Returning to Campus

Northwestern's plans for reopening have been significantly shaped by guidelines and recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services (MDH)—and by prayer.

Exhibiting COVID-19 Signs and Symptoms
We look forward to welcoming you to campus! However, it is imperative that you do not arrive on campus ill. If you are ill, please stay home until you are well. If you have come into contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days, please stay home until 14 days have passed and you are symptom-free. If you must delay your scheduled arrival on campus for health reasons, please contact arrivals@unwsp.edu prior to coming to campus.

Self-Screening
Students, faculty, and staff should be prepared to daily self-screen/monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, which includes temperature checks, prior to engaging with the community. According to the CDC, the symptoms of COVID-19 that you should self-screen/monitor for are:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Social Distancing
Spaces on campus are being modified to accommodate six-foot social distancing where possible.

• Some physical barriers are being added to allow person-to-person communication and classroom functionality, while still maintaining physical distance from community members and visitors.
• In outdoor spaces, such as the campus green or near the Billy Graham Community Life Commons, social distancing is still expected. If socially distanced outdoors, community members are not required to wear a facial covering.
• If social distancing cannot be maintained outdoors, facial coverings are required at all times.

Sanitization
Increased cleaning measures have been implemented to mitigate risk for our community members. New sanitizing and disinfecting products are being reviewed, tested, and implemented by our Facilities staff.

Testing
Currently, Northwestern will not require students to be tested before arriving on campus. Once on campus, UNW Health Services intends to provide testing for all traditional students as needed.

What to Bring
In addition to personal items you would normally consider packing for residential life, all community members should bring the following when coming to campus:

• Face Coverings (required effective July 30)
  • 2 face coverings will be provided for all on-campus residential and traditional undergraduate commuter students. We encourage you to bring more face coverings to reduce the need for frequent laundering.
  • 1 face covering will be provided for all adult undergraduate and graduate students attending blended sections on campus.
• Hand Sanitizer (check for recommended ingredients)
• Sanitizing Wipes
• Thermometer (residential students)

A comprehensive list of items to bring, as recommended by Health Services, can be found online at https://unwsp.edu/uploads/Health-Services/What-to-Bring.pdf

• All students, faculty, and staff will self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 daily prior to coming to work, going into the community, or going to class. Signage will be placed in prominent areas of campus to remind individuals of screening and self-monitoring protocols prior to entering buildings and classrooms.

• Onsite COVID testing will be available students every weekday. UNW is prepared for internal contact tracing, should the need to respond to positive cases occur.

Routine cleaning throughout the campus will be performed as normal. All “high touch” surfaces, such as tables, counters, desks, door handles, restroom fixtures, etc., will be cleaned at least daily.

As we seek foster a community that cares for one another by mitigating risk of exposure, we recognize that the appropriate use of face coverings is critical.

• Faculty, staff, and students are required to wear face coverings while on campus when in public settings where social distancing measures are more difficult to maintain (e.g., common workspaces, meeting rooms, classrooms, hallway travel to other locations, reception areas without barriers, restrooms, etc.). Face coverings should not be considered a substitute for social distancing.
  
  
• We suggest having a weekly supply of cloth face coverings to help reduce the need for daily laundering. Disposable masks should be worn for only one day at a time and then must be discarded. A cloth face covering should be worn for only one day at a time and should be properly laundered before reuse.

Calendar

The originally published academic calendar for Spring 2021 remains intact with courses scheduled to begin on Monday, January 11. Northwestern will continue to monitor conditions and information related to COVID-19 and will remain responsive and flexible as the changing situation demands.

Face Coverings and Social Distancing

All Northwestern community members and guests are required to wear face coverings in all public settings, which includes classrooms. As a general principle, social distancing will be followed as much as possible in all classrooms. However, maintaining at least 6’ distancing may not always be possible due to the size of classes and the amount of meeting space available on campus. To help achieve the goal of social distancing, some classes will take place in larger meeting spaces not traditionally used for instruction (e.g. Nazareth Chapel, Nazareth Great Room, Youderian Missional Center, etc.).

Variations in Course Formats

While the majority of courses will be offered face-to-face, some courses, particularly those with larger class sizes, will be offered in virtual or hybrid formats. Virtual courses will not have any in-person components and will include the use of synchronous (real-time) instruction. Hybrid classes will combine in-person instruction with remote learning by dividing students into assigned, rotating groups that alternate between attending the class in-person and virtually. Live instruction will continue to be presented in the classroom, but will also be video streamed to students participating remotely.

Classroom Protocols

To help mitigate risk in our classroom, Northwestern will continue using additional protocols for all in-person classes this spring:

• Seating assignments will be used in classes to help with contact tracing in the event that a student becomes ill.
• Since face coverings will be worn in classrooms, eating during classes will not be allowed. However, students may drink from personal water bottles or cups.
• Northwestern will be placing additional cleaning supplies in classrooms and students will be asked to help clean the surfaces they use.

