Fall Semester Updates

Last Updated: 11/20/2020 

Nov. 20, 2020 Updates

As we head into the final days of being on campus, no one could have foretold how this semester would play out. Our community has shown incredible resilience and dedication to following health and safety protocols over these months.

Over the last few days, COVID positive case numbers in Rhode Island and across the region continue to rise. On Wednesday, the positive test rate in Rhode Island reached 7%, which is a significant and concerning rate. Faculty have been encouraged to transition to remote learning beginning Friday, Nov. 20, where possible. However, various lab courses, in-person class components and exams, already planned, may still be essential to hold on campus. Once students know the status of their remaining classes, we encourage them to accelerate their plans to return home for the semester, if at all possible. We know that changing travel plans may not be possible for some. The campus remains open; and residence halls and dining will remain in operation through Wednesday at 9 am.

It is extremely important in the days ahead for the entire RWU community to continue following all of the safety and campus protocols that got us this far in the semester.   

As students return home to their families and employees shift to working remotely or coming to campus less frequently, we remind everyone to stay vigilant, and hope that we can all keep ourselves and our families safe and healthy during this time.

Let us not lose sight of how remarkable our semester has been. There are not many schools that have had the commitment to testing and tracing, and the resilience that RWU has shown.

Planning is well underway for spring, and we are looking forward to our next semester together on campus.

Concluding the Fall Semester  

  • TestingTo date, we've had a total of 159 positive cases, and 91,258 negative results. Our positive case rate overall is 0.18% and we currently are managing 46 active positive cases.
     
  • Testing: UPDATED 11/22: Due to delayed turnaround time for COVID test results, our campus testing center will now close at 1 PM on Monday, November 23rd.   Please adjust your schedule accordingly. Remaining testing center hours are Sunday, November 22 from 3 PM to 8 PM; and Monday, November 23 from 8 AM to 1 PM. It is okay if this deviates from your normal testing day and time in these final testing days. Out-of-state students should check their state department of health website for any required protocols on returning to your destination.

     

Winter Break

  • Working: With the health and safety of our RWU community in mind and due to the rising cases in the region, staff will need to work from home and not come to campus during winter break. All non-essential personnel will transition to fully remote work during this period and will not be permitted to come to campus without prior supervisor approval. Work study students may also be approved for virtual/remote work, but should not be planning hours on campus over the semester break without approval. There will be limited heat and utilities in many buildings. Any work on campus by students or staff must meet an essential work standard.
     
  • TestingWe will have a very limited testing program during winter break, scaling back from over 7,000 tests weekly to just over 300 tests weekly for use ONLY by essential workers, a small population of approved residential students, and Providence campus operations. The testing center will NOT be open for personal use over winter break.

Sneak Peek at Spring Semester

  • LearningFor spring semester, we will see a mix of online, face-to-face, and face-to-face with permission for remote access courses. Students should be able to see the modality in the course schedule, and faculty advisors and the Advising Office in CSAS are available to help them create a schedule based on their needs.

    Students who wish to be completely remote for the spring 2021 term (i.e. accessing all their classes online with NO in-person classes) should build their spring schedule in Roger Central by selecting “Online Only” and “In-Person/Remote Optional” under the Course Types filter. Once the remote schedule is finalized, students should complete this form with the Advising and Peer Mentorship Office, to notify the University of their intent to be remote.

    For more detailed information and FAQs, visit the Advising and Peer Mentorship web page.
     
  • Testing: The University will continue our comprehensive testing program during the spring semester and will make further improvements to our contact-tracing programs. The return to twice-weekly testing will begin in mid-January, with clearance testing for all students, faculty and staff upon returning to campus operations. Look for detailed communications about Spring 2021 semester testing in late December/early January that will inform campus members about the campus re-entry testing and testing schedule for the full semester.  

Vaccines

  • Health & Safety Protocols: Students must receive a flu shot and provide proof of it prior to returning to campus for spring semester. Students who have not participated in the 7 flu clinics offered this semester or provided proof of a previous flu vaccine this fall will receive a personal reminder after Thanksgiving along with exemption forms for medical and religious reasons.

