Spring Semester Q&A

Our guiding principles for responding to the pandemic are these:

1. We value the Cornell community and the life, safety, and dignity of each of its members.
2. Our goal remains to facilitate learning in an immersive environment, with a preference for in-person classes and interactions.
3. We strive to work with individual needs, when feasible.
4. We take into consideration our impact on the wider Mount Vernon-Lisbon, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City community.
5. We base decisions on scientific and medical data and public health recommendations.
6. Like the block plan, our solutions may be distinctive, creative, and informed by the unique needs of Cornell.

Associate Professor Jai Shanata explains how we look at the data.

We take a holistic view of multiple data points when considering the progress of the virus in an area specific to Cornell College. We have elected to focus our attention on the areas of campus, and the two counties where faculty, staff, and off-campus students reside and work. Those triggers include internal and external triggers.

Internal Triggers

• What structural mitigation is in place?
• Are cleaning protocols in place and implemented?
• Do we have the PPE we need and is the supply chain more secure?
• Are community members using the college symptom checker?
• Are we below a 5% threshold of reported cases on campus?
• Are isolation and quarantine spaces ready if we need them?
• Are procedures in place to transport people identified as symptomatic?
• Added for spring semester: availability of COVID-19 vaccine for the campus community     

External triggers

• What is the extent of spread in our identified community?
• Are local resources to provide care for both COVID-19 patients and routine medical and emergency care easily available?
• Is the severity of the disease in our area within our acceptable range?
• Is testing in place for symptomatic people through Test Iowa?
• Can area clinics keep up with routine appointments?

The campus community, and parents who are enabled via student information sharing, will receive an email each time we change phases. A green bar on the top of the website home page will indicate our current phase, and the current phase will be indicated on our COVID-19 Plan to Resume On-Campus Operations in a green bar with bold text.

A team of two students, a chemistry faculty member, and a statistician have worked exhaustively together through the Cornell Summer Research Institute to build our body of data and triggers that inform our decision making. They pull data from COVID-19 in Iowa and the Linn County Coronavirus website and use guidance from the World Health Organization guidelines to determine our metrics.

Professor Jai Shanata is the research advisor; Brandi Shanata is the statistics consultant; Cornell senior Robyn Luchesi is a biochemistry and molecular biology and philosophy major and is a student researcher; and Cornell sophomore Gwen Paule is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and Spanish and is a student researcher.

The college has a phased plan which includes a number of internal triggers such as percentage of employee and/or student illness, our ability to order more supplies related to health and safety (secure supply chain), general compliance on campus with the wearing of face coverings, etc. External triggers include such metrics as the extent of spread in the area, the number of hospital admissions vs. discharges, the use of hospital resources, etc. So we will certainly be watching the number of ill people on campus, but that is just one of many triggers that we will keep an eye on.

Everyone returning to campus must take responsibility to create a Caring Community, where each of us is as invested in the health of everyone else on campus as we are in our own health. We know that caring is an integral part of the Cornell spirit, and we are counting on each of you to commit to consciously living it, every day, as we reconvene. Every member of the campus community will be asked to sign the Cornellian Commitment Pledge before returning to campus to study or work.

• Complete a daily symptom checker online every day that you are on campus (and starting two weeks before you arrive on-campus).
• Wear a face covering any time you are in a classroom, academic building, Thomas Commons, Cole Library, residence hall common areas, campus offices, or within six feet of others.
• Practice physical distancing by trying to keep six feet or more from others.
• Keep your hands washed and use sanitizer.
• Help track COVID-19 on campus. You may be asked to take a randomized COVID-19 antigen test through the Health Center to monitor campus trends. There will be no cost to you or use of your family’s insurance for our randomized testing.
• Be prepared to cooperate with a request to self-isolate away from your residence hall if you’re part of a contact trace. We will have self-isolation spaces available for you.
• Be adaptable. Living together in community means we’re all going to have to consider changes to our daily schedules, where we walk, who we gather with, and how we do many normal, everyday things.

