Thanksgiving Break is only two weeks away; we will soon provide information about voluntary testing available to students and employees who wish to get tested before break. As well, we will provide information about testing for those who return after break.

Be well,
Tracy

Dear students,

This email is to let you know that we are thinking of you and believe in you!

We know that these are trying times. The pandemic has created a shift in our lives, altering the way we live and how we learn in the classroom. The uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases on campus, regionally and nationally, along with the impact this will no doubt have on our holiday gatherings this year, may be adding to the stress you already feel, whether that’s personal or academic.

Tuesday is Election Day. We will accommodate you as best we can on this day, whether you want to work the polls or need to vote. On Election Day, shuttles and guided walks are available to the university polling location in Jim Barnett Park. Remember, your vote is your voice!

As we await election results, we must acknowledge that it could take days for those to be finalized. We must be patient and conduct ourselves with civility, no matter what side of the political aisle we are on. You will also have opportunities to share perspectives and feelings about this year’s elections through reflection events on Wednesday, Nov. 4 and Thursday, Nov. 5. Therapy dogs will be on campus on Nov. 5 as well, for anyone who needs to de-stress, for whatever reason.

With these conditions in mind, we want to make you aware that it’s not just your physical health that’s important, but your mental health as well. Please, if you need to talk to someone, contact the Counseling Center at counseling@su.edu or 540-665-4530. If you need academic support, contact Student Support Services at 540-665-4928. If you know of someone who might need additional help, please fill out a Student of Concern form. We are here to help!

Despite the challenges you’ve faced, you should all be proud of what you have accomplished this semester. You’ve handled circumstances that no one could prepare for — and you’ve done so with respect for one another, resilience and a positive attitude.

Please continue your hard work. We are here for you.

Have a fun and safe weekend Hornets!

Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson

Dear students, faculty and staff,

As we come to the close of the 10th week of the fall semester, this is just a quick note to ensure that everyone has up-to-date information.

As you know, the university is now updating its COVID-19 dashboard each Monday and Thursday around noon. Today, our dashboard shows one less positive case as compared to Monday. Please remember that the dashboard includes all active cases among undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff; active cases are reported whether the individual is full-time or part-time.

The two small outbreaks noted on the dashboard these past weeks have cleared; today’s updated dashboard includes some cases related to a separate, third outbreak that is associated with an athletic team.

Shenandoah continues to do asymptomatic saliva tests of students, faculty and staff through our surveillance testing process. As has been the case all semester, symptomatic students are tested through our Wellness Center and also through a partnership with Valley Health system and the Virginia Department of Health.

Any student testing positive is immediately moved into isolation, and their close contacts are quarantined.

Thanksgiving Break is only three weeks away! We need to remain vigilant, wear our masks, stay socially distant and do not let down our guard.

Tracy

Dear students,

We all knew that the number of COVID-19 cases at SU would rise as the number of cases in the region and country increased. This is indeed happening, but at manageable levels.

I am grateful for the work of the pharmacy school and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) that enabled us to more than double our testing capabilities starting last week. We are conducting frequent surveillance testing of asymptomatic students, faculty and staff in order to identify presumptive positive individuals on our campuses.

We wanted to let you know that we have twenty-one confirmed cases this week identified through self-reporting and surveillance testing. Most of these individuals are undergraduate students associated with a particular athletic team.

Please know, we quickly protected our campus by immediately moving affected students into isolation and their additional close contacts into quarantine spaces. If you are not contacted by the Wilkins Wellness Center or the VDH, then you are not considered to be a close contact of those who were positive.

Although we continue to operate as normal, we need everyone to redouble their efforts to socially distance, wear masks and communicate effectively and honestly. These measures combined will enhance the safety of our Shenandoah community.

The status of operations on the Main Campus and at the Health Professions Building; Scholar Plaza, Loudoun; the Inova Center for Personalized Health, Fairfax; Bowman and Feltner buildings will continue to be dependent not only on the prevalence of COVID-19 at SU, but also locally and nationwide.

We will make adjustments and notify the community immediately if we believe continued in-person operations this fall, or returning after Thanksgiving, are not in the best interest of our university.

Our number one priority at Shenandoah is providing you a safe and inspiring environment in which you can thrive and learn. Thank you to all who joined our student forum on Zoom earlier this week. You had some great questions, and we want to let you know that we heard your concerns and have discussed ways to further improve SU to meet your needs. Here are some updates we’ve made in response to your feedback:

Beginning next week, we will update confirmed active cases on the COVID-19 dashboard at noon on both Mondays and Thursdays (I appreciate the significant, additional work that staff will do to make this happen in order to respond to your requests.)

We will continue to send interim updates as necessary

All dining areas will reopen for dine-in on Saturday; as usual, carryout will still be available (please remember to socially distance at tables!)

Most of the athletics and conservatory activities that were paused will resume within a week (look for further announcements soon with more details). Those teams that have been impacted by the positive cases will NOT resume until a later date, after we have been able to confirm that all are again negative.

During the forum, there were questions related to Thanksgiving. As stated in an email from the provost to all students last week, we know that some of you may wish to remain at home for the two weeks after the Thanksgiving break and plan to use the ShenFlex option to finish the semester online. You may do this. We know this is an uncertain time and so we will be flexible and do our best to accommodate your continued learning. Look for emails from the provost’s office to be sent by Nov. 5 where students will receive information about spring semester plans and will be asked to take a survey about their intentions of returning to campus after Thanksgiving. Please take the time to complete the survey so we can accommodate your academic and housing needs.

The actions of each individual in our university contribute to its strength, or its weakness. If we all remain vigilant by observing the three Ws — washing hands, wearing masks, and watching our distance — we will improve the health of our community and keep it operating as successfully as possible. At the outset of this semester, we called upon every member of our community to agree to and observe the Pledge to Keep Shenandoah Safe. If we all do our part, if we all commit ourselves to the care and compassion for others for which Shenandoah is rightly well known, we will continue to be safe and open and move forward together.

I have the greatest confidence in you, in us all, to do what’s best.

Tracy

Dear SU students, faculty and staff,

I would like to provide an update on COVID-19 at Shenandoah. Since I last communicated with you, we did surveillance testing of about 80 asymptomatic faculty and staff on Friday and all were negative. We also surveillance-tested 65 asymptomatic student-athletes on Monday and 81 asymptomatic nursing students on Tuesday and all were negative.

However, we received several positive symptomatic cases late on Tuesday; most of these are on main campus.

• These individuals have been isolated, and their close contacts have all been notified and are in quarantine.
• You will see these numbers reflected on Monday’s dashboard, which is updated weekly.
• Please continue to come forward with symptoms and to keep reporting them in the app. It helps us respond quickly.
• The weather is looking great this week, so as an extra precaution we are setting up carryout food in all dining facilities on main campus until Monday. Pre-orders through the Bite App will continue.
• We are also adding precautions for athletic and conservatory activities.
• There is no indication that any spread has occurred through classes or athletic practices. The contact tracing indicates that these positive cases are friend groups not following the safety protocols.

These cases emphasize the need to stay six feet apart from each other, wash hands, AND wear a mask. Please be vigilant in all settings — including when with close friends.

For eight weeks, our Shenandoah community has done a great job of keeping the virus at bay and as a result, our number of positive cases was exceptionally low. But this past week demonstrates that things can change quickly, and SU is now beginning to mirror the rise in cases seen throughout the region and the country. Now is not the time to let our guard down.

Let’s all do our part to keep each other safe and healthy.

Tracy

Dear members of the SU community,

This message is a follow-up to my email yesterday in which I shared with you that SU has identified three positive cases on one athletic team (two players and one non-player associated with the team). The entire team was quarantined immediately upon notification of the positive cases. As promised, I wanted to let you know that the Virginia Department of Health has officially labeled these three cases as an “outbreak” (defined as two or more linked cases). There is no indication that it spread further within the team or beyond it.

As of today, we have identified five additional individuals — not related to the athletic team — who tested positive for a total of eight new cases this week. All are in isolation and close contacts have been placed into quarantine this evening.

Please continue to be vigilant, closely monitor your health, track your symptoms, social distance and wear masks!

Tracy

Dear Shenandoah University community,

In the interest of transparency, I wanted to let you know three individuals associated with the same athletic team have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in isolation. The entire team has been quarantined as a precaution. As always, anyone who was identified as being in close contact with the three positive cases has also been placed in quarantine.

The team was recently tested as part of our surveillance testing and will be re-tested later this week as an additional safety measure. Additional athletic teams were already scheduled to be tested Monday.

I am grateful for the swift action of the Wellness Center and the Athletics Department and for the testing regimen developed by Shenandoah University’s Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy.

All the best,

Tracy

Dear students, faculty and staff,

We appreciate everyone doing their part to adhere to the SU Pledge to Keep Shenandoah Safe by monitoring symptoms of COVID-19 and reporting these symptoms and tests in the Shenandoah Go app.

On Monday, Oct. 19, the Shenandoah Go app will no longer display temporary passes.

Currently, the temporary pass shows up after you complete your symptom check while you wait for your official pass to appear within 15 minutes. Everyone should be completing their check before arriving on campus. The change ensures that you are submitting your symptom check early in the morning and that you are assessing your health and temperature appropriately.

Pass-checking will be enforced at all locations — Main Campus and at the Health Professions Building; Scholar Plaza, Loudoun; the Inova Center for Personalized Health, Fairfax; and the Bowman and Feltner buildings. Mobile passes need to be shown to enter dining locations, classes, athletic practice, certain campus buildings, in-person events, and more.

If you are trying to access any of these locations before (or immediately after) you have completed your symptom check, you will not have a temporary pass to show and you will have to wait until your color-coded pass shows in the app. 

Please allow at least 15 minutes for your color-coded pass to generate after you’ve completed your symptom check. Your pass may appear anywhere on the homescreen of your Shenandoah Go app. If you don’t see it at the top of your homescreen be sure to scroll to the bottom to find it. You may have to swipe down on your homescreen to refresh it for your pass to display.

If you don’t see your pass after 15 minutes, make sure you have completed your profile in the menu under tasks. Until you complete your profile, you will not get a pass.

Make sure you fill out your Shenandoah Go symptom check first thing every day. 

If you experience problems, please message app support by clicking the question mark in the top right corner of your app.

Thank you,

The Office of Marketing & Communications

Dear students,

Well done! We are more than seven weeks into the semester and going strong with almost 90% of our students attending classes in-person or via a hybrid format. While so many other colleges and universities are totally online, or had to go into weeks of lockdown, you have managed to keep Shenandoah safe, strong and open.

Looking ahead to Thanksgiving break the week of Nov. 23, we are hopeful that you will take time to spend with loved ones, to relax, and to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for — all while continuing to live low, masking up and staying healthy.

We would also like to remind you that Shenandoah will continue to operate in-person after the Thanksgiving break. This means that on Nov. 30, faculty currently teaching in-person will be on campus and will continue to hold classes in the classroom, while also retaining the online component that has made ShenFlex so successful.

That said, we know that some of you may wish to remain at home for the two weeks after the Thanksgiving break and plan to use the ShenFlex option to finish the semester online. You may do this. We know this is an uncertain time and so we will be flexible and do our best to accommodate you, especially students who live far away or those who are concerned about returning to campus from a COVID-19 hotspot.

The status of Shenandoah’s campuses will continue to be dependent on the prevalence of COVID-19 both locally and nationwide. We will make adjustments and notify campus immediately if we believe returning after Thanksgiving is not in the best interest of our university community.

Students, you will receive a questionnaire in early November to determine your intentions of returning to campus after Thanksgiving break. This is very important, so please take the time to fill this out so we can accommodate your academic and housing needs at the close of this fall semester. It will also allow for us to plan our Covid-19 testing for the weeks following Thanksgiving.

Every one of you has been amazing in making this semester a success. Thank you for your diligence, patience and respect for others. That is the Shenandoah way.

Adrienne Bloss, Provost
Yolanda Barbier Gibson, Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear faculty and staff,

Shenandoah has been conducting surveillance testing for COVID-19 since the start of the academic year, beginning with the testing of residential and commuter undergraduate students and continuing last month with select undergraduate populations. Because of the good work of our pharmacy faculty, we are pleased to announce that we will expand this COVID-19 surveillance testing program for asymptomatic individuals by conducting even more tests on a weekly basis using pooled saliva samples. Our immediate priority is undergraduate students, but we will expand to include graduate students and faculty/staff.

To date, more than 2,000 surveillance tests have been administered by the university and are credited with identifying asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19. This has helped to quickly isolate infected individuals from other members of the university community and prevent further spread of the disease. So far this testing strategy has worked well for Shenandoah. We are reporting all positive cases weekly on the COVID-19 Dashboard on the university’s website. Now, surveillance test results are located there as well.

Surveillance testing allows for the identification of presumptive positive cases that are then referred for further diagnostic testing. Details about participating in Shenandoah’s surveillance testing program will be available soon.

We are excited to expand our testing capacity within our Shenandoah community, but please remember if we want to keep our campus healthy, we must continue to wash our hands, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

Mitch Moore

Chair, Executive Committee to Reopen Shenandoah University
Senior Vice President/Vice President for Advancement

Dear parents and guardians,

As we round out our second week at Shenandoah, I want to congratulate all of you on raising conscientious, grounded, inspiring students. Because of you and your guidance, these students are doing their part in keeping Shenandoah safe by socially distancing, wearing masks and laying low.

But, as you know, our work as parents is never done, and so I’m asking for your help this weekend. Labor Day weekend is often filled with travel, family and friends. This year, however, we need to encourage our students to lay low, enjoy being outside at planned on-campus activities, continue filling out their symptom tracker on the Shenandoah Go app, and to avoid large gatherings and long-distance travel. As a new week dawns, we want them to bring back their enthusiasm for learning and their Shenandoah pride, not the virus!

As a reminder, Monday is not a day off for the university, and classes will be held on that day. We will make up for this with a longer Thanksgiving break. This is destined to be an unusual Labor Day weekend, we know. And, we’re making a bit of an unusual request for it, too: Please take a few moments to let us know if you or your student have any concerns, suggestions or questions, now that we have all started to settle into new routines for the semester.

