Happy New Year All Potsdam Employees & Students,
Effective today, Clarkson has updated its Risk Alert Level for the University to Red, Level 1 – High-Risk, while we rebuild the bubble and welcome everyone back from the holiday break and resume classes later this month.
The Risk Alert Level system and policies related to gatherings at each level are explained at: https://www.clarkson.edu/risk-alert-system-and-gathering-policies. Red Level 1 information from this site is repeated below. The color-coded alert level is shared at the top of every Clarkson.Edu web page with a link to the Spring 2021 opening plans and recent COVID-19 related announcements.
We are raising the level to Red on January 2, 2021 which limits gatherings, as people return to campus after holiday activities. COVID-19 testing begins on Monday for employees and others currently interacting in campus activities. As the week progresses, we will also have students returning for the required NYS travel advisory quarantines and doing related COVID-19 testing. The Red Alert Level will remain through the testing period while everyone returns to campus and resumes their work / class schedule.
We have continued our campus-based testing throughout the holiday break and currently have no active cases on the dashboard for people who have been on campus. Our full reporting to NYS is on their college reports site.
With practical intentionality, we are taking a multi-staged approach to engaging in non-essential social, curricular, and co-curricular activities beyond the classroom in order to manage early detection of COVID-19 and ensure students stay on track for degree completion. The Restart Task Force will make recommendations to President Collins on adjusting the risk alert level. These are subject to change based on federal, state and local requirements.
The Color-Coded Risk Alert System & Guidelines for Red, Level 1
Repeated from: https://www.clarkson.edu/risk-alert-system-and-gathering-policies
Level I, Red Alert Expectations
- Gatherings
- Academic courses held in a classroom and faculty-led research in laboratories are considered essential gatherings and are permitted.
- Students involved in co-curricular activities (SPEED teams, honor societies, academic organizations, etc.) must connect with their organization’s faculty advisor regarding protocols for in-person gatherings.
- Students may not host or participate in non-essential gatherings (on- or off-campus). Non-essential gatherings include but are not limited to meetings, social events, and extracurricular activities.
- Tabling
- Tabling is not permitted.
- Student Guests in the Family Unit
- A family unit consists of students who are assigned to the same room, suite, or apartment. A student guest is any student outside of the family unit who is currently taking in-person classes. Remote students are considered an off-campus guest and are not considered a student guest.
- University employees acting in their official capacity as an employee are not considered a guest.
- When any individual not part of the family unit is present in the family unit, all parties are required to wear a face mask.
- No student guests are permitted.
- Off-Campus Guests
- An off-campus guest is considered any person who is not currently taking in-person classes or working in University operated buildings (e.g. remote students, family, friends not enrolled at Clarkson, etc.). These guests are not permitted to access University facilities. If a guest must drop off items to a student, the student shall meet the guest outside, where both parties shall wear a face mask (covering nose and mouth) and maintain social distancing.
- With limited exceptions, no non-essential visitors are authorized on campus. Use this form to make a request for both essential and non-essential visitors.
- Fitness Center Facilities
- All facilities are closed.
- Student Organizations
- Student organizations submit their safety plans in accordance with NYS Interim Guidance for Sports & Recreation.
- Organizations are not permitted to host in-person gatherings (including practices, meetings, etc.).
- Fraternity and sorority chapter houses must adhere to the family unit restrictions set forth by the University, as well as adhering to any local, national, or international governing body restrictions on guests. All individuals accessing the chapter house must be current in-person students who have signed the Clarkson Commitment and are part of the University’s COVID-19 testing regimen.
- Carpooling for Local Travel
- Students shall avoid traveling in the same vehicle with anyone outside of their family unit.
Thank you for your diligence Golden Knights.
Kelly Chezum, VP for External Relations
Restart Rebuild Communications Lead
kchezum@clarkson.edu