July 21, 2020
A message from President Arnold
Dear Hendrix College community members,
While academic and campus life have changed this year
because of COVID-19, our commitment to students has not. In consultation with
our partners at Conway Regional Health System, a steering committee has
developed a comprehensive plan to prepare for the fall semester on campus. I am
pleased to share this plan with you.
Over the past several months, I have been inspired by the
Hendrix community as you have again and again demonstrated tremendous support
and care for one another. Going forward, we must commit to upholding the
expectations in our plan in order to safely and successfully return to
teaching, learning, and living at Hendrix. That is why our plan calls for a
Community Commitment. This commitment, which will be distributed before the return to campus, will reinforce our collective
and individual responsibility to create and maintain a safe environment at
Hendrix for students, faculty, and staff.
Our plan is a living document. We are closely monitoring
key health and safety indicators, and we are continually evaluating our
capacity to manage those trends on campus. We continue to meet weekly with our
local community partners at Conway Regional Health System and monitor guidance
from the Arkansas Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control daily.
We will continue to share new information with our
community, and we will update our online resources at
www.hendrix.edu/fall2020plans.
While the global pandemic continues to test all of us, it
also reveals the tremendous strengths of the Hendrix community, which form the
foundation of our Statement of Purpose: empathy, creativity,
self-understanding, rigorous inquiry, and informed deliberation. Most important
is our collective commitment to educational excellence; despite changes brought
by COVID-19, I know the outstanding Hendrix education across the liberal arts
will continue this fall and beyond.
Thank you for your patience, perseverance, and commitment
to the mission of the College as we prepare for the fall at Hendrix.
Sincerely,
W. Ellis Arnold III ’79
Guiding
Principles
Hendrix College is a community of learners. In order to
protect the health and wellbeing of the entire community of students, staff, faculty,
and administrators, a high-level of safety policies and health protections are
necessary. Because Hendrix community members interact in many ways on a
residential campus, the College may require protections beyond those put in
place by local and state authorities.
Hendrix is a close and caring community, and a healthy
and successful fall semester with in-person classes will require the commitment
of every community member. All students and employees will complete an online
education module; the module will conclude with a Community Commitment, signed
by all students and employees.
All community members will be expected to comply with all
COVID-19 safety and health policies. Community members should feel comfortable
in appropriately and gracefully pointing out violations. With the right
approach, we can educate and protect one another this fall and beyond.
Health and
Wellness
Use of Facemasks/Coverings
As face covering is an essential component to stopping
the spread of the coronavirus and protecting the community, all community
members—students and employees—are expected to face-cover when around others.
Importantly, these coverings protect not only the wearer but also everyone in
close proximity. Further, the city of Conway mandates the wearing of face
coverings in public areas.
- The College will provide employees with two
masks each (with more available as needed).
- The College will provide students with one cloth
face mask each (more will be available for purchase at the post office/spirit
store). Additionally, the College will provide three disposable facemasks for
students and their guests on move-in day. Finally, the College will also ask
students to bring at least seven additional face coverings with them (enough
for a week between launderings).
- Face covering is required inside all College
buildings, except while working or studying alone in a confined space, such as an
office or laboratory.
- Face coverings should be put on before entering buildings
and not removed until exiting buildings (and then only if social distancing is
possible).
- When outside, individuals may remove face coverings
unless within six feet of others; however, students and employees should carry
a face covering at all times in case of an encounter with others.
- Those not complying with policy will be asked to
leave and return with a face covering. Individuals may be subject to warnings
or other sanctions (student sanctions may include the full range listed in the Student
Handbook based upon severity and frequency of the violations; employee
sanctions may eventually result in termination).
- The College will provide face shields to all faculty
members (an instructor may choose to wear a face covering, face shield, or both).
- If a disability prevents a student or employee
from wearing a face covering, the College will provide a face shield; students
and employees may contact Academic Success and Human Resources respectively
with concerns and for support.
- Students and employees should regularly wash
face coverings.
For more information on face covering, see Appendix MASK.