So far, things are working well at Shenandoah. We are conducting in-person learning and have only a few of our students in isolation and quarantine. We want to make sure Shenandoah remains a safe and healthy environment. To do so, our entire university community (students, parents, faculty and staff) must be open to constantly learning about how we can do better. With your help – with the help of all of our parents and guardians – I know we can get there.

Thank you,
Tracy

Dear students,

As the first week of returning to campus comes to a close, I write to thank you and to ask for your continued vigilance.

At summer orientations, opening convocation, and in faculty/staff meetings, we have repeatedly underscored Shenandoah’s mission and vision. As we look toward the second week of classes, let us continue to be clear that this is an institution that is unequivocally committed to safety; to transformative learning; and to inclusion, diversity and equity.

Safety

I’ve been so impressed by your commitment to keep our campus community safe by wearing masks, safely distancing, and living low. But we need 100% compliance — not just 95%.

Please remember that your weekend decisions can have an adverse impact on other people’s health and on our ability to offer in-person education.

This weekend, you MUST continue to be conscientious stewards of Shenandoah. Remember our Pledge to Keep Shenandoah Safe. Limit your travels, stay in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and avoid gathering in large groups. Alcohol and parties are an invitation to the virus. This isn’t the time to take unnecessary risks.

Transformative Education

Let us offer a huge THANK YOU to all of the faculty and staff members who have made your education possible during these challenging times! They have implemented a ShenFlex model that allows for some of you to be entirely or temporarily online, but also accommodates the 85% of our students who chose to be in-person at Shenandoah this fall.

Be patient with glitches. Communicate your needs or frustrations — don’t assume that your professors or peers see what you see. And be flexible. Most of all, revel in being back on campus with faculty members who care deeply about your ability to learn and who will move your educational and career dreams forward even during a pandemic.

Inclusion, Diversity and Equity

As I write to you this Friday afternoon, I am also watching the livestream of the March on Washington. I am struck by how we are still marching and protesting against injustices that have been occurring for decades, and that started and ended our summer. The passing of time should be marked by progress and celebration, not by continued hatred and brutality.

Here at Shenandoah, we have no tolerance for racial injustice.

Our students, faculty and staff place a high priority on compassion, advocacy, justice and responsibility — and we take seriously our commitment to speak up and to act. Just this summer, Shenandoah launched a new Non-Discrimination and Bias Policy, a revised reporting mechanism, and mandatory diversity and inclusion training. In the coming weeks, look for additional announcements about further action items as Shenandoah still has work to do to combat racism on its campuses and in our communities.

As we care for each other’s health during this COVID-19 pandemic, we can’t lose sight of our commitment to provide equitable access, a rigorous education, and to be a welcoming environment for everyone.

Have a good weekend,
Tracy

President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D.

Dear students,

This is an update to the announcement made late yesterday about the COVID-19 testing for all full-time undergraduate commuter students who attend classes in the Winchester area.

All undergraduate commuter athletes will test on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will hear from the athletic department about specific times to report to the test site in the Brandt Student Center. Should your classes be affected by your scheduled test then you should prioritize testing and notify your professors before class that you will need to participate asynchronously for that class period.

We have learned that the testing company will be able to accommodate additional undergraduate commuters on Thursday afternoon until 5 p.m. Also testing will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 29.

Students must register for testing via an online form no later than Wednesday, Aug. 26, at noon. Students will be given a specific time for their test but will be able to recommend times more convenient to their schedule on the online form. We will try and accommodate such requests. Again, should your classes be affected by your scheduled test then you should prioritize testing and notify your professors before class that you will need to participate asynchronously for that class period.

All testing will take place in the Ferrari Room in the Brandt Student Center.

If commuter students test positive, they must enter isolation off campus, and their close contacts will be notified to enter quarantine. Those who are isolated and in quarantine will continue to attend classes online if their health allows. If commuter students in isolation or quarantine have a Shenandoah meal plan, information about dining services will be provided.

Please continue to enter your symptoms into the Shenandoah Go app every day and be diligent in mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing. These are the most effective measures to contain the spread.

We thank you for your commitment to Keep Shenandoah Safe!

Dr. Sue O’Driscoll

Dean of Students

Dear students,

In order to provide a safer environment for not only Shenandoah, but also the larger community, the university is offering COVID-19 testing for all full-time undergraduate commuter students (students who do not live in a residence hall) who attend classes in the Winchester area. Testing will be available for athletes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27.

For all other commuter students, testing will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 29. This testing is voluntary although strongly encouraged. For students with studies and activities that require additional levels of contact with others, it is mandatory and those students will be notified separately.

Students must register for testing via an online form no later than Wednesday, Aug. 26, at noon. Each student will be provided with a scheduled time for testing to be conducted. Testing will take place in the Ferrari Room in the Brandt Student Center. Students should schedule testing at a time that does not conflict with their classes if at all possible; however, if the only available testing times conflict with a student’s classes, the student should prioritize testing and notify their professors before class that they will need to participate asynchronously for that class period.

If commuter students test positive, they must enter isolation off campus, and their close contacts will be notified to enter quarantine. Those who are isolated and in quarantine will continue to attend classes online if their health allows. If commuter students in isolation or quarantine have a Shenandoah meal plan, information about dining services will be provided.

Please continue to enter your symptoms into the Shenandoah Go app every day and be diligent in mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing. These are the most effective measures to contain the spread.

We thank you for your commitment to Keep Shenandoah Safe!

Dr. Sue O’Driscoll

Dean of Students

sodrisco09@su.edu

Dear students,

We commend all of our students for living low before returning to campus! But that was the easy part … now, you need to be more careful than ever. You need to STEP UP to remind others to always wear a mask unless alone in your residence hall or apartment bedroom. You need to SPEAK OUT if you hear of a party. This is not the year to be silent … this is not the semester to go crazy. We will rage when the virus stops raging — but not before.

If you choose to disregard the safety protocols, there will be consequences. Those indoors (and outdoors within 6 feet of others) without masks over their nose and mouth will face sanctions. Those hosting or attending parties that don’t adhere to the mask and social distancing guidelines will be suspended. Let’s be honest, parties and alcohol are an invitation for the spread of this virus and for the subsequent lockdown of our university. If partying is so important to you that you are willing to risk suspension, lockdown and people’s lives, then do us all a favor and just leave now so that those willing to follow the protocols can have a chance to pursue their educational dreams.

Yesterday, all students received information from the Dean of Students about reporting through our Student of Concern form. We ask that you share your concerns and to report significant and repetitive behavior that may be contrary to our policies and the expectations of our students and employees regarding COVID-19 compliance.

Shenandoah has zero tolerance for those who engage in behaviors that could lead to the spread of the virus and could endanger fellow students, faculty, staff and community members. Shenandoah prides itself in being part of the solution — not part of the problem.

President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D.

Good evening,

Each member of our community has a responsibility to themselves and to others to uphold the SU Pledge to create and maintain a safe and healthy Shenandoah environment. That means preserving our community health and slowing the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases by following our Personal Conduct And Social Distancing Policy on mask wearing, socially distancing and hand washing. You can see additional information about masks on our website.

It is up to all of us to hold each other accountable in a conscientious, respectful way. Through our Student of Concern form, we ask that you share your concerns and to report significant and repetitive behavior that may be contrary to our policies and the expectations of our students and employees regarding COVID-19 compliance. We define “significant” as engaging in conduct that intentionally or recklessly threatens the health or safety of the university community. The Dean of Students Office will investigate reports of both on and off-campus non-compliance.

Through the form, individuals may submit photographs or other attachments if applicable. Those who violate the university policy will be subject to discipline under the Student Code of Conduct.

We ask that if you see anyone committing minor and infrequent non-compliance — defined as behavior that is unintentional, accidental and without the intent to harm or disrupt — that you issue a friendly reminder to them to wear their mask and practice social distancing.

Remember, we must not be bystanders during this pandemic. To keep our campus community safe and to retain our ability to offer in-person education, we must be proactive and engaged.

Dr. Sue O’Driscoll

Dean of Students

Dear faculty and staff,

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your suggestions about how to amend the policy to account for Zoom meetings and recordings. Please see the clarification below.

As we all Pledge to Keep Shenandoah Safe, the Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) has created guidelines for content production so there is a shared expectation about visual media created during the pandemic.

The following guidelines should be followed with all content recorded, photographed, or uploaded for internal or external use:

Always

• Show people indoors wearing masks
• Show people six feet or more apart

Never

• Show people with masks pulled down or worn incorrectly (not covering both nose and mouth)
• Show people closer than six feet
• Show people indoors without a mask

With Prior Approval from OMC

• An unmasked person may be recorded or photographed if social distancing is observed and the photographer/videographer is masked. Such a shoot should include only the subject and the photographer/videographer, and occur as quickly as possible.
• Show people inside their private residence or office alone without a mask (self-recorded)
• No prior approval is needed for recordings of — or for — classes via Zoom (or another platform such as Panopto). 

Questions or concerns may be directed to omc@su.edu. 

Dear faculty and staff,

As we all Pledge to Keep Shenandoah Safe, the Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) has created guidelines for content production so there is a shared expectation about visual media created during the pandemic.

The following guidelines should be followed with all content recorded, photographed, or uploaded for internal or external use:

Always

• Show people indoors wearing masks
• Show people six feet or more apart

Never

• Show people with masks pulled down or worn incorrectly (not covering both nose and mouth)
• Show people closer than six feet
• Show people indoors without a mask

With Prior Approval from OMC

• An unmasked person may be recorded or photographed if social distancing is observed and the photographer/videographer is masked. Such a shoot should include only the subject and the photographer/videographer, and occur as quickly as possible.
• Show people inside their private residence or office alone without a mask (self-recorded)

Questions or concerns may be directed to omc@su.edu. 

Good morning!

One of the ways we are making sure the Shenandoah community stays safe and healthy this year is through symptom tracking via the Shenandoah Go app.

Everyone in the Shenandoah community is expected to complete the symptom check every day — including weekends and holidays. This is part of the SU Pledge and the main way we are hoping to keep the campus community safe and our operations in-person this year. Entering your symptoms takes less than 30 seconds — just have your thermometer ready.

What To Do Now

As part of the SU Pledge, everyone needs to begin submitting their symptoms by today, August 10.

Here’s all you need to do:

1. Download the app. It’s called Shenandoah Go
2. Create an account. Use your SU email address to create your account
3. This one’s important: Approve push notifications
4. Update your profile
5. Remember to enter your symptoms every day

Mobile Campus Pass 

Once you complete your symptom check each day, you will receive a mobile pass. Mobile passes will need to be shown to enter dining areas, classes, athletic practices, certain campus buildings, in-person events, and more. If you are trying to access any of these events or locations before you have completed your symptom check, you will not have a pass to show yet. You will be required to complete your symptom check to get a pass before you can enter.

Keep Your Streak Alive

During this pandemic, we should all have a daily mental check where we ask ourselves, “How am I feeling?” To make things interesting, we are holding a semester-long competition to reward everyone who can keep their symptom-tracking streak going throughout the semester! For each day you complete your symptom check, your streak number will increase by one. If you skip your symptom check for a full day, your streak will drop to zero. An unbroken semester-long streak will earn you recognition and prizes. We’ll let you know when the competition begins!

Questions?

Want to know more about symptom tracking? Review our FAQs. Need help downloading the app? Contact the IC help desk at helpdesk@su.edu or 540-665-5555.

Dear faculty and staff,

I want to first start off with a big THANK YOU! I am so glad that Shenandoah is in the hands of such devoted, bright and talented faculty and staff members. All of you are incredibly committed to delivering a safe and transformative education and to serving as role models to our students. It is a great honor to work with each of you.

Due to the large volume of information covered in our staff and faculty meeting, we are providing a recording that is available in a Google Drive folder — along with the recordings of the Community Forums that were held recently to answer your questions related to COVID-19 and our fall reopening plan. Note you must be signed into your su.edu email account in order to access the videos in the folder.

We had a special guest at our faculty and staff meeting. Dr. Jeff Feit, vice president for population health at Valley Health, spoke to us about COVID-19 and addressed many of our concerns, including those about testing, transmission and various challenges. Dr. Feit is leading Valley Health’s ambulatory response to the coronavirus. He was able to give us clear guidance on masking, social distancing and other necessary precautions. One thing Dr. Feit stressed is how unprecedented this time is for everyone — from community members to health professionals.

Testing for COVID-19 and Other Safety Measures

SU has adopted a policy regarding personal conduct and social distancing for everyone who spends time on campus at any Shenandoah location. One of the exciting things we announced during the meeting is about new testing measures. With the help of Valley Health, we will test residential students upon arrival on campus, and they will be quarantined in their rooms until they receive their results within 24-72 hours. We are also strongly encouraging all students planning to attend in-person classes, in any undergraduate or graduate program, to get a COVID-19 test 5 to7 days before their arrival on campus and to submit their negative tests to the university. We will also be working on how to do surveillance testing in the weeks and months following, and that involves finding affordable, accurate and rapid-response tests.

There is no plan to test faculty and staff. Dr. Feit assured us that testing faculty and staff who spend limited time on campus is not as important as testing large groups of people living together, such as our students in residence halls.

By testing residential students and encouraging others to get tested before starting classes, we will reduce the number of students who bring coronavirus to campus and will be able to establish more accurately how much illness is in the university community. It is inevitable that COVID-19 will touch our campus. We cannot create a bubble around our university, but we can be a safer campus by following our protocols. Our goal is to keep everyone as safe as possible. If we wear masks, wash our hands, and practice social distancing, we will create a culture of care and safety, and we will have a better chance of staying safe and having the university remain open and operational. It is when these rules are not followed — when there is a breach in protocol — that people become infected. Every single one of us has to be vigilant in honoring our Pledge to Keep Shenandoah Safe.

The current understanding is that the vast majority of COVID-19 spread is through respiratory droplets and aerosols and is not often transmissible on surfaces. With regard to changing masks, Dr. Feit said having 2 to 3 masks is good to assure that you can wash or disinfect a mask before wearing it again. We’ve recommended that residential students bring at least 5 masks with them to campus this fall. In addition, your health will be improved by sleeping well, eating better and exercising. And Dr. Feit reminded us to please be kind to one another during this truly unprecedented time.

