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 spring semester with in-person
classes will require the commitment of every community member. All students and
employees will sign a Community Commitment that outlines expectations and
policies.
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 spring 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.
- All face coverings must meet CDC recommendations (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html).
- The College has provided employees with two masks each (with
more available as needed).
- The College has provided students with one cloth face mask each.
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 in
case they would like to wear a shield in addition to a face covering. If
a disability prevents a student or employee from wearing a face covering, they
should contact Academic Success and Human Resources respectively to be granted
approval to wear a face shield instead (students and employees approved for the
face shield may be asked to undertake regular COVID-19 testing through the
Hendrix testing protocol).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 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. 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 the Conway Regional Health System for safety
in athletic practices, games, and other contact points.
Virus Testing
Leaders from Hendrix
College, Central Baptist College, and the University of Central Arkansas have
formed a partnership with the Conway Regional Health System to craft a unified
approach to protecting the community.
All students living in
campus housing will be tested through the Hendrix-Conway Regional testing
protocol upon arrival. The College will stagger student arrivals across several
weeks (student athletes, sophomores for Career Term, freshers for orientation,
etc.); students will be notified of their move-in date and gateway testing day
and time period. All students attending class in-person but not living on
campus will be tested through the Hendrix-Conway Regional protocol prior to the
first day of classes; these students will also be notified of their testing day
and time.
During the semester,
Hendrix and Conway Regional will surveillance test students throughout the
semester. Student-athletes will be tested according to NCAA requirements. Other
students will be systematically tested. Additionally, anyone who shows symptoms
of COVID-19 or has been in close contact with a confirmed case will be tested. The
costs for gateway and ongoing surveillance testing will be paid by the state of
Arkansas (with CARES Act funding).
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 close contact with a confirmed case (see
Contact Tracing below), they should immediately quarantine and follow these
steps:
- Contact the Hendrix Testing and Tracing Coordinator by emailing aboutcovid19@hendrix.edu or
calling/texting 501-476-5562. Set up a telehealth appointment with the Hendrix
Medical Clinic. The clinic will provide COVID screening and testing services.
-
The student or employee and the Hendrix Testing and Tracing
Coordinator will be notified of test results once lab work is completed.
Anyone who is tested will
self-quarantine pending the test result. Anyone who is a close contact of a
confirmed case will self-quarantine for 14 days regardless of test result.
COVID symptomatic and close-contact testing will be billed through the
student’s or employee’s health insurance plan.
Conway Regional will
provide testing results to Hendrix 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.
The College will utilize #CampusClear and
ask all students, faculty, and staff to complete a daily health screening via
the app before coming to campus or entering campus buildings. Signs on the
inside and outside of buildings will remind students and employees to do this. 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 stay home or in their
room, avoid others, and contact the Hendrix Testing and Tracing Coordinator by emailing
aboutcovid19@hendrix.edu or
calling/texting 501-476-5562.
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 experiencing
symptoms. Students will be quarantined when they have been in close
contact with 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 have a confirmed
case of COVID-19) 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 living on campus who are required to quarantine or isolate will do so
on campus. While students may elect to quarantine or isolate at home, they
should consider the risk of spreading COVID-19 to family and community members.
The exception is for students unable to care for themselves; such students must
return home or move to hospital care.
The Corner House will be
used as the primary Hendrix isolation facility (with additional space on campus
identified to provide additional isolation beds if needed). Hendrix will
contract with an external service for regular cleaning of the Corner House.
Students living in
housing units where it is possible to safely quarantine or isolate in place
will not be required to move to temporary quarantine or isolation facilities. For
those who need to move to protect other students, the College will provide separate
rooms, apartments, and wings within most residence halls, thereby limiting
disruption caused by extensive moves.
What Should I Bring to Quarantine or Isolation Housing?
Meals will be delivered
to students in quarantine and isolation (in some cases, students may need to
pick up meals from a centralized drop-off location). Resident Assistants and an
Isolation and Quarantine Support Manager will support quarantine and isolation students.
The Isolation and
Quarantine Support Manager and the Testing and Tracing Coordinator will work
with Residence Life to support students in quarantine and isolation and will
let them know when they are able to return to interaction with the community.
The Manager and Coordinator 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 Testing and Tracing Coordinator and trained Hendrix employees will
interview the person testing positive to create a list of contacts potentially
infected (those that meet the criteria for a close contact as defined by the
Arkansas Department of Health):
- contact within six feet
- contact lasting more than 15 minutes
Trained staff will then
interview those on the list of contacts. The College is developing tools and policies
to aid in contact tracing such as assigned seating in classrooms and direct
reporting through a health screening app. Staff actively monitor best practices
and tools at other institutions and consider implementation when appropriate.
All contacts meeting the
criteria listed above will quarantine for 14 days. All close contacts will be
tested; if test results are positive, contacts will isolate for 10 days from the
onset of symptoms (if symptomatic) or the testing date (if asymptomatic).
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 is now operating Hendrix Student Health Services. 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
Single Bedroom Housing
Plan
One of the College’s
pandemic response strategies is to reduce the density of the traditional halls
for the spring semester. We should be able to provide additional single bedroom
options to all students wanting to live on campus because a number of students
will select remote learning for the spring semester, and through the addition
of Veasey Hall as a living option. Students who are currently assigned single
bedrooms in the Apartments and Houses will likely see no changes. Students
living in doubles in the Houses will have the option to request a single room.
Once students declare
their intentions to learn in-person or remotely, Residence Life staff will work
to identify open spaces and offer single options to students. Students may
elect to live with a roommate if both parties agree. However, if either student
in a shared room is required to quarantine during the semester, the other
student must quarantine as well.
Students who have
acquired local off-campus apartments for the fall semester may apply for a
housing exemption for the spring semester. This exemption application must be
received by November 1.
Any changes to spring
semester housing assignments will be finalized by November 20 and housing
confirmation notices will be sent at that time.
First-Year Student
Move-In and Orientation
First-year students (FYS)
will tentatively move in on Friday, January 15 and will be tested for
the coronavirus that same day. While FYS had virtual orientation leading up to
fall semester, orientation will continue the weekend after move-in. Details on
FYS move-in and orientation will be communicated at a later date.
Move-In for Returning
Students
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.
Other students will be
provided information on move-in day and time by early December. Students will
be given a timeslot for move-in as well as for virus testing. Students may be
accompanied by no more than two guests on their respective move-in days (and
everyone present will follow all COVID-19 safety precautions to protect the
community).
For details concerning move-in,
see Appendix MOVE-IN DAY.
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. The Association is now developing
competition schedules for spring semester. 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.
Campus
Operations
Dining Services
Dining Services will encourage carryout meals, reduce capacity,
and extend service hours to allow for social distancing in the main cafeteria.
Because the Dining Hall will seat far fewer students, and will fill especially
quickly during the busy lunch meal, students will have the option to use an app
to pre-order meals that may be picked up in The Burrow (Dining Services will
post information about the app on its website and 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 prior
to spring opening.
For more details on spring 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 at this time. 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 exchange rate and filtration. UV
light disinfection will be installed in HVAC units where appropriate. Facilities
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 spring 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 spring starting on January 19. Faculty members will
teach synchronous, hybrid classes on campus. This means that faculty will have
students both in the classroom and students who will be attending remotely.
Such courses should transition easily to fully remote courses should that become
necessary due to dramatic changes in COVID infections.
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 given the restrictions in place to protect the
health of the campus community.
Faculty and students will be surveyed before the end of
October to gather information on health issues and other concerns about
teaching and attending in-person classes in the spring.
For details on the delivery of the Academic program in the
fall, see Appendix ACADEMICS.