COVID-19 Information

While campus density will have been decreased, personal hygiene remains critically important. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds frequently throughout the day. Hand washing is especially important after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Increase use of anti-bacterial hand sanitizer when soap and water is unavailable. Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. (Be sure to avoid sanitizers that use methanol.)

Physical distancing, also referred to as “social distancing,” means maintaining at least 6 feet of space between yourself and others when you are outside of your home. This will potentially be the most significant adjustment to our campus experience, but it is absolutely necessary in order to limit the spread of the virus and keep our students, faculty, and staff as safe as possible.

Yes. All individuals must take extra care to maintain at least 6 feet of physical space (two arms’ lengths) between themselves and anyone with whom they don’t live. Pathways and hallways may be marked for one-way directional traffic to allow for physical distancing. Restrooms will have an adjusted maximum capacity posted at or near the entryway. Limit elevator occupancy to single capacity when possible. If you are in an elevator with another person, position yourselves in opposite corners and avoid the urge to hold a conversation. Use stairways as the primary method of travel between floors when possible.

Offices, classrooms, and common spaces have been reconfigured to accommodate physical distancing requirements. Furniture has been removed from the campus’ most-common gathering areas. Remaining furniture is set up to maintain physical distance and should not be moved. Separators, Plexiglass and sneeze guards are installed, where needed.

Contact tracing refers to the part of the recovery process by which contacts of a patient who tests positive or is suspected of testing positive with COVID-19 are warned of their exposure in order to stop chains of transmission. Contact tracing is critical in stopping the spread of the virus. The University is developing a contact tracing and notification protocol for students and employees utilizing campus and external partners including the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and adhering to CDC guidance and best practices for confidentiality, HIPAA protections, and pandemic exceptions for the public good. Read more about the University’s contact tracing efforts.

The University has developed a contact tracing and notification protocol for students and employees, utilizing campus and external partners—including the Philadelphia Department of Public Health—and adhering to CDC guidance and best practices for confidentiality, HIPAA protections, and pandemic exceptions for the public good. La Salle contact tracers will identify themselves at the beginning of the call; however, students and employees also could receive calls from county public health systems depending on where their test results had been sent. It is encouraged that students and employees answer these calls and provide the information requested. La Salle contract tracers will only ask questions related to transmission on La Salle’s campus. County tracers will ask questions related to possible spread beyond campus. Philadelphia County contact tracing calls will come from (215) 218-xxxx phone numbers, and texts will come from (833) xxx-xxxx or (855) xxx-xxxx phone numbers.

All faculty, staff, and students will be asked to complete an online Daily COVID Check-In, whether or not you are coming to campus. Be alert for symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Adopt a routine of taking your temperature each morning. If your temperature is 100.4° F/ 38° C or higher, do not enter campus or leave your campus residence and contact your health care provider immediately, whether or not you are presenting symptoms. Beginning in January, you can anticipate daily text message reminders to complete the Daily COVID Check-In.

Yes. A cloth face mask must be worn when traveling across campus, in public spaces, inside a building, on public transportation, or whenever around others. Ensure that the mask is covering your mouth and your nose. COVID-19 is spread most frequently through respiratory droplets. Cloth face coverings are critical in helping to stop the spread of the virus. Remember, by wearing a face mask, you are protecting those around you. It is a simple step that can prevent you from unknowingly spreading the virus to others (even when you do not have any symptoms).

Face coverings are required indoors, in places including but not limited to: on-campus living, common spaces in residence halls and apartment living, hallways, communal restrooms, Connelly Library, dining halls, University offices and buildings, and while entering and exiting a building or complex. You are not required to wear a mask while eating or drinking. In outdoor settings, face masks must be worn while outside when you are less than six feet from people from different households.

To report an incident of a student not abiding by these guidelines, please submit an incident report on the mylasalle Portal. To report an incident of a faculty or staff member not abiding by these guidelines, please contact covid19@lasalle.edu.

If you or someone in your household is experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms, stay home and do not travel to campus.

All students, faculty, and staff are required to complete an online COVID-19 health training. This is an updated version of the training you completed in the fall and must be completed prior to your return to campus. You will receive an email in early January from “Canvas @ La Salle University” with instructions for completion.

The University is planning for an enhanced testing program for Spring 2021.

