Four Primary Tools to Keep Our Campus Community Healthy From the Office of the President Daniele C. Struppa, Ph. D.

Campus Community —

As we prepare for the start of the academic year, the COVID-19 Task Force has prepared campus protocols to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, along with recommendations from Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for our return to the campuses. We are committed to providing an environment that will reduce the spread of COVID-19 within our community.

For the start of the new academic year, we will focus on four primary tools to keep our campus community healthy:

Vaccination/Booster(s)

• Proof of vaccination and boosters must be submitted or a personal declination must be filed with Chapman to maintain access to campus facilities.
• To be considered fully vaccinated, individuals must be current with all available boosters as outlined by the CDC, including the second booster shot for those age 50 and older. We recommend you consult with your medical professional on all questions regarding boosters.

Daily Health Screen

• Respond to the Daily Health Screen survey and only come to campus if you are not experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms.
• The survey will be sent daily to campus email addresses for those in compliance with COVID-19 policies, including vaccination requirements. Emails will begin for students on August 1 or can be accessed at http://www.chapman.edu/amiclear.
• Public Safety officials will be posted at high traffic areas of campus to check for the CLEAR message, indicating campus access is allowed.

Masking

• Both Cal/OSHA and CDPH strongly recommend wearing masks while indoors. We also strongly recommend masks on the Chapman shuttles.
• Members of the Chapman community can request, but not require, others to wear a mask while on the campuses.

Testing

• For those unvaccinated and/or not yet current with boosters, COVID-19 testing is required once per week while Orange County remains in the medium or high community risk level.
• On-campus testing remains in the Student Health Center until August 1, and off-campus COVID-19 tests are accepted and may be reported using the Off-Campus COVID-19 Test Form. The Chapman COVID-19 Testing Center will move back to 145 Sycamore Avenue on August 1.
• Take-home COVID-19 test kits will be distributed to all residential students in Chapman Housing upon return to campus as a courtesy, but students are not required to submit these tests unless the student is unvaccinated or not yet current with eligible boosters.
• Anyone experiencing symptoms has access to Chapman COVID-19 testing in the Student Health Center, or the Chapman COVID-19 Testing Center after August 1.

If individuals do test positive for COVID-19, either on-site or with an off-site or self-test, there continues to be a mandated isolation period of ten days. Testing at five days is an option and will shorten the isolation period if a negative test is received. During the required isolation, faculty must provide alternative means for students to stay current with their courses. Similarly, if a faculty member tests positive, students will need to follow the instructions of the faculty member as they work to keep the class moving forward. As always, faculty and staff members in need of an accommodation should contact the Office of Human Resources.

We will continue to remain vigilant and adjust as the local conditions warrant it and will be revising the COVID-19 website reflect the current situation. The new CU Staying Healthy website has been updated to outline the framework of the four primary tools for COVID-19 management and to outline protocols and recommendations as they shift. In the coming weeks, I will also announce a series of virtual Town Hall forums focused on the current state of COVID-19 and our four tools to slow the spread within our community.

I am really looking forward to the launch of the new academic year! This will be an exciting time for all of us as we come back together on the campuses. I am confident we can work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while minimizing the disruption to our Chapman Experience.