Nov. 12, 2020 Updates

We are nearing the end of the semester. Students, faculty and staff will soon depart campus for Thanksgiving recess and finish final exams and projects remotely.

We prepared as best we could for this semester and everyone has done a great job in mitigating the virus within our campus community. But around us, virus levels are rising sharply as record numbers of new cases are occurring across our area and the country. Please be careful over these next few weeks and plan accordingly for a safe departure from campus. Let’s keep making smart choices to spend these final days together and return to our families in full health!

This issue provides guidance on preparing to complete the fall semester. In next week’s issue, we will share information about winter intersession and planning for the spring semester.

  • TestingTo date, we've had a total of 119 positive cases, and 84,917 negative results. Our positive case rate overall is 0.15% and we currently are managing 49 active positive cases. 
     
  • Testing Fall semester testing ends on Monday, Nov. 23. Your testing needs in the final week may differ from your regularly scheduled testing dates. Determine the date for your final day on campus and plan to have a test within 72 hours of that time. You should also check your state department of health website for any other required protocols for traveling to the state. Students must plan a final COVID-19 test within 72 hours before leaving for home. Do not go for more than two tests between Nov. 15 and Nov. 23. View the testing schedule here.
     
  • Quarantine and Isolation: Continue to follow the Rhode Island Department of Health guidance for quarantine and isolation procedures; the latest guidance for students is available here.

    Each state has implemented different protocols for returning residents, so students should review your home state’s department of health guidance on returning, testing and quarantine procedures. In the majority of states, you will be required to receive a negative COVID test within 72 hours before you return. It’s critical that students plan a final test in the university testing program within three days before departing campus.
     
  • Living: This weekend, it is imperative that students stay local.

    In keeping with Vice President of Student Life John King’s Oct. 30 request and Governor Gina Raimondo’s stay-at-home advisory, students in campus housing must remain on campus this weekend, and off-campus students living in Bristol, Portsmouth and other nearby communities must stay local in small house-based groups.

    This is a key weekend, as students who become infected with COVID and test positive next week will need to be under isolation through Thanksgiving Day, and close contacts will need to be under quarantine past Thanksgiving weekend. 
     

Nov. 6, 2020 Updates

This week the University testing program detected 21 positive cases. Half of these represent our first cases within the law school community, which had not previously experienced any positive cases during the first 11 weeks of the semester. As a small community, we made the decision to temporarily shift law school courses and meetings online, while our tracing efforts worked swiftly to trace the activities of positive individuals and quarantine close contacts. The building itself is not a concern for exposure and remains open.  

With COVID-19 cases rising sharply across the nation, the majority of positive cases, ours included, can be traced back to off-campus exposure. We are all facing greater risk of infection and should remain vigilant in following safety guidelines whether we’re on campus or within our local communities.  

There are 18 days left before we depart campus for the semester – let’s keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy!

  • TestingTo date, we've had a total of 98 positive cases, and 79,434 negative results. Our positive case rate overall is 0.13% and we currently are managing 38 active positive cases.
     
  • Health & Safety Protocols: Beginning on Sunday, the State of Rhode Island is instituting an overnight curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weeknights and 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. 
     
  • Health & Safety Protocols: R.I. Governor Gina Raimondo has reduced the maximum size of a social gathering – indoors or outdoors – from 15 people to 10 people. 
     
  • Health & Safety ProtocolsWhile it has been the expectation on campus to wear a mask at all times, the State of Rhode Island also now requires mask wearing anytime you are outside the house or around people you don't live with, regardless of whether or not social distancing is possible.
     
  • Athletics and FitnessThrough Sunday, the Governor Raimondo has mandated the closure of indoor sports facilities. College athletics are exempted and therefore our athletics teams are not impacted and can continue to practice indoors. The Fitness Center additionally is not impacted and will remain open on a reservation basis. 

    Indoor Intramural Sports have been affected by the order. We have canceled any youth swimming programs using the pool, and restricted personal recreation indoors not related to Athletics, until the order is lifted on Monday, Nov. 9.