Travel

All student travel related to academic programming, such as Study Abroad, will be evaluated on a location-by-location basis on the ability to proceed.

Facility Information

• Health Services will be open during the following times:
  Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Closed on holidays and weekends)
• Students will be seen by appointment only. Whenever possible, visits will be conducted by telemedicine.
• Appointments for students experiencing non-respiratory and non-COVID symptoms will be hosted in the mornings at our Nazareth Hall site.
• UNW Health Services intends to provide testing for all traditional students as needed.
• Students requiring testing or a physical examination will be seen, by appointment only, at our respiratory clinic site (2955 Centre Pointe Dr., Roseville). Transportation to this site will be available by reservation if students are unable to transport themselves.

Symptomatic or Positive Diagnosis of COVID-19

• If residents who live within 250 miles of the St. Paul campus encounter symptoms or a confirmed case of COVID-19, they will be expected to isolate or quarantine at their home.
• Residents who live beyond 250 miles who have encountered symptoms or a confirmed case will be encouraged to isolate or quarantine off campus. A limited number of rooms are available on campus for students who do not have other quarantine options.
  • Student services, such as meals (via the student’s meal plan), health check-ins, and trash removal will be coordinated for those that need to stay on campus. Further details, such as whom to contact in the event of a confirmed case, will be communicated at a later date.

Students and parents are asked to discuss a plan and be prepared to have a space for isolation or quarantine off campus if the need arises.

Activities

Student Life is excited to provide a range of engaging programs for students this fall. Programs will look similar to past years with modifications to allow for social distancing and face covering. We still plan to provide our annual Grocery BINGO, Voter Registration, Club Fair, Homecoming and much more. We will also be offering virtual programming for students to attend who may choose not to engage in activities in person. We are always looking for new programming suggestions, if you have an activity you’d like to see, please email CORE at core@unwsp.edu.

Athletics

Athletics announced its "Return to Play" plan on July 20. The plan, which includes NCAA and UMAC phasing processes, screening, monitoring, and testing procedures, and travel information, can be found here.

Athletics fall sports schedules have been adjusted recently. View Athletics team schedules and up-to-date news at unweagles.com.

Chapel & Spiritual Formation

Northwestern views chapel as an integral part of the student experience as a place to gather, grow, and worship as a community. Capacity restrictions and social distancing measures require the following temporary changes to the chapel structure:

• Plans are being developed to provide an in-person chapel experience on a rotation. Rotating groups will be designated and scheduled to attend specific Monday, Wednesday, or Friday chapels. In all cases, assigned seating will be used.
  • As fully integrated members of our community, PSEO on-campus students are not required to attend chapel. However, these students will be assigned to a specific rotation to ensure an in-person chapel opportunity.
• All chapels from Knight Hall will be live streamed to enable all students to participate. This combination of both in-person and virtual chapel experiences being offered this fall will also enable students who need to self-quarantine or isolate to maintain their connection to the chapel experience.
• In-person alternative chapels will continue to be offered on Wednesdays and Thursdays in select spaces on campus. More information related to the chapel experience will be announced in the near future.
• View a Chapel & Spiritual Development FAQ document here.

Music & Theatre

UNW Music & Theatre desires to provide a healthy environment for students, faculty, and staff, and looks forward to seeing students at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester. As part of the Return to Campus plan, Music & Theatre is taking specific steps related to teaching and learning and the unique aspects of what we do. The details of these plans will be articulated to students on your course syllabi, which includes wearing a face mask.

Theatre Productions

• As an example of the creative ways we are mitigating risk, our early fall production––playwright Max Bush’s adaptation of Beauty and the Beast––will be performed outdoors in the Nazareth Hall courtyard and gazebo. We look forward to the educational opportunities that open-air Theatre presents for our students, as well as sharing this aspect of Theatre’s history with our campus and community.

Music Ensembles

• Music ensembles have changed classrooms to rehearse in larger indoor spaces and, weather permitting, choral ensembles will rehearse outdoors some of the time. All of our ensembles will utilize significant distancing to reduce risks from aerosol production while playing wind instruments or singing.

Private Music Lessons

• Lessons will last 30 minutes, followed by a fresh air ventilation break for the teaching studio. Students registered for a one-hour lesson will, in effect, have two half-hour lessons per week. Selected voice studios have been equipped with state-of-the-art/high-tech UV-C air sanitization systems that circulate the air in the room every 4 minutes. We are very grateful for this new technology! All students and teachers have the added flexibility to move private lessons to a virtual learning environment, as needed.

Practice Rooms

• All Totino practice rooms have been equipped with a highly rated HEPA air purifier. Cleaning/disinfecting supplies will be provided in each room. Planned ventilation breaks will occur between practice room uses. Only one student at a time will use the room.

As a commuter, what expectations and precautions should I be aware of?

