Dear Students,
I hope this note finds you well as you navigate the remote semester. Beginning this week, we will share a weekly update with our community about progress during the fall and plans for the spring.
Planning for Spring 2021
We know how much you want to return to campus for the spring semester. As we work to deliver the best possible remote educational experience this fall, our COVID-19 Task Force and University leadership are also doing everything in our power to return to campus in January, including investigating rapid surveillance testing programs, expanding contact tracing capabilities, and designating and preparing additional quarantine and isolation spaces. Our goal is to re-open our residence halls and classrooms following winter break with these protocols and our existing health and safety plan in place. We must also acknowledge factors outside of our control that may impact our ability to return, including directives from the State of Ohio and public health agencies.
Upon return, we know there will be positive cases in our community. Between Aug. 24 and Sept. 17, we identified 102 cases of COVID-19 in our student and employee population through baseline testing, contact tracing, and self-reports. This number includes multiple clusters of cases amongst students living in the vicinity of campus. As detailed below, our focus for the spring semester will be on preventing and minimizing cases on campus and among our campus community; utilizing our health and safety protocols to maintain a healthy campus and prevent further spread; and providing support and assistance for those who are impacted.
Ahead of the spring semester, we are improving our existing health and safety plan in the following areas:
Surveillance testing: The ability to offer a surveillance testing program with rapid results is key to our ability to repopulate our campus in January. We continue to work toward the best solution to this issue. Additional information will be shared in our weekly updates.
- Contact tracing: The coordination of contact tracing and care for students requires significant time and effort. To accommodate our current and anticipated needs, we now have 17 active contact tracers who have been certified via the Johns Hopkins contact tracing protocol. Prior to a return to campus, we expect that at least 25 certified contact tracers will be needed to manage on-going cases.
- Quarantine and Isolation Space: We are reviewing our residence hall room assignments to identify adequate space for quarantine or isolation.
Academic Support
We know that remote learning presents a new challenge for many students. If you are in need of additional academic support, please start a conversation with your professor or academic advisor. Those in need of additional support should contact the Academic Success Center, Student Accessibility Services, or their dean’s office. Students are also receiving regular updates from the Academic Continuity Group, chaired by Dr. Mike Martin, with information that is relevant to academic success, engagement opportunities, and friendly reminders. The first two Academic Continuity messages of the fall are available here: Sept. 10 and Sept. 19.
Mental Health Support
Remote learning can lead to feelings of isolation, and the pandemic has led to anxiety and uncertainty for many in our community. We take the mental health and wellbeing of our students and community members very seriously. The University Counseling Center is here to help you. On Sept. 14, a message was distributed to students regarding mental health services available to students via the Counseling Center. Please do not hesitate to contact the office directly at 216.397.4283 or counselingcenter@jcu.edu.
Student Engagement Opportunities
We are pleased to announce John Carroll’s partnership with Presence, a software platform that manages, tracks, and promotes student involvement in hundreds of student activities throughout the academic year. Carroll Connect provides student organizations and University departments an online platform where they can manage and promote organizational, programmatic, event-planning and marketing functions in an easy web-based software program.
Students can connect without an additional log-in or requirement to create a personal profile. Once on the site, students are able to see upcoming events as well as review and engage with any student organization or University department of interest.
Mass of the Holy Spirit
At 3:30 p.m., we will celebrate our annual Mass of the Holy Spirit at the Church of the Gesu (across the street from campus) where we ask for God’s blessings for the new academic year. Those wishing to attend in person can do so with proper face coverings and physical distancing. Our Campus Ministry department will also livestream the Mass via YouTube so our entire community can participate.
Moving Forward
We will distribute a weekly update to students and families throughout the fall semester focused on John Carroll’s COVID-19 response, our planning for the spring, and additional student engagement opportunities. Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and resilience throughout the last six months.
Yours,
Michael D. Johnson, Ph.D. President, John Carroll University