Oct. 29, 2020 Updates
  • Living: Don’t make this Halloween trickier than you should by taking risks that may expose you, your friends, professors and staff. With COVID-19 cases on the rise throughout Rhode Island and regionally, you can treat yourself and others well by not hosting parties or attending large social gatherings; remember gatherings of more than 10 are prohibited in Rhode Island and subject to a $500 fine per person. Instead, we encourage students to stay on campus and have fun at the outdoor, socially-distanced or virtual Halloween-themed events that SPLO is offering this week, where mask-wearing is not just a safety precaution but also an inventive costume opportunity! RWU will also have an increased presence of Public Safety officers this weekend, both on and off campus, to monitor for large student gatherings in violation of state and university policy. #MakeSmartChoices
     
  • TestingTo date, we've had 68 positive cases total, and 71,705 negative results. Our positive case rate overall is still just 0.1% and we currently are managing 18 active positive cases.
     
  • Testing: If you are feeling any flu-like symptoms, DO NOT go to the Campus Recreation Center for testing. Students experiencing flu-like symptoms should contact RWU Health Services to be evaluated by a health professional. Employees should contact their primary care physician or visit one of the state’s dedicated COVID-19 testing facilities.

    The University’s COVID-19 testing program is a tool to provide regular surveillance testing and to catch cases of the virus in individuals who are not exhibiting symptoms. Health Services is designed to tend to students with flu-like symptoms for proper medical evaluation. We also want to remind you that those experiencing flu-like symptoms should not come to campus or should remain in their residence hall room until you’ve consulted a medical professional.

Oct. 23, 2020 Updates
Staying Local Will Help Keep Campus Open

Eight weeks into the semester, our overall number of total COVID-19 cases remains low and our positivity rate has stayed well under 1 percent (0.09%). Thanks to everyone for the continued dedication to mask-wearing, safe-distancing and regular testing. We saw with our first cluster of positive cases these past few weeks and our swift movement in response that our testing and contact tracing programs are doing exactly what they’re designed to do – catch all cases early and act quickly to isolate and contain any spread within the campus.

While our system is working on campus, beyond RWU the COVID-19 infection rates are increasing across New England states and the Northeast. With 5 weekends left during our time together on campus, we urge students to stay local and limit travel out of the local area. We are so close to making it through the full semester together. Let's get it done! 

If you do have to go home for an essential reason (a medical appointment, a family emergency), it is critical that mask wearing and social distancing be practiced at the same levels as on campus. We also remind faculty and staff members to practice safety measures in their local communities. While all students and employees are participating in routine and regular COVID testing, our families and friends in your home communities do not have access to the testing that we do and we need to remain cautious about exposure to the virus and bringing it back to campus.

Stay local and continue to #MakeSmartChoices.

  • TestingTo date, we've had 58 positive cases total, and 65,810 negative results. We currently have 16 active positive cases.
     
  • Testing Individuals who receive a “test not processed” or “invalid” test result through our university COVID-19 testing program, should come in the following day for another test. This is regardless of the day on which your next regularly scheduled testing date falls. Complete a re-test on the following day of receiving such a result and keep to your scheduled testing dates that week and moving forward.
     
  • Learning: Due to continued international travel restrictions, the increase in COVID-19 cases globally and continued lockdowns in many locations, Roger Williams University will be cancelling all spring 2021 semester Study Abroad programs. This decision is based on both State Department and CDC travel advisories, as well as the high risk caused by COVID-19 that is present in many locations worldwide. Learn more at the Spiegel Center for Global and International Programs

Oct. 16, 2020 Updates

As we approach flu season and we move indoors with colder weather, we need to remain vigilant in monitoring for symptoms and protecting each other by wearing face masks, keeping our distance and washing our hands frequently. Please keep up participation in twice-weekly testing, particularly if you’re on campus more than two days per week, and get a flu shot. Continue to #MakeSmartChoices to keep us together on campus until Thanksgiving break.

  • TestingTo date, we've had 38 positive cases total, and 57,496 negative results. We currently have 16 active positive cases.
     