Shenandoah Go App

It’s time to download the Shenandoah Go app, which will help us track our individual well-being and communicate important updates. Filling out the daily symptom checker on the app is required by all students, faculty and staff 14 days before arrival on campus, which means Aug. 10 for most of the Shenandoah community. This must be filled out every day of the semester — including on weekends and holidays. Make sure to accept push notifications on the app when you set up your account. Once you fill out the symptom check, you will get a red, yellow or green “pass” that will show you what kind of permission you have for accessing campus.

Move-In Days and Welcome Week 

The Student Affairs Division is currently reworking plans for Move-In Days and Welcome Week to accommodate the quarantine period for residential students who must wait for test results. Plans now include virtual sessions via Zoom and asking various groups to host themed, small gatherings once students are cleared/receive their test results. The move-in process will be conducted in a safe way. Volunteers are still needed (contact Keith Jones Pomeroy at kjonespo@su.edu) to guide students and families. However, volunteers won’t be helping students to move in their belongings. Stay tuned for information about New Student Convocation.

Great Work with ShenFlex

Right now, we are excited to move ahead with the ShenFlex model. We’ve already transferred 989 courses to ShenFlex! The SU faculty members have moved mountains this summer to be ready to teach with this new, flexible approach.

Here are some other highlights:

• We’ve had seven very successful in-person orientations this summer and we are looking forward to an eighth one soon.
• We were fully enrolled for Summer I and II.
• Fall enrollment continues to look strong and encouraging.
• We distributed CARES emergency funding to 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students.
• We were able to keep benefitted faculty and staff fully employed last fiscal year and maintain a balanced budget.
• We recently leased the lodging and restaurant property across the street from the main campus to help us with ensuring low density and provide additional isolation and quarantine spaces. These buildings, known as South Campus Commons, will be ready for use later this month.

Remember, this is an ever-evolving situation, and things could change rapidly if it becomes necessary to go fully online due to COVID-19. We encourage you to check for updates at su.edu/coronavirus and pay special attention to the newly created information for employees.

Although COVID-19 is on everyone’s mind, we must also not lose sight of our larger goals of GoBIG, of fulfilling our mission, and of finding ways to improve inclusion, diversity and equity at Shenandoah. We are all in this together, and it’s during trying and uncertain times as these that we rise together.

Thank you for everything you do,

President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D.

Dear faculty and staff,

Thank you for your participation last week in our Community Forums about the university’s plans related to COVID-19 and reopening in the fall. The members of the Executive Committee to Reopen Shenandoah appreciated all of the questions.

For those who weren’t able to participate, we recorded the forums and have linked them in a folder on Google drive. Please note that in order to access, you must be signed into your su.edu email account.

Pledge & Daily Symptom Checks (Keep the Streak Alive!)
Rationale behind the Shenandoah Pledge, Shenandoah Go app (now available), and the Reopening Document prepared for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)

COVID-19, Athletics & Student Life

COVID-19 concerns and how they affect:

• • Athletics
  • Residential Life
  • Student Activities
  • Wellness and Counseling
  • Plus information about how the Shenandoah Pledge and the Shenandoah Go app (now available) will encourage behaviors to keep our community safe

Cleaning Protocols 

Shenandoah’s protocols for cleaning and disinfecting on campus; airflow and ventilation issues will also be addressed

Protocols for Reporting COVID-19 

Protocols for employees to report COVID-19 on campus and scenarios for those who suspect they have or have been exposed to COVID-19

We are working on updating and organizing information on the website at su.edu/coronavirus. We welcome your feedback!

We know that as the fall approaches, you likely have many questions about what the academic year will look like — how the university will be impacted by COVID-19, safety measures that are now in place at Shenandoah, and how classrooms and academics will adapt to the ever-changing environment.

We want to answer these questions and address any concerns you might have by inviting you to join us via Zoom for Community Forums on Thursday, July 30, and Tuesday, Aug. 4. Members of the Executive Committee to Reopen Shenandoah will discuss the virus and its effect on athletics and student life — including residential life, student activities and wellness and counseling.

Information will also be provided about ways Shenandoah is encouraging behavior to keep our community safe, including the Shenandoah Pledge and the Shenandoah Go app (available soon).

We encourage you to ask questions during the forum, which will be interactive so you will be able to type questions in the “Q&A” section of the screen. University officials will promptly read and answer questions to the best of their ability and address any other concerns. Because this is a constantly evolving situation, please understand that the information provided at this time could still change, but we will do our best to keep you up to date and informed.

Below is the information for the forums. We look forward to your attendance.

COVID-19, Athletics & Student Life
Thursday, July 30: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Zoom link: su.edu/CommunityForum

COVID-19 concerns and how they affect:
Athletics
Residential Life
Student Activities
Wellness and Counseling
Plus information about how the Shenandoah Pledge and the Shenandoah Go app (available soon) will encourage behaviors to keep our community safe

Sincerely,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Affairs

This decision comes in concert with the decision announced Tuesday by the ODAC Presidents Council to postpone conference regular season and championship competition through Dec. 31, 2020. A determination on a date to resume competition will be considered by this group later this fall.

“This is a decision that we have discussed extensively over the past couple of weeks,” Lyons stated. “I know this is extremely disappointing to our coaches, student-athletes and their families, and our fans. Our primary concern is the health and safety of our student-athletes. We all want to return to competition and we will do so as soon as it is safe for our student-athletes, opponents, and fans.”

Plans are being formulated to conduct ODAC championship competition in the spring for the affected fall sports that do not have a second-semester competition component. Those sports include field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball.

These plans anticipate the approval of an NCAA waiver allowing the ODAC the flexibility to conduct championships for the fall sports during the spring semester.

Men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s wrestling were also scheduled to compete in the fall semester. All of these sports, with the exception of men’s and women’s cross country, have regular-season competition scheduled after January 1. The members of the cross country programs will participate in both indoor and outdoor track & field championships seasons.

Baseball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and softball will be permitted to hold practice this fall but will not take part in the one day of allowed outside competition.

All practice schedules will be coordinated with the athletic training staff to ensure coverage for each sport and allow the AT staff to properly assess student-athlete health prior to each session.

Intercollegiate athletics is an important part of a student-athlete’s experience. As such, Shenandoah’s 22 athletic programs will all have the opportunity to practice in a manner that is deemed appropriate by the NCAA, the CDC and the ODAC.

“Although we will miss cheering on our Hornets, know that we continue to be proud of all our student-athletes and can’t wait to see them excel in the future,” said President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. “Regardless of current circumstances, there are still opportunities this fall for athletes to learn, train, challenge themselves and grow together as a team. As long as our Shenandoah pride and spirit remain strong, every day is a great day to be a Hornet.”

All 22 SU programs, including its newest program, men’s wrestling, have a practice segment occurring during the fall semester.

We are excited that Shenandoah University is on track to enroll its largest class of first-year students this fall.

In an effort to accommodate these students and to create a safe living and learning environment, SU is working to make our classrooms, residence halls and cafeterias less densely populated. To this end, Shenandoah is leasing the entire property and buildings currently occupied by the Perkins Restaurant and the Clarion Inn & Conference Center located on Millwood Avenue across from the university.

During this upcoming academic year, this additional space will help protect students’ health by reducing campus population density. Shenandoah is set to renovate the newly leased space for student housing and food service, while the former banquet area could also serve as potential classroom space. The property will also offer additional parking for students, which will alleviate the parking crunch on the main campus.

These buildings will provide 139 single rooms and a second cafeteria for use starting this fall. The space will help accommodate students who need a single room due to a medical condition or compromised immune system. We are also trying to accommodate those who might feel more comfortable in a single-occupancy space. The property will also offer students more outdoor spaces including a pool and a basketball court.

Although we are hopeful that everyone will remain healthy this fall, some of these rooms may end up being used as isolation/quarantine areas for students who become infected with COVID-19 or who have come in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. The isolation/quarantine rooms will be separated from those occupied by healthy individuals.

After this year, the additional space will ensure that the university has the building capacity to expand its enrollment.

We are excited for this fall and for these new living and dining arrangements made possible with the partnership of the Vaden family, who have owned and operated Perkins and the Clarion for many years.

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I hope you are enjoying a summer in which you and the people you love have remained safe and well. We are committed to doing whatever is necessary and possible to ensure your safety upon your return to Shenandoah. We will adapt and evolve to meet the needs of a highly changeable world while continuing to provide an amazing educational experience.

I can’t wait to welcome you all back to one of our SU locations. We’ve had a very encouraging summer, beginning with successful student orientations that will continue throughout the month. Our first-year students are excited about being on campus and we are happy to see them — while maintaining proper distance and wearing Shenandoah-themed masks!

Things look a little different on our campuses with safety signage and plexiglass erected in high-traffic areas. We’re making plans to hold classes and other small-group activities in spaces normally reserved for large events so that everyone has room to physically distance. This means classes could be held in the chapel, the Ferrari Room or in a number of auditoriums on the main campus or even in one of our new outside classrooms. The situation continues to change daily and rapidly, and Shenandoah is pivoting to adapt to ever-evolving health conditions, circumstances, CDC guidelines and governmental executive orders.

As we move into this unprecedented fall semester, please be reassured that we are implementing measures that are not only intended to make our various locations and the learning experience safe for our entire university community, but also to ease any concerns you might have. Shenandoah is your home and we want you to feel comfortable here.

Returning To Campus

Our main goal in planning to reopen Shenandoah is to reduce health risks for members of our community while maintaining the core mission of the university. Relying on guidance from state and national health officials, we expect to start our semester in-person on Monday, Aug. 24, with plans to provide flexibility between online and face-to-face instruction.

We entered the last phase of Shenandoah’s reopening plan on July 6, when many employees returned to campus wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing. Throughout the summer, more employees will continue the transition from primarily remote operations to full on-campus operations in August observing extra safety precautions and allowing for flexibility as personal situations and health needs differ.

• Returning students, faculty and staff are expected to “live low” for 14 days before returning to a campus location. (The exception to this is distance learners who will not be taking any in-person classes)
  • By “living low”, we mean staying home when possible, limiting exposure to non-family members, taking necessary precautions when traveling, always wearing a face mask around non-family members, washing hands regularly, and avoiding large crowds/gatherings
• Our Resident Assistants are set to come back to campus Aug. 6-7
• Football players are expected to return Aug. 8-9, with all other fall student-athletes set to move into campus housing Aug. 15-16
• The Office of Residential Life will contact students about the move-in process this week
  • We will have a staggered move-in process for first-year residential students Aug. 18-19. A New Student Convocation will be held on both of these days in order to ensure ample social distancing
  • We ask that returning students move in Aug. 22-23

Campus Health And Safety Measures

In response to the pandemic, we are taking numerous additional health and safety precautions. We have always had strong relationships with local health officials, and we are working closely with these partners on health and safety measures for the fall. We are requiring all students, faculty and staff to wear a face covering in all indoor public spaces. Face coverings are also required outdoors when social distancing of 6 feet isn’t an option. Everyone at a Shenandoah location, including visitors, must log their daily symptoms and may be asked to do temperature checks either at home or while on campus. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, our Wilkins Wellness Center staff will assess you and direct you to a nearby testing site.

Keeping SU Safe — Pledge

Reopening Shenandoah, and maintaining a safe and healthy environment, require the conscientious cooperation of each one of us. The actions necessary to keep our community safe, such as wearing face coverings, are outlined in a pledge. All students, faculty and staff will receive communications in the coming weeks about how to endorse the pledge to do their part to keep themselves and others safe while on campus.

In addition, there will be a variety of requirements and training opportunities for students, faculty and staff regarding COVID-19 education and required actions and behaviors to help reduce the spread of the virus.

Housing And Classroom Safety

All residential rooms and campus locations are currently being deep cleaned and disinfected. We have posted social distancing signage, added many hand sanitizer stations throughout campus, and erected plexiglass barriers in a number of highly populated spaces. Additional safety measures are likely to be implemented before classes start and even as they are underway. We are ready to adapt in order to keep our university community safe.

We’ve also increased the number of residential rooms for students who need a single — especially those who have underlying health conditions. We have increased our housing capacity by 20 percent and lifted the requirement that first- and second-year students must live on campus for the 2020-21 academic year. We are also establishing designated wings with private rooms (and private bathrooms) to be used in case isolation or quarantine is necessary for any of our students.

Although Shenandoah’s typical class size is less than 25 students, we’ve lowered maximum capacities for each classroom. Spaces have been reconfigured to ensure compliance with CDC guidelines. Seating plans will allow for students and faculty to be spaced at least 6 feet apart, and we’ve also established some outdoor classroom spaces. Larger spaces typically held for events, such as that in the Goodson Chapel, will also serve as classrooms.

A New Fall Calendar

To provide the safest environment, the university will not observe Labor Day or fall break during the semester to limit travel (to and from the region) for students, faculty and staff.

• Students will have a full week for Thanksgiving break from Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 27
• Faculty and staff will be off Wednesday, Nov. 25, through Friday, Nov. 27
• We expect in-person classes to resume after Thanksgiving break on Monday, Nov. 30, and end on Friday, Dec. 4
• The semester concludes after exams on Saturday, Dec. 12

Should a second wave of coronavirus arrive at any point, the ShenFlex model (which allows us to provide flexibility between online and face-to-face instruction) would facilitate a transition to an all-online format if necessary.

Fall Sports

At this point, there are many questions surrounding fall sports. As an NCAA Division III institution and a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, we are in active planning with the ODAC leadership on a return-to-play for intercollegiate athletics. Student-athlete health and safety is our primary concern and we are committed to the resumption of intercollegiate athletics within that framework. We are ensuring that we follow state and university guidelines and recommendations from the NCAA, ODAC and the CDC. Updates will be posted to www.suhornets.com and to our social media channels @SUHornets.

Events On Campus

We will continue to monitor updates and follow Virginia executive orders about limitations on the size of gatherings and physical distancing for events and performances. We will not host non-Shenandoah events for the rest of the summer. We are looking forward to hosting events on campus only when we are confident that it is safe to do so. The conservatory has been working on a gradual return-to-performance set of guidelines that will ensure the safety of our students and our audience members. More information will be forthcoming.