The University’s COVID-19 testing strategy, outlined below, represents a critically important component of our spring semester Return to Campus planning. La Salle’s testing protocol, which will continue to be refined as we draw closer to our return, can be framed in three main approaches:

• Entry Testing:Upon returning to campus in January, every student (undergraduate, graduate, and evening), employee, and Christian Brother who plans to live, learn and/or work on campus will be required to take a COVID-19 entry test. Those students and employees who will be fully remote this spring will not require an entry test. Testing will be provided by the University, at no cost to you, at the start of the semester and will take place on campus. Full testing of our population may be implemented, if deemed necessary, at other points in the semester. Further details and instructions will be provided as we get closer to the start of the spring semester.
• Surveillance Testing: The University will administer surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals throughout the semester. Each week, a portion of our on-campus community will be selected for testing. Any member of our community who is living, learning, and/or working on campus is eligible for selection for surveillance testing. This branch of testing will have additional protocols for our student-athletes, who are training and competing in the spring.
• Symptomatic and Exposure Testing: Students who experience COVID-19 symptoms will be directed to symptomatic testing on campus. Given the similarity of symptoms, symptomatic students will also be tested for the flu. Similarly, students who have been informed by University contact tracing representatives that they have been exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be tested on campus. Employees who are symptomatic or have been exposed to an individual who has tested positive will be directed to access testing through their personal health care provider.

Yes. All students, faculty, and staff who maintain a campus presence and test positive for COVID-19 must self-report to the University. Students and employees should complete the COVID-19 Disclosure Form. Students are responsible for notifying their faculty to make arrangements to continue academic progress. Employee and student health information reported pursuant to this policy will be shared only with those who need to know to assist with contact tracing requirements. The Office of Human Resources will notify employees’ supervisors without disclosing medical information.

Yes. All students, faculty, and staff who are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 must self-report to the University. Students and employees should complete the COVID-19 Disclosure Form.

For students:

• Complete the COVID-19 Disclosure Form.
• Consult with your personal health care provider, and stay at home until you have met the criteria to return.

For employees:

• Complete the COVID-19 Disclosure Form.
• Work closely with your personal health care provider when exhibiting symptoms and/or if you have been exposed to the virus, and stay at home until you have met the criteria to return.

Yes. Upon returning to campus in January, every student, employee, and Christian Brother who plans to live, learn and/or work on campus will be required to take a COVID-19 entry test. Those students and employees who will be fully remote this spring will not require an entry test. Additional tests will be required, as well, throughout the semester. Full testing of our population may be implemented, if deemed necessary, at other points in the semester.

The University will need those returning to campus in spring to enter into a period of quarantine ahead of their scheduled return, so that our entry testing upon return will provide the most accurate diagnosis. La Salle will share additional directions to those returning to campus.

The University will conduct other COVID-19 tests throughout the semester:

• Surveillance tests are those designated for asymptomatic individuals. Each week, a portion of La Salle’s community living, learning, and/or working on campus is eligible for selection for testing. This branch of testing will have additional protocols for our student-athletes, who are training and competing in the spring.

• Symptomatic tests are those designated for students who experience COVID-19 symptoms. Given the similarity of symptoms, symptomatic students will also be tested for the flu. Employees who are symptomatic will be directed to access testing through their personal health care provider.
• Contact tracing tests are those designated for students who have been informed by University contact tracing representatives that they have been exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be tested on campus. Employees who have been exposed to an individual who has tested positive will be directed to access testing through their personal health care provider.

This comprehensive testing protocol created through a combination of entry, surveillance, symptomatic, and exposure testing will position La Salle for the greatest possible opportunity to detect and contain any positive cases or outbreaks on our campus. We will use a combination of antigen testing (sometimes referred to as rapid testing) and molecular PCR testing that, while considered the most accurate, takes more lab time to process.

Testing will be provided by the University, at no cost to you, and will take place on campus.

A comprehensive COVID-19 testing strategy of this scale makes it likely that positive cases will be identified. The University will use the COVID-19 dashboard to notify our community when cases are identified.

La Salle is asking everyone who plans to live, learn, and/or work on campus in Spring 2021 to receive a flu shot prior to returning to campus in January.

• Employees must complete the Employee Flu Vaccine Certification Form as soon as possible. (We ask that all employees, including those who will not have any presence on campus in the spring semester, still complete the form.)
• Students must complete the flu vaccine attestation form as soon as possible. (Students who will not have any presence on campus in the spring semester or who cannot receive the vaccine for religious or medical reasons still need to complete the form as soon as possible.)

La Salle has a responsibility to provide its community with the safest conditions in which to live, learn, and work. It is why the University has implemented numerous safety measures on campus to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, we must confront the start of flu season and prevent influenza’s spread at La Salle, not only for the health and well-being of employees and students as we return to campus.

The flu vaccine will be waived for employees and students who are not maintaining a campus presence in Spring 2021 also may request a waiver for religious or medical reasons by completing a vaccine exemption form.

