• COVID-19 Information and Plans

  • A Message to Our Community

    March 10, 2022

    Dear Hendrix community,

    Based on current COVID-19 levels in Faulkner County, we will transition to mask-optional in campus buildings beginning Saturday, March 12, 2022.  

    This transition follows new indoor masking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) based on COVID-19 community hospitalizations and new case levels.

    While indoor masking will become optional on campus, the Steering Committee asks that all community members continue to support classmates and colleagues who elect to mask on campus.

    Please know that if you are at high risk for illness and concerned about the move to a mask-optional campus policy, you should reach out to discuss accommodations for health and safety concerns. 

    • For students who are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19, contact Julie Brown, Director of Academic Success, at brownj@hendrix.edu to discuss academic accommodations for health and safety concerns. 
    • For faculty and staff members who are at high risk or have family who are high risk, contact Vicki Lynn in Human Resources at lynn@hendrix.edu to discuss work accommodations for health and safety concerns. 

    Other COVID-related items

    • Evidence demonstrates wearing a CDC-recommended mask protects the wearer. If you need an N95 mask, they are available in the Dawkins Welcome Center.
    • Masking will continue be a part of the College’s contact tracing program, including isolation and quarantine protocols.
    • An indoor mask mandate will be reinstated if we witness widespread transmission of COVID-19 on campus. 
    • Hendrix community members are encouraged to be up-to-date on vaccinations and to get tested if they experience COVID symptoms.  
    • Our campus COVID protocols will be updated online at www.hendrix.edu/coronavirus, as well as our weekly campus dashboard. COVID-related questions may be sent to aboutcovid19@hendrix.edu.  

    Thank you for all you have done to keep campus healthy and safe over the past two years.   

    Steering Committee members: Kesha Baoua, Terri Bonebright, Julie Brown, Jay Burling, Jeremy Dickerson, Amy Forbus, Pete Gess, Dawn Hearne, Hailey Johnston, Mike LeBlanc, Vicki Lynn, Rob O’Connor, Tim Purkiss, Sharron Russell, Tom Siebenmorgen, Todd Tinsley, Amy Weaver, Jim Wiltgen 

  • COVID-19 Dashboard

    View the COVID-19 Dashboard for May 13, 2022 (student and employee vaccination updates, testing and tracing on campus, and local positivity rates).

  • Timeline & Plans

    • Tuesday, January 18, 2022 — Classes begin as scheduled but will be taught remotely for the first week
    • Monday, January 24, 2022 — In-person classes resume
      (Download the full Academic Calendar)

  • Contact Tracing & Testing

    Employees: If you are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19, have signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or have tested positive, follow the corresponding instructions here.

    Students: Please review the student information for testing and tracing. Students who are living on campus are required to strictly adhere to designated protocols. Students who are living off-campus are encouraged to follow designated protocols.

    Protocols are based upon the most recent public health guidance available from the Arkansas Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidance is regularly monitored for changes that may result in updates to these protocols.

  • FAQ

    This FAQ list was updated most recently on April 22, 2022.

    If you have questions after reviewing the information presented here, please email aboutcovid19@hendrix.edu. 

    What options are available to help quarantined and isolated students keep up with their classes?

    [Added January 27, 2022] Instructors have been asked to work with any students missing class the way they normally would with any student who is ill and could not attend. Instructors have a “toolkit” of options for working with students who are absent, and the most appropriate tools will vary depending on the nature of the course. 

    To ensure the College provides good options for students who are following COVID protocols, especially during the current COVID surge, instructors may use one or more of these options in a way that makes sense for the teaching approach and learning goals of their course:

    • Providing notes, slides, make-up work, photos of work written on a board in class, etc. 
    • Encouraging the use of peer tutoring; for example, asking students in the class to help their classmate by sharing their notes.
    • Assisting students during office hours to help them get ready to return to class. 
    • Making changes to the syllabus that add flexibility to make recovery from consecutive absences more doable for students.  
    • If an instructor’s classroom equipment and instructional methods for the class allow, they may provide the option to have the student join the class via Microsoft Teams. This approach will only be used if it makes sense for a particular class. Instructors may also choose to record class/lectures for students to watch non-synchronously.

    Students will be strongly discouraged from logging on remotely when they are healthy and not quarantined, as it is important for students to be in the classroom actively engaging with the instructor, the material, and with other students.

    Will there be hybrid classroom education this spring?

    [Updated January 21, 2022] While the semester began with online instruction, the plan for this spring is a complete return to in-person classes as soon as possible. If a student must miss class because of COVID-19 isolation or quarantine protocols, they should contact their instructors to discuss plans for missed coursework as they would for any other illness or temporary absence. Instructors are notified of all students who are officially in a COVID-related protocol so that any related absences will be considered excused.   

    Will face coverings still be required on campus this spring?  

    [Updated March 15, 2022] Because the CDC listed Faulkner County at a medium COVID community transmission level starting on Thursday, March 10 the College moved to mask-optional in campus buildings beginning Saturday, March 12, 2022.  With this change, the Campus COVID Steering Committee asks that all community members continue to support classmates and colleagues who elect to mask on campus. Students who are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 may contact Julie Brown, Director of Academic Success, at brownj@hendrix.edu to discuss academic accommodations for health and safety concerns; faculty and staff members who are at high risk or have family who are high risk may contact Vicki Lynn in Human Resources at lynn@hendrix.edu to discuss work accommodations for health and safety concerns. We will continue to monitor public health guidance and the presence and effect of COVID-19 variants in Arkansas. If conditions worsen once again, the College may revert to requiring all members of the community to wear CDC-recommendation-compliant masks indoors, and outdoors when not able to maintain distancing of 6 feet or more.