Together We Rise

Thank you all for your flexibility as we are moving forward together in uncertain times. Shenandoah is dedicated to providing the safest environment possible so that everyone — students, faculty and staff — can flourish during their time here. Together we are Shenandoah, and together we will continue to rise.

Thinking of you, and wishing you joy and good health,

President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D.

Dear faculty and staff,

On Monday, July 6, we will enter the last phase of Shenandoah’s reopening plan. Faculty members are welcome to return to their offices as necessary. On July 6, staff members in Winchester will begin to return to their campus work locations with appropriate instructions from their immediate supervisor and vice president. Depending on the situation, we expect staggered work schedules and/or some remote work for eligible employees through Aug. 14.

Scholar Plaza and Inova Center for Personalized Health locations will not enter the last phase of Shenandoah’s reopening plan until July 20.

As we return in person to our campuses, we will all continue to follow the safety precautions and procedures we’ve had in place since the repopulation of SU began in early June. That is, Shenandoah requires that everyone wear a mask or face covering when in common indoor spaces, or outdoors when social distancing of 6 feet is not an option. Everyone going to one of SU’s campuses must complete the daily symptom checker that is sent each day via email, and temperature checks will be conducted upon arrival to each campus.

These guidelines, which will be outlined in signage posted around Shenandoah campuses, are essential to the health and safety of our entire university community and we ask that you please follow them.

Also, we recognize that summer childcare arrangements are not yet widely available in our communities. Therefore, effective Monday, July 6, through Friday, Aug. 14, the university will welcome faculty and staff to bring their children to work as necessary. Employees should discuss with their supervisors the specific details of their arrangement prior to bringing their children to campus. The daily symptom checker and the temperature check will also be applicable to any child coming to campus, and all children over the age of 5 will be expected to adhere to the face-covering requirement.

Please let us know if you have any additional questions. We look forward to seeing you all on campus in the coming days and weeks.

Mitchell L. Moore
Senior Vice President and Chair of the Reopening Committee

Adrienne Bloss
Provost

Robert Keasler
Vice President of Administration and Finance

Dear faculty and staff,

We know that when faced with adversity, you respond, and it’s because of your commitment to Shenandoah that our spring semester was a success. But now we must turn the page and look to reopen Shenandoah University and the challenges that doing so holds.

Our goal for the fall semester is for our students to return to campus and complete courses in person, with an online option available for every class and safety measures in place to ensure that everyone, including our most vulnerable, are taken care of. Therefore beginning this Monday, June 8, we will begin to reopen with the utmost caution and with the guidance of the commonwealth and the CDC. As always, we will monitor this situation daily.

No matter what academic delivery path we must choose, keep in mind that the fall semester will come with challenges as we navigate this new normal. We will have to change the way we educate while maintaining the rigor and success that make a Shenandoah education unique.

Below is some information regarding the upcoming budget, academic matters and necessary preparations we are taking.

Balancing the Budget

Shenandoah is pleased to announce, at present, that the 2021 fiscal year budget (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) anticipates no COVID-19-related furloughs or layoffs for benefited faculty and staff. This has certainly been a challenging time, so to begin the new fiscal year with this news is a reason to celebrate! We are also grateful to the 23 faculty and staff members who accepted the university’s early retirement incentive offer. Your actions help us with the budget, and we CELEBRATE your service to the university.

However, in order to balance the new fiscal year’s budget, the university is making some adjustments. Effective July 1, we will no longer offer university-funded retirement contributions (employees can still make pretax contributions to the program), paid professional development leave or sabbaticals, or salary increases for the coming year. The operating budget will be reduced, including a likely reduction in auxiliary adjunct instruction, and there will be a hold placed on tuition reimbursement for faculty and staff for this year, although their dependents will be able to continue with the program. We hope that these measures will be temporary and these benefits can be restored as soon as possible.

Fall enrollment, along with our ability to bring students back to campus, will determine what additional budget measures may be necessary as we enter the new budget year. Although we don’t know actual fall enrollment yet, admissions and retention numbers look promising. We have seven new face-to-face orientations planned through June and July, and have added an eighth virtual orientation. To ensure we are at full enrollment by Aug. 24, we ask that you please reach out to students with encouraging words, remain vigilant with budget dollars, and consider taking unpaid leave for some of July or August, if possible. This is purely voluntary, but every little bit helps.

Campus Health and Safety

We must adhere to five main themes for our reopening: hygiene, distancing, screening, masks and culture. Maintaining the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff remains our main priority, and if we keep these themes in mind, we will succeed in this goal.

Faculty and staff may request a work accommodation if they are at high risk for complications from COVID-19 or live with someone who is high-risk based on CDC guidelines. If you’re seeking such an accommodation, please complete the Temporary Modified Work Arrangement Request Form for Employees at su/workform by Monday, June 15. Those with concerns that are not health-related should address those directly with their supervisors and not fill out this form.

Our plans to keep our community safe include:

• Cleaning all public spaces at least once a day and disinfecting high-touch surface areas as much as possible
• Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, such as cloth masks
• Increasing available rooms for residential students to allow for more singles – especially for those who have health conditions or prefer their own space. The first and second year live-on-campus requirement is lifted for the academic year 2020-21.
• Maintaining air and water systems to CDC and Virginia Department of Health standards

The main campus of the university has undergone — and will continue to undergo — cleaning measures that meet CDC guidelines, and hundreds of sanitized areas are marked with blue tags (every site with a tag has received a specific cleaning by staff and an inspection by Environmental Services leadership). All residential rooms and campus locations are being deep cleaned and disinfected over the summer. We are also increasing hand sanitizer stations throughout campus, especially in high-traffic areas, and plexiglass barriers are being erected in a number of dense spaces.

To maintain our health and safety, upon the return to campus there will be daily checks for temperature and symptoms of COVID-19 for faculty and staff. If you have a fever or symptoms, please call your supervisor, stay at home, and seek medical attention, including getting a COVID-19 test. Ample testing is now available for symptomatic individuals. If you test positive, please let human resources know. Now is not the time to power through any type of illness.

As we gradually reopen the campus during June and July, we must adopt the mantra of “I protect you and you protect me.” This will require us to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between each other and to gently remind others when they aren’t practicing our community expectations for social distancing.

Although Gov. Ralph Northam has mandated the wearing of cloth face coverings in public places, his executive order does not apply specifically to higher education at this time. However, we believe it is our collective responsibility to look out for each other, and to do this, we are requiring faculty and staff to wear a face covering when social distancing isn’t an option. We ask that you bring your own face covering to campus every day and to set an example by wearing it when necessary.

Other measures you can take to maintain the health and safety of campus is to disinfect high-touch areas in classrooms after every session (Physical Plant will provide the disinfectant and wipes), clean all white boards, put office trash outside your door as needed, bring your own favorite bathroom disinfectant and take ownership of your office, cube or space. And ABOVE ALL wash your hands with soap and water several times a day and avoid touching your face!

With all the changes we must implement, one thing must remain constant: our Shenandoah culture. Not only must we do good while doing no harm, we must be open to new ways of pursuing our passion and be empathetic as we all adjust to life with COVID-19.

Returning to Campus

From June 8 to July 3 is Phase I of our reopening of campus. During this time, select employees, who have already been notified, will be allowed on campus. At present, we hope to begin Phase II on July 6, when we anticipate most employees will be able to return with specific safety measures still in place. Generally, Scholar Plaza and ICPH sites will be delayed at least two weeks from the above dates.

For fall 2020, we expect students living on campus to begin a staggered move-in process on Aug. 18. Then fall semester classes are set to begin on Monday, Aug. 24, and we have made several small adjustments to the calendar to provide the best and safest environment for all members of our community. First, we will not observe Labor Day or fall break this semester in an effort to limit student travel to and from home. Second, Thanksgiving break will be a full week long, running from Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 27, to give members of our community extended time with their families. The university will be officially closed starting Wednesday, Nov. 25 and will reopen Monday, Nov. 30, when classes resume. Regular classes will end on Friday, Dec. 4. We have added a reading day on Monday, Dec. 7, to help students prepare for final exams, which will begin as scheduled on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The semester will conclude as scheduled on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Teaching Preparation and Classroom Assignments

We are committed to the highest standards of safety in our face-to-face interactions, and so Shenandoah has already completed a thorough re-classification of its classrooms and labs across all campuses. Maximum capacities for each classroom have been lowered, and spaces have been reconfigured to ensure compliance with CDC guidelines on social distancing. Although we are still finalizing preparations for our classrooms, we are looking to create seating plans that allow for students and faculty to be spaced 6 feet apart. We’re also exploring methods to maintain 6-foot distancing within performance spaces and working on introducing additional classroom space, repurposing existing space as classrooms, and adding outdoor classroom space.

We are creating a flexible plan for learning, called ShenFlex, in which each course is designed so that the instructor and the students have flexibility in participating in socially distanced face-to-face instruction and/or online instruction as needed. Classes are typically structured with a face-to-face core and additional online elements, but students and faculty will be able to participate fully online if needed, ensuring flexibility and continuity regardless of any disruptions the fall may bring. ShenFlex is adapted from the HyFlex model. As in the past, some courses will be taught fully online, but the rest will be taught using ShenFlex. The important point here is that if a student or faculty member feels even slightly ill, they will be asked to stay in their residence hall room or at home and join their class via ShenFlex.

Doing More To Support Diversity: A Follow-Up From 6-4-20 Faculty/Staff Meeting

It is time for action. We hope that, as part of the Shenandoah University community, you are proud of what the university has done to improve diversity and racial justice. But we cannot be complacent; we have more work to do. To keep diversity and equity at the fore, we will increase financial support for the President’s Representatives on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (PRIDE) and the Mosaic Center; conduct faculty and staff training on diversity and race; establish a diversity scholarship to help students of color in underrepresented programs; initiate a review of our curricula to ensure they support and reflect the diversity of our history and society; establish an anonymous reporting system to report discrimination; and reconsider the name of our business school. We are constantly learning and we want our university community to know that we are listening. We hope that you’ll join us for our next virtual forum on June 10 to continue the conversation. At that time, we plan to discuss the business school’s name. If you have additional ideas or suggestions, please reach out to PRIDE at diversity@su.edu.

We must continue to work hard if we are to have a successful fall 2020 semester. The work we do now and throughout the summer will help us get where we want to be by the time students return. Achieving this success and meeting the challenges of this uncertain time will require dedication, ingenuity, flexibility and an open mind from each and every one of us. We have faith that we will not only get where we want to be, but that we will rise and surpass our expectations.

Please let your supervisor or vice president know if you have questions.

Mitchell L. Moore
Senior Vice President / Vice President for Advancement

Adrienne G. Bloss, Ph.D.
Provost

Robert “Bob” Keasler
Vice President for Administration and Finance

Dear Shenandoah students and families,

We know how much our students want to return to campus and we are working hard every day to make that happen. I am so proud of the way that Shenandoah University handled an unprecedented situation, kept our community safe, and turned obstacles into opportunities.

A Welcome and Safe Environment for All

Shenandoah is unequivocal in its commitment to all students and recently released a statement about racial injustice. Today, students, faculty and staff participated in a virtual forum titled “What Now? Processing Racial Injustice and Discovering Ways to Make Change.” Shenandoah 2025, the university’s strategic plan adopted in 2015, called for the institution to deepen and expand its commitment to inclusion and diversity including specific goals around cultural awareness initiatives, faculty/staff hiring and institutional policies. Today’s discussion was poignant, and an important part of an ongoing dialogue at Shenandoah about racism in our world. We can, and should, and will, do better.

If you’re looking for additional information about racial justice, please visit www.su.edu/racialjustice. We strongly encourage you to reach out for support and use the counseling services available through the Wilkins Wellness Center. You may email counseling@su.edu or call 540-665-4752 to set up appointments via phone or Zoom. Mosaic Center staff members are also available for support and activism by emailing mosaiccenter@su.edu.

A Safe Return to Campus: Housing, Campus Visits and Cleaning

We have heard from many students who are eager to continue their education and return to Shenandoah. We welcomed our largest incoming class last year, and despite all that has happened, our enrollment numbers continue to increase each day for the summer and fall. We are pleased to announce that following state and CDC guidelines, there will be a phased reopening for our Winchester campus and two Northern Virginia locations. We’re building on the success of our residential move-out effort in May when we launched health pre-checks, temperature-taking and social distancing protocols to help keep everyone on campus safe. For those of you who collected your belongings from the residence halls, we want to thank you for following all guidelines.

Now, as we pivot and turn our attention to the fall, we want to provide you with information concerning housing.

The upcoming academic year is a year of extreme flexibility. We want to let you know that our first and second year live-on-campus requirement is lifted for the academic year 2020-21. We support all students and families in making their own decisions about living on campus this coming year. If you have signed up for housing this year but would like to move off campus, please contact residence life at reslife@su.edu immediately so it can make changes to your housing assignment. There will be no penalties for changing your housing contract. If you have any other needs or concerns, you are welcome to contact reslife@su.edu or J. Santiago, director of residence life, at jsantiag10@su.edu.

At this point, a staggered move-in is set to start on Aug. 18. We are exploring options to increase available rooms for residential students to allow for more singles for those who have health conditions or prefer their own space. The new houses in the Village will be ready when students arrive to meet the demand for on-campus apartments for juniors and seniors. We are renovating additional rooms on the East Campus Commons site and are having conversations with hotels in the area about offering space for residential students in the event that we need more single rooms with private baths or quarantine areas.

We’re starting to schedule in-person campus visits. The total number of visitors in each group will be limited to 10 or fewer. Appropriate social distancing, mandatory face coverings and other precautionary measures will be observed at all times. We are planning to have in-person orientations in June and have added more dates in July. We are also planning to have a virtual orientation just in case we have to postpone a face-to-face orientation.