The University conducted four on-campus flu vaccine clinics—two in October and two in November. Getting a flu shot is easy and free with insurance. It’s a low out-of-pocket expense for those without insurance. You can get the flu shot at pharmacies, grocery stores, urgent are centers, community clinics, and your primary physician’s office, among many other locations. Find a location near you that offers the vaccine.

The University conducted four on-campus flu vaccine clinics—two in October and two in November. Getting a flu shot is easy and free with insurance. It’s a low out-of-pocket expense for those without insurance. You can get the flu shot at pharmacies, grocery stores, urgent are centers, community clinics, and your primary physician’s office, among many other locations. Find a location near you that offers the vaccine.

The University views the flu vaccine as a necessary precaution and an important step in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older.

Additionally, the COVID-19 virus and influenza share many symptoms. Receiving the flu vaccine means you are less likely to get the flu and, therefore, less likely to have flu-like symptoms confused with those of COVID-19. Fewer people presenting flu-like symptoms will lessen the strain placed upon our COVID-19 resources and infrastructure at the University and within our city’s health care system. Even healthy people get the flu. The best way to prevent yourself from getting the flu is to get a flu shot.

The flu vaccine requires two weeks before it becomes fully effective. It is recommended you receive the flu vaccine at least two weeks before returning to campus. However, the flu season is already upon us, so getting the vaccine this fall will help protect you through the first half of the flu season. If you’ve received the flu shot any time after Aug. 1, 2020, you have already met the requirement.

Employees must confirm receipt of the vaccine by completing and submitting a form to the Office of Human Resources. Students must complete a vaccine confirmation form, too. Contact the pharmacy, clinic, or doctor’s office where you received the flu vaccine for confirmation documentation. Students, faculty, staff, and Christian Brothers who received flu shots at the on-campus vaccine clinics held either in October or November are not required to show proof of receipt, as your flu shot status has been recorded automatically with the University.

Whether you are working or studying completely remotely in spring, or planning on maintaining even a partial campus presence next semester, you must report your flu vaccine status to the University. Employees must confirm receipt of the vaccine or complete a vaccine exemption form, submitted to the Office of Human Resources. Students must complete a vaccine confirmation form, too.

According to the CDC, quarantine is required for individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19, even if they are asymptomatic (not experiencing any symptoms). Quarantine helps reduce the spread of infection, especially before individuals know they are sick. Individuals in quarantine should: Stay home and avoid close contact with other people. Monitor their health closely. Follow directives of the local health department.

If you have traveled, or plan to travel, to an area where there are high amounts of COVID-19 cases, it is recommended by the City of Philadelphia that you quarantine for 14 days upon return or arrival to Pennsylvania. Consult the city’s list of states for more information.

Any member of the University community who has had exposure (as defined by the CDC) to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be required to stay home and isolate themselves for 10 days from their last-known exposure. Upon completion of this 10-day period and with presentation of a negative test (or a 14-day period with no test result) will an individual be permitted to return to campus. Learn more, via CDC.

Any member of the University community who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be required to stay home, avoid entry to campus, and quarantine for 14 days from their last-known exposure. Learn more, via CDC.

Quarantine is needed for individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19, even if they are not experiencing any symptoms (asymptomatic). Quarantine helps reduce the spread of infection, especially before individuals know they are sick.

Individuals in quarantine should:

• Stay home and avoid close contact with other people.
• Monitor their health closely.
• Follow directives of the local health department and their personal healthcare provider.
• Any member of the University community with exposure (as defined by the CDC) to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for 14 days from their last-known exposure.

Isolation is used in order to separate those who have (or likely have) contracted the virus from those who have not. Those in isolation should remain home and separate themselves from others until it is safe for them to be around other people. Any member of the University community who has tested positive for COVID-19 or is showing any of the COVID-19 symptoms will be required to isolate until they meet the criteria to end isolation.

The University has the following applicable policies in place to accommodate the need for time off:

• La Salle’s Sick Leave Policy allows employees to use accrued sick time to care for a personal illness.
• La Salle’s Parental & Family Care Leave Policy allows employees to use up to 30 days of accrued sick time per fiscal year to care for an ill child, spouse, or parent.

The University has a robust COVID-19 testing strategy for Spring 2021. Learn more about the strategy. In late January, the University completed entry testing, conducting nearly 2,500 tests and observing a positivity rate of less than 0.5%. Read more about entry and surveillance testing.

Students who cannot go home to quarantine or isolate will move to a new residential space for the needed duration. Meals will be delivered, contact-free, to the student three times a day.
Students in quarantine and isolation may not leave their rooms. They will have remote access to their classes and to virtual counseling sessions. A Student Life employee will call to check on them daily.

