Update on Family Access to Campus

Dear Staff and Faculty,

I write today to share with you a letter we sent to students clarifying expectations for visitors on campus. We’re pleased to share that recent changes in CDC guidelines enabled us to adjust our protocols so that families can see our students perform outside at The Dune, our new outdoor stage on Tempel Green.

We have also been asked about allowing spectators at sporting events. At the moment, the NESCAC does not allow visitors to view athletic events in person, but we continue to advocate for this to be adjusted.

I want to thank Campus Safety for making this possible by reviewing family members' vaccine/test/past illness documentation as part of their already busy Gatehouse responsibilities. I ask the community to please be patient at the campus entrance during busy times ahead of performances when families may require more time at the Gatehouse.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,


Victor Arcelus
Dean of Students

 

Dear Students, 

I have received many questions about families having access to The Dune to see performances and about access to outdoor athletic competitions. I’d like to provide some guidance on these topics based on College expectations and NESCAC protocols. 

As you know, we have been allowing families on campus since the fall semester. Family members are the only visitors permitted to visit students. You need to register visiting family with the College, which you can do in CamelWeb or in the CC Mobile app. Go to Campus Life, click on the Register Visiting Family tile and complete the form. This information is sent to the Gatehouse so that Campus Safety can let your visiting family enter our campus. Family members may not enter residence halls but can access the College Center at Crozier-Williams, which provides access to restrooms. 

The Dune: I recognize that some of you are interested in having your family attend events on our new outdoor stage on Tempel Green. With recent changes in CDC guidelines, we will now allow them to do so. The guidelines we are using are similar to the ones we’ve established for Commencement. Below are the steps that need to be followed:

  • Register your family members as noted above. This should be done before they arrive on campus. 

  • Your family can arrive on campus up to 60 minutes before a performance begins. This will allow us to have staff in place at the Gatehouse to check required information that family members must show upon arrival to campus.

  • When family members arrive at the Gatehouse, they need to show one of the following: 

Vaccination Based Access: Show proof of being fully vaccinated, which means being two weeks past their second Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shot or one week past the Johnson & Johnson shot. 

OR

Test Based Access: Show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from within 72 hours of arrival on campus. 

OR

Recent COVID-19 Diagnosis Based Access: Show proof of being diagnosed with COVID-19 in the 90 days before arrival on campus. 

Once the documentation is reviewed, the person at the Gatehouse will give each family member a bracelet to wear while at The Dune. This will show that the person has gone through the Gatehouse verification process.

Please keep in mind that the College’s safety protocols continue to be in place. All family members must wear masks at all times and adhere to our social distancing protocols by maintaining a six-foot distance from others (students and those who are part of the College’s testing protocol may be 3 feet apart outside). 

Athletics: Access to athletic events is not determined by the College and is instead governed by the NESCAC. At the moment, the NESCAC does not allow visitors to view athletic events in person. We continue to advocate for this to be adjusted so that we can offer the same type of access we are offering to The Dune. If NESCAC protocols change, we will be sure to be in contact with you and your families as soon as possible. Competitions are being livestreamed so that family members can view athletic events online. 

I hope this information clarifies some of the questions that you and your families may have. I also hope that you enjoy the rest of the spring semester as the weather warms up and there are more activities and programs happening across campus. 

Sincerely, 

Victor Arcelus
Dean of Students