The main campus of the university has undergone — and will continue to undergo — cleaning measures that meet CDC guidelines, and hundreds of sanitized areas are marked with blue tags (every site with a tag has received a specific cleaning by staff and an inspection by Environmental Services leadership). All of our residential rooms are being deep cleaned and disinfected over the summer. Other campus locations will receive similar treatment in coming weeks. Even prior to the pandemic, Shenandoah’s routine cleaning met or exceeded CDC recommendations for disinfection. We are also increasing hand sanitizer stations throughout campus, especially in high-traffic areas, and plexiglass barriers are being erected in a number of dense spaces.

The Future of Learning: Our Fall Calendar, Distancing and ShenFlex

This is the part we’re most excited about — creating new opportunities for learning. We’re looking at different methods for how we teach, where we gather for classes, and how to be as flexible as possible should the situation call for it.

Our fall 2020 calendar begins on Tuesday, Aug. 18, with, as mentioned above, a staggered move-in process for students. Fall semester classes are set to begin on Monday, Aug. 24, and we have made several small adjustments to the calendar to provide the best and safest environment for all members of our community. First, we will not observe Labor Day or fall break this semester, limiting travel to and from our region and allowing everyone to focus on academics while we have use of outside facilities. Second, our Thanksgiving break will be a full week long, running from Monday, Nov. 23 through Friday, Nov. 27, to give members of our community extended time with their families. Classes will resume on Monday, Nov. 30, and end on Friday, Dec. 4; we have added a reading day on Monday, Dec. 7, to help students prepare for final exams, which will begin as scheduled on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The semester will conclude as scheduled on Saturday, Dec. 12.

We are committed to the highest standards of safety in our face-to-face interactions, and so Shenandoah has already completed a thorough re-classification of all of its classrooms and labs across all campuses. Maximum capacities for each classroom have been lowered and spaces have been reconfigured to ensure compliance with CDC guidelines on social distancing, and cleaning protocols are being put in place. Although we are still finalizing preparations for our more than 150 classrooms and academic spaces, we are looking at plans that allow for students (and faculty) to be physically distanced while seated. We’re also exploring methods to maintain 6-foot distancing within performance spaces. We are also working on introducing additional classroom space, repurposing existing space as classrooms, and looking into adding outdoor classroom space.

You should also know that we are committed to maintaining the highly personalized environment that lies at the core of our mission. However, we recognize that the fall holds uncertainties for all of us, and groups or individuals may need to limit their face-to-face activities. So we are creating a flexible plan for learning, called ShenFlex, in which each course is designed so that the instructor and the students have flexibility in participating face-to-face and/or online as needed. Classes are typically structured with a face-to-face core and additional online elements, but students will be able to participate fully online if needed, ensuring flexibility and continuity regardless of any disruptions the fall may bring. ShenFlex is adapted from the HyFlex model that has been in use at San Francisco State University since 2006. Long before the coronavirus pandemic changed the way colleges deliver instruction, a number of other universities found that variations of this model enhanced student learning, so we are excited to adapt it for our students. As in the past, a small number of undergraduate courses will be taught fully online, but the rest will be taught using ShenFlex.

Fall Athletics Update

As an NCAA Division III institution and a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), Shenandoah is engaged in active planning with the ODAC leadership on a return-to-play for intercollegiate athletics. Student-athlete health and safety is our primary concern and we are committed to the resumption of intercollegiate athletics as soon as the NCAA, the ODAC, and the university administration deems it is feasible.

Finding Strength Through Compassion

Shenandoah is a caring community and we strive to take good care of each other. Students have access to a variety of emergency funds as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and may seek help via the Emergency Financial Assistance Application. To donate to a support fund to help others in our Shenandoah family, please visit www.su.edu/su-giving.

It’s true that we are living in consequential times that require great flexibility from us all. But, as our mission statement notes, we are constantly building upon and strengthening a community of “ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within a community, a nation and the world.” Such a community will creatively address obstacles and injustice, finding opportunities and hope within even the most painful of days.

Such a community will rise.

Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. | President

Dear Students,

We hope you are doing well and staying healthy and safe. The university has evaluated the latest guidelines from health and government leaders, and we have designated a 10-day period for students to return their Shenandoah belongings to the main campus, such as athletic equipment, musical instruments, iMLearning equipment, and textbooks. We will do this in a highly structured and measured way to protect your safety and the safety of those in our university community.

We are offering time slots from May 14-23 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. for you to return your belongings. Please sign up here. The access code is HORNETS2020. Please note that if you have already signed up via StarRez, then you do not have to sign up again. When you arrive on campus, please take your belongings to the designated drop-off areas and observe social distancing at all times. We ask that you please drop off your items by yourself.

Drop-off locations are:

• For athletic equipment and uniforms: Aikens Athletic Center
• IMLearning equipment: Ferrari Room in the Brandt Student Center
• Musical instruments: Ruebush Hall. If you are returning a musical instrument, please sign up for an appointment with Kerri Nassano by emailing her at knassano@su.edu.

If none of the available time slots serves your needs, just let us know and we will work with you individually (especially if you are coming a long distance). We will confirm and send detailed instructions closer to the time you are scheduled.

We ask that you please follow these instructions to mail your textbooks to the university bookstore. If you are unable to do so, please drop them off in the Ferrari Room in the Brandt Student Center when you arrive on campus.

Please do not come if you or anyone with you is feeling ill or if you have been exposed to COVID-19. Please prioritize your health and the safety of our Shenandoah community.

We ask that you provide your own mask or face coverings, maintain six feet of distance and wash your hands frequently.

After you schedule your appointment, you will hear from our Wellness Center with some basic pre-screening health questions for you. Please respond promptly so we can then confirm your drop-off appointment and provide specific instructions about how to come onto campus, have your temperature checked and more. When you receive the confirmation of your appointment day and time, we will include additional details and ask if you have any questions.

Thank you for your flexibility and patience during this time.

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

We made it!

Congratulations on reaching the close of a spring semester that no one could have expected or completely prepared for, but with Shenandoah pride and spirit, we not only met the challenge that confronted us, we rose above it!

Students, your dedication and creativity knew no bounds. You amazed us with your ability to accept the challenge of learning online. We admire the way you adapted to share your talents, skills, and compassion with the Shenandoah community and beyond.

Faculty, we thank you for adapting so quickly to deliver a virtual education. You set a high standard, and the students followed your amazing lead. Through your ingenuity and patience, Shenandoah maintained its academic excellence and will continue to graduate students who will go on to make a difference in the world.

Staff, we couldn’t have done any of this without you. You helped steer the ship during this tough time, all without batting an eye. We thank you all, especially those who continue to come to campus to keep it safe — from Public Safety to Physical Plant.

Although there will be no end-of-year celebrations in person, we hope that you join us online for our first-ever virtual graduation beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. A number of special guests will share messages of hope and congratulations — messages that we sent specifically for our Shenandoah students. We will also present the graduating class with a unique gift that reflects how much they’ve shined during their time at SU.

In addition to our sincere appreciation, you all have our support and encouragement as you continue to navigate these uncertain times. Shenandoah is a collaborative and resilient university that has stayed focused on the mission of inspiring critical thinking, lifelong learning, compassion, and ethical, responsible contributions for the betterment of communities around the world. Shenandoah will prevail and, at the end of this crisis, each of us will emerge and rise stronger and ready for a new future.

Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D.
President

Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D.
Provost

Dear SU Students:

We at Shenandoah are aware that many families have experienced a significant loss of income or incurred additional expenses as a result of the measures necessary to slow the spread of novel coronavirus.

Shenandoah is here to help you make it through this extraordinarily difficult time. Through the university, you have access to a variety of emergency funds provided by donors, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC), and the CARES Act.

These funds are separate from any credits or refunds that Shenandoah has issued for housing and meal plans. Some funds will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis while others (such as those that are part of the CARES Act) will be distributed based on federal guidelines.

If you have incurred additional expenses related to food, housing, moving, course materials, technology, health care, child care or other needs as a result of campus operations being disrupted by the pandemic response, we encourage you to complete the online application by May 31, 2020.

Please know that we are evaluating each student’s situation on a case-by-case basis and we will be in contact with you as soon as possible.

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Robert L. “Bob” Keasler, Jr.
Vice President For Administration And Finance

Good morning,

We have less than two weeks of classes and a week of finals remaining this semester. You should be so proud of what you’ve accomplished and will continue to accomplish!

Please remember that if you need help as the semester winds down, all student support services that were offered on campus continue to be available to you remotely. We are here to help you be successful this semester! The Just Keep Learning page lists numerous resources available to you during this time of online learning, including tutoring, academic coaching, counseling services, the Writing Center, the Math Enrichment Center, library resources, and more.

Tutoring is being provided online via Zoom and Google Hangouts. You can continue to sign up the way you always have, using TutorTrac at star.su.edu. Once you book an appointment, the tutor will contact you with information about how they will connect.

If you would like to receive help and academic support as we navigate the next few weeks, academic coaches are on hand via Zoom, Google Hangouts and phone to provide assistance in multiple ways. The coaches can connect you with resources such as tutoring and writing assistance, help you find answers to questions, work with you to balance out assignment load, or simply help guide you if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed. Book you appointment now. If you have questions, please contact Marshell Edney at medney@su.edu.

The Writing Center is open for student appointments by email or Zoom. The center is open Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The schedule is available online. If you have questions, please contact wc@su.edu.

The Counseling Center is still offering virtual appointments. We know this is a stressful time as finals near and we continue to learn online. The counseling center offers support and referral services, and individuals are on hand to help you address any concerns you might have. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Contact counseling@su.edu with questions.

Please be sure to take advantage of these resources. You have done an amazing job navigating this challenging time and our hope is that you will finish the semester out strong.

We are here to help in any way we can.

Yolanda Gibson

Dear Shenandoah University community,

I am so honored and proud to be part of the Shenandoah community. You have risen and met challenges none of us ever imagined. You’ve made the best of an unexpectedly virtual university experience, with classes and meetings conducted at a distance while you’ve remained at home to stem the spread of COVID-19. You have used services like Zoom creatively and even crafted group performances and conducted science labs with this technology. And, you’ve reached out to members of your communities in need whenever you can, whether via online communication or a more low-tech method, like leaving a note in an elderly neighbor’s mailbox to offer your assistance.

I cannot imagine how you could have handled this unprecedented experience any better. Thank you, thank you, thank you — I just wish that I could say that to you in person!

As promised last month, I am sending you updates today on where Shenandoah stands regarding Graduation, Summer 1 classes, and Housing (including crediting of student accounts and retrieval of belongings):

Residential Housing Updates

Virginia is under the governor’s stay-at-home order through June 10, and Shenandoah is doing everything possible to abide by that order and to do our part to “flatten the curve.” That means that it is not safe for you or others to return to campus yet to gather your belongings. Students, I fully understand how much you want to have your belongings with you — but please, please, be patient for the good of everyone. And let me assure you that while you are away, your belongings are safe.

Residential students will receive an email from Residence Life later this week outlining options for coming to campus to retrieve, or pack and ship, or pack and store your belongings. The email will include a link to a response form where you can select the move-out or shipping option that works best for you.

We’d previously announced that Shenandoah will prorate residential room and board (and commuter meal plans) for the spring semester. Because this process necessitates an individual approach governed by Federal Financial Aid guidelines to each student’s account, it is a time-consuming process and we appreciate your patience. You will see a credit adjustment to your student account by Friday, April 17. (If there was an outstanding balance on your student account, any credit adjustment will be applied directly to your spring 2020 outstanding balance.)

On that same April 17 date, you will receive additional information on how to access that refund with multiple options:

• Credit to next year’s tuition, room and board (with a 2% bonus)
• Direct payment to you
• Choose to help other Shenandoah students who are in great financial need

First Summer Session Is Online

Part of the governor’s stay-at-home order, which took effect March 30, states that all Virginia institutions of higher education must temporarily cease in-person classes and instruction. This means Shenandoah’s Summer 1 classes that are set to start May 26 will be online, although there may be opportunities for students to come to campus after the governor lifts the order. Students, you may want to take advantage of these summer classes — most offered at a very low tuition rate — to get ahead in your major or minor, to fulfill some general education requirements, or to get yourself on track to graduate early! More information about summer offerings is available on the university’s website.

Commencement for the Class of 2020

Commencement is one of my favorite days of the year, and I am heartbroken that Virginia’s stay-at-home order will not allow us to gather for our traditional ceremony on May 16 to celebrate our extraordinary students. We are so incredibly proud of our graduating students; we know how hard you have worked for this day and how disappointing this is. Please be assured that we WILL celebrate commencement with you IN PERSON, ON CAMPUS, when it is safe to do so.

We recently polled graduating students for their input, and a majority of the more than 500 respondents indicated that Homecoming Weekend in October would be a good time to do this. Accordingly, we are currently planning University Commencement on campus for Sunday, October 18, 2020 – and we can also celebrate our August 2020 graduates. We are hopeful that a celebration of several thousand people will be permitted by then; more details will be forthcoming once public health officials indicate that we can move forward.

In the meantime, we cannot let May 16 pass without celebration! Please plan to join us with your families and friends for a short-but-meaningful virtual commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 16. More information on this university-wide virtual ceremony will be available soon. Schools and programs that typically hold their own hoodings, pinnings, and other recognitions in addition to university commencement are scheduling those celebrations as works best for their students. Please look to hear from individual programs for those details.

We will keep you updated on all graduation celebrations in future communications and on the university’s coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, which is continually updated with new information.

Shenandoah is a caring, supportive community. That was true before this pandemic, and will continue to be so after as well. And Class of 2020, you will forever be a truly special class to all of us — for many of us, your graduation will signal the hope we all have for the future.

And remember, whenever we are faced with challenges, SHENANDOAH RISES.

Tracy

Dear Members of the Shenandoah Community,

I have an important update to share with you as Governor Ralph Northam today issued a statewide stay-at-home order to protect the health and safety of Virginians and to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Today’s order does not require Shenandoah to operate any differently than we’ve been operating, and in fact, the order includes much of what we’ve already been doing to ensure the safety and health of our students, faculty and staff.

Part of the executive order, which took effect today, states all Virginia institutions of higher education must stop in-person classes and instruction. Shenandoah announced on March 11 that we were moving to university-wide online instruction starting March 16.