Your quarantine or isolation room is an empty room like if you were moving in at the start of the year. Here is a list of things that will be helpful for you to bring:

• Linens and towels
• Shower curtain
• Toilet paper
• Trash bags
• Thermometer
• Any medications you need, and any medications you might need if you develop symptoms
• Devices and materials to continue classes online
• Enough clothing for 14 days

La Salle encourage students who test positive or need to be quarantined to contact their families. The University will only reach out to a student’s identified emergency contact in the event of an emergency, such as if the student is being transported to the hospital.

Yes, stay home or in your room. Let your instructor(s) know you are ill and need to participate in class remotely. If you experience COVID-19 symptoms, complete the La Salle COVID-19 disclosure form for next steps.

The University has installed three academic enrichment days on which classes will not meet. These are Feb. 9, March 10, and April 22. These days will provide opportunities for the Lasallian community to explore important topics like personal wellness and social justice as well as showcase academic projects.

Students are asked to work with their professors and academic advisors. Health information reported to the University will be shared only with those who need to know to assist with contact tracing requirements and/or accommodation requests.

Students who are unable to attend classes due to illness or the need to quarantine should contact their instructor to determine how to participate and complete assignments. Upon notification, the University’s contact tracing team will work to identify and contact fellow students who may have shared classroom space with a student who tested positive. Proactively, classroom capacities have been lowered based on guidance from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and students will have assigned seating in each class. Faculty will be responsible for maintaining the list of assigned seats. This will help minimize the spread and assist with contact tracing in the event of a positive case.

Students who are unable to attend classes due to illness or the need to quarantine should contact their instructor(s) to determine how to participate and complete assignments.

No. Eating and drinking is permissible only in dining halls, when by yourself, and/or in your residence.

The Spring 2021 semester begins Tuesday, Jan. 19, with classes concluding May 8.

Final exams for the Spring 2021 semester begin Tuesday, May 11. Exam dates vary.

The spring semester will include a mix of course modalities based on physical space constraints due to the classroom capacity guidance from the City of Philadelphia. The University is cognizant and respectful of the learning preferences of students and, for most programs, students will be able to choose an entirely remote learning experience.

Faculty are asked to adjust their attendance policies to allow for student compliance with the Health Guidelines section of the return to campus plan, specifically, the directive to stay home when sick, and make this clear in their syllabi.

Students participating in internships, clinicals, student teaching, etc. will follow La Salle COVID-19 guidelines and any additional requirements noted by our outside partner.

The Center for Academic Achievement will offer peer writing and subject tutors. Students can schedule appointments through Starfish, which is available in the mylasalle Portal.

Students can and are encouraged to purchase a meal plan for Spring 2021. There will be the opportunity to order meals via a new dining app. The Student Union will serve as the location for meal pick-up. Information about the new app and meal plan sign-up will be shared via email.

Students will be either credited or refunded for housing and dining, as long as their account is clear of any payments owed.

The University’s existing landing page, dedicated to COVID-19 updates and information (lasalle.edu/covid19) will continue to serve as a regularly updated resource page with the latest information related to COVID-19, including the number of positive cases that have been identified on campus. Students, faculty, and staff will continue to be updated via email announcements in their lasalle.edu email account.

Members of the La Salle community are encouraged to read all previous campus-wide communication, which contain helpful, up-to-date information. If a question remains unresolved or unanswered, you are encouraged to submit questions, comments, and feedback through a form on La Salle University’s COVID-19 page.

The University has gradually increased the number of employees who are working on-campus through a phased plan. However, following the recommendations of the CDC, state and local public health officials, faculty and staff have the opportunity to submit a COVID-19-related workplace accommodation request. Please consult an Oct. 15 email from the Office of Human Resources, or email hr@lasalle.edu, for more information.

The University has developed a phased return-to-campus plan for faculty and staff. The plan is under way and extends through the start of February. The phased plan begins by first bringing back those who are responsible for preparing campus for the arrival of students. Divisional leaders will communicate with department heads to determine in which phase of the plan specific offices and/or positions will return to campus. Consult a Dec. 15 message from the Office of Human Resources or speak with your supervisor for more information.

The Office of Facilities Management is working closely with its custodial partners at Interstate to increase the level of cleaning and disinfecting across campus, including all academic, athletic, and residential areas. They are actively cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces (i.e. doorknobs and handles, sinks, toilets), and refilling all hand-sanitizer dispensers on campus and placing others in more-prominent, heavily trafficked locations.

