Campus Health & Safety
Campus Health & Safety
Last updated: August 16, 2021
Drew’s commitment to de-densify and operate a safe and healthy campus is evidenced in our instructional, testing, residential, employment, and facilities plans and policies in accordance with requirements from the state and recommendations from the CDC.
Vaccination Resources
We strongly encourage all community members to get vaccinated.
Students
As previously announced, residential and commuter students are required to be vaccinated and upload their vaccine records to their Student Health Portal at least two weeks prior to arriving to campus, no later than August 13. The vaccine requirement for students is not in effect until the start of the fall semester. Requests for exemptions for medical or religious reasons are being considered on a case-by-case basis. Less than 5% of the student body have been approved for exemptions.
Faculty and Staff
On August 25, shortly after the FDA announced full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the University implemented a policy to require full vaccination for all faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, temporary employees, and independent contractors working on Drew’s campus by October 15, 2021. Read the full message here.
Employees not yet vaccinated or seeking a medical or religious exemption must:
- Receive their first vaccine dose of Pfizer or Moderna, the single dose of J&J/Janssen, or have requested an exemption by Friday, September 10. Exemption forms are available here and on the HR website.
- Fully complete their vaccination series or have an approved exemption by Friday, October 15.
- Follow campus health and safety guidelines, including wearing a face covering indoors and physically distance from others (where possible), as well as participate in weekly off-campus COVID testing, at your personal expense, until such time that you are fully vaccinated. Beginning August 30, negative test results must be uploaded every Monday morning prior to reporting to campus using this Google Form.
If your vaccination status has changed since completing the employee survey, please update your information here.
Testing
On-Campus Surveillance Testing | Symptomatic Testing
On-Campus Surveillance Testing
We will continue to observe local, regional, and global infection rates and transmission trends, and may increase or adapt our testing requirements at any time. Any changes will be communicated to the community via email. Our current testing plans are outlined below.
Pre-Arrival Testing (for exempted or not yet fully vaccinated students)
Prior to arriving on campus, all exempt, unvaccinated students must upload a negative COVID-19 test to your health portal. These pre-arrival tests must be completed between three and five days prior to your move-in date. Select “Pre-Entry COVID Test” when uploading documents into the portal. Vaccinated students will not have to submit a pre-arrival test.
Arrival Testing (for international, exempted, or not yet fully vaccinated students)
All exempt, unvaccinated residents are required to complete a COVID-19 test on campus on the day of your move-in to campus housing. Additionally, vaccinated international students traveling to Drew from outside the U.S. are required to complete a COVID-19 test upon arrival to campus. Vaccinated domestic students will not be required to complete an arrival COVID-19 test.
Surveillance Testing (for exempted or not yet fully vaccinated students)
All exempt, unvaccinated students will be tested weekly during the semester. More information regarding the logistics of surveillance testing will be shared in the coming weeks.
Symptomatic Testing
All students, regardless of vaccination status, will be tested by Health Services if they report symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. Faculty and staff who exhibit symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 should contact their health care provider for testing and evaluation.
Face Coverings
Masks
As we’ve learned more about the Delta variant, we feel it prudent to expand our mask requirements. The following protocols are in effect:
- All individuals are required to wear a face covering when in an indoor public location on campus regardless of vaccination status, except when actively eating or drinking.
- Fully vaccinated students may remove their face coverings in residence halls. Students who received a medical or religious exemption may only remove face coverings in their own residence hall room.
- Individuals alone in an office may remove their face covering, but should wear face coverings when others are present.
- Masks are required in all classrooms and in all off-campus class meeting locations, such as those that are a part of nycTRECs or field trips.
We recognize and support those who are fully vaccinated and choose to wear a mask in any location.
Screening
While daily LiveSafe health screenings are no longer required, please continue to self monitor for signs and symptoms of illness each morning, and stay home if sick. The LiveSafe app will continue to be used to communicate emergency notifications, so all are advised to keep the app on their phones. Please read more about LiveSafe at Drew and download the app if new to campus.
Contact Tracing, Isolation, and Quarantine
Students: The Health Service staff will conduct contact tracing for students who test positive for COVID-19 on campus.
Any student, regardless of vaccination status, who tests positive for COVID will be required to isolate for 10 days. Isolation housing on campus, as well as other services such as meal delivery, will be available for students.
Fully vaccinated students who are identified as close contacts of a COVID-postive individual but are asymptomatic will not have to quarantine, but will be tested three to five days after exposure. They should also wear a face covering and self monitor for symptoms for 14 days. Should symptoms develop, they should notify the Health Service so they can be tested.
Unvaccinated students who are identified as a close contact of a COVID-postive individual will be required to quarantine for a period of 10 to 14 days. The duration of quarantine will be guided by the current rates of transmission on campus and in the surrounding community, and in accordance with CDC, New Jersey, and Madison Borough Department of Health guidelines. Students in quarantine will be tested between five to seven days after exposure. Quarantine housing on campus and other support services will be available for students.
Faculty and Staff: Likewise, Human Resources will conduct contact tracing for employees who test positive for COVID-19. Faculty and staff experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or who have tested positive must not teach or work in person. Any employee who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for 10 days prior to returning to campus and should notify Human Resources at humres@drew.edu.
Employees who have been exposed to COVID-19 will be required to follow CDC and local guidance. Currently, this requires vaccinated individuals to be tested three to five days after exposure, and to wear a face covering and self monitor for symptoms for 14 days or a negative test result. Unvaccinated individuals are required to quarantine for 10 to 14 days and be tested between days five to seven after exposure.
Faculty who feel well enough to teach may teach remotely and should email CLADean@drew.edu if they expect to remotely teach two or more consecutive in-person classes for any one course. If unable to teach for extended periods, faculty should work with department chairs or the dean’s office to make arrangements for covering classes.
If well enough to perform job duties, staff should work with their supervisor regarding remote work arrangements.