COVID-19 guidelines include important information about student access to, or return to, campus in light of the spread of COVID-19 beginning in 2020. This policy describes the rights and responsibilities of all campus community representatives, including students, as we work together to manage the challenge of COVID-19.
These materials supersede all other documents or representations unless amended, supplemented or modified by a document in writing and signed by the Vice President for Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer. Please direct any questions to Dean of Students Office (deanofstudents@sxu.edu).
The information set forth is subject to being updated to reflect changing conditions and public health guidance.
The University campus community recognizes that the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, creates challenges and poses risks to the health and safety of everyone in our community. Consistent with its mission and core values, Saint Xavier University seeks first and foremost to help protect the well-being of our community and the community at large, including our students, faculty, staff, families, visitors, and the public with which we interact.
COVID-19 continues to evolve as does our understanding of the disease, the risk of its community transmission, and the vaccinations and medications that can reduce the risks it poses to individuals and the broader community. As such, the measures we will need to take to protect ourselves and each other will continue to evolve. We understand that COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease that was declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. It was responsible for the temporary alteration of on campus operations during spring semester of 2020 at Saint Xavier University (as part of the general shutdown of businesses and public services deemed essential to address the rapid spread of the virus throughout the United States since March of 2020). Over time and with emerging resistance to the disease that resulted from vaccination and prior infections, Saint Xavier University returned to more normal in-person interactions while continuing to follow public health guidance regarding masking and other prudent measures to reduce the risk that the disease will be transmitted on our campus.
The following Policy language, reflected in the University's Informed Consent and University Guidelines, describes the roles that the University will play to reduce, monitor, and respond to potential spread of this disease. These will be continuing and evolving measures -- as the nature of the virus and its spread, evolving public health guidance, and our tools for managing this challenge will necessarily change over time. This policy also describes the general and specific responsibilities of students in the common effort to help protect the community's safety.
University Roles and Responsibilities
University Guidelines, and the measures that we use, are all subject to update as public health guidance changes and more is learned about effective management of the COVID-19 risk.
Specifically, the University plans to do the following:
- Continue to monitor national, state, and local laws, rules and guidelines, including CDC guidance, and adjust University practices, expectations, and communications accordingly;
- Communicate with our campus community about any changes to our practices and expectations or about the impact of COVID-19 on our campus;
- Listen to feedback from members of our campus community about any areas of campus life requiring attention because of changes in how COVID-19 is being transmitted;
- Continue to develop, review, and modify University policies and procedures that reflect the most up-to-date guidelines for mitigating COVID-19-related risks and modify such policies and procedures as needed;
- Instruct and expect all faculty, staff, students and visitors to adhere to the University's guidelines (including when necessary guidelines for social distancing, personal hygiene, wearing of face coverings, cleaning and disinfecting of spaces, self-isolating as necessary, and self-monitoring for symptoms) and enforce those guidelines through discipline when necessary;
- Notify all faculty, staff, and students of any updates to the policy based upon changed or refined public health guidelines; updates to the policy will take effect upon notice to the campus community;
- Update visitor policies and expectations to conform to the University Policy;
- Clean and disinfect campus regularly to limit contagion where and as appropriate;
- Appropriately reinstitute limits on large gatherings and crowds on campus or in connection with University activities, including potentially limiting the sizes, locations, or frequency of classes, activities, extracurricular activities, services, and ceremonies if required by applicable law or guidance from public health authorities;
- Promptly respond to any reports of probable or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on campus, including implementing one or more of the following measures when consistent with applicable law or guidance from public health authorities to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19:
- Temporarily closing off and/or cleaning areas known to have been visited by the infected person;
- Identifying and notifying others who have had close contact with the infected person where practicable;
- Advising infected campus members to follow all CDC and state health guidelines for isolation and recovery;
- Complying with CDC and local public health recommendations and requirements, including providing appropriate notification to public health authorities;
- Determining whether and how to communicate information to the community; and
- Shift coursework, workplace, and other activities to remote delivery, postpone or cancel clinical assignments or campus activities, restrict or close access to residence halls or food service, move residents to different residence halls or locations, or employees to different locations, in order to implement isolation protocols, or close campus, in part or in full, as the University deems necessary or appropriate.
Student Roles and Responsibilities
Students also play a critical, ongoing role in promoting the safety of our campus environment and in protecting themselves and each other from exposure to COVID-19.
The University directs and expects all incoming and returning Saint Xavier University students to do the following:
- Fully comply with all policies, procedures, and guidelines outlined in the Student Handbook, on signs posted on campus, and as stated in instructions given verbally by University faculty or staff (including, but not limited to, guidelines for physical distancing, personal hygiene, wearing of face coverings, cleaning and disinfecting of spaces, self-isolating as necessary, and self-monitoring for symptoms);
- Monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms, including 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, or other symptoms as updated from time to time by the CDC every day prior to reporting for work, including checking their temperature. (Updated symptoms can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health's COVID-19 webpage.);
- Request accommodations if the student feels they are needed for the student to be able to fully participate in the University's programs or activities;
- Report to a primary care provider and to the University Health Center if believed or confirmed to have COVID-19;
- Adhere to all state and local health department guidelines regarding domestic and international travel, following all Chicago Department of Public Health, the Illinois Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations regarding their return from travel;
- Limit visits from those outside of the Saint Xavier community during periods of high transmission and consistent with applicable law or guidance from public health authorities to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19; and
- Remain flexible and acknowledge the need for flexibility and adjustment of plans and schedules, in case the University must in again close part or all of campus or otherwise change the mode of delivery of its academic or other programs or activities, as set forth below, due to COVID-19 or any other reason.
- Become educated on the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19, including the advantages of boosters, which public health authorities and the university continue to endorse and believe to be one of the most important steps that everyone can take to reduce the spread of the disease and the risk of serious infection, hospitalization, and death.
- Cooperate in all testing programs that may be implemented to monitor for the spread of COVID-19.
It is a shared responsibility of all members of the Saint Xavier community, including the University administration, faculty, staff, and students, to make our campus as safe and healthy as possible in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The University reserves the right to take corrective action against individuals who fail to fulfill these responsibilities or comply with a reasonable health and safety directive from the University.
Circumstances like COVID-19 (e.g. COVID-19, personnel interruptions, etc.) may require the University to change or alter its programs or services in the best interests of students, employees, and other members of the University community. These changes may appropriately include, but are not limited to: (1) change, postpone, or eliminate academic course offerings, program requirements, services, or access to facilities; (2) changes or adjustments to the method and timing of delivering course content or services, including conversion of some or all coursework to remote instruction; (3) assignment or reassignment of faculty and staff to particular coursework, advisory functions, or other work with students; (4) modification of semester schedules, examination schedules, clinical assignments, grading protocols, or other academic policies or practices; (5) implementation of vaccination, testing, masking, and/or other requirements as a condition of continued participation in some of all University programs or activities; or (6) other adjustments to the academic or other policies, procedures, and standards of the University deemed to be in the best interests of students and the campus community. Tuition and fees are in exchange for learning, academic credit, and certain non-academic services that will be provided whether remotely, in a hybrid environment, or entirely remotely.
The University will continue to communicate as appropriate with the entire campus community, including students, as circumstances change, and the University reserves the right to modify these directives or the information set forth in the Informed Consent and University Guidelines to address changing circumstances.
