Dear Students,
As we conclude the first week of the Spring semester, including our first days of in-person classes, I hope you are adjusting well to life on campus, enjoying your classes, and getting to see your classmates and friends.
Conclusion of CARP
As you are likely aware, we have completed the Campus Arrival Restriction Period (CARP). Although the CARP has concluded, I want to remind you to continue to make healthy decisions, wear face coverings, engage in social distancing, and spend time with friends outdoors.
Moving forward, until further notice, students are permitted to make trips off-campus for essential purposes, as defined in our student policies, such as visiting a doctor or receiving a prescription, grocery shopping, attending an academic commitment such as an internship, going to a place of employment, exercising, getting takeout from a restaurant. Attending social gatherings, bars, and parties is not considered essential. We will continue to reevaluate this as the semester continues. We are doing well as a community, and we want to continue to do well.
Please also be sure to use Campus Clear, our daily symptom checker. Campus Clear is the fastest way for you to get assistance from the Student Health Center if you are experiencing symptoms, and it is also important for you to have your daily “green pass” to share when accessing campus facilities.
COVID-19 Update
You can see the latest numbers for cases in our Loyola community on the COVID-19 Dashboard. We have students who are currently in isolation, but we also have plenty of available isolation space. Although we would prefer to have zero positives, we have a mitigation and support plan in place, and we feel we are well-positioned for the semester. I’m also encouraged as the state positivity rate has continued to fall.
We will continue to amend and update our operations as the semester continues, and we appreciate your patience as we work through making adjustments to our procedures as needed. I want to thank students for quarantining and isolating responsibly. It has to be difficult to do that in your early days on campus, and I appreciate that you are abiding by our policies. Each of us needs to do our part to keep our community healthy and safe.
Quarantine Advice
I understand that you—and your families—may be stressed and concerned when you learn that you need to quarantine. Please know that we are here to guide you through that process. You will receive all the information and support you need, but it might not happen instantaneously. You will receive detailed instructions in your Loyola email, so please check your email.
Our students are such rapid communicators that you are often sharing their news even faster than our health professionals can reach everyone who needs to be notified. It can be scary to hear you may have been exposed, and I encourage you not to panic. Know that we are here for and with you and have many resources in place to support you.
Please also follow all guidance from Student Health Services, student life professionals, and the COVID Logistics Coordinators. Loyola is following best practices and guidance from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), local health and government entities, and our health care partner—LifeBridge Health. We need students to comply with the protocols that have been set. Violations of policies will be addressed through the student conduct process.
Use of Academic Spaces
As you’re attending your in-person classes, please wait for classrooms to clear before entering to allow for greater social distancing. Also, please don’t linger in the classrooms after class so that the room can change over for the next class. Please continue to engage in social distancing in all areas across campus.
Conclusion
I’m extremely proud of our community and the way that we are beginning this semester with enthusiasm and genuine care for one another. I have enjoyed seeing many of you on campus, and I look forward to all that we will enjoy together this semester.
Sincerely,
Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J.
President