VCC RETURN TO CAMPUS - CORONAVIRUS UPDATE SPRING 2021

Essential Information for Students

On March 9, 2020 Ohio’s Governor Mike Dewine declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic that is ongoing. Valor Christian College’s response to the pandemic and reopening follows state guidelines.

The COVID-19 pandemic creates a unique challenge for our students, their families, faculty and staff as we strive to meet our mission. Pandemic conditions require Valor to adapt how we teach, learn and work in order to mitigate health risks for our community. Therefore, Valor is taking the following measures to advance the health and safety of our entire campus community while we continue to provide high quality spiritual and educational training to our students.

These measures and temporary policies will continue through the duration of the pandemic or with specific end-dates as indicated below, whichever occurs first.
For Fall 2021, Valor is preparing for a primarily in-person semester, adapting our curriculum and operations consistent with Ohio’s public health guidelines for higher education. The college is committed to highly engaging and fostering close connections between teachers and students; that commitment underpins the effort to return to in-person experiences as appropriate under pandemic conditions.
 
The following guidelines and resources outline measures Valor Christian College is taking to advance the health and safety of our entire campus community.

These measures have been developed to comply with federal, state and local guidelines and recommendations.
 
Fall Course Offerings

• All courses will be delivered in a format that provides meaningful interaction between faculty and students.  As such, courses may be “blended” to some degree, with students learning in real time and instruction delivered both directly and via technology throughout the semester as/if needed.
• The college’s goal is to prioritize safety while offering as much in-person instruction as possible.

Resources to support in-person instruction include:

• Classroom spaces that allow for physical distancing of 6 feet with reduced room capacity, and use of non-traditional academic spaces as needed to allow for physical distance if traditional classroom space is not available
• Instructional design support for technology-enhanced instruction.
• PPE for faculty and staff and cleaning protocols for instructional spaces.

Flexibility will be crucial throughout the fall.

• Working closely with our local and state health officials, Valor is closely monitoring all guidance related to health and safety practices and protocols. We are making decisions in a phased, evidence-based way and understand that flexibility is essential to our plan.
• Faculty have been advised to prepare classes in a way that makes it possible to switch to full remote learning on short notice, in the event Ohio public health requires this.

By diligently adhering to the practices of physical distancing, good hand and personal environment hygiene, appropriate mask wearing, daily monitoring of symptoms – as well as testing, quarantine if warranted, and isolation of individuals who test positive for the coronavirus – we can significantly reduce the risk of spreading the virus on-campus. It is important to realize, however, that elimination of all risk is not possible. A return to campus, like all aspects of life, carries with it potential risk. We can mitigate, but not eliminate, risk of coronavirus transmission.
 
Covenant Commitment to One Another’s Safety

Committed to One Another’s Safety
Our ability to flourish through fall will depend on the commitment each member of the Valor community makes to one another’s health and safety. Through education and regular public health messaging across campus, we will reinforce that everyone must follow the guidelines for mitigating risk during this time of pandemic, including mask wearing, physical distancing and handwashing.
 
Health and Safety

•  Self-Quarantine Prior to Arrival
  • All domestic students are expected to self-quarantine for eight days before arriving on-campus; students coming from international destinations must self-quarantine per CDC Guidelines (currently 14 days). Quarantine may occur anywhere the student feels most comfortable, i.e. at home with family, at an apartment, at a hotel, etc.
  • When traveling to Columbus, all students should practice prevention to mitigate risks of contracting COVID-19 (wearing a mask, social distancing, regular hand-washing).
  • Traveling to Columbus does not require a student to “reset” the quarantine clock upon arrival, as long as they quarantined for the appropriate time and practiced transmission prevention during travel.

• Physical Distancing
  • Everyone should maintain a distance of at least six feet from others in any public space — indoor or outdoor — wherever possible.
  • The number or density of people on Valor’s campus may be reduced as needed at times to maintain appropriate physical distancing.

• Signage, furniture and cleaning
  • Signage will be placed in high-density spaces, as appropriate, to guide foot traffic flow, remind people of safety practices and visually mark wait line spaces.
  • Furniture in classrooms and common areas is being marked, arranged or removed to support safety practices, including physical distancing.
  • At least twice a day, the college is cleaning bathrooms and disinfecting high touch-point areas, including door handles, faucets, handrails and other commonly touched surfaces in high-traffic areas.