The executive order also directs all Commonwealth residents to stay home except in limited circumstances for allowable travel — to seek medical attention, work, care for family or household members, obtain goods and services (such as groceries and prescriptions), and engage in outdoor activity with strict social distancing requirements. Shenandoah initiated a work-from-home approach approximately 10 days ago with its faculty and staff, and so we have only had “essential-function” employees on campus for the past week or so.

The order will remain in place until June 10, 2020 (unless amended or rescinded by a further executive order), meaning Shenandoah employees who are not performing essential functions that require them to work on campus will continue working remotely until otherwise informed. Because of the extended date of the order, the university will continue to evaluate how best to deal with a number of upcoming events and activities. You can expect a communication regarding the related issues, including graduation and summer courses, by April 13

The Governor’s order is a reminder of why we implemented our recent measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 — because our first priority has always been to keep our university community healthy. The university has had a pandemic preparedness plan in place for years and has quickly adapted to this ever-changing situation. Our faculty have been extraordinary role models in transferring their classrooms, labs and studios to a virtual environment and engaging students online. And for our staff working remotely, you are making sure that Shenandoah continues to run seamlessly. I thank you all!

Please continue to monitor su.edu/coronavirus where we have links to all official communications as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that are being constantly updated.

As always, Shenandoah students, faculty and staff rise to bring solutions, to care for each other and to serve our communities. Although we may be separated, we are still all in this together.

Tracy

Dear Students:

Below you will find helpful information from the bookstore to assist you during this time!

COVID-19: FREE eTextbook Options Available Through the Bookstore

As a service to customers, the store has partnered with RedShelf and participating publishers to provide FREE eBooks where available to affected students. For details, click the link: https://studentresponse.redshelf.com/

COVID-19: FREE Online Shipping; Store Location Closed; Order FAQs

We support learning regardless of where it takes place. Due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) concerns, the campus has made the decision to close campus buildings including the physical bookstore. The bookstore website also remains open and has extended FREE GROUND SHIPPING on all orders. Please note: Some items may have limited availability. These items are noted as “backordered” because they may ship from locations affected by a COVID-19 closure. If backordered items are purchased, we will ship as soon as we are able. Have rental textbooks? No problem, continue to use them through the end of the semester. You can find information in the following link on how to generate free shipping labels to return them, and more.

FAQs: http://bkstr.scene7.com/is/content/Bkstr/COVID-FAQspdf

Bookstore Contact Information

The bookstore is closed, but we are available to take your phone calls on Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday beginning March 23rd, and we are monitoring our email Monday-Friday. If you have additional questions that are not addressed in our FAQs link, please feel free to contact us at 540-665-4523 or shenandoah@bkstr.com

Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Dear students,

All of our lives have changed in recent days, and will continue to change, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We at the university fully understand that we are living in uncertain times and the difficulty that arises when access to tools and resources are limited. We thank those of you who have reached out to the university with questions and concerns. Your voices are invaluable.

In light of the disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) during the Spring 2020 academic semester, Shenandoah University is providing a one-time option to students regarding grading of their courses.

Faculty will record traditional letter grades, but students will receive either a “P” (Pass) grade or “CN” (COVID-19 No Grade) notation on their transcripts. Students who receive a “P” will receive full course credit. Students who receive a “CN” will not receive course credit. “P” and “CN” grades do not carry grade points and will not affect GPA. The grade cut-off for a “P” will be D for undergraduate classes and C for graduate classes.

Students who want their “P” grade to be converted to a letter grade should make this request to the registrar’s office by June 1. This decision can be made on a course-by-course basis. When students take this option the letter grade will carry grade points and will be calculated into the GPA.

The policy applies to all undergraduate and graduate students.

This policy applies only for the Spring 2020 term. In addition, the withdrawal deadline will be extended two weeks to April 22. A notation will also be placed on all students’ transcripts for the Spring 2020 term indicating that all instruction was remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although we’re only in the midst of our second week of distance learning for the entirety of the university, I must share how proud I am of what I’m seeing from you — creativity, collaboration, kindness and patience — as we navigate this new territory, together. You are truly showing how Shenandoah rises to meet the challenges of an altered world.

Please continue to monitor su.edu/coronavirus, where we have links to all official communications as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that are being constantly updated. Remember that the Just Keep Learning site provides resources to support your online learning experience.

Adrienne G. Bloss
Provost

Dear students,

We know that the move to all online coursework necessitated by COVID-19 restrictions creates many challenges. We appreciate your patience as the university has made the transition to remote operations and we understand that this all comes with uncertainty about the future.

Shenandoah still does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among our university community.

Some students have expressed concern about grades in a new learning environment. Please know that we are working quickly to identify flexibility in academic policies and grading options that will best serve students while meeting accreditation standards and other essential requirements.

We expect to make an announcement about these options in the next few days. Thank you for your patience while we ensure that we develop and provide the best solutions we can.

Please continue to monitor su.edu/coronavirus, where we have links to all official communications as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that are being constantly updated. Remember that the Just Keep Learning site provides resources to support your online learning experience.

For all students, especially those who are graduating this year, it is important that we move forward to ensure academic progress isn’t interrupted. There are many challenges, to be sure, and not everything has gone smoothly. But we are proud of how the Shenandoah community has responded to this unprecedented situation, with our students, faculty and staff showing creativity and commitment.

I look forward to being back in touch with you soon.

Adrienne G. Bloss
Provost
Shenandoah University
1460 University Drive
Winchester, VA 22601
540-665-4525

Good afternoon.

The past week has been like nothing we’ve ever seen or expected. Classes went online, we learned about the importance of social distancing, and we accepted a never-before-seen disruption in our lives. But you — our students, faculty and staff — have done a truly extraordinary job of persevering and making the most of a situation that is challenging and sometimes scary. No, it has not all been perfect. Some are struggling with technology or loneliness or other concerns. But you are all putting your heads (virtually) together to come up with innovative ways to teach and learn and support each other during these most uncertain of times. You have banded together as the SU family, and you have stepped up to do your part to ensure that Shenandoah University remains a place of academic pride and indomitable spirit.

As we continue to navigate this ever-changing situation, we must also continue to adapt. And so I humbly ask for your flexibility and patience.

Shenandoah still does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among our university community.

But in accordance with federal and state governmental recommendations/orders regarding the number of people who can gather together, along with the CDC recommendation for institutions of higher education to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect vulnerable students, staff and faculty, Shenandoah is taking the following additional actions, effective immediately:

Classes, Advising, and Registration Will Remain Online Through Spring Semester.

All Spring 2020 semester classes will continue to be held online during their regularly scheduled time until the end of the semester, May 15, 2020.

• Hornet Central has provided the following information about registration: The class schedules for summer and fall 2020 are now available on Student Planning. Please work with your advisor via e-advising; click for e-advising instructions. Plan your classes now, so you are prepared to register as soon as your online registration period opens.

Summer 2020 Classes.

It is too early to determine whether Summer 2020 classes and programs will need to move online. We are making preparations to do so if needed and will provide additional information as it becomes available.

Residential Life: Housing and Dining.

We were fortunate that our students were already largely off campus for Spring Break. Acting quickly prevented people from returning to campus and to the Winchester and Northern Virginia areas which might have brought harm to them or others. We are confident that swift action helped flatten the curve for our campus and community.

• We recommend a “shelter in place” mindset (like we use when waiting for a storm to pass over). Get to a safe place and plan to stay there until we send an update about returning to campus. Many cities or states have already provided guidelines that people should not leave their homes except for essential reasons such as buying food, checking on family members and seeking health care. We encourage you to strictly follow the guidelines of the area where you are living/sheltered.
• We hope to be able to re-open the campus for some residents and small-scale activities the week of April 20, but that will depend on the health status of our country and the region.
• Residential students: We are getting creative about an organized return or move out. Residential Life staff are making a plan for your return to campus once we can give the “all clear.” In the meantime, continue to contact reslife@su.edu if you have questions or need to have medications shipped to where you are. We will work directly with the small number of students currently still on campus regarding housing and dining.

Account Credits.

Shenandoah University will prorate the residential room and board and commuter meal plans for the spring semester. A credit will appear on your student account and will be used to offset any outstanding balance. You will receive notice when your account has been adjusted and can be viewed on Hornet Hub. If this adjustment results in a credit balance, you will receive additional information concerning your options.

Financial Impact.

We are all dealing with the financial repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic as best we can, and working toward solutions that are best for our students and employees. We are currently weighing how to best, and most equitably, address the financial strain being felt throughout the university community. We are concerned for our students and employees whose family members may be financially impacted by the severe economic downturn and restrictions on public movement. We are working to address these complex issues to provide the best possible outcome for a community with a wide variety of needs and concerns. We will communicate more specific information in the coming days.

Student Employees Will Continue to be Compensated for the Next Two Weeks.

Student employees able to work remotely under the direction of their supervisor will log hours worked as normal. If this applies to you please log your hours worked as normal. If you work less than 7 hours per week, Payroll will manually add the difference to ensure you are paid for a total of 7 hours. Student employees who are unable to work remotely will be paid 7 hours per week for the pay period beginning March 16 and ending March 29. Payment will be made on April 9. This will only apply to student employees who are currently on SU’s payroll and have not exceeded their allocated student employment funds. Work-study students will be contacted by their supervisors, who can also answer any questions about working remotely. We understand that for many students, work-study is part of their financial aid package which is why we are endeavoring to keep them employed at least through March.

All Employees Working Remotely.

After Friday, March 20, all employees should move to a completely remote work operation, until at least April 13, unless notified directly by a vice president.

Additional Restrictions on Access to Buildings.

While Shenandoah is officially still open and operating, the institution will operate entirely remotely and we ask everyone to remain off campus. As of 5 p.m. today, March 20, only faculty and staff who need specific access to their materials, office, lab, studio, etc., may enter campus buildings. No one should be on campus except notified employees and a few students approved to live on campus. Please remember to practice social distancing at all times.

Commencement.

We very much want to celebrate the Class of 2020 with our traditional University Commencement and all of the accompanying hoodings, pinnings and festivities. They are an impressive group of seniors and graduate students who DESERVE to be honored! We do not yet know if it will be possible to host graduation as planned; Shenandoah’s commencement date, May 16, falls outside of the 8-week window during which the CDC has restricted large gatherings, but that guidance may change. As a result, we are not making a decision about graduation yet, but expect to do so by April 13. Please know that whatever the circumstances, we WILL find a way to celebrate the Class of 2020 — and we will do everything possible to make sure that includes an in-person ceremony.

Athletics.

In tandem with the university’s announcement that it will continue online education for the duration of the spring semester, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has cancelled the remainder of the university’s spring sports calendar as mandated by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Coaches and staff will be accessible by email and phone. Although our teams will not be on the fields, the tennis courts or the golf course this spring, we intend to be fully engaged with our student-athletes. Please continue to follow Hornet Athletics on our social media channels and on www.suhornets.com for features on student-athletes and teams, the Hall of Fame class for the coming year, and other athletic department announcements.

Spring Events Suspended Until Further Notice.

The CDC set forth recommendations to cancel all events of 10+ people for 15 days (until March 31) and to cancel all large events (over 250 people) for the next eight weeks (until May 7) to help contain the spread of COVID-19. If you have a scheduled event during this time, a staff member will work with you to reschedule your event at some point in the future when it will once again be practical/possible for SU to hold events within our facilities. As mentioned above, we hope to be able to re-open the campus for some residents and small-scale activities the week of April 20, but that will depend on the health status of our country and the region.

As a reminder, here are the protocols for students, faculty and staff who may think they’ve been exposed to or are seeing symptoms of COVID-19.

Protocol for Students

Please submit a Student of Concern report about your condition. A member of the CARE Team will then reach out to you to coordinate any care or support you may need.

Protocol for Employees

An employee who has been exposed to the coronavirus, or diagnosed with COVID-19, should promptly notify Kim McDonald in Human Resources at kmcdonal2@su.edu and their direct supervisor, who should attempt to reasonably accommodate the employee during the period of time they may need to self-quarantine. The direct supervisor may reach out to HR for guidance, but should, at a minimum, respect an employee’s request to keep confidential the reason for the employee’s absence or unavailability and share the situation only with other university employees with a reasonable need to know.

If you know that a student has been exposed to the coronavirus, or diagnosed with COVID-19, please submit a Student of Concern report. A member of the CARE Team will then reach out to the student to coordinate any care or support the student may need. A student may also fill out their own Student of Concern report.

Where to Get Updates

This global health crisis not only impacts our work schedules and our financial health, but it can also impact our mental and emotional well-being. SU recently provided a message of care and support to students about counseling services and how to access academic services online. Please continue to monitor su.edu/coronavirus where we have links to all official communications as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that are being constantly updated. Some specific communications will also be sent via email.

I want to thank all of you for your patience, cooperation and commitment to our community. We all know the recent days have been difficult, often filled with frustration, confusion and disappointment. But there have also been many, many bright spots. In the midst of crisis, SU is rising! I am grateful for the support that you have given one another, and thankful for the demonstrated commitment you have shown to ensure safety and education in a time of deep need.

Thinking of you,

Tracy

Dear SU Students:

It is difficult to predict exactly how this situation will evolve over the next few weeks and it’s completely expected and appropriate to experience fear and worry during these uncertain times. There’s a lot happening with adapting to online learning, feeling like you’re missing out on college experiences, and global concerns about how the spread of COVID-19 will change the world.

How to Get Counseling Support

We strongly encourage you to reach out for support and use the counseling services available through the Wilkins Wellness Center, which is still being staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may email counseling@su.edu or call 540-665-4752 to set up appointments via phone or Zoom.

Access Academic Services Online

Academic resources are still available and easily accessed — just click the links below for more information and to get connected today. Even though our amazing staff can’t assist you face to face, we are eager to do so via phone, Zoom or email. Questions can be directed to Marshell Edney at medney@su.edu.

Tutoring is being provided online via Zoom and Google Hangouts. Students may continue to sign up for tutoring the way they always have, using TutorTrac at star.su.edu. Once they book a tutoring appointment, the tutor will contact them with information about how they will connect.