Social Distancing
Individuals must keep six feet from one another at all
times (there will be rare exceptions to this policy, such as shared residence
hall rooms). This includes in classrooms, meeting rooms, laboratories, and
offices. The College will provide signage and floor decals, barriers, and
access control to maximize social distancing adherence.
Group Size
No group larger than fifty (50) individuals will be
permitted (dining facilities may accommodate more individuals at one time with
adequate spacing). All groups must adhere to social-distancing and
face-covering policies.
Training and Education
Hendrix is committed to providing training and education
to our community as we work to create a safe environment for our community.
This education will be provided on several levels:
- All community members will receive information
about basic individual responsibilities and expectations to comply with safety
measures.
- All students and employees will be required to
sign a social Community Commitment that outlines campus safety expectations and
policies. This Commitment will work in conjunction with an on-line training
program. Students must complete the Commitment to receive a room key and attend
classes.
- Individuals who are expected to interact with
students, and assume increased risk as part of that work, will receive
additional training on safety measures. This group includes, but is not limited
to: Res Life staff, Public Safety, Dining, Facilities, Housekeeping, Athletic
staff, and other employees with high student contact.
- Faculty members will receive additional
instructions on how to keep classroom environments safe and how to enforce
expectations for safety within the classroom.
- Athletic staff and student athletes will receive
additional training from our partnership with Conway Regional Health for safety
in athletic practices, games, and other contact points.
- A campus working group including membership from
faculty, HR, Dean’s Office, Athletics, and student representatives will work
together to coordinate training efforts.
Virus Testing
Leaders from Hendrix College, Central Baptist College,
and the University of Central Arkansas have formed a partnership with Conway
Regional Health to craft a unified approach to protecting the community.
Hendrix will not test all students before or as they
return to campus. Neither Conway Regional Health nor the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending such testing. The
Hendrix testing strategy will continue to evolve based on the guidance of
Conway Regional Health, the CDC, and other experts.
If a student or employee shows symptoms of COVID-19 or was
in unprotected contact with a confirmed case (see Contact Tracing below), they
should immediately quarantine and follow these steps:
- Contact the Hendrix quarantine/isolation/contact-tracing
manager (contact information to be provided before students arrive on campus; see Quarantining and Isolating below for more information). The manager will provide a
telephone number for the student or employee to call Conway Regional.
-
Conway Regional will register the caller and
provide a time for testing.
-
The student or employee will arrive to Conway
Regional’s drive-in testing center. Information is verified and specimen is
collected. (A secondary test-site is available for students who cannot drive to
the site).
-
The student or employee will be notified of test
results once lab work is completed.
Anyone who is tested or exposed should self-quarantine
for 14 days. COVID testing will be billed through the student’s or employee’s
health insurance plan.
Conway Regional will provide testing results to Hendrix
Administration for use in contact tracing and quarantine oversight.
Screening
Students will be expected to complete a self-screening
before arriving on campus for move-in day (students will receive instructions,
including a self-screening checklist). Hendrix staff will also screen students
for symptoms upon check-in.
Once orientation and the semester begin, all community
members will be expected to participate in daily self-screenings prior to
interacting with any other community members. Signs on the inside and outside
of buildings will remind students and employees to do this. The College will
continue to explore technology solutions to remind everyone to self-screen. Student
and employee education programs will also stress the importance of thorough
self-screening. The College has purchased and will supply thermometers to every
student.
If a screening identifies potential infection factors,
community members should immediately quarantine and request testing through
Conway Regional Health.
Quarantining and Isolating
Quarantining is used to keep someone who might
have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent the
spread of the virus that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if
they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. Students will be quarantined
when they have any COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to a person with an
active case of COVID-19, and while they await virus test results.
Isolation is used to separate people infected with
the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19 and those with no symptoms) from
people who are not infected. Students will be isolated when they have a
positive test result.
Students are asked to limit contact with individuals
other than immediate family members for 14 days prior to coming to campus on
move-in day.
Once the semester begins, students required to
quarantine or isolate will be expected to do so at home when possible. If
special circumstances prevent home quarantine/isolation, then the following process
applies.