Facilities Management will implement enhanced and more-frequent cleaning protocols to meet CDC guidelines. Staffing levels and schedules will be adjusted to accommodate the increased frequency and additional protocols. This includes increased staffing levels seven days a week.

Facilities Management has secured additional cleaning equipment and supplies to ensure that cleaning staff has easy access to supplies and refills throughout campus. Additionally, the University secured an additional 150 touch-free hand sanitizer stations that will be placed throughout campus. These will be refilled regularly by cleaning staff.

High-frequency areas will be cleaned multiple times per day, given the availability of the spaces. These areas include:

• Classrooms
• Restrooms
• Common areas (including residential buildings)
• Dining areas
• Entranceways
• Elevators

Review the Cleaning Protocol section of the #ExplorersReturn plan for more information.

The University has installed enhanced antimicrobial air filters for its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to ensure better air quality and ventilation within classrooms, offices, and other shared campus spaces.

Classrooms will be cleaned and sanitized once during off-peak hours and once during the day and between classes, when time in each respective learning environment permits. Sanitizer and paper towels will be stocked in each classroom, as well.

Meetings should take place virtually as often as possible. If a meeting must occur in person, it should be limited to 10 people or fewer and should occur in a space that allows for physical distancing.

All meetings, events, and social gatherings will follow local, state, federal, and CDC guidelines. This includes any meetings, events, or social gatherings hosted or attended by faculty, staff, students, alumni and visitors/guests of the University.

Whenever possible, visitors to campus should be limited. Virtual opportunities for engagement with the University are encouraged. All campus visitors are expected to abide by the guidelines set forth in the #ExplorersReturn campus plan. This includes adherence to the following personal health guidelines: Self-monitoring; respiratory etiquette; wearing a face covering; personal hygiene; staying home when sick; and physical distancing.

The host will be responsible for ensuring that the visitor is aware of and accepts the guidelines and expectations before arrival. All pre-registered visitors to campus must check in at a designated Visitor Check-In Location upon arrival.

For more information, consult the Events and Visitors portion of the #ExplorersReturn campus plan.

In early February, the University revised its visitor policy in the residence halls through early February, as communicated by the Vice President of Student Affairs. The policy is constantly being re-evaluated, dependent upon compliance to health guidelines and the number of active campus cases.

All University-sponsored study abroad, travel study, and service travel trips and programs in Spring 2021 have been suspended.

A number of on-campus residential options will exist for students in the spring semester.

Residential students can register for a move-in and testing time when their accounts are paid in full or they have signed up for a payment plan. Residence hall move-in will begin Jan. 3-4 and Jan. 10-11 with select athletic teams participating in training camps, followed by remaining residential students from Jan. 14-17.

Blue & Gold Dining Commons, B&G POD, the Union Food Court and Market, and Starbucks will have regular operating hours during the spring semester.  Mobile ordering is highly suggested using the La Salle Dining SideKick App.

All residential students will be required to have a dining plan during the spring semester. This measure supports a healthier campus, as residential students with meal plans are eligible for meal delivery in the event that a student needs to quarantine or isolate over the course of the semester. A newly available mobile app allows La Salle Dining patrons the convenience of making meal selections and choosing pick-up times from their mobile devices.

The pricing structure of our dining plans has been adjusted to reflect our revised offerings. For the comprehensive plans, the cost has been decreased significantly. Our goal is to provide flexible dining options that preserve the health of our community while providing the best-possible dining experience.

Selection for dining plans begins Dec. 2.

Depending on available guidance, in-person dining may or may not be available. Therefore, the University and its dining partner are currently planning for a full take-out model using the La Salle Dining SideKick App. Specific classrooms on the first and second floors of Hayman Hall will be available as indoor eating spaces on a first-come, first-served basis depending on classroom capacity. Outdoor seating will be set up throughout campus and can be utilized, when weather permits.

Many student activities and events will look and feel different than those to which our students, faculty, and staff have grown accustomed. All University-sponsored activities, and activities hosted by student organizations, must abide by the guidelines set forth in this document. For more, please review the Student Activities portion of the #ExplorersReturn campus plan.

Yes, Connelly Library will be open, with its hours of availability posted online.

Connelly Library will maintain regular hours of operation. Consult the library’s website for the latest information. Also, specific classrooms on the first and second floors of Hayman Hall will be available as indoor studying spaces on a first-come, first-served basis depending on classroom capacity. Also, the Union lower-level and street-level lounges and the Union Music Room are available.

Specific classrooms on the first and second floors of Hayman Hall will be available as indoor eating and learning spaces on a first-come, first-served basis depending on classroom capacity. Also, the Union lower-level and street-level lounges and the Union Music Room are available.