ONBOARDING VIDEO

Please watch the video of Dean Arcelus and students as they discuss the return to campus process and the importance of onboarding quarantine.

We also encourage students and parents to view this recording of our Student and Parent Town Hall held on Jan. 28.

 Onboarding Timeline

 PRE-ARRIVAL SELF-ISOLATION

In the two weeks prior to arrival on campus you are expected to self-isolate. The goal is to minimize the chances that you will contract the COVID-19 virus. During this time, you should follow the same protocols that will be in place on campus—wear a mask/face covering at all times, maintain social distancing, wash your hands and avoid opportunities for contagion (e.g. don’t go into restaurants or spaces with many people).

 PRE-ARRIVAL TEST

Make arrangements to get a PCR test (not a rapid antigen test) no earlier than Jan. 28 and be sure that you will receive your result before you arrive on Feb. 4 or 5. If you are approved to arrive earlier than Feb. 4 or 5, the sample collection for your pre-arrival test must be within seven days of your arrival on campus. 

If you opted for the Let’s Get Checked (LGC) test, your test kit will arrive during the week of Jan. 18. Hold on to the test kit until Friday, Jan. 29. On the morning of Jan. 29, open your test kit and collect your sample. On the same day, ship your sample by following the instructions in the test kit. The kit comes with a prepaid envelope that you will need to drop off at a UPS store or other UPS pick-up location (do not place into a UPS drop box). You will receive your result from LGC before you arrive on campus on Feb. 4 or 5. Please note that registration for a kit through the College is closed, but you may be able to order a kit directly through the LGC website.    

 PRE-ARRIVAL DOCUMENT REVIEW

If you were on campus during fall 2020, you should review the documents below to remind yourself of the College’s COVID-19 expectations. If you were not on campus during the fall 2020 semester, you will need to print these documents, review them and sign them before arriving on campus. You will be expected to hand in your signed documents at the Testing Center.

All students

• Camels Care Pledge: Agreement to Abide by College Health and Safety Requirements and Policies and Acknowledgment of Risks of COVID-19
• and the CDC's Fact Sheet for Patients

Students living on campus 

• COVID Residential Education and Living Agreement

 PRE-ARRIVAL APP DOWNLOAD

Rave Guardian App: Includes important information, resources, safety functions and key emergency contacts that you can access with a push of a button. To download the free app, go to the App Store or Google Play. Once you download the app, login with your Conn College username and password.

Connecticut College Mobile: This new mobile app offers information about campus events, dining menus and access to College resources. To download this free app, go to the App Store or Google Play. Once you download the app, login with your Conn College username and password.

CoVerified: Everyone on campus will need to access CoVerified either via the app on a smartphone or the website on a computer. To download this free app, go to the App Store or Google Play. You will use your Connecticut College username/password to login to the app. There is also a web-based version available. 

You can review the app’s functionality by reading the User App Tutorial.

Faculty, staff and students will use CoVerified to do the following: 

• Complete daily symptom checks (Students—please bring a thermometer with you to campus)
• Schedule times for testing on assigned testing days 
• Receive notification of test results

The app will assign each individual one of three status labels: Remote, Clear or Restricted.

Remote means that the person is not on campus and, therefore, is not expected to follow the daily symptom check and testing expectations. A person will be restricted if they do not complete their daily symptom check and if they are in quarantine or isolation.

In various places on campus (classrooms, workspaces, etc.) students will be expected to show the app status screen or website printout to demonstrate their campus status (Clear or Restricted). If you are restricted, you will not be permitted to remain in the space.

Athletic Facility Registration: When we shift to Alert Level 2 - Yellow you can begin to use athletic facilities. In order to register for equipment and space usage you need to go to Conn’s TimeTap website.

 ARRIVAL DAY

1. Arrival: Arrive on your assigned day (Feb. 4 or 5) and go directly to the testing center between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m at the time that you reserved in the CoVerified app (you can go into the app and schedule a time for your test on your assigned day of  Feb. 4 or Feb. 5). If you cannot arrive while the Testing Center is open you should make plans to arrive in New London the night before and stay at a hotel. We have made arrangements with two local hotels that are offering discounted rates: Clarion Inn ($55) and SpringHill Suites ($74). International students may coordinate alternative arrival days with Dean Patton. 
2. Register: At the Testing Center you will need to provide the following documentation: 
   1. Pre-arrival negative test result (sample collected within seven days of arrival). The only group of students who do not need to show a pre-arrival test are students who have had COVID-19 within 90 days of Feb 1. These students must show dated documentation of having COVID-19 within 90 days. 
   2. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination if you have been vaccinated.
   3. Signed copies of the documents listed above if you were not on campus in fall 2020.  
3. Broad PCR Arrival Test: Complete your arrival Broad PCR test. This will be the same type of test we used at Conn in fall 2020. We encourage you to review this document and video from the Broad Institute on how to collect an observed nasal swab sample. Note: If you are under 18, a nurse at the Testing Center will collect your sample.
4. Binax Antigen Test (select students): If you are moving into a room with a roommate or moving into an apartment or rental unit with multiple people, you will then go to another area in the Athletic Center to have a Binax rapid result antigen test completed. This will enable us to have a result within 15 to 20 minutes before moving into a space with other people. Please note that rapid antigen tests are not as sensitive as PCR tests. A rapid antigen test may be negative, but the PCR test result that takes 24 hours to receive may be positive.
5. Bracelets and Vehicle Passes: After testing, students will receive a bracelet in one of two colors. One color will be for students living on-campus and another color will be for students living off-campus (renting or commuting). These bracelets must be worn during the onboarding quarantine period. If you lose your bracelet, you can get a new one from the Testing Center. The purpose of the bracelet is to demonstrate that you went through the Testing Center upon arrival and are participating in onboarding quarantine and testing. Students living off-campus (renting or commuting) may only be on campus for testing, access to Student Health Services and to pick up packages during the onboarding quarantine period.
   
   Students with a vehicle will receive a vehicle pass that will be checked at the Gatehouse when entering the campus during onboarding quarantine. The pass will note whether you have a roommate or apartmentmates. During onboarding quarantine students may only be in a vehicle alone or with a roommate or apartmentmates. Students may not take a taxi/Lyft/Uber while in onboarding quarantine.
6. Move-In: Move into your room. You may have only one family member assist you in moving into your room during a 1.5 hour window of time. 
7. Onboard Quarantine: Begin your onboard quarantine period (see below for details)
8. Register with CT: If you are coming from a Travel Advisory State (“Affected State” - All states and territories other than New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island), you must fill out a travel health form upon arrival to Connecticut. Not completing the form may result in a civil penalty of $500.
9. REQUIRED Onboard Zoom Meeting: Participate in the required onboard Zoom meeting the night that you move in on Feb. 4 or 5. The link to the meeting will be in an email you will receive the afternoon of your arrival. This email will also include details pertaining to your quarantine. This is a required meeting and attendance will be taken.   
10. COVID-19 Orientation: If you were not on campus in fall 2020, please complete the COVID-19 online orientation developed by Conn and Hartford HealthCare. You are expected to review these materials that are in Moodle while in onboarding quarantine period.

 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES

Classes will start on Feb. 8. All classes will be remote during onboarding quarantine and will start in person on Feb. 22. Starting in a remote format will allow students both on and off campus to begin the semester together in the same format. It will also help us minimize in-person contact and lessen the likelihood of the virus spreading during this transition period.