The Corner House will be used as the Hendrix isolation
facility (with additional space on campus identified to provide additional
isolation beds if needed). Students who are unable to take care of themselves must
return home or move to hospital care. Hendrix will contract with an external
service for regular cleaning of the Corner House.
Veasey Hall will serve as the quarantine facility (for
students with symptoms or who have been exposed to an active case). No
non-quarantined students will live in Veasey.
Meals will be delivered to the kitchens in each facility
and the students will be responsible for picking up meals from the drop-off
location. Both facilities will be equipped with washers and dryers. A Resident
Assistant will support students in both buildings. This RA will not live in
either facility but will be responsible for checking in with students by phone,
video, or text on a regular basis.
The College has identified a quarantine/isolation/contact-tracing
manager who will monitor students for the duration in quarantine and isolation
to let them know when they are able to return to interaction with the
community. The manager will communicate with relevant faculty and staff
(classroom instructors, coaches, etc.).
Contact Tracing
Contact Tracing will occur when a member of the Hendrix
community tests positive for COVID-19. The College quarantine/isolation/contact-tracing
manager and trained Hendrix employees will interview the person testing
positive to create a list of contacts potentially infected (those that meet all
three criteria):
- unprotected (no face-covering) in the 48 hours
prior to symptoms or test
- contact within six feet
- contact lasting more than 15 minutes
Trained staff will then interview those on the list of
contacts. All contacts meeting the criteria listed above will quarantine for 14
days. Those showing symptoms will be tested; if test results are positive,
contacts will isolate for 14 days.
Importantly, Hendrix will only trace internal—Hendrix
community—contacts. External contact tracing will be performed by the Arkansas Department
of Health and local authorities.
A New Partnership with Conway Regional Health System
The Conway Regional Health System has opened a community
health clinic in the Hendrix Village. This clinic will operate Hendrix Student
Health Services beginning this fall semester. This partnership is indispensable
as the College manages the COVID-19 challenge.
Ongoing Monitoring
Hendrix will continue to follow policies, requirements,
and guidance from local and state governmental and public health authorities.
However, as this plan indicates, the College will adopt a higher level of
protective measures as necessary. Further, College leadership will monitor key
indicators—such as state and local testing positivity rates, capacity of local
hospitals, campus quarantine and isolation space available, number of active
cases in the Hendrix community, etc.—as we continually evaluate and update all
COVID-19 policies.
Student Life
New Student Orientation and Move-In Day
The orientation program will continue to develop
community among first-year students (FYS). However, the program will be
modified to meet face-covering, social-distancing, and group-size requirements.
Necessarily, some orientation activities and meetings will be done virtually,
both before the on-campus orientation program commences and during the two
primary on-campus orientation days.
Move-In Day, for both FYS and returning students, will
follow all COVID-19 safety precautions and will be structured to maximize
social distancing. All students will be required to sign up for a move-in slot
on either Aug. 17 (FYS) or Aug. 19 (returning students). Students may be
accompanied by no more than two guests on move-in day.
For details concerning New Student Orientation, see
Appendix NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION. For details concerning move-in, see Appendix
MOVE-IN DAY.
Dining Services
Dining Services will extend hours to allow for social
distancing in the main cafeteria (servery and dining hall). The Burrow is
available for take-out orders, which can be ordered ahead of time using an app.
All procedures are designed to minimize contact, and strict sanitation and
employee screening procedures will be followed.
For more details on fall dining services, including hours
of operation, see Appendix DINING SERVICES.
Wellness and Athletics Center
The WAC reopened on July 7 in accordance with strict
polices set by the state of Arkansas. For a complete list of WAC reopening
guidelines and restrictions, see: https://www.hendrix.edu/wac/.
Intercollegiate Athletics
The Southern Athletic Association has postponed fall
competitions. Any Athletics trainings during the fall are subject to COVID-19
campus policies. Further, Athletics will follow the more stringent training requirements
put in place by the Southern Athletic Association and the National Collegiate Athletic
Association. The Department of Athletics will make all requirements and
policies available to student-athletes, coaches, trainers, and staff.
