Emails show UA’s response after officials told of student cases

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville responded to student cases of covid-19 on the first official day of campus movein last week, records show.

Even before thousands of students arrived, officials received word about student cases, though partial records and redactions make details unclear.

“Thank you for your assistance in providing information regarding the recent positive case at your house,” states an Aug. 11 email from Capt. Matt Mills, emergency manager for the University of Arkansas Police Department Division of Emergency Management.

Copied as recipients on the email were the medical director of the campus health center, UA’s dean of students and the director of UA’s

Greek Life office.

However, UA spokesman Mark Rushing said Tuesday that the university is “not aware of any positive cases involving individuals living in Greek housing.”

The records, released to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette under the state’s public disclosure law, only cover communication involving the university’s Greek Life office, which supports fraternities and sororities.

The number of covid-19 cases at UA has not been released. Rushing said the university plans to provide a report on covid-19 testing results before Monday, UA’s first day of classes for the fall semester.

A state Department of Health spokeswoman on Tuesday said numbers of UA-linked covid-19 cases were not available.

“While there have been positive cases reported within the campus community since March, the numbers have been very low so far,” Rushing said in an email.

UA leaders have planned for positive covid-19 tests on campus as part of their efforts to reopen during the ongoing pandemic. Protocols for quarantine and contact tracing are part of the response, according to UA, in addition to other measures such as face coverings, frequent cleaning and physical distancing in classrooms.

Elsewhere, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Monday cited mounting numbers of infections and abruptly changed fall plans to instead rely on remote instruction.

“This really reinforces that all of us must be relentless in following the safety precautions we have in place to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Rushing said. “The Arkansas Department of Health has provided clear guidance: wear a mask, maintain 6 feet of physical distance, wash your hands and avoid crowds.”

Official move-in at UA-managed residence halls began Aug. 11.

Among the first groups allowed to move into the residence halls were students seeking to participate in sorority recruitment. Students who are already members of the 11 sorority chapters taking part in recruitment began moving into chapter houses Aug. 4, a week before activities related to recruitment, according to information provided by the university.

By Tuesday, 4,340 students had moved into UA-managed housing, a spokesman said, with move-ins continuing this week, according to the university’s website.

Under the state’s public disclosure law, the Democrat-Gazette requested records from UA’s Greek Life staff for Aug. 11, asking that information and records be excluded if they would identify an individual as having covid-19 or another medical concern. The university released the records Monday.

In the email from Mills released as part of the records, it’s unclear what is meant by the term “house,” and the university redacted the identity of the person receiving the message.

The email from Mills does not include any information that would identify the “house.” The email asks for “positive case name, date of birth, and UA ID number” to be submitted via an online reporting portal put together by UA. This is also described in the email as a way to submit information about cases to the state.

Scott Flanagin, a UA spokesman, described campus procedures for a covid-19 case on campus.

“Testing, reporting and quarantine protocols are in place for when a positive case is reported on campus to ensure that students who may have to quarantine or self-isolate will have access to food and regular health checks as well as access to online and remote alternatives for their classes so they can stay on track,” Flanagin said.

A student testing positive is encouraged to return home if the travel time is three hours or less of driving time, according to UA’s website. Otherwise, a student testing positive in UA-managed housing gets assigned a temporary room “where you can isolate for a minimum of 10 days,” according to the university’s website.

“There are 124 spaces set aside for isolation and quarantine purposes,” UA spokesman Christopher Spencer said in an email. “There are no off-campus spaces identified for use by University Housing.”

Flanagin said a student testing positive can also expect to be contacted by the state Department of Health. Contact tracing is being done by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with help from the state Division of Higher Education and the state Department of Health, according to UA’s website.

In another redacted message, an incoming student looking to participate in sorority recruitment self-reported a positive test before arriving on campus.

“Hello to whoever this may concern,” begins the Aug. 11 message received by the university’s emergency management division. The university has an online form that allows students, faculty and staff members to self-report if they get a positive test off-campus.

The Aug. 11 message goes on to state: “I was supposed to move in on campus for formal recruitment this Thursday. However, this past week on August 8th I was tested for COVID and test results came back this morning positive. I am reaching out to figure out what protocol I need to take in order to keep everyone on campus safe and figure out where to go from here.”

Mills, the emergency manager for UA, replied and told the student to isolate at her residence until given approval to leave by health officials.

Parice Bowser, director of UA’s Greek Life office, was copied on the email and also replied to the student.

“I want to first applaud you for letting us know. That is what leadership is all about,” Bowser said in the email. Many sorority recruitment events this fall are being held virtually, and Bowser told the student she could participate from home.

UA, unlike some large universities in other states, did not require students to take covid-19 tests before moving to the campus.

Rushing said mandatory testing is not recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the state Department of Health.