Health, Safety, and Resources

EFFECTIVE DATE:  May 12, 2023

Vaccination Status

As of May 12, 2023, the College will no longer require the Covid-19 vaccine for students, faculty and staff on campus. However, the most effective means to protect yourself and the community is to get vaccinated. Thus, the College strongly recommends that all community members follow CDC guidelines for Covid-19 vaccination, including being up-to-date on Covid-19 vaccines and booster doses. The CDC provides the most up to date information on vaccines, boosters, and eligibility criteria.

Health and Safety Protocols 

For the summer of 2023 and upcoming fall semester, the revised health and safety protocols, described below, will be in place until further notice and will continue to be assessed.

Visitors

Visitors to campus are not required to be vaccinated; but we strongly recommend that they follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination, including being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses.

If You Feel Ill

Students experiencing symptoms are encouraged to reach out to Health Services for Covid-19 testing. Faculty and staff who are experiencing symptoms are encouraged to work with their primary care physician or conduct an at-home Covid-19 test. The College no longer requires anyone to report the results of their Covid-19 test.

Face Coverings

Use of face coverings by those who wish to wear them continues to be welcomed on campus. However, such coverings are not required unless:

• A faculty member requires them in a classroom or lab;
• A faculty or staff member requires them in their private office;

Face coverings remain required during the 10-day period following a positive Covid-19 test, regardless of the date that you leave isolation. Individuals who have been asked to wear a face covering should respect and comply with any request from faculty, students, or staff. We will reassess the need for this precaution later this year.

Faculty/Staff Isolation Protocol

If employees test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. (The day of a positive test is Day 0.) Following five days of isolation, asymptomatic employees and employees whose symptoms are resolving and have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication may return to work on campus and must wear a face covering for five additional days around others, whether on campus or off campus, to minimize the risk of infecting others. If employees are symptomatic after five days, they must isolate for up to 10 days or until 24 hours after symptoms have disappeared, whichever occurs first. For any employee who then returns to work in less than 10 days, face coverings are required through the 10-day period. Isolation guidelines apply to vaccinated and unvaccinated faculty and staff.

Student Isolation Protocols

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, stay in your residence hall for at least five days and isolate from others or you may choose to leave and isolate off campus. (The day of a positive test is Day 0, regardless of the day that the students developed symptoms). For students who are in close contact with a Covid-positive roommate, it is likely they have already been exposed to the virus, and therefore will not need to relocate to another room. Those close contact students will be permitted to attend class but should wear a mask and take a test if symptoms develop. (See “Close Contact” information, below.) On the morning of the sixth day, asymptomatic students and students whose symptoms are resolving and have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication may end their isolation immediately.  Students must wear a face covering for five additional days around others, whether on-campus or off-campus, to minimize the risk of infecting others. If students are symptomatic after five full days, they must isolate for up to 10 days or until 24 hours after symptoms have disappeared, whichever occurs first. For any student who finishes up isolation in less than 10 days, face coverings are required through the 10-day period.

Students are responsible to notify their faculty members that they are in isolation and make arrangements to fulfill their academic requirements. Likewise, student employees are responsible to notify their supervisors of their absence. Students in need of medical assistance while in isolation should contact Health Services  or the counseling center. Isolating students in need of academic and other non-medical support services should contact their class dean. 

Students isolating in their room may use the bathroom on their floor and should wear a mask in the bathroom unless engaged in self-care that requires them to take off the mask momentarily (e.g., brushing teeth, showering, shaving).

Students with Covid-19 may enter the dining hall to select their food using eco-to-go boxes, but may not eat in the dining hall. Students should wear a mask  while in the space choosing their food.

While in isolation, students are allowed to go outdoors around campus. They are not permitted to enter any buildings on campus with the exception of a dining hall for eco-to-go meals and their own residence hall. Students should wear a mask if they can not socially distance outdoors.

Student and Faculty/Staff Close Contact Protocols

If you are a close contact of a test-positive individual, you are not required to quarantine unless you are exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms. But consistent with CDC guidance, you must wear a face covering when around others for 10 days (the day you receive notice is Day 0.) While on campus, you should not eat your meals in close proximity to others. If you begin to exhibit any symptoms of Covid-19, please contact health services for Covid-19 testing if you are a student OR take an at home test and work in conjunction with your primary care provider if necessary for faculty and staff members.

Types of “close contact” may include:

• Being within six feet of someone who has Covid-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more within the last 48 hours;
• Providing care at home to someone who is sick with Covid-19;
• Having direct physical contact with the infected person (hugged or kissed them);
• Sharing eating or drinking utensils with the infected person;
• Being touched by respiratory droplets from a sneeze, cough, or other transmission by the infected person.

Facility Protocols

Cleaning protocols are informed by guidance developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that reduce potential exposure to Covid-19.

Colby’s systems follow the national industry standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which specifies air supply rates are based on space type/application, occupancy level, and floor area, making the required ventilation rate space-specific rather than building-specific. Overriding energy-saving settings, Colby’s ventilation systems have been adjusted to ensure the flow of outside air to meet or exceed ASHRAE’s Covid-19 guidelines. Air handling unit filters are inspected at twice the specified frequency to minimize risk.

Accommodations and Special Requirements

Based on individual circumstances, Colby will work to provide reasonable accommodations and appropriate adjustments for students, faculty, and staff who face serious challenges and risks due to Covid-19.

Privacy

The health information the College receives from students, faculty, and staff is confidential and will only be used, shared with those who need to know, and retained in accordance with federal and state laws. If a member of the College community contracts the Covid-19 virus, the College will take significant measures to protect that information.

Monitoring Covid-19 Trends and Variants

The College will continue to monitor the latest scientific evidence and medical recommendations regarding Covid-19.