St. Rose to start remote in spring
Memo says first week will be used for testing before in-person classes
The College of Saint Rose announced Thursday students will begin the spring semester learning remotely.
In a memo to students, the college said students will learn remotely for the first week of the semester to provide enough time for thorough testing to take place before in-person classes commence.
In-person instruction is expected to resume on Jan. 24 and residence halls will open on Jan. 16.
All students and staff returning to campus in 2022 will be required to take a COVID-19 test on campus. The memo also said 25 percent of the campus population would be randomly tested weekly throughout the semester. Those who test positive when arriving on campus will be placed in a designated dorm or have to travel back home to quarantine.
The college encouraged students to get tested before returning to campus so that if the result is positive, they can quarantine at home.
According to the memo, booster shots aren’t currently required by the college but likely will be at some point for individuals who were not given a medical or religious exemption. The school plans to hold booster clinics at the gymnasium on Jan. 20 and Feb. 3.
The College of Saint Rose is still waiting to hear back from the county about shortened quarantine periods and is reviewing its event guidelines to see if any changes are necessary, but students are still encouraged to fill out a daily questionnaire.
“The newest variant is highly transmissible, and many asymptomatic individuals are testing positive,” Marcia White, the college’s president said in the memo. “It is important that we do our part to protect, not only our own health but the health of other members of our community. As this is an evolving situation, these plans are subject to change.”