  • Flu Shot Reminder: During this pandemic, it is more important than ever to be vaccinated against the flu – It will help prevent influenza, avoid a mistaken diagnosis of COVID-19, and preserve healthcare resources. The Centers for Disease Control are stressing to get your flu shot early in the fall.

    For Faculty and Staff, the next campus flu clinic will be Oct. 22, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    No walk-ins will be allowed. Register in advance – Registration closes Oct. 21 at noon.

    Register at twc.thewellcomp.com/flu
    Choose: Worksite
    Enter Login ID: rwufacbris2

    For Students, the University will be requiring proof of a flu vaccine during the Spring Semester check-in process in late January. The only exception requests considered will be for medical or financial reasons.

    Students who take advantage of the upcoming clinics, or who have already received the flu shot this week or at the first flu clinic, do not have to provide proof of obtaining the shot in January. The University will maintain record of your participation. Students who prefer to have their flu shot completed at home after Thanksgiving must bring proof in the form of a note or receipt from the clinic or provider administering the shot.

    There are three remaining CVS flu clinics in the fieldhouse for students this semester: 

    Oct. 16 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Oct. 19 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Oct. 26 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    Flu shots are free with most insurance plans. Bring RWU ID and your health insurance card with you.

    Stay home if you are sick.

Oct. 8, 2020 Updates
#MakeSmartChoices

This weekend marks the halfway point of our fall semester. We are so proud of the unity and determination of the campus community for reaching this point. We know how hard it is to limit gatherings with our friends and resist the temptation to be closer with one another. But we have all shown great commitment to doing what it takes to stay together on campus.

Necessary precautions are starting to become habit and part of our daily lives on campus – but we need to remember that our vigilance and dedication to these measures don’t stop when we step off campus. Our low positivity rate since campus reopened is daily proof of how we are all making the smart choices required of us all.

This is what it means to be part of the Roger Williams community: to care for others, not only for ourselves. Our health and safety measures are not just for an individual but for our friends, our classmates, for our professors, our staff and colleagues who keep this campus running and return home to their families each day, and for our neighbors in the Bristol community.

The semester is not over yet. Now is the time to dig in and continue to make smart choices. We are entering flu season and soon colder weather will mean more indoor time – our adherence to safety guidelines will keep us together until Thanksgiving break and set the course for our successful return to campus for the spring semester. Let us continue to be a national model during the pandemic. We can do this!

#MakeSmartChoices graphic featuring RWU Hawk wearing a surgical mask

See more on #MakeSmartChoices

  • TestingTo date, we've had 25 positive cases total, and 50,048 negative results. We currently have 7 active positive cases.

Sept. 30, 2020 Updates
  • Testing: RWU will stay the course with our current testing frequency for all members of the community. Those currently participating in COVID-19 testing twice weekly should continue with their current days/times; all other students and employees who come to campus continue with testing once per week. This level of frequent surveillance testing will continue to allow us to quickly identify and contain any positive cases we see among our campus community.

    We appreciate your participation in the testing program and look for your continued adherence to health protocols to bring us all the way to Nov. 24. Stay the course – we have 55 days to go!
     
  • TestingTo date, we've had 19 positive cases total, and 41,871 negative results. We currently have 3 active positive cases.

    We’ve added more information to the RWU COVID Testing Data site: In the main dashboard you'll now see the total number of active positive cases (students currently in isolation) and not just the running total. Beneath the dashboard we now also display information about our quarantine students. You will see current students in quarantine and where they are quarantining (at home, off campus or at Baypoint) as well as a category of cases under investigation (students, most often symptomatic) that are pending test results but not confirmed positive. We also are show our Baypoint quarantine and isolation percentage in use out of its116-bed capacity. Note: This information will be updated on a less frequent schedule than the overall testing data.
     