• Personal Protection and Hygiene
  • Consistent with the level 3 county order from the governor, face masks must be worn in indoor settings. Masks must be put on before entering enclosed or indoor spaces including, but not limited to, classrooms, common areas, conference rooms, shared office spaces, hallways, buses and shared vehicles.
  • Exceptions include single occupancy of a dedicated office and dining. Signage will designate appropriate face-mask removal zones for physically distanced dining and other activities.
  • The primary benefit of face masks is to help protect others by intercepting large aerosol drops that are released when exhaling, speaking, singing, coughing or sneezing.
  • Masks must be worn in outdoor spaces where individuals gather and cannot maintain physical distancing of at least six feet between each person. Evidence suggests that in outdoor settings, momentary relaxation of physical distancing (e.g., passing someone on the sidewalk) is not a significant source of transmission.
  • Face masks will be part of the return-to-campus kits provided to students in August before classes resume. The kits will include one disposable mask, two reusable masks, a thermometer, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.
  • Hands should be washed frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after touching common surfaces.
  • If soap and water are not available, 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be used. Valor is taking measures to make hand sanitizer widely available across our campus.

• Daily Health Check
  • A daily health check to report body temperature and health status will be required for all faculty, staff and students each day they intend to be on Valor’s campus. 
  • A daily health check is the most effective way to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:
    • A fever of 100.4°F or higher
    • Respiratory symptoms, such as dry cough or shortness of breath
    • Sore throat
    • Headache
    • Body ache
    • Chills
    • Loss of taste or smell
    • Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Keep in mind, many people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms and are able to recover at home.

• Testing, Tracing and Quarantine
  • In keeping with recent CDC guidance on mass-scale re-entry for higher education institutions, Valor’s testing protocol does not call for mass testing of all students upon arrival. According to the CDC, an important limitation of mass testing is that it could miss cases in the early stages of infection or subsequent exposures resulting in transmission, and would only provide COVID-19 status for individuals at that specific point in time. The incubation period is thought to be within 14 days following exposure so a negative test does not rule-out the possibility of infection. Meaning someone may be negative on day four, but turn positive on day 14.
  • Current guidance from medial and public health experts recommends that the best way an institution can contain the spread of COVID-19 is through diligently following health and safety guidelines like mask wearing, social distancing, and effective cleaning and disinfection protocols.  Combined with testing of symptomatic individuals and the close contacts of those who are positive, these efforts stand to significantly contain the spread of the virus.
  • In partnership with medical providers in our community, Valor will have on-site COVID-19 testing.  More details about this will be available to students as they prepare to arrive on campus.
  • As noted, a daily health check is required for all faculty, staff and students each day that they intend to be on Valor’s campus in the fall.
  • Contact tracing will be conducted in collaboration with local health departments should a student, faculty or staff member test positive for COVID-19 in the fall.
  • Students, faculty and staff who are exposed to or have a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be required to be in isolation or quarantine as appropriate until healthy.
  • Isolation of asymptomatic individuals awaiting test results is NOT the recommendation of trusted authorities such as the CDC or ODH. Such individuals should continue the universal precautions and protocols that are expected of our entire community, and remain in their assigned on-campus dorms.
  • Symptomatic individuals awaiting test results will need to self-quarantine, rather than remain in their assigned dorm room. Those students may temporarily relocate to isolation designated rooms in Jude and Cunningham Hall as they await results.
  • Faculty will work with on-campus students with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis to ensure flexibility for completing course work.  Meals will be delivered to students in isolation in residence halls.
  • All faculty, staff and students will be required to quarantine until a return to day-to-day routine is authorized under medical and public-health guidelines.

Campus Living

• Move-in Protocols
  • Move-in will be a phased and scheduled process over several days to manage the density of individuals in each residence hall. New students are scheduled to move in Aug. 20, while returning students are scheduled for Aug. 18. It will necessarily be very different than you might have seen in the past, so please be prepared to adjust your plans and expectations accordingly.
  • Students will be assigned to a quad and will need to reserve a move in time within their quad’s assigned window.  Quads 1 & 4 have windows from 10a-2p and Quads 2 & 3 have windows from 3p-6p.  Students will receive a link to register.
    • If students have questions or need to make alternate arrangements, email the Director of Student Housing, Cherisse Conley at ConleyC@valorcollege.edu. 
    • The deadline to schedule move-in appointments is noon on Friday, August 14.
  • To help keep students, families and the Valor community safe at move-in, we ask that you follow some community guidelines:
    • Wear face coverings
    • Bring gloves and sanitizing wipes
    • Only one other person will be allowed into the building to assisting you during move in
    • Plan to arrive during your window to maintain traffic flow
    • Sanitized carts will be provided for use
  • Upon arrival, check-in at your residence hall (Cunningham for women and Jude for men), sign a lease, complete emergency contact information and other paperwork to receive the keys to your room.