• Everyone on campus will be required to wear a face covering and complete the symptom checker daily.
• Cleaning procedures and materials are enhanced.
• Hand sanitizer and surface cleaning materials are available at the main entrance of every building.
• Randomized and stratified COVID-19 testing will be conducted weekly.
• Isolation and spaces are available in the event you test positive.
• Structural mitigation is in place (Plexiglas shields, one-way staircases, closed common spaces, airflow and filtering modifications, drinking fountains turned off, etc.).
• Dining modifications are in place.
• Classroom modifications are in place (specific morning start times, six feet distancing, seating charts, no food or beverage allowed).
• Office procedure modifications are in place (make appointments before going to an office, more transactions will be conducted virtually).
• Changes to the daily schedule to reduce the volume of students in shared spaces (including residence hall bathrooms, dining areas, and academic building hallways).
• We hope to have outdoor locations designated for periodic class sessions or small group meetings available again as the weather warms.
• Limits on the numbers of people who can gather in various locations.
• Monitoring of internal and external conditions will be done daily to determine if the campus can advance to the next phase safely or needs to go back to a previous phase to safeguard the health of the campus.

Snugly fitting masks with ear loops and at least two layers of fabric that completely cover the nose and chin are the minimum requirement whenever indoors. Single layer neck gaiters, open triangle bandanas, and masks with one-way valves do not provide adequate protection indoors and are not accepted forms of face coverings

With the new strains of the virus prevalent in our area we have also determined that face shields alone are not adequate protection indoors and we request that anyone indoors wear a mask with their face shield.

Current CDC recommendations would expand on the fabric mask requirement and indicate that best protection would be wearing a tightly fitting surgical mask under your fabric mask to protect from the more virulent strains of COVID-19.

Remaining at home or living off campus and taking classes online is the option you may choose until we are able to move to phase 4 of our campus plan.

You are expected to bring face coverings with you to campus. If you cannot obtain a face covering, we will have a limited supply available to ensure everyone is able to comply with the face-covering requirement. If you leave your residence hall room and forget your mask, stop by the Campus Safety Office, Thomas Commons Info Desk, or Cole Library's main desk to ask for a disposable mask.

If you are part of the random sample being tested (there will be tests happening at least twice per week), you’ll be contacted via email and given information about reporting to our testing facility in Ebersole Hall.

Community members will be contacted via phone or email if they are part of a contact tracing event. If a student is a positive contact, they will be asked to isolate and will be tested, monitored for symptoms, and continue to complete the symptom tracker daily. If, by day 10 you test negative, you may end isolation.

Contact tracing will protect the privacy of individuals, and health records will only be shared on a need-to-know basis per our current privacy policy. If you need to be isolated or quarantined, we encourage you to be in direct communication with your faculty or advisor, student employment supervisor, or coach.

If you develop symptoms over the weekend, please stay in your room, report your symptoms on the Symptom Checker, and contact the Student Health Center first thing Monday morning at 319-895-4292. To order meals to be delivered check the Bon Appetit online menu, then email your selections to meals@cornellcollege.edu.

You will be expected to quarantine in your residence hall room or at home if you were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and complete the symptom checker daily. Quarantine will last 10 days if you test negative on day 10, or 14 days if you are not tested. If you have a positive test you will be asked to isolate while you recover. While in quarantine you will be able to attend class online and meals will be delivered to your residence hall room by Bon Appetit.

You’ll work with our staff in the Health Center to determine the need to quarantine. During this time, you can expect to complete the daily symptom tracker, have daily telehealth meetings with the health center staff until you have no fever for at least three full days, verify your symptoms have improved, and it’s been at least 10 days since symptoms arose. We’ll help with a packing list of things to take with you, working with your faculty member to continue in the course or pursue a health withdrawal, and help provide you meals while you are quarantined. If you remain on campus you will check in with Health Services at least twice daily.

We will not have any additional costs at this time if you need to be isolated or quarantined

We did two rounds of testing for student who chose to return early to campus to prepare for Block 5. As of January 17 we will resume our randomized and stratified testing for the remainder of the campus community as we did fall semester.

If the antigen test is negative but the symptoms are consistent with COVID-19, a PCR test will be sent to the State Hygienic Lab. The student will need to quarantine until results are received.

Testing is primarily limited to randomized screening participants and those who have symptoms or are positive contacts. We open testing for wider participation prior to travel before major academic breaks. If anyone has reason to believe they need testing in addition to these parameters, they should contact the Student Health Center.

