Safer Campus Task Force Updates
Spring 2021 Preview Edition  

Tiers and Transitions 
The DeLand campus will start Spring 2021 in Tier 1 and will stay in Tier 1 for the first 14 days from the first day of academic classes (Jan. 14). We expect to transition to Tier 2 on the 15th day (Jan. 28). We believe the following criteria can be met in that window of time, consistent with our existing Tiers protocols: 

• Two-week initial wait-period completed successfully  
• All initial contacts traced and tested  
• On-campus isolation needs can be met  
• Acceptable positivity rate through gateway testing 
• Initial rate of active diagnosis acceptable 

You can find descriptions with some examples of mitigation efforts for each tier here. For a more expansive description, see the Tiers Detail document. 

Residential Housing  
Stetson residence halls and apartments will open for the Spring 2021 semester by appointment time only from Jan. 10-13. Each student’s required COVID-19 gateway testing appointment sign-up will also serve as his or her check-in and arrival time. Residential Living & Learning will continue to utilize a priority order and waitlist similar to Fall 2020 for all students living at home or off-campus. An adjusted cancellation and refund fee schedule has been adopted for the spring semester, similar to the Fall 2020 semester. Rooms across campus will continue to be single occupancy for the spring term, with a few exceptions for a limited number of students in select locations.

Because the Spring 2021 semester will begin in Tier 1 for a 14-day initial period, no guests or visitors will be allowed in student rooms, most common spaces will be closed and community kitchens will be limited to dishwashing only. For the spring semester, students who need to relocate to isolate or quarantine will be housed primarily in hotel rooms. Find specific details on the DeLand FAQ webpage here (see Residential Living/Move-In Day).

COVID-19 Gateway Testing  
Required testing at the start of the Spring 2021 semester, referred to as gateway testing, will be part of Stetson’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy. Gateway testing on the DeLand campus will consist of mass rapid antigen nasal or throat swab testing scheduled over the course of a few days prior to the start of the semester. 

Stetson community members who come to campus including employees, undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in face-to-face or hybrid classes, on-campus residents, and undergraduate commuters living within 45 miles of campus will be required to participate. Any testing conducted prior to our on-campus testing will not count towards the gateway testing requirement.  No-charge testing must be completed on campus unless an exemption is requested and granted through Stetson’s formalized process. 

Specific details will be communicated over the course of the next several weeks. Continue to stay informed about on-campus testing opportunities by visiting the Safer Stetson website, Healthy Hatters button (see On-Campus Testing). 

Academic Calendar Changes
Stetson continues to move swiftly forward into the second half of the fall semester and plan for our return in Spring 2021. Last week, the Provost announced the newly adopted, adjusted calendar for the Spring 2021 semester, which is now approved and posted on the registrar’s website. The primary changes in the academic calendar include: 

1. The beginning date for classes is delayed by three days—now starting on Thursday, Jan. 14—to facilitate COVID-19 testing required as students, staff, and faculty return to the campus, and to include a 14-day period following the New Year’s Day holiday. 
2. Spring Break has been cancelled. This change is grounded in the same principle brought to decisions about the Fall 2020 calendar: to minimize large blocks of time where our community is likely to travel away from campus and then return. 
3. In place of spring break, several “Community Days” have been added to the spring schedule. Classes are cancelled on Community Days to help battle the fatigue that all faculty and students face due to a long string of consecutive days of curricular learning. Also, Community Days give us opportunities to engage in activities like Values Day (scheduled for Feb. 11). 

The end of the semester—dates for the last day of classes and exams—are unchanged from previously posted schedules for the spring. Please note that with these changes, the total number of classes in the semester do not change. Additionally, the Academic Affairs Committee was particularly attentive to adhering to the calendar drivers, which seek to hold equal the teaching minutes assigned to M/W, T/Th, and M/W/F classes. Stetson University is on a good pathway to a strong and successful spring semester! 

Latest COVID-19 Test Results  
Asymptomatic On-Campus Testing  

• Sept. 30 – 180 PCR tests, 0 positive, 0% rate 
• Oct. 5 – 201 PCR tests of student-athletes and Athletics staff, 0 positive, 0% rate 
• Oct. 6 – 183 rapid antigen tests, 0 positive, 0% rate 
• Oct. 12 – 169 student-athletes and Athletics staff, 3 positive, 1.77% rate 
• Oct. 14 – 213 PCR tests, 2 positive, 0.94% rate 

Flu Shots 
According to Florida Department of Health, COVID-19 and the flu have a lot of symptoms in common, so it is more important than ever to get your flu shot. Our student-only flu shot clinic on Oct. 9 provided 300 free inoculations to the Stetson student community.  

Employees: Stetson employees can sign up for flu shots during the Rapid Antigen testing on Nov. 4, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Rinker Field House in the Hollis Center.  We’ll have 100 vaccines for employees only. Sign up here for your employee flu shot appointment. If you are covered under Stetson’s Cigna health insurance, there are several no cost options available to you if you cannot make it to this event.   

Students: Stetson is offering an additional 110 free flu shots to any Stetson student. A flu shot clinic for students only will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Rinker Field House. Please sign up for an appointment here. 

If you are unable to make this event and you are an established patient at Stetson Health Service (have been seen by a provider before), you can set up an appointment today for your flu shot at Stetson Health Service. The cost is fully covered by most insurances. Local Publix and CVS are also providing flu shots that are free with most insurances. 

Rapid Antigen Testing on DeLand Campus
Through our partnership with AdventHealth and CentraCare, Stetson will be offering free rapid antigen COVID-19 testing on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Testing will take place from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Rinker Field House in the Hollis Center and is available to students and employees. This testing is not mandatory, but highly encouraged for the safety and wellbeing of the entire Stetson Community. Sign up here  for your appointment!

Appointments are scheduled for one testing date at a time. The next testing date will be on Wednesday, Nov. 18.  

Campus Climate Open Forum 

Please join President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, for an Open Forum on Thursday, Oct. 29, 6-7 p.m. to discuss race and Campus Climate issues with alumni and the community.  You can register here.

This webinar is open to students, faculty, staff and Stetson alumni.

Please submit your questions, comments and suggestions for the forum through this online form.