  • Testing Watch a behind-the-scenes video of our lab partner, the Broad Institute, sharing its process for analyzing COVID-19 tests that it receives from us, and over 120 other universities and colleges around the region:

Sept. 24, 2020 Updates
  • TestingTo date, we've had 16 positive cases total, and 35,210 negative results. For the latest testing information and results, check out RWU's COVID Testing Data page
     
  • Testing: We need your help to keep our testing process efficient and working for our volunteers. Our volunteers may not know who you are and are having a hard time hearing you speak your name through a mask and a plexiglass partition. We ask all faculty, staff and students to present their RWU ID or a driver’s license at your COVID-19 testing appointment – simply holding it up near the plexiglass for the volunteers. This will help our testing volunteers more quickly identify you and enter your test into the system, keeping the lines moving rapidly and smoothly for all. Thanks for helping with this step!
     
  • Health and Safety Protocols: A reminder to protect everyone’s ability to remain on campus: Avoid large gatherings, stay local, and support one another in maintaining health and safety protocols, on and off campus.  
Sept. 18, 2020 Updates
  • TestingTo date, we've had 15 positive cases total, and 29,725 negative results. For the latest testing information and results, check out RWU's COVID Testing Data page
     
  • Report Noncompliance: While it took 200 people to bring us all back to campus, we know it will take all 6,000 of us to keep us all on campus. 

    We’re all human. There will be times when each of us might let our guard down. That’s when it’s on the rest of us to nudge one another back into complying with RWU’s pandemic protocols. To stem the spread of the virus, we encourage all community members to supportively and appropriately suggest compliance whenever possible. 

    If an individual or group persists in noncompliant behavior, members of the RWU community are reminded to use the General Incident Reporting form from the Department of Public Safety.

    Community members can report concerns about noncompliance, including the size of gatherings, physical distancing or mask wearing. 

    Reports may be submitted anonymously. Please share as much detail as possible in the description field.

    Remember: Our policies apply on and off campus, to protect the RWU community as well as our greater Bristol and Providence communities.

Sept. 10, 2020 Updates
  • Testing: All full-time students taking in-person courses or coming to campus are now required to report for COVID-19 testing two days per week until further notice. Your testing days should be spaced 72 hours apart, and we have added evenings and Sundays to the testing schedule to accommodate the additional testing needs.

    Note: If you can't test at night due to class, being a commuter, or a work conflict, please take your additional weekly test during the day hours instead. If you are not on campus during that day, you can make up the additional test the next day without a reservation.
     
  • TestingTo date, we've had 10 positive cases total, and 19,646 negative results. For the latest testing information and results, check out RWU's COVID Testing Data page.
     
  • Quarantine and Isolation Procedures: The University has created PDF guides for student isolation and quarantine procedures on-campus and off-campus or at home. These guides will help students and families prepare for a potential isolation or quarantine period and help students pack a "COVID Go Bag" in the event they must isolate or quarantine on-campus at Baypoint or off-campus or at home.
     
  • Learning: Deans and Faculty have begun planning for the Spring 2021 semester, continuing to design for a blend of in-person and online instruction. Safety measures such as social distancing and Covid-19 testing that may need to be continued and built into the educational design will be determined as we approach the spring term and have more information.

Sept. 4, 2020 Updates

Health & Safety on Labor Day Weekend

  • Health & Safety Protocols: As detailed in an email to students from Vice President of Student Life John King this afternoon, the campus community is asked to do everything possible to protect what we all have accomplished to date to stem the spread of the virus. We all need to refrain from traveling this holiday weekend, and avoid exposure to people not in RWU’s testing program who do not know whether they are carrying the COVID virus.

    Those who must travel for essential reasons are asked to practice every precaution, not return to campus if they develop symptoms, and upon return, act as if they are carrying the virus, following strict dedication at all times to daily screening, regular testing, mask wearing and physical distancing, until they obtain two negative test results

  • Contact Tracing: As soon as university Health Services is notified of a positive test result, RWU’s contact tracing team begins interviews to identify close contacts and implement additional quarantine and isolation protocols as needed – all of which is critical to preventing community spread. The transparency and collaboration of community members in these interviews is also vital to provide us accurate information in order to contain the virus, preserving our low rate of infection on campus.