We have four hospitals within a 30-minute radius of Mount Vernon; St. Luke's and Mercy in Cedar Rapids, and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Our data team is keeping a close eye on the number of hospital beds and ventilators available in these hospitals, and all of them have an excellent capacity for patients at this time.

We know that some students will need to leave campus for work, family commitments, and health appointments. Faculty and staff will be commuting to and from their homes. We ask each resident of campus to consider whether a trip off campus is truly necessary.

If you deem it is necessary, we ask that you take extra caution while you are away by wearing your face covering in public, washing or sanitizing your hands and property like cell phones and wallets regularly, maintaining physical distance whenever possible, and electing to avoid situations of potential exposure whenever possible and to avoid businesses where physical distancing is difficult to maintain, such as restaurants and bars. You may consider showering and laundering clothes more regularly, based on your interactions with others.

In our instances of community spread via travel in cars with others has been one of the highest vectors of transmission. Please limit trips off campus in cars with others if at all possible and continue to wear masks in vehicles with others.

Cleaning products, equipment, techniques, and frequency will be enhanced to mitigate surface-based exposure risks. Restrooms and residence hall kitchens will be cleaned and sanitized three times per day. Surfaces in classrooms will be cleaned daily. A cleaning staff member will work during all operational hours of Thomas Commons. Bon Appétit staff will clean dining surfaces during and in-between cohort meal periods.

Classrooms will be cleaned overnight unless there is a different class in the classroom from morning to afternoon. Then it will be cleaned between.

Yes. There is a protocol with CDC guidelines that will be followed including ventilating the space for 24 hours followed by a wipe down and electrostatic sanitization. If it is a common space it gets wiped down and electrostatic sanitization as soon as possible.

Yes. We have looked at all spaces and maximizing outdoor air and improving filtration. We are focusing on air changes per hour to minimize the risk of virus spread. We are also using portable units where we need to improve those air changes.

Submit a work order any time night or day.

Professor of Sociology Erin Davis explains how hybrid courses may be formatted.

We are offering courses in a variety of formats this spring to support our campus safety precautions. These designations will be reflected in Self Service as hybrid, in-person, or online by the end of July.

Hybrid courses: Hybrid courses may include required in-person as well as required synchronous and/or asynchronous online instruction. The balance of in-person and online learning will depend upon the course. Students approved to live and learn off-campus for reasons related to COVID-19 may enroll and participate in the course remotely through required synchronous and asynchronous online instruction. Students enrolled in hybrid courses who are symptomatic or who must isolate or quarantine and cannot attend class in person will have the opportunity to participate in the course remotely.

In-person-only: While in-person-only courses may involve some online learning components, substantial instruction occurs on-campus and requires in-person attendance. Not open to students who have been approved to live and learn off-campus for reasons related to COVID-19.

Online-only: Instruction occurs remotely through required synchronous and asynchronous online instruction. Open to students living on- or off-campus.

All students should expect some online learning components in their courses. If a course you are registered for receives a designation that won’t work for your learning situation please contact your academic advisor right away to talk about options.

Like block courses, adjunct courses are being offered in a variety of formats (hybrid, in-person, and online). See Self-Service and/or reach out to the faculty member for more information.

Some classes will be held in person in modified classrooms with appropriate physical distancing with online elements. Some classes will have a hybrid format of online and in-person sessions. Some classes will be offered fully online. Specifications for each class will be shared with you before each block begins.

Some hybrid courses may include substantial in-person instruction. While accommodations will be made for those approved to live off-campus, in-person attendance may be required for students living on campus. The balance of in-person and online activity is set by the instructor and varies by course. Course meeting schedules will be posted in the syllabus and students can contact the faculty member for more information about in-person expectations and requirements.

Classrooms will contain fewer tables and chairs so that everyone in the classroom maintains six feet between each other. Faculty, staff, and students will be required to wear face coverings (masks and/or shields that cover both nose and mouth). Due to the requirement to wear face coverings when in the classroom, no food will be allowed in the classroom.

There may be good reasons to come to campus even if you have hybrid and online courses in the fall. Some hybrid courses may include substantial in-person instruction for students living on campus. It may be easier for some students, even those who are in online courses, to study and learn online from campus. However, students choosing not to be on campus due to concerns about COVID-19, may request to live and learn off-campus and may enroll in hybrid and online courses.

