[BusinessGrad] COVID-19 Update: Important Reminders for the Fall Semester

Mon Aug 16 09:11:28 CDT 2021

BSOB Graduate Students,

Please continue to monitor Samford's COVID 19 updates as they pertain to the start of the fall semester.

The most recent email update is below and includes important information about return to campus COVID testing requirement.

We are excited to get you all safely back on campus for the start of classes in two weeks!

Dean Carson
From: Allsu-l <allsu-l-bounces at samford.edu<mailto:allsu-l-bounces at samford.edu>> On Behalf Of Samford COVID19 info
Sent: Friday, August 6, 2021 4:16 PM
To: allsu-l <allsu-l at listserv.samford.edu<mailto:allsu-l at listserv.samford.edu>>
Subject: [Allsu-l] COVID-19 Update: Important Reminders for the Fall Semester

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Dear Students,

Three weeks from now the campus will be humming with move-ins and the start of classes. To ensure your return is as smooth as possible, please remember to complete all three steps to be cleared for the fall semester prior to arrival. Residential students will not receive room keys and no student will be allowed to attend class until you have:

1)          Electronically sign the Student Acknowledgement & Assumption of Risk<https://dynamicforms.ngwebsolutions.com/casAuthentication.ashx?InstID=0f61a725-c6e6-4ae6-a081-0708fcbad0dd&targetURL=https%3a%2f%2fdynamicforms.ngwebsolutions.com%2fSubmit%2fStart%2f6e957b37-ce56-44d5-8287-1a916731ca52>.

2)          Respond to the university's Vaccination Response Form<http://www.samford.edu/go/vaccinationresponse> and upload verification if you choose (see below).

3)          Within seven days prior to returning to campus, submit a negative PCR test result. Please follow the instructions contained in our July 27, 2021 email<https://www.samford.edu/emergency/information/coronavirus/messages/2021-07-27-Students>, "Required Reentry Baseline Testing." Highlights from that email appear below, including the schedule for our on-campus drive-through testing clinic. Upload your test results here.<http://samford.edu/go/UploadResults>
Please note that missing class due to incomplete reentry requirements will result in unexcused absences.

CAMPUS VACCINATION RATE

We are encouraged to report that as of Aug. 4, 2021, more than 540 employees have completed the University's Vaccination Response Form with 93.75% of respondents indicating they are vaccinated. Among students, more than 1,650 responses have been received with 66.77% of students indicating a positive vaccination status.

Samford remains below levels recommended to attain herd immunity, but our aggregate vaccination rate of 73.38% is reassuring. As we look to campus health protocols for the fall, our aggregate vaccination rate will be an important consideration. Samford continues to strongly encourage vaccination against COVID-19. We encourage employees and students, in consultation with their health professional, to complete the entire vaccination schedule and be fully vaccinated before the start of the fall semester.

BASELINE REENTRY TESTING

As communicated in our July 27, 2021 email<https://www.samford.edu/emergency/information/coronavirus/messages/2021-07-27-Students>, students have three options for meeting Reentry Baseline Testing:

OPTION 1: If you are a graduate student or an undergraduate student living off campus, Samford will host an on-campus, drive-up Reentry Baseline Testing clinic Aug. 23-25, 2021. Tests will be self-administered in your vehicle, collected by Samford staff and delivered to the lab. Please enter through the West Gate and follow the signs to the lower West Campus Village Parking lot<https://www.samford.edu/campus-map/>. Clinic times are:

  *   Monday, Aug. 23: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
  *   Tuesday, Aug. 24: 12 p.m.-6 p.m.
  *   Wednesday, Aug. 25: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

OPTION 2: For residential students, students returning to campus before Aug. 30 and those who will not be in Birmingham during the on-campus testing clinic, you may request for a PCR test kit to be mailed to you at no cost. YOU MUST REQUEST A KIT NO LATER THAN SUNDAY, AUG. 8, 2021.

FOR EITHER OPTION 1 OR 2, please follow instructions in our July 27, 2021 email<https://www.samford.edu/emergency/information/coronavirus/messages/2021-07-27-Students> to register your kit with Everlywell.

OPTION 3:  You may choose to provide a negative PCR test result obtained from your personal healthcare provider at your own expense. All tests must be administered within the seven days preceding your return to the campus (please see the table below). Samford does not accept test results from home testing kits. Students who select this option must upload their negative PCR test result to the university portal using this link<https://samford.edu/go/uploadresults> (samford.edu/go/UploadResults<https://samford.edu/go/uploadresults>). Students may submit a negative PCR result from samples taken via nasal swab, oral rinse or any FDA approved administration technique. You must obtain a result from a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PRC) test. Rapid antigen, non-PCR molecular or antibody test results are not acceptable.

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 since June 1, 2021 should not retest but instead should upload documentation of their previous positive COVID-19 test result here<https://samford.edu/go/uploadresults> (samford.edu/go/UploadResults<https://samford.edu/go/uploadresults>).

If you are enrolled in a fully online program or participating in clinical rotations or internships and will not be on campus at any time during the fall semester, you are not required to complete the Reentry Baseline Testing.

TESTING SCHEDULE

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* This is the date you should administer your test. The test must be mailed via the UPS label included on the same day you take your sample.

** To assure you receive your kit with sufficient time to meet the "Take and Test" date, you must request a test by this date. No kits will be mailed after the Test Request Deadline.

Additional information is provided in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<https://www.samford.edu/emergency/information/coronavirus/faqs> posted to the university's COVID-19 website<https://www.samford.edu/emergency/information/coronavirus/>. Also, remember that all previous campus COVID-19 Update communications are available at this site<https://www.samford.edu/emergency/information/coronavirus/messages/>. Return to the website often as new FAQs and campus protocols will be added and existing ones may be modified.

Remember that questions can be sent to covid19health at samford.edu<mailto:covid19health at samford.edu>. We hope you enjoy the remaining weeks of summer!

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