    RWU currently has four cases of COVID-positive students isolating at home or off-campus and two cases under investigation (CUI) in isolation at Baypoint or campus housing. Another 18 students are in quarantine at home or off-campus and two in quarantine at Baypoint who were identified as close contacts and are being monitored for the virus. All close contacts of COVID-positive cases are placed in quarantine for 14 days at home or in Baypoint and there is no “testing out” of quarantine for close contacts of COVID-positive cases, as we are following CDC and Rhode Island Department of Health guidelines.

    A case under investigation (CUI) is a student who has presented multiple symptoms and after a clinical visit with Health Services, under an abundance of caution, has been identified for isolation until a COVID test returns a negative result. Due to increased precautions around students who have neither tested positive nor been identified as a close contact, cases under investigation will have the effect of producing higher numbers of students in quarantine. In total, we have had seven cases under investigation and all of them have subsequently resulted in negative test results and released from isolation.

  • TestingTo date, we've had nine positive cases total, and 15,148 negative results. For the latest testing information and results, check out RWU's COVID Testing Data page.
  • TestingThe RWU COVID Testing Data dashboardprovides up-to-date results from our Broad Institute testing partnership. The information is updated within a few hours of receiving the most recent day’s testing results (which is shown at the bottom of the dashboard). The timing of when the testing dashboard is updated varies based on two factors – whether we conducted testing the previous day (for the past few weeks we have not conducted testing on Saturdays and Sundays), and the turnaround time for receiving test results ranging between 18 hours to 24 hours. Our lab partner, the Broad Institute, provides diagnostic services to universities and colleges around the region and their total number of completed tests has just passed 1 million.
  • Learning: Thirty-eight work-study and Architecture graduate students have been hired as Classroom Technology Assistants to provide in-classroom support for technology issues faculty encounter during class, as well as those experienced by students attending class online.
     
  • image of RWU Dining Tent outside The Commons on Bristol CampusLearning: Outdoor space is available for morning classes in the dining tent outside the Commons. As many as 5 classes can be scheduled Monday through Friday until 10:30 a.m.

    Faculty should refer to the Aug. 24 email from Provost Margaret Everett on how to reserve space.

    Chairs are also available in the front portico of GSB for outdoor learning. 

  • Learning: In response to the recent Commuter Student Survey, a committee of faculty and staff have provided the following spaces for commuter students to use to complete online courses that might happen before or after in-person classes.

    A reminder: There is limited space in each building so you might want to have a backup plan if you find a space is fully occupied.  

    • Library – first and second floors
    • Commuter Lounge – located on garden level of Stonewall Terrace Building 4
    • Baypoint Conference Center Newport Rom – entrance by side door on right (facing front of building)
    • Baypoint Conference Center Conference Room, located on the second floor past the Gym and Pool: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
    • GHH Atrium
    • GHH second floor
    • GHH small conference rooms
    • Library Instructional Lab – third floor
    • Sailing Center – Mondays all day; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    • Student Senate Chambers – in the Recreation Center by the Radio Station: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
    • SECCM – first floor lobby
    • SECCM Lab Building – first and second floor lobbies

    Please contact Assistant Dean of Students Carol Sacchetti with any questions.

  • Quarantine and Isolation Procedures: The guidance on isolation for symptomatic and asymptomatic persons has been updated.

    • At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first started; –AND–
    • You have been fever-free without any fever-reducing medicines for at least 24 hours; –AND–
    • Symptoms have improved

    If you tested positive but did not experience or develop symptoms, isolation will end when at least 10 days have passed since the date of your first positive test result. 

    Persons who are immunocompromised, must isolate until:

    • At least 20 days since symptoms first appeared; –AND–
    • Fever-free without any fever-reducing medicines for at least 24 hours; –AND–
    • Symptoms have improved

    If you tested positive but did not experience or develop symptoms, isolation will end when at least 20 days have passed since the date of your first positive test result.


    Aug. 27, 2020 Updates
    • TestingTo date, we have had five positive cases and 7,989 negative results. For the latest testing information and and results, check out RWU's COVID Testing Data page, updated daily.
       
    • TestingIf you have not done so yet, be sure to check your email for “Register Now: Your RWU COVID Testing Appointments” and click on the link provided. The email includes video instructions to answer any testing registration questions. Additional communication about our COVID testing for September will be sent soon.
       