The Writing Center is also offering help with writing in any subject using online software. Students may book a Writing Center appointment online. First-time visitors to the Writing Center will need to register for an account before they can book appointments.

Academic Coaching is also available for any student who would like help and academic support. Coaches are on hand via Zoom, Google Hangouts and phone to provide assistance in multiple ways. They can provide resources such as tutoring and writing assistance, help find answers to questions, work to balance out assignment load or just simply talk through the changes in course organization for those feeling a bit overwhelmed. Students may book Academic Coaching appointments online.

Express Concern for Yourself — or Others

The university has an existing process to identify and care for a Student of Concern, which is defined as any student who is displaying behaviors that may get in the way of a student’s ability to be successful in the university environment. Fellow students and family members can play an invaluable role in helping students who may be in distress. An expression of interest, concern, and compassion is an important factor toward a student seeking the assistance they need.

If you know that a student is struggling with anxiety or has been exposed to (or diagnosed with) COVID-19, please submit a report so the university is aware and can offer assistance. Note that students may also submit their own Student of Concern report. A member of the CARE Team will then reach out to coordinate any care or support needed.

Where to Get Updates

Please continue to monitor su.edu/coronavirus, where we have links to all past official communications as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that are being constantly updated. If you have general questions or concerns, please call us at (540) 665-4795.

Our entire Shenandoah community is an extended family, and families look out for each other. We’re here to provide whatever support you need.

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Dear Students,

As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, and as testing becomes more widely available, the impact to the Shenandoah University family over the next several weeks is likely to increase.

If you are exposed to a person with COVID-19, but you have no symptoms, current recommendations are to self-quarantine for 14 days and monitor for symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. If you develop symptoms, then the next step is to seek medical care as well as quarantine.

If you need direction on where to get tested and/or to be treated, you can contact your health care provider and/or health department. Remember to call beforehand as most facilities are requiring you to do so, so that they can prepare or direct you to the appropriate clinic.

Cooperate with instructions you may receive from your physician and applicable public health department. Departments near SU’s campuses are listed below.

• ICPH – Fairfax Health Department
• Main Campus/HPB – Winchester/Frederick County Health Department
• Scholar Plaza – Loudoun Health Department
• Cool Spring – Clarke County Health Department

Please submit a Student of Concern report about your condition. A member of the CARE Team will then reach out to you to coordinate any care or support you may need.

If you are a residential student, you should not return to your campus housing, but should instead call DPS at (540) 678-4444 and a DPS officer will contact the area coordinator so arrangements can be made to house you in a room (or area) that has been specifically set up for any student who has been advised to self-quarantine.

If you have symptoms of acute respiratory illness, you must stay home and may not return to campus until you are free of: fever (defined as 100.4° F or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants). If you are a residential student, you may not leave your specially assigned dorm room unless the above criteria are met.

As a reminder, students should refrain from gathering together in groups to access online courses and should continue to practice social distancing. We appreciate all that you are doing to keep yourself — and your university community — safe and healthy during this challenging time!

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Dear Faculty and Staff:

As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, and as testing becomes more widely available, the impact to the Shenandoah University family over the next several weeks is likely to increase.

While we know of no SU faculty, staff or student who has tested positive for COVID-19, we anticipate that some will sooner or later become exposed to the coronavirus, and some subset of those will contract COVID-19.

If a university employee or student is exposed to a person with COVID-19, or is diagnosed with COVID-19, that person should:

• Follow their physician’s instructions and/or the CDC’s guidance, which currently requires self-quarantining for 14 days.
• Cooperate with instructions they may receive from their applicable public health department. Departments near SU’s campuses are listed below.
  • ICPH – Fairfax Health Department
  • Main Campus/HPB/Feltner/Bowman – Winchester/Frederick County Health Department
  • Scholar Plaza – Loudoun Health Department
  • Cool Spring – Clarke County Health Department
• An employee who has been exposed to the coronavirus, or diagnosed with COVID-19, should promptly notify SU’s Human Resources Department (specifically, Kim McDonald at kmcdonal2@su.edu ) and their direct supervisor, who should attempt to reasonably accommodate the employee during the period of time they may need to self-quarantine. The direct supervisor may reach out to HR for guidance, but should, at a minimum, respect an employee’s request to keep confidential the reason for the employee’s absence or unavailability and share the situation only with other university employees with a reasonable need to know.
• If you know that a student has been exposed to the coronavirus, or diagnosed with COVID-19, please submit a Student of Concern report. A member of the CARE Team will then reach out to the student to coordinate any care or support the student may need. A student may also fill out their own Student of Concern report.
• SU leadership, in coordination with the Wilkins Wellness Center, will coordinate efforts with the Virginia Department of Health to inform anyone impacted by the virus, as well as to prepare a message to the larger community.

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff,

I’ve seen dozens of announcements over the past two days, by other schools and businesses, that start with “Out of an abundance of caution….” But at Shenandoah, it is so much more than that. And so it’s with an ABUNDANCE OF CARE that I am writing to inform you that we are implementing additional modifications to the operations of Shenandoah University for at least the next two weeks. We simply must take every measure possible — seriously and swiftly — in order to ensure the health and safety of every member of the SU family.

Shenandoah was among the first schools in Virginia to announce earlier this week that we were moving online to protect our students, faculty and staff. But the environment is changing by the hour. Just yesterday afternoon, Governor Ralph Northam issued a state of emergency for Virginia and recommended new measures to combat the coronavirus. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is imperative that we take increased action as individuals and as a Shenandoah family to help limit the risk of contagion.

Families look out for one another in good times and in bad times. These are tough times, and there are likely to be additional challenges before we turn the corner. We must reduce the density of the population at all our university locations in an effort to decrease the health risks to our students, faculty and staff — as well as to those in our households, residence halls and communities.

SU is therefore making significant and immediate changes — some of which will create anxieties and difficulties that together (from a distance) we will need to manage. In order to care best for ourselves and each other, we all must remain flexible, patient and calm. Our hope is that careful, preventative actions now will eliminate a major health and educational crisis later. We cannot predict the future, but I’m confident that these are the right actions to take to ensure the safety and wellness of Shenandoah students, faculty and staff, while we also continue to help our students progress toward their educational and career goals.

At this time, the following actions will remain in effect until at least 8 a.m. on March 30:

• Our Residence Halls Will Largely Close: SU is a family, and SU feels like home for all of us. As the health crisis is growing rapidly, we now believe that the best place for most of our students is at home with their families. This is a change to what we announced earlier this week; since then, the situation and recommendations have changed. Therefore, our residence halls will largely close beginning Sunday, March 15, at noon. Only students with critical housing needs will be approved to stay in campus housing to comply with public health recommendations. Students with compelling reasons to remain or return must apply through the StarRez housing portal and provide Residence Life with a detailed description of their situations. Students who are approved to remain on campus must agree to practice social distancing and appropriate self-care — safety will, without a doubt, be our primary concern.
• All on-campus events and performances will be canceled or postponed.
• All athletic practices and competitions will be suspended.
• Most employees will be allowed and encouraged to work remotely. The university’s leadership is working to identify essential functions that will require minimal in-person staffing. The vice presidents will work to establish those possibilities and parameters with each department. Employee safety and social distancing are of critical importance.
• All classes, as previously announced earlier this week, will be conducted online March from 16 through March 29.
• Students on clinical rotation, internship or student teaching should continue to be in contact with their placement coordinators as the situations in their areas evolve.
• Winchester locations will only be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The Allen Dining Hall will only be open from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.; noon to 1 p.m.; and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Those choosing to eat in the dining hall will be required to practice social distancing. ICPH-Fairfax, SP-Loudoun and Cool Spring may have their hours even further reduced.

Where to Get Updates

Please continue to check su.edu/coronavirus as this situation unfolds. We are trying to address all questions in the FAQ — please look at the website first to get answers to your questions. The university will continue to monitor the situation daily and an update on next steps and continued operations will be provided by Thursday, March 26.

Along with having a pandemic preparedness plan in place for years, SU’s emergency leadership team has been meeting about the coronavirus since January. These past months of planning for this specific situation will serve our students and community well now and in the coming months. We understand that these transitions are unusual and can provoke anxiety, but we believe that the compassion, care and commitment to quality that is central to the Shenandoah experience will provide the support essential for us all in this trying time.

Spring break is coming to a close. Monday we will be in FULL SWING as a university … just in a different way. Maybe these coming weeks will help us appreciate our campuses, colleagues and friends more. Perhaps they will lead us to be creative in ways we never before imagined. And while you are away or hunkered down or online, I hope that you will remain healthy, and that you will find new ways to spread Shenandoah care.

Sending prayers, and a warm Shenandoah air-hug to all of you,
President Tracy Fitzsimmons

Good Evening,

We have received many of your thoughts, concerns, questions and suggestions since our announcement yesterday to go online for two weeks starting Monday, March 16.

Know that we are working our hardest to provide you with answers to your questions and concerns. Please check the website at su.edu/coronavirus and our new FAQ section for more information, as this will be the central hub for all updates.

Although all classes are online, our main campus, the Health Professions Building, and our Northern Virginia and Winchester-area locations remain open, and we are ready to provide the assistance you need to succeed during this time of uncertainty.

Going Online

Please visit the Just Keep Learning site to prepare for online learning. This has very important information and should be reviewed carefully.

Please know that the Institutional Computing Help Desk is available to answer your questions should you run into any issues with your iMLearning equipment or if you are having technical difficulties with software like Zoom, Google, Office, etc. Please call 540-665-5555, email helpdesk@su.edu, or visit Howe Hall, Room 142, for assistance. We want to make sure you know that technology support is available should you need it.

The Zoom support page is at https://support.zoom.us. It features video tutorials as well as daily live-training sessions.

Study Abroad

As this is a rapidly changing situation, we have been in constant contact with our study abroad students and have encouraged them to consider returning home. We believe that travel might become more challenging, and returning to the United States might become more difficult, as time passes.

Social Distancing

Social distancing is vital for your health. Although you are young, please see value in doing this. And, with most events canceled around you, the temptation will be strong to hang out more together. However, please keep social distancing in mind, especially if you are sick.

We know this is a tough and confusing situation, but please know we are listening to you and care about your health, education and concerns.

Shenandoah’s mission statement calls on us to be “ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within a community, a nation and the world.” By taking these steps, including social distancing, we are playing a part in efforts to slow the spread of this illness and hopefully lessen its impact on our communities.

Today, Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency for Virginia due to the spread of the coronavirus. Shenandoah continues to monitor the situation and what this declaration will mean to our university community. Please continue to monitor su.edu/coronavirus and check your email for additional updates.

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

As you are aware, COVID-19 has had a major impact on our world and our nation, and now more cases are emerging in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Although there are still no confirmed reports of the virus impacting anyone at Shenandoah, we have made the following decisions to help ensure the health and safety of our university community and to do our part to limit the spread of the virus. We will continue to monitor this rapidly changing situation and will provide ongoing updates as the situation unfolds.

I want to be fully honest. There is so much that is uncertain about this virus; we are trying to be very safety-conscious, while also recognizing that there is much that is unknown and unknowable at this point. I ask for your patience, your flexibility and your deep understanding that our sole focus is on the safety and education of our SUfamily.

Classes Moving to Remote Instruction for Two Weeks

From March 16-29, Shenandoah will hold all classes and coursework online. Classes will not meet face-to-face. We appreciate that our faculty and staff have been preparing for weeks for the possibility of moving to online classes. Thanks to their hard work, this transition will be as smooth as possible. That said, it will not be flawless, and I want to ask you now for your patience. Additional information will be sent to students in the coming days.
Advising and registration for summer and fall classes will continue but will be done remotely. Students will receive additional information soon.

Each day we will review the situation, and by Thursday, March 26, we will make an announcement about whether we will indeed resume full campus activities and instruction on Monday, March 30.

Clinicals, Practicums, Off-site Placements and Internships

In some cases these experiences may be able to proceed as scheduled; in others they may be conducted remotely or be postponed, canceled or limited. Students impacted will receive communications from placement coordinators in their programs; in these areas, we will be relying on guidance from accreditors, school systems and health systems.

The University Is Not Closed

Until further notice, administrative offices and services — including the library, dining hall, and the Wilkins Wellness Center — will remain fully operational on our main campus and two Northern Virginia locations. Faculty and staff should continue to work on-site; for those who have underlying health concerns, Human Resources will work with each individual and supervisor to devise a plan for working remotely.

If faculty and staff have any concerns or questions, please contact your supervisor. Per the Emergency Operating Plan, Human Resources has set up a dedicated telephone number (540-665-4590) for faculty and staff to call.

When Can Students Return to Campus Housing?

The safety of our students is paramount. If you are a residential student already at home for spring break, we ask that you consider remaining where you are. If you are currently off-campus on vacation for spring break, we ask that you consider going home if you can safely do so. If you are currently on campus, please consider heading home if that is a safe option. You will be able to continue your courses remotely with your iMLearning devices.

Note, however, that our campuses will remain open. There may be some residential students for whom it is best to return to, or stay in, campus housing. We know that some students may not have alternative housing options, or may need to stay on campus because of a local job, athletic commitment, etc. We want to hear from you and help make arrangements for your return.

In order to track and serve those who will stay on campus over the next two weeks, we ask that residential students fill out this survey. If residential students do not complete that survey by Friday, March 13, we will assume that they are remaining where they are until Sunday, March 29. For those planning to return, the residence halls will open at noon Sunday, March 15. Full-service dining services will be available, while self-service will be eliminated. Grab-and-go options are available as well.

If you choose to return to campus, we will ask that you provide information about where you have been, and that you communicate regularly with us about any changes in your health. As well, we will ask that faculty, staff and any on-campus students practice appropriate social distancing.

Postponement of University Events

Shenandoah University will cancel or postpone all large event gatherings (100+ people), and many smaller events, on campus effective immediately until Monday, March 30. Details on these changes are under development and will be shared once finalized.

Status of Conservatory and Athletics Events

The Conservatory will suspend all events and performances until Monday, March 30. Please check the Conservatory Performs webpage for more information.

At this time, all spring sporting events are expected to be held as scheduled, but this could change and games may be postponed as recommendations are made by the NCAA and ODAC Conference. Please check the SU Hornets athletics site for more information.