Faculty, staff, and students are required to wear face coverings (masks and/or shields) appropriately during in-person class sessions and in all spaces, including bathrooms, when in an academic building. To mitigate the risk faced by others in the classroom, those who do not comply will not be allowed to remain in class. Some faculty may require that both a mask and shield be worn in the classroom.

Students should not attend class if they have a fever, are symptomatic, or indicate they have had contact with someone who has COVID-19. If a student shows up to class after indicating that they have a fever, are symptomatic, or have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19 then they should return to their residence and contact the Student Health Center (319.895.4292).

Drinking beverages through a straw is allowed in public indoor locations (e.g., classrooms, hallways, offices, fitness center, library). Face masks should not be removed while drinking, to the extent possible. Faculty have the discretion to limit or prohibit beverage drinking in the classroom.

Yes. To assist in facilitating contact tracing, seating arrangements will be used.

Yes. For spring 2021, in order to facilitate social distancing happening on campus, block courses will have staggered morning and afternoon start times and designated lunch periods. Not all classes will meet both morning and afternoon, but you will have a 1.5 hour designated break between morning and afternoon classes. During each mid-daybreak, students will have an assigned shorter amount of time to pick up food from Hilltop Cafe or Zamora’s Market.

Yes. Some class meetings may be held outdoors; a six-foot physical distance will be expected and face coverings may continue to be required. Students are encouraged to pack a camping chair or outdoor blanket to sit on while class is held outdoors.

The bookstore is open and stocked with books. Many more books are now available as an ebook to facilitate distance/online learning and provide better pricing. In most cases, you can choose from new, used, rentals, or digital titles. Visit www.cornellcollegeshop.com and click on textbooks to get started.

When you place an online order, you will have the option of choosing "free shipping to the bookstore" - just pick up your order from the Bookstore when you arrive on campus. You can request delivery to your Campus Mailbox instead of picking it up, by listing your mailbox number in the special instructions. If your order will be shipped off campus, please allow enough time for the delivery companies to get the package to you.

At this time, the maximum occupancy in the bookstore is 20 people. With physical distancing in place, you may be asked to wait to enter the bookstore until other folks finish their shopping and leave the space. We have facemasks for sale on our website, including Cornell branded masks.

If you don’t feel safe returning to campus, can’t make travel arrangements, or suspect you might have been exposed to COVID-19, that’s ok. While the full course catalog will not be available for remote instruction, we have a wide range of classes available that will allow you to continue your course of study from home. We also have funds from the federal CARES Act to assist with COVID-related educational needs you may have, such as improved Internet or technology, if you need to continue your education from home. To request an accommodation to study from home, you can submit a request for an exemption form to Residence Life.

Unless a student is enrolled in an in-person-only course, they will be able to continue to participate in their course remotely from their room (if they are self-isolating) or their quarantine space.

A number of situations could happen in our personal lives related to COVID-19. We could get sick, we could need to self-quarantine, we might need to take care of a loved one who has gotten sick. In the event that you need to withdraw from a class or miss a block due to a COVID-19 event, you will be able to use a Block 9 or Block 10 flex block to make up that credit.

If you must leave campus due to a COVID-19 for one full block or more, we will refund room and board on a prorated basis, depending on a student’s financial aid package.

Technology support
If you are planning to study remotely and you tend to have problems with your Internet connection or do not have an Internet connection, contact IT for support. Problem-solving can take time, so please contact them as soon as possible.

Even if you are on campus, there may be online components to your learning and you may need to contact IT for assistance; the best ways to do that are to enter a work order request, email help@cornellcollege.edu, or call 319.895.3457.

Campus services support
The Cole Library Center for Teaching and Learning studios and consultants will provide face-to-face and virtual consultation and assistance options to suit all needs.

Rather than convening in large ensembles, our musicians will collaborate and perform in smaller groups. The theatre and dance departments will rehearse and prepare for performances in ways that observe social distancing and offer their performances remotely.