    How often are students required to undergo surveillance testing?  

    [Updated April 22, 2022] The SAA athletic conference currently follows NCAA guidance for testing, including frequency and type of test performed. As such, student-athletes are not currently required to undergo surveillance testing.

    Where can students get vaccinated? Is there a cost for vaccination?  

    Students may obtain vaccinations at a provider of their choice. The Hendrix Medical Clinic is among the sites providing COVID-19 vaccinations (Pfizer and Moderna). Call 501-852-1366 to schedule an appointment. Vaccines were paid for with taxpayer dollars and are provided to all people living in the United States at no cost. Most health insurance plans cover the full cost of the administration of the vaccine. If someone is uninsured, vaccine providers may seek reimbursement from the federal government.  

    Hendrix will provide vaccination opportunities for any students who want the vaccine and have been unable to receive it, including international students.  

    Will official College travel be allowed in the spring?  

    Students, faculty, and staff will be allowed to travel on official College business this spring (including for Odyssey projects). Special COVID approval for domestic travel is not required, but we do ask travelers to follow any destination COVID protocols and to regularly monitor for COVID symptoms. International travelers must petition for approval at this link.  

    How can students stay safe?  

    [Updated March 15, 2022] The best ways to keep the community safe are still vaccination (including a booster if eligible), symptom monitoring, and masking when transmission in the area is classified as “High” by the CDC. More than 90% of Hendrix students and employees are fully vaccinated (see the dashboard above for the latest numbers).

    CAMPUS VISITORS  
     

    Will visitors, including parents, speakers, performers, event attendees, or prospective students and their families be allowed on campus?  

    [Updated March 15, 2022] Visitors to campus are now welcome.

    CAMPUS EVENTS  

    Is there a limitation on group size? 

    [Updated March 15, 2022] Events and activities do not currently require any special approval from the COVID administrators. Outdoor gatherings are encouraged when possible, and location should always be chosen to maximize social distancing.   

    Will any off-campus groups be allowed on campus?  

    [Updated March 15, 2022] Off-campus groups are now being allowed on campus. 


  • Health and Safety Information

    [Note: This section was last updated March 15, 2022.]

    Students may schedule healthcare visits by calling the Hendrix Medical Clinic, 501-852-1366. When you call, please mention that you are a Hendrix student and be prepared to give the clinic your student ID number. You may also make an appointment at www.conwayregional.org/hendrix. If COVID-19 testing is needed, the clinic has testing available.

    The clinic is open to students, faculty, staff, and the public. Students have three free visits to the clinic per academic year. Currently, the clinic’s hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

    The health and safety of the entire Hendrix community remains our top priority. Hendrix College continues to monitor information about COVID-19 from the Arkansas Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Conway Regional Health System. 

    External Resources

    Vaccination is effective against the coronavirus. Further, Hendrix College policies and responses to the pandemic prevented spread of virus on campus and protected the Hendrix community from spring 2021 to the present. While the following resources demonstrate the severity of the pandemic, the Steering Committee continues its work to assure safety for the Hendrix community. 

    Watch a June 22 Today Show segment featuring Dr. Cam Patterson, chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, describing the severity of illness among young unvaccinated covid-19 patients. 

    This interactive map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows infection rates, vaccination rates, social distancing, age, health disparities, the availability of healthcare and other factors. It illustrates very clearly that areas in the U.S. with lower vaccination rates have higher infection rates. 

    Sources for information on covid-19 vaccines: 

    Conway Regional Medical Center 

    Arkansas Department of Health 

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

    Helpful Links 

    Screening and testing information from Conway Regional Health System: Conway Regional Health System offers local COVID-19 testing, which can be obtained through the Hendrix clinic: www.conwayregional.org/hendrix or 501-852-1336.

    Arkansas Department of Health: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/novel-coronavirus

    Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

    CDC guidelines for selecting and wearing face coverings to protect yourself and others: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html  

  • Forms

    Students and employees who have received a booster vaccination against COVID-19 should submit documentation at the appropriate link below:

    Student COVID-19 Vaccination Update 

    Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Update

    Students should use this form to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus for the Spring 2022 semester:

    Spring 2022 Return - COVID Test Submission

    The College allows petitioning for exceptions to its pandemic-related restrictions on travel. Please use the form linked below to make such requests:

    Petition for International Travel

    If you have been fully vaccinated for SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) with a vaccine that has been emergency-use authorized by the FDA, you should register your vaccination using the form below. To be considered fully vaccinated, you should have already received all required doses specified by the vaccine manufacturer. Those who are fully vaccinated will be exempted from College-sponsored required gateway and surveillance testing, and in most cases, they will be exempt from quarantine protocols due to close contact with someone infected with COVID-19. Please note that vaccination does not exempt someone from other required College protocols and guidelines related to COVID-19 including, but not limited to, facial coverings, social distancing, monitoring your health and reporting concerns, and symptomatic testing if recommended by a medical provider.

    Proof of COVID Vaccination