• Expectations for those in residence halls
  • Each student planning to live on campus will be required to sign an addendum to the housing contract that includes a Residence Life Health and Well-Being Pledge. Compliance with the expectations and commitments outlined in the contract addendum and pledge once students are on campus will be critical for the community to flourish this fall.
  • Face masks are required in all common areas, such as lobbies, study spaces, laundry facilities, etc. Face masks are recommended if students are gathering or socializing in rooms. The number of individuals congregating in a residential room should be limited to facilitate physical distancing.
  • Students are encouraged to maintain good hygiene, including washing their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after visiting a public place, using the restroom, blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or touching their face. If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 70% alcohol should be used.
  • For the health and safety of our campus community, visitors (anyone living outside of a student’s specific residential community) will not be permitted after student move-in. Overnight guests are also prohibited.
  • Information about cleaning protocols and responsibilities for students residing in university housing will be shared upon arrival.
  • Accountability measures will be in place for those who do not complete the training and sign the pledge, or choose not to abide by required health and safety guidelines. These accountability measures may range from additional training and informal coaching to formal disciplinary action based on existing structures for students, faculty and staff.

• Frequently Asked Questions:
  • What are the procedures for physical distancing and sanitizing during move-in?
    • Valor will require residents and families moving in to wear face coverings throughout the move-in process. Face coverings will be provided to students as a part of their move-in packet. Valor will not provide face coverings for a student's family members or move-in helper, so please plan accordingly.  We will post safe usage guidelines including physical distancing and occupancy limits for all common areas, including lounges and kitchens. Traffic flow signs will be posted throughout all of the common areas of the buildings to ensure physical distancing can be maintained for residents as they move in. We will place hand sanitizing stations in buildings, particularly around common areas. We will increase the cleaning/disinfection frequency of common "high touch" areas (including interior and exterior door handles) and restrooms throughout each day of the move-in period. Carts will be provided for aiding in the move-in process and each will be cleaned between uses by a Resident staff member.
  • Will there be volunteers to help with my move-in?
    • There will not be volunteers to help with move-in this year in an effort to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. Dorm Leadership will be in the buildings and available to provide directions, but students will be responsible for moving their items into their room.
  • Who can be present at move-in?
    • Students will be limited to one family member or move-in helper. This decision is based on guidelines for physical distancing from the CDC and public health. The one-helper limit will reduce the likelihood of crowded stairwells, common baths, and hallways.
    • Additional family members are welcome to come to campus but they cannot be in the building at the same time with the student. Once the move-in period ends for a student, only residents will be allowed in the residence halls.
    • Before coming to campus, all individuals should check for symptoms using the COVID-19 screening checklist. Anyone exhibiting symptom(s) should not come to campus and should consult their health care provider.
  • Will refreshments be provided?
    • Valor will provide food, water and games while maintaining social distancing.
    • We encourage you to bring your own food and drink to fill your refrigerator.
  • How should I pack my things?
    • Given the current COVID-19 situation, we ask that residents limit the volume of belongings they bring with them to campus in case they are required to change rooms or return home during the semester.
    • Pack everything in a box, suitcase or storage bin.  Loose items are more likely to be lost and increase trips back and forth.  In addition, in the event of inclement weather, your belongings will be much safer in a box than on their own!
    • Size matters (and weight too)!  Remember that, in some cases, you will be using stairs to move your belongings.
    • Be informed! Review the list of approved/prohibited items and know what is and is not allowed in your room.
    • Recommended items to bring.

• Dining Services

Dining Services will follow federal, state and local guidance regarding health and safety while continuing to provide food diversity and balanced nutrition across the university.

The following changes will be made to operations:

• Mobile ordering and pick-up are encouraged. There will be limited availability of other ordering methods, including ordering at kiosks. Traditional all-you-care-to-eat dining locations will operate as pre-order, pick-up locations.
• Limited seats will be available on a first-come first-served basis. Tables and chairs will be cleaned and sanitized after each use.
• Guests will be asked to enter the dining locations for order pick-up after they receive notifications indicating that the order is ready, rather than waiting within the facility. Staff will manage guest flow during peak hours.
• Self-serve salad bars and condiment/flatware stands will not be available. Condiments, flatware and other items will be provided as a part of the mobile ordering process. Guests must follow staff instructions regarding beverage service.
• Reusable containers will not be utilized or permitted.
• Chilled meal packages will be offered for reheating in residence hall rooms. Meal packages can be pre-ordered for pick-up at select Dining Services locations.

All customers must wear face masks when picking up food. Face masks should be removed only when the customer is seated at the table and eating.

Guests will be required to maintain physical distancing (a minimum of six feet distance from others) while waiting for food, picking up food and when dining.

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