You can contribute to our Caring Community by being a positive role model and adhering to Cornell safety guidelines and precautions; encouraging classmates, community members and friends to follow safety guidelines and procedures to keep others safe; modeling Cornell’s culture of caring; considering the safety of not just yourself but others at Cornell and the wider Mount Vernon community; assessing your health and staying home when feeling ill; keeping a positive "glass half full not half empty" attitude even in these unprecedented times; being patient, kind, and respectful to your Ramily; realizing that we all have a mutual responsibility to keep our community safe and acting on that responsibility; practicing inclusivity, so that ALL feel welcomed, respected, and included; advocating for the underrepresented, marginalized, and underserved; being a voice for those who don't have a voice, or whose voice goes unheard; and striving each day to make Cornell a wonderful place to live, learn, work, and play.

There are a number of resources available on and off-campus for you to find positive and meaningful messages. We encourage you to follow the Health Promotion Instagram account and Facebook page to find positive messaging. Beyond this, Reverend Catherine Quehl-Engel has put together some calming and breathing techniques. This may also be a time when you connect with a religious or spiritual group. We encourage you to find a quote that provides meaning for you and use this to reflect on regularly.

When we are in Phase 3 of our campus re-population plan there are numerous open and reservable spaces in the following campus buildings:

Cole Library: Operating hours
Law Hall: Students can access this building in the evening with their Cornell ID card until 11 p.m.
Russell Science Center: Students can access this building in the evening with their Cornell ID card until 11 p.m.
Thomas Commons: Operating hours
West Hall: Students can access this building 24/7 with their Cornell ID card.

Notes:

• Classrooms that have specialized technology equipment are not available for use as evening study spaces.
• An open-use computer lab is not available due to exposure risks. Students who need access to a computer should contact Information Technology to obtain a laptop on loan.
• Students who need access to an academic building after it is locked for the evening can obtain passes in advance from their faculty members.
• Students are encouraged to help wipe down study spaces before and after use with materials from the centrally-located sanitizing stations.

Student groups can meet virtually or in indoor locations while remaining under the maximum occupancy of the room. Student groups can plan virtual, indoor or outdoor gatherings, where social distancing continues. Through virtual events, whether students are on-campus or studying remotely, will allow everyone to connect with one another and continue to find their Ramily. All groups will be expected to continue to follow our expectations as identified in our community expectations, respecting the dignity of all persons.

• Classrooms and meeting rooms will have door signs indicating the maximum capacity for physical distancing.
• Common spaces that are open will have signs indicating a maximum capacity for physical distancing.
• Residence hall rooms, campus apartments, and houses will have a limit of twice the number of occupants (this will mean a maximum of 4 people can be in a double room at one time). Gathering size restrictions for common areas in Armstrong House and The Cottage are to be determined.
• Student organizations are encouraged to hold meetings and events either virtually or outdoors whenever possible. In-person meetings are limited to the number allowable in the chosen space.
• Outdoor gatherings will be maximized at 50 people per state of Iowa guidelines, face coverings will be worn, and social distancing will be observed.
• Parties are prohibited at this time and hosting or participating in a party will result in conduct action.
• Any mass meeting of faculty, staff, and students should be held virtually or physically distanced outdoors until we reach phase 4.

All student organizations and groups will have access to Zoom technology. Student organizations can request a Zoom account or Cindy Krob (x4234) can help create Zoom meetings/events for you. Please contact her to set up your needs.

Our current phase does not allow for group meetings; however, if you need to book a room for individual meetings, appointments, or study space, contact Rebecca Sullens.

Yes. We will have disposable and cloth masks to give away for students who forgot theirs or could not obtain them. Cloth masks will also be available for sale in the bookstore. The new grocery program in Zamora's Market includes wipes and hand sanitizer.

Fillable water bottle stations will be available; drinking fountains will not be available.

For spring semester we are looking forward to a limited athletics schedule. Athletic competitions are regularly reconsidered based on existing conditions, more information is available on the Cornell Rams website.

For intramurals, we’ll be doing events at a distance for the time being. There are great resources online for yoga, ongoing meditative practices, and you can take advantage of being outside exploring Mount Vernon. We’ll be expanding intramural opportunities as we move into Phase 4.

Yes. We will have appointment opportunities for trainers and treatment times.

The gym and fitness center are available by appointment, you can find the scheduling pages on the student portal of the Cornell website.