    • Health & Safety Protocols: A reminder that earlier this month R.I. Governor Gina Raimondo issued an executive order reducing the maximum size of an indoor or outdoor social gathering to 15 people, with a $500 fine established for anyone found at a social gathering of more than 15 people. The University fully supports these public health objectives and will enforce the 15-person limit rigorously.  Student conduct sanctions may include loss of residency or separation from the University – without refunds. The town of Bristol intends to enforce this policy and the fine system. 

      Important note about residence halls: Due to social distancing requirements, occupancy capacities within each residential community may be less than the R.I. social gathering limit, and are outlined by Residence Life and Housing for each residence hall.

      Classes are not considered social gatherings, and the R.I. social-gathering limit of 15 people does not apply in classrooms.
       
    • Learning: RWU students, faculty and staff can access the University Library by swiping an ID to enter. The library has reduced its hours slightly, and staffing temporarily. At the front entrance, please enter in single file, to be more accurately tested by the thermal scanner. The number of public computers has been reduced to in order to maintain social distance requirements.
       
    • Athletics & Fitness: RWU Athletics’ two videos explain the health and safety protocols in place in the Fitness Center and athletic training areas. Be sure to check them out!

Aug. 20, 2020 Updates
  • Health & Safety Protocols: RWU's Mask Policy has been updated, related to acceptable and effective masks on and off campus, and proper mask wearing. 
     
  • TestingTo date, we have had one positive case and 2,880 negative results. For the latest testing information and and results, check out our Data Hub.
     
  • Testing: The RWU community is receiving emails about setting up regular weekly COVID-19 testing appointments. The 3-step process to register for weekly testing allows everyone to select a preferred day and 15-minute window for testing. When doing so, it’s important to check off each individual testing appointment every week through November. The email includes video instructions to answer any testing registration questions.
     
  • Testing Q&A: Anyone testing positive will receive a call from RWU Heath Services staff during business hours to go over next steps. Anyone receiving a positive result is advised to contact their primary care physician.
     
  • Screen, Test & Trace: To support daily self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms, everyone in the RWU community will receive a daily morning email asking us to complete a daily screening form, a personal prompt to assess and report any COVID-19 symptoms or recent activities that might have exposed us to the virus. 
     
  • Athletics & Fitness: The Fitness Center, which reopened yesterday, will be open for one-hour workout slots, then closed for 30 minutes of cleaning. Access to the Fitness Center is by reservation only: Walk-ins will not be allowed. The maximum number of people in the Fitness Center per one-hour workout slot is 25. Learn more in Fitness Center FAQs.
     
  • Learning: The Tutoring Center will provide tutoring through online platforms for the Fall 2020 semester. In order to make tutoring accessible to all students, all undergraduate students have been placed in a free course called “RWU Online Tutoring Fall 20”.  This course will not be part of students' academic record.
     
  • Learning: Students should be visiting Bridges for information on their courses and welcome messages from their faculty. Continue to check Roger Central for updated information on class meeting times and where classes will meet.
     
  • COVID-19 Student Community Pledge: Students are asked to print, sign and return this updated version of Roger's Compact Student Community Pledge.
     
  • Living: As students return to campus, have you been wondering about the details of Move-In? The process, created with health and safety in mind, is online.
     
  • FAQs: Do you have a question about how the University is responding to COVID-19? Someone else may have asked it. Please take a look through these frequently asked questions. 
     
  • Working: A link for COVID-19-related training for all employees, including student employees, is now available here.

Aug. 13, 2020 Updates
  • Testing: With two weeks of testing completed through our Broad Institute partnership, 812 employees, law students and resident assistants have been tested and received results: 765 negative results, 0 positive results, and 47 did not process and need to be retested.
     
  • Testing: Positive results will be communicated via phone call from RWU Health Services. Negative results will be communicated via email CareEvolve@LKNotification.com – check your inbox and junk folders for these emails. You must register an account with CareEvolve to receive your results. Results will be available at or under a 24-hour turnaround period.
     