Whenever possible, student-athletes have been assigned to
live with each other and in clusters within campus housing; because these
students spend significant time together outside of class, they will live in
close proximity to each other.
Campus
Operations
Dining Services
Dining Services will allow carryout meals, reduce
capacity, and extend hours to allow for social distancing in the main cafeteria
(servery and dining hall). Because the dining hall will seat far fewer
students, and will fill especially quickly during the busy lunch meal, the
Burrow is available for take-out orders. Burrow orders must be placed ahead of
time using an app (Dining Services will post information about the app on their
website and via social media). All procedures are designed to minimize contact,
and strict sanitation and employee screening procedures will be followed.
Dining Services will provide information and instructions
as we approach fall opening.
For more details on fall dining services, including hours
of operation, see Appendix DINING SERVICES.
Campus Visitors and Events
All campus visitors and events must adhere to all College
and state guidelines regarding gatherings, social distancing, room capacities,
sanitation protocols, and face coverings. Visitors are generally discouraged
from coming to campus. At this time, however, the College will welcome
prospective students and their families to campus (see Appendix ADMISSION for
policies governing such visits). Such guests will be informed of pertinent
health and safety guidelines to be observed while on campus and provided a face
covering, if needed. The College department or office organizing the visit will
communicate expectations in advance of such visits. Hosts and guides must
always wear a face covering during the visit. Finally, the College will
regularly evaluate the visitor policy and adjust in accordance with the level
of virus threat, including canceling all visits if necessary.
Events and gatherings should be virtual whenever possible
and appropriate. No public or external events will be scheduled. A Hendrix
office, department, or student group requesting an event or gathering of more
than 50 people must petition the COVID Response Coordinator.
For detailed Visitors and Events policies, see Appendix
VISITORS AND EVENTS.
Buildings and Common Spaces
Each campus building has unique features and needs. In
order to keep the community safe, the following principles will apply:
- One-way flow of traffic where possible.
- Reduced density in seating areas to allow for
social distancing.
- Microsoft Teams used for meetings when possible.
- Scheduling of in-person meetings to allow for social
distancing, time between meetings, and no queuing.
- Informational signs (including traffic flow and
self-screening) at all entrances.
- Hand-washing signs in all bathrooms.
- Hand-sanitizing and disinfecting products will
be available.
Facilities personnel and external consultants are
examining campus Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to
maximize air flow and exchange. They will continue to monitor and upgrade
equipment when possible.
Building supervisors will work with Facilities and the COVID
Response Coordinator to maximize community safety.
The SLTC and Residence Hall building policies are listed
in Appendix BUILDINGS.
College Travel
We
cannot “build a Hendrix bubble” and expect students and employees to remain on
campus throughout fall semester. However, students are encouraged
to travel off-campus only for essential needs or purposes, including
on weekends. Further, employees are asked to postpone personal travel
whenever possible.
College-related,
employee travel will only be allowed if it is “essential.” Essential travel is
defined as travel that would result in harm to the College if disallowed.
Further:
- all
essential travel must be approved by the College’s COVID Response Coordinator;
and
- an employee must
exhaust all possible virtual, remote, and online options before requesting
essential travel permission.
For
detailed travel policies, see Appendix TRAVEL.
Academics
General Expectations
Hendrix is a residential campus and we are planning for
in-person classes this fall. Ideally, all faculty members will teach primarily
in-person classes on campus. However, faculty will need to have courses that
can shift easily to completely remote courses if that becomes necessary. There
are good pedagogical reasons for having elements of courses online (for
example, in flipped classrooms), and there may be students who are in
quarantine or isolation who will need to have continuity of instruction for
their courses. When appropriate, hybrid courses will incorporate both in-person
and online elements.
In addition, faculty members normally have great autonomy
in terms of how and when they conduct their work, and it is prudent and
reasonable for faculty to limit their possible exposure to COVID-19. Faculty
members may choose to have remote meetings with students or colleagues. Departments
and College committees may decide to conduct their business virtually. Academic
Affairs will also determine how best to conduct faculty meetings and other
types of events that are essential to the functioning of the College.
For details on the delivery of the Academic program in
the fall, see Appendix ACADEMICS.