International Travel

We have suspended all university-sanctioned international travel programs. We are reviewing summer programs and will have an update by Thursday, March 26. While domestic travel for university business is not prohibited, it is strongly discouraged.
If You Are Ill (Or Not Ill)

We ask that if you are sick, please stay home until you are well and no longer exhibiting symptoms. Continue to be mindful of your health. Wash your hands with soap and water often, sneeze into your arm or a tissue, and maintain social distancing. If you are a residential student and are ill, please call the Wilkins Wellness Center at (540) 665-4530.

Even if you are not ill, please continue to practice good hygiene as this virus spreads easily, and those with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk.

If You Have Questions

This was not an easy decision for our university, but we feel it is the best one for the health and safety of our university community and is the best path to assure that students can continue toward their academic and career goals. We do not wish to put anyone at risk.

Students and parents, if you have questions or concerns, please contact studentsuccess@su.edu.

Please continue to monitor the university’s status through the SUN-e newsletter, email, and su.edu/coronavirus, as this situation continues to evolve.

SU has had a pandemic preparedness plan for years, and our emergency leadership team has been meeting about the coronavirus since January. Our faculty were notified weeks ago that they should begin preparing for a possible transition to fully online education — and they are ready.

We are confident that this transition will be as seamless as possible — it won’t be perfect, but it will be full of SU’s typical high level of compassion, attention to detail, care for each individual student, flexibility, and commitment to continued quality. Our years of general preparedness, and our weeks of planning for this specific situation, will serve our students and our community well.

Other communications will be sent out within 24 hours — the answers to many of your questions will likely be in there. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and each other.

President Tracy Fitzsimmons

Dear Students:

We hope you are enjoying your spring break! As the number of COVID-19 cases increases in Virginia, Shenandoah University continues to monitor the situation and to follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Virginia Department of Health, other educational institutes, and local and state health care agencies.

There are currently no confirmed coronavirus cases at Shenandoah University.

Our coronavirus taskforce meets regularly to discuss the university’s emergency operations plan and what would happen if our community becomes impacted by the virus.

Your health and safety are our main concerns. Please be mindful of your health and stay home if you feel ill. Please continue to monitor the situation through the SUN-e, your email and su.edu/coronavirus, as this situation changes daily.

In the meantime, please continue to enjoy your spring break!

Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Dear Parents,

Although Shenandoah University does not currently have any confirmed cases of coronavirus, or COVID-19, new cases of the virus have been reported in Virginia.

Due to the spread of the virus and out of a concern for the health and well-being of the Shenandoah University community, our leadership team continues to closely monitor the latest advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is in regular contact with the Virginia Department of Health.

Since early February, a university task force made up of administrators, faculty and staff has met regularly to discuss and monitor the global and national spread of coronavirus and any potential actions that we will need to take in the possible event of viral contraction at our Winchester campus or two Northern Virginia locations.

To ensure the health and safety of our students, Shenandoah University is also:

Campus Cleaning

This spring break provides the university a good opportunity to deep clean and disinfect in areas that are not always accessible during normal operations, including all of the classrooms, restrooms and public areas on campus.

In addition, we have added extra alcohol-based hand sanitizing stations at areas of large congregation.

Exploring Online Classes

At this time, we are planning on holding Shenandoah’s classes on campus, but preparations are being made to move university operations and classes online if our campus community becomes impacted by the virus. We are making sure faculty have training and resources for best online teaching practices. We have advised students to take home their laptops over break in case classes go online or there is a disruption in their travel.

Reminding Students to Stay Healthy

We are encouraging students to practice good hygiene such as washing their hands with soap and water, coughing into their sleeves and keeping a safe distance from those who are ill. We are advising any student, faculty or staff who is sick with a respiratory illness and/or a fever or who has come in contact with someone with COVID-19 to stay home or contact their local health provider, including those at our Wilkins Wellness Center.

Suspending Spring Break International Travel

The university has suspended all university-sanctioned international travel over spring break. We believe that canceling travel at this time is the best decision given how rapidly the situation is changing and the potential issues that could arise, including possible travel restrictions and challenges returning home. We will try to reschedule these trips later this year.

Please know that your child’s health and safety is our top priority and that we will continue to monitor this situation as it unfolds.

You can learn more about coronavirus (COVID-19) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and view our updates at su.edu/coronavirus.

Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Good afternoon:

As we head into spring break, we hope you take time to rest, reflect and rejuvenate with family and friends.

If you are traveling internationally, please use standard precautions and be aware of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, travel guidelines and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Make sure to keep up to date with your airline and know whether it is altering flights or if the destination you are traveling to is, or could be, impacted by the virus.

As a precautionary measure, remember to bring your laptops and textbooks home in the case that we must go online or your travel becomes disrupted. Please know that the university is planning for all potential scenarios, and that your health is our top priority.

Campus Cleaning and Staying Healthy

This spring break provides the university a good opportunity to deep clean and disinfect in areas that are not always accessible during normal operations, including all of the classrooms, restrooms and public areas on campus.

In addition, we have added a few extra alcohol-based hand sanitizing stations at areas of large congregation. But please remember, washing your hands should be your first line of defense against germs.

While most young people who have COVID-19 are exhibiting mild symptoms and/or are asymptomatic, we live in a global community and should not only protect ourselves but others who are immunocompromised from becoming ill.

The best thing to do is to continue monitoring your health and practicing the following enhanced precautions (as recommended by the CDC and health leaders):

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash (or cough/sneeze into your sleeve or elbow)
• Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces

And Remember …

If you haven’t already, please sign up for Shenandoah’s emergency alert system.

For more updates from Shenandoah, please visit su.edu/coronavirus.

We would like for everyone to have a wonderful spring break. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit the Wilkins Wellness Center in Racey Hall or call 540-665-4530.

Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Good afternoon students,

As I’m sure you are aware, the coronavirus is a big topic in the news. I want to reassure you that Shenandoah University is monitoring the situation and is taking all precautions in dealing with the virus and its potential impact if it were to come to our university community. We need to be precautious and prepared, but we do not want to panic.

Remember, Shenandoah University is a family and we are prepared to take care of each other. Please take a couple minutes to watch the video included in this email. For additional coronavirus updates as they relate to the university, visit su.edu/coronavirus.

You can learn more about coronavirus (COVID-19) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you have questions, please contact the Wilkins Wellness Center, located in Racey Hall, at 540-665-4530.

Video Message from President Tracy Fitzsimmons

Dear SU Students:

On March 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a recommendation to higher education institutes to postpone or cancel student exchange programs and international travel. This is due to the rapidly increasing number of cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the growing number of countries experiencing human-to-human transmission of the virus.

Out of an abundance of caution, we have suspended all university-sanctioned international travel over spring break, including all Global Citizenship Project and Global Experiential Learning trips. We are a global community with a global outreach, but we believe that suspending international travel at this time is the best decision given how rapidly the situation is changing and the potential issues that could arise, including travel restrictions and challenges returning home.

We will examine alternate travel options moving forward.

Students whose GCP/GEL trips were canceled are welcome to stay on campus over spring break. The dining hall will be open and food service will be available.

There are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus at Shenandoah University or in Virginia.

If you are traveling internationally over break, please use standard precautions. Currently, the CDC recommends no recreational travel to and from China, Italy, South Korea and Iran (Level-3 advisory). The CDC has also issued a Level-2 travel advisory to Japan (“practice enhanced precautions”) and a Level-1 travel advisory to Hong Kong (“practice usual precautions”).

If you return ill from spring break, take normal precautions and visit your healthcare provider. If you are sick and choose to visit the Wilkins Wellness Center, masks are available, but it is advised that people who are well refrain from using them.

Please remember that washing with soap and water is the best way to clean your hands.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not available, the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• The CDC cautions that sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs, and their effectiveness goes down if your hands are really dirty or greasy. Also, they might not remove chemicals or other contaminants that might be on your hands, like pesticides.

The university task force on coronavirus meets regularly to discuss and monitor the virus and any potential actions that we will need to take in the possible event of viral contraction at our Winchester campus or two Northern Virginia locations.

University professors are taking steps to prepare for the potential of teaching classes online if our campus community becomes impacted by the virus.

If you have any questions, please call the Wilkins Wellness Center at (540) 665-4530.

Please visit su.edu/coronavirus for coronavirus updates.

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Good afternoon,

At Shenandoah University, the health and education of our students, faculty and staff are our top priority. To this end, we have been monitoring the global impact of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and are making sure we are prepared for the possibility of someone, or several, in our university community contracting the virus.

Our monitoring has included:

• Establishing a taskforce to review and discuss communication and guidelines from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the local and state health departments
• Monitoring and screening ill students for potential symptoms and patterns of COVID-19
• Discussing our Emergency Operations Plan and our procedures in place in dealing with potential viral contraction at our main campus and two Northern Virginia locations
• Educating the campus community about symptoms and risk factors, while promoting ways to stay healthy
• Running through potential scenarios with administration for identifying and treating students with COVID-19
• Preparing for faculty to teach online if our campus community becomes impacted by the virus

At this time, Virginia and Shenandoah University have no confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, this is a rapidly evolving situation that could change over the course of hours or days.

Spring Break: What to Know

Spring break at Shenandoah University is March 8-14. If you are traveling internationally, please check current recommendations and travel advisories regarding coronavirus.

As of now, all Global Citizenship Project (GCP) trips scheduled for next week will take place as planned, as none of the seven destinations are on the CDC’s travel-advisory list. Regular updates will be provided.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends no recreational travel to and from China and South Korea (Level-3 advisory). The CDC has also issued a Level-2 travel advisory to Italy, Iran and Japan (“practice enhanced precautions”) and a Level-1 travel advisory to Hong Kong (“practice usual precautions”).

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19.

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Greetings from the Division of Student Success:

Spring break is quickly approaching at Shenandoah University, which will occur March 8th-14th. We recommend if you are traveling internationally that you check current recommendations and travel advisories regarding coronavirus (novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19). Currently, the U.S. State Department recommends no recreational travel to and from China.

At this time, there are no Global Citizenship Project trips planned to locations in which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or State Department is recommending to not travel. We will continue to monitor the situation daily and make adjustments to travel plans if warranted.

The World Health Organization does not recommend any specific health measures for travelers. In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or after travel, travelers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share their travel history with their health care provider.

Shenandoah is closely monitoring the situation.

There are no cases of coronavirus at Shenandoah University or in the commonwealth of Virginia.

However, the Virginia Department of Health and the CDC have proactively developed guidance for local health departments to address concerns for the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). At Shenandoah, we have been able to participate in these efforts, via teleconferences. Guidelines for universities are available at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/13/2020/02/VDH-2019-n-CoV-College-and-University-Guidance_FINAL_02062020.pdf

Also, please keep in mind the basic principles to reduce the general risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections, which include the following:

• Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
• Frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment.
• Avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals.
• People with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands).

Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success

Greetings from the Division of Student Success:

The wellness and health of the Shenandoah University community is a top priority so we wanted to share some information given the global concerns about coronavirus. The university is actively monitoring the emerging public health concerns regarding the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus (Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China. Possible infections of the virus were reported in other regions of China, and in some travelers from Wuhan to other countries, including the United States (the first U.S. case was reported in Washington State on Jan. 21, 2020).

Currently, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus at Shenandoah University.

The new coronavirus causes a respiratory illness. There are other viruses in the coronavirus family that can cause illness in both humans and animals. Symptoms of these viruses can be mild, cold-like illnesses or can lead to more serious illnesses like pneumonia. This new virus is most likely transmitted through close contact with body fluid droplets such as a sneeze or cough, and you must be in close proximity to an infected person to be exposed. Health officials are continuing to monitor and study this new virus and how it is transmitted. While there is presently no vaccine or treatment available for this or other coronaviruses, this is a completely survivable illness in a normal, otherwise healthy adult. Out of an abundance of caution we want to provide some prevention information to our community.

Symptoms of coronavirus may include flu-like symptoms that can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache and sore throat. Pneumonia can occur in extreme cases.

Students who are experiencing flu-like symptoms AND have had recent travel to the affected areas in the past 14 days are asked to call the Wilkins Wellness Center at (540) 665-4530 immediately prior to visiting the center. The Wellness Center team will assist you in diagnosis and treatment planning. Center hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m; and from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

After business hours, medical support includes:

Valley Health Urgent Care
Winchester
607 E Jubal Early Dr
Winchester, VA 22601
https://www.valleyhealthlink.com/Our-Services/Urgent-Care-Quick-Care.aspx
540-536-2232
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
*If you are not in Winchester, contact your local urgent care center or Health Department for more information.

Winchester Medical Center (Emergency Room)
1840 Amherst Street
Winchester, VA 22601
540-536-8000
https://www.valleyhealthlink.com/Our-Services/Emergency-Services.aspx

We recommend calling your provider for instruction to support your diagnosis and treatment.
Faculty and staff experiencing symptoms should call their primary care physician for assistance and care.

Just as you would with any other illness similar in nature we ask you to avoid class/work, and to self isolate at your home or in your residence hall room until you have consulted with a health care provider.

As a university we want to remind you that many people prefer to wear breathing masks this time of year when in public places to PREVENT contracting illness. Do not assume a person is ill just because you see a mask.

Practice Good Prevention (we recommend this every flu season):

• Wash your hands often with soap and water
• Keep hydrated
• Avoid contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, face
• Disinfect common surfaces and routinely clean spaces
• Get your flu shot
• Cover your cough and sneeze
• Limit/avoid contact with those who are ill/sick
• Get enough sleep/rest
• Avoid sharing utensils/cups

Travel

The university is monitoring travel advisories. We are discouraging any travel to any of the countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak at this time. Students who may have traveled from Wuhan City or other parts of China, and who are experiencing symptoms, are asked to contact the Wilkins Wellness Center at the phone numbers provided above. Faculty and staff who may have traveled from Wuhan City or other parts of China, and who are experiencing symptoms may also contact the Wilkins Wellness Center or their primary care providers for advice.

For more information, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/
Regards,
Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson
Vice President for Student Success