  • Testing: See a new Q&A on all things related to the University's testing partnership with Broad Institute.
     
  • Learning: Bridges will serve as the primary space for welcome messages from your faculty and updates on courses throughout the semester. Students can begin checking their courses now via Bridges for information on class format and how the classroom has been reconfigured for public health protocols and outfitted with new technology.
     

Aug. 6, 2020 Updates
  • Testing (revised 8/7/2020): This week, RWU began pilot testing with a small group of campus community members with our Broad Institute testing partnership. 466 employees and law students in the first testing cohort have been tested and received results: 443 negative results, 0 Positive results, and 23 did not process and need to be retested. 

    The testing results have been at or under a 24-hour turnaround time these two days.

    Next week, we continue testing with 750 employees as well as resident assistants, students arriving during move-in, and then commence full operations for regular testing of faculty, staff, and students beginning the week of Aug. 17.
     
  • Testing: RWU will share our testing results through an interactive dashboard that will be available for viewing soon on Reopening Roger.
     
  • Testing: Wondering what to expect with the testing process? Check out this video explaining the easy procedure:


July 30, 2020 Updates
  • Testing: As part of our return-to-work testing, RWU will begin a phased start to our partnership with the Broad Institute. Nearly 475 employees have been notified by University vice presidents and the provost that they will be the first group tested for COVID on Aug. 4 and 5 during this pilot week. Then, 750 employees will be tested the week of Aug. 10, and then we move toward full operations of faculty, staff, and student regular testing beginning the week of Aug. 17 and beyond.
     
  • Working: The Fall Faculty Conference will be held on Aug. 25. This year, the day will be largely unstructured to give faculty time to prepare for the start of classes and to become familiarized with classrooms and technology. More details to be shared soon.
     
  • Living: Returning student move-in will begin Aug. 21 and span a 5-day period; new student move-in remains as scheduled, beginning Aug. 16 and spanning four days.
     
  • Learning: The School of Law will welcome new students virtually this year through online orientation programs beginning Aug. 3. Law school classes begin on Aug. 17, with classes delivered in person, online and in hybrid format.
     
  • Learning: An expandable section, 'How to View Class Formats,' describes how to find out whether a specific course is taught online or in person, and on which campus.
     
  • Dining: The outdoor dining tent has been installed on the Architecture Quad, with 200 seats underneath and 48 seats outside the tent for students (only). Serving lunch and dinner, beginning Aug. 26, students may use their meal pass at a food court under the tent as well as bring takeout food from Lower and Upper Commons. The tent is also equipped with a stage and sound system for student entertainment and meetings.

July 23, 2020 Updates
  • Athletics and Fitness: RWU Department of Athletics announced July 17 that Commonwealth Coast Conference competition will be suspended for the Fall 2020 season.
     
  • Dining: With indoor dining prioritized for our students, employees will be able to use a mobile-takeout service from Lower Commons and the Bistro in the School of Law.
     
  • Working: RWU has updated its Coronavirus Emergency Sick Leave Policy.
     
  • Screening: RWU is finalizing the design of a simple, online daily screening survey for use by faculty, staff, students and visitors to campus. This daily screening check will help you make decisions about coming to work or attending classes, and guide you on current advisories based on your self-reported symptoms.
     
  • Testing: Our return-to-work COVID testing program will being the weeks of August 3 and August 10. Faculty and staff phasing back to work these weeks will receive a date and time to be tested, as we familiarize ourselves with the Broad Institute testing process.
     
  • Learning: Class meeting times have been adjusted to allow for additional cleaning time in between classes.
     
  • Learning: All classrooms have been reconfigured for social distancing and capacity guidelines; equipped with cleaning stations; and outfitted with new technology to enable in-person and remote instruction.
     
  • Living: Residence Life and Housing has completed the move-in sign-up process and is finalizing all student housing assignments this week.

June 2020

Reopening Roger | Covid-19 Pledge | Health & Safety Protocols | Screen, Test and Trace | Learning | Working | Dining | Living | Athletics and Fitness | Meetings and Events | Shuttle Service | FAQ | Report NoncomplianceUpdates