Yes. Note that masks are required in Mount Vernon for non-athletic pursuits and in all indoor business spaces.

To reduce exposure risks, you should make an appointment before going to a campus office, and you may be asked to meet virtually. If meeting in person, you’ll be asked to wear a face covering.

Yes, eligible students can work on campus this fall. There will be adjustments to jobs, schedules, and protocols. Your supervisor will contact you about work schedules when you get back to campus.

Cornell is set up to pay employees working remotely if they are working in one of these five states: Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, and Florida. If you will be taking classes online and live in one of those states, you may contact your supervisor to see if it is possible that you can work remotely.

Offices and workstations will be cleaned on a regular basis. In addition, supervisors and student employees will be provided with cleaning supplies and instructions so that spaces can be cleaned in between use by different student employees.

You should request an exemption to live off campus and study remotely.

We are anticipating that residence halls will be at 85-90% capacity.

Yes, masks are required in any common spaces in your residence hall, including hallways and bathrooms except when showering, applying makeup, shaving, brushing teeth. (Masks are not required in individual rooms.)

No. At this time, we are restricting students to enter only their own residence hall.

No, except on move-in day when two guests can assist a student for a short period of time.

We have a few of those spaces (3 quads and 14 triples) and all students in triples and quads have been invited to move into doubles. Students may choose to remain in the double or triple room because the square footage per person is similar to that of double rooms.

Yes. This will allow students to take extra to-go meals from campus dining and prepare them in their residence halls. Specific safety precautions will be posted in every kitchen, including cleaning plans. Storage will be available in the refrigerators and freezer; other storage will not be available. Equipment including pots, pans, and silverware will not be available.

No. Stoner House kitchen will be closed.

Microwaves are not allowed in student rooms, but there are microwaves in each residence hall kitchen, and most buildings also have microwave nooks, with a device on each floor or within a floor or two from where students are living.

Yes. Students will need to wear masks when in the laundry room. To reduce traffic in the laundry room, each floor in a residence hall will be assigned specific days on which they can use the laundry room. Some days will be open for any building resident to use.

Yes. Students will be encouraged to “skip a stall or sink”, leaving an empty toilet or shower stall or sink between them and another resident. Additionally, morning class start times will be staggered to reduce same-time traffic in residence hall bathrooms. Masks will be expected, except when actively showering, shaving, brushing teeth, washing face, or applying make-up.

Cleaning routines and materials have been adjusted in response to COVID-19 concerns, toilet lids have been added to each toilet stool and foot pulls have been installed on the back of each restroom door.

There will be custodial teams assigned to each residence hall to do cleaning throughout the day. There will be multiple cleanings each day. We will adjust cleaning schedules as needs arise.

No. Hopefully these spaces can be reopened during a later phase.

No. Hopefully these spaces can be reopened in a later phase.

You should start a conversation with your roommate about your expectations and the college’s rules before you arrive on campus. If your roommate continues to ignore your expectations and the college’s rules, then you should involve your RA or another member of the Residence Life staff.

After the first couple of weeks on campus, when we are assured people are practicing social distancing and have become adept at wearing face coverings, we'll be opening up more reservable spaces for study. In the meantime, we recommend people bring headphones with a microphone to be able to attend class from your room.

Our current card access system allows us to only provide access to students who live in the building. We also have RAs on each floor who will be having conversations with any visitors they see who don't live in the building.

If depends on what your roommate has communicated to Residence Life. We don't anticipate administratively assigning folks unless there is a pressing need, but that bed would appear on our list of available spaces if we need to move someone.

If the symptom checker tells you not to go to class, you should contact the Health Center (319.895.4292) for the next steps. You’ll also want to email your faculty member about not being physically present in class. You should continue to participate in the class remotely.

We are holding 2 suite-style buildings for isolation or quarantine. Both provide bathrooms and kitchens, but food will be available from the Hilltop Café and will be delivered to your isolation or quarantine space.

Residence halls will close at 2 p.m. on Dec. 23. Limited exceptions may be allowed to stay over winter break; contact Residence Life if you need to make arrangements to stay.

No. There are no restrictions on mail at this time. Send away! (And a tip: include an item that your student doesn't really like. Then they will give it away and make a new friend.)