The Guilford College Health and Safety Task Force has been working arduously to develop a thoroughly informed plan for a safe, responsible reopening of campus for Fall 2020. Our plan--StayHealthy@Guilford-- will be posted online for your review by Aug. 1. Today, we are pleased to share a preview snapshot of the plan’s major elements.

Created in collaborative consultation with the Guilford County Public Health Department, Guilford County Emergency Management, as well as with our higher education peers, StayHealthy@Guilford  details new protocols and practices focused on COVID-19 prevention, containment, and care. We will update our plan as evolving circumstances warrant, particularly as they relate to following state and local government directives and the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Our overriding priority is to ensure the health and safety of our entire campus community.

StayHealthy@Guilford is organized into different opening phases based on the most up to date developments with COVID-19: 

1. Very High Alert - Stay at home orders will be in place; instruction will be remote and in-person housing and academic programs will be cancelled. Individuals will be expected to practice self-isolation.
2. High Alert - The College will operate within a low density environment. Instruction will be primarily remote; in-person instruction will be limited to clinical/practicum activities that are difficult to conduct remotely. Significant prevention enhancement policies will be activated, which may include limitations on meeting sizes, enforced PPE use, screening, contact tracing, and selective quarantining/self-isolation.
3. Moderate Alert - Instruction will be a mix of in-person and remote learning with online options for in-person classes (hybrid) where practical. Some students and faculty will not be able to return to campus, which will necessitate making accommodations to enable continued academic progress. 
4. Low Alert Phase - The College will operate with high-density environments. If and once vaccines and/or highly effective treatments are approved and widely available, and there is low spread of the coronavirus, classrooms can return to near full capacity. 

At all phases of re-opening, our StayHealthy@Guilford plan features the following requirements and points of emphasis:

1. Masks - Face masks or face coverings must be worn by all faculty, staff, and students working on campus when in the presence of others and in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., common work spaces, meeting rooms, classrooms, etc.)

2. Social Distancing - All community members will be expected to maintain a distance of 6 feet from each other in all settings. There will be limitations on group gatherings, based on the risk phase. Gatherings will be encouraged to be conducted outside as much as possible for increased ventilation. Classroom capacity restrictions are being implemented to accommodate social distancing requirements. 

3. COVID-19 screening, tracing and monitoring - Guilford College will require individuals with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to go to their place of residence, a designated isolation housing location (if living on-campus), or a healthcare facility depending on the severity of their symptoms. 

   We will require students who are taking classes on-campus (enrolled in at least one in-person or hybrid course) to be tested for COVID-19. On-campus testing will be provided at no cost from Aug. 13 to Aug. 17. Alternatively, students can provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test result dated no earlier than Aug. 10.

4. Quarantine protocol - Guilford will follow CDC and North Carolina Department of Health guidelines regarding isolation and quarantine protocols. On-campus rooms have been designated specifically for isolation and quarantine purposes.

   Any student exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will stay in their living quarters (i.e., on-campus residence hall room/apartment, off-campus apartment/house) and contact the COVID hotline to assess next steps.

   Any faculty of staff member exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms must remain at home until cleared to return to work by a certified health professional.

Here are some other reminders, which we have shared previously elsewhere:

• HOUSING: Single rooms will be available to Guilford College first-year and upper class students who request them. Requests for a single for Fall 2020 should be made through the Housing Waitlist.
• DINING: The Guilford College dining services provider, Meriwether Godsey, has developed plans to provide for safety and social distancing, including reduced seating capacities, distancing between tables, expanded dining room options, traffic routing, and adjustments to serving methods. Guilford and MG are following all recommendations provided by the Guilford County Public Health Department. Significant changes in the flow of the service and dining area to limit congestion should be expected.
• INSTRUCTION: We will employ multiple instructional modes: online (synchronous or asynchronous), hybrid or fully on-campus (face-to-face) courses. Courses are labeled so that students can consider this information when choosing classes. This approach provides the maximum flexibility for responding to the needs of students and faculty, and the ability to adapt to any changes in the trajectory of the pandemic.

As we eagerly anticipate the re-opening of campus in August, we remain vigilant in monitoring the latest developments regarding COVID-19. As we are all aware, there is great concern about surging case numbers in many parts of the country. In Guilford County, North Carolina, we have seen a slight rise in the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The good news is that the county has conducted several testing initiatives and the percentage of positive cases is declining at the moment.

When our full plan is posted next week, you will still likely have questions and comments to offer. If you haven’t done so already, please check your email for a registration link to the upcoming zoom sessions for students and parents. Members of the Health and Safety Task Force and other college officials will be on hand to help clarify plan details and respond to any of your concerns.

Thank you for your patience and grace as we continue to work diligently toward a safe and rewarding return to campus in just a few weeks. We look forward to seeing you soon. Until then, please be safe and healthy.

Click here for all COVID-19, Coronavirus updates.