Along with all other members of the UNW community, commuter students should be prepared to daily self-screen/monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, which includes temperature checks, prior to engaging with the community. Signage will be placed in prominent areas of campus to remind individuals of screening and self-monitoring protocols prior to entering buildings and classrooms.

What do I do if I’m not feeling well?

Do not come to campus if you are not feeling well, or if you have been in contact with anyone that has tested positive for COVID-19. Contact your health provider to take a test and wait for the results before returning to campus. If you begin to experience symptoms while on campus, please return home.

Can I visit friends in their dorm rooms?

Yes. However, students are expected to limit the number of visitors in their room. The number cannot exceed 2 more than the designed occupancy of each residential unit.

Hartill, Knutson, & KnuHa: 5
Moyer: 10
Ramseyer: 6 in a 1 bedroom apartment; 7 in 2 bedroom apartments
Pittman North: 6 in a 1 bedroom apartment; 7 in 2 bedroom apartments
Akenson: 4 in two person rooms; 5 in three person rooms; 6 in 4 person rooms

It is strongly recommended that when visiting a residence unit, all who are present wear a face covering.

Will I have access to computer labs and campus printers?

The computer labs and printers will be open this fall. Although some social distancing measures will be in place resulting in fewer computers available, there should still be enough to support normal usage levels.

Where can I go between classes?

Common areas on campus, including tables in the dining center between meal service times, will remain available to all students. Expect seating to be reconfigured—and in some cases, limited—to allow for social distance.

Will the Commuter Life Office be open?

We want the Commuter Life Office (G124, in The Billy) to continue to be a resource for commuter students on campus. The room will remain a central hub for connection to other commuters and our Commuter Life staff, although room capacity will be reduced (watch for posted information). It will also continue to be a central location to access helpful resources and information about Commuter Life events and programming.

What programs and events will be offered this fall for Commuters?

During these uncertain times, Commuter Life remains committed to serve Northwestern’s commuter students through seeing, supporting, engaging, and connecting them with the greater Northwestern community. Our goal is to continue to provide events and programming that students are excited about and will help them grow and thrive. Our professional staff (Director of Commuter Life) and student leaders (Commuter Assistants) are working hard to develop programming that engages students while implementing safety procedures and protocols, which have been significantly shaped by CDC and MDH guidelines. Stay informed of opportunities by following us on social media @UNWCommuterLife.

Move-In Process

We look forward to welcoming you to campus! However, it is imperative that you do not arrive on campus ill. If you are ill, please stay home until you are well. If you have come into contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days, please stay home until 14 days have passed and you are symptom-free. If you must delay your scheduled arrival on campus for health reasons, please contact arrivals@unwsp.edu prior to coming to campus.

All residential students are asked to limit their move-in assistance to 1-2 other individuals. All individuals are required to wear a face covering while in the residence halls during the move-in process.

New student move-in will take place on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22.

• New students will be assigned a two-hour window for move-in.
• For students that need assistance, student leaders will be available to help new students move in.

Returning student move-in will take place on Monday, August 24, and Tuesday, August 25.

• Returning students will self-select a one-hour window to move in.
• Returning students should coordinate with their roommate(s) to move in at separate times.

Updated Protocols & Procedures

• Individuals who are not current UNW students, faculty, or staff members are not allowed in the residence halls.
• Residential units will be filled to their normal occupancy. Precautions continue to be considered within each residence hall to better mitigate health and safety concerns.
• Students will maintain a minimum of six feet of space, head-to-head based on sleeping configurations and desk spaces. Beds that are bunked with students sleeping in opposite directions are sufficient for spacing.
• Students are required to wear a face covering in all common areas of the residence halls including lounges, laundry rooms, and hallways. Face coverings do not need to be worn in a student’s own residential unit (i.e. dorm room, Moyer Hall quad, Pittman North and Ramseyer apartments). If authorized visitors (UNW students or staff) are in the room, face coverings are strongly recommended.

*Many of the students who live in our on-campus residence halls will benefit from accommodations that are often unavailable on other college campuses. All of Northwestern’s residential units include private bathrooms and showers, with most also having kitchens or kitchenettes.

Residence Life "What to Bring" List

Residence Life FAQs

Dining is a major part of campus life at Northwestern. Some adjustments to the dining experience will be made to reduce risk, while still facilitating the opportunity for a great dining experience. We continue to explore various options.

• Dining Staff will be pre-screened prior to each shift. Staff will be masked.
• Self-service stations will be reduced. Let the Bon Appetit staff serve you!
• An increased number of to-go and individually packaged items will be offered.
• Campus dining tables and chairs will be reconfigured to provide more distance for guests. Some clear barriers may be installed at tables to provide additional protection.
• Traffic flow will be marked on floors to take the guesswork out of how to social distance in line.
• The Eagle’s Nest will be open additional hours to allow students to disperse between dining areas.
• Students will scan their own ID/dining cards at the registers.