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Fall 2022 COVID-19 Policies

August 18, 2022

Dear Students, Families, Faculty, and Staff,

We hope you have had an enjoyable summer, and we look forward to welcoming our Bantam community back to campus soon. Today’s letter will provide information regarding our fall 2022 COVID-19 policies.

As we have throughout the COVID pandemic, we continue to be guided by a set of principles to safeguard our community’s well-being and to deliver the best possible residential learning experience. We hope to return to pre-pandemic conditions as soon as possible and are eager to begin the new semester. However, COVID-19 continues to have a changing role in our daily lives. For this reason, it’s important for the college to thoughtfully adjust protocols and precautions for the sake of ensuring the academic mission.

Below are updates we call to your attention; the full Trinity College Fall 2022 Gathering Guidelines can be accessed here.

Pre-Arrival Testing

Students were informed in our May 26 message and then again by the Bantam Network this summer that they are required to take a rapid antigen test 24 hours prior to their scheduled arrival on campus. Students should be certain that they have a negative rapid test prior to arrival on campus.

To prevent any delay to the check-in and move-in process, students must have documented evidence of their negative rapid antigen test result in hand upon arrival on campus. Students should do the following: Take a picture of the negative rapid antigen test result; make a notation of the student’s name, signature, and the date the test was taken; and show the picture at check-in.

Students who test positive prior to returning to campus must remain at home and notify the Trinity College Health Center of the test result at [email protected]. Those who have questions specific to their arrival day and time should contact [email protected].

Vaccinations

Except for those receiving medical or religious exemptions, all Trinity College community members are required to have received their initial vaccination and a booster of the COVID vaccine. Guests and visitors on campus do not need to show proof of vaccination before entering indoor spaces.

Mask-Friendly Community

The Trinity education is greatly enhanced by personal interaction between students and faculty and the quality of in-person instruction. To begin the semester, indoor masking will be required in the following locations:

  • Indoor instructional spaces (e.g., all classrooms, labs, and studios) during scheduled times. Faculty members may opt to designate their class mask optional for pedagogical reasons.
  • In all health care facilities (e.g., Health Center, athletic training)
  • In any campus space where signage indicates masking is required (signage is available at the Events and Campus Operations Office in Mather Hall)
  • Any specific campus gatherings, offices, or meetings that are designated “mask required.”

Masking is optional and welcomed in all other settings. As a mask-friendly community, the college will continue to support and respect the right of any individual—including students, faculty, staff, and visitors—to continue to wear a mask.

COVID-19 Testing and Isolation

We expect all college community members to respond responsibly to the onset of symptoms and to consult a health care professional promptly. Anyone infected or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should respect the health of others by refraining from attending in-person classes, coming into close contact with others, and avoiding large group settings.

The college does not have a testing program for asymptomatic individuals. For students who experience symptoms of COVID-19 once on campus or those who believe they have been exposed to the virus, testing will be available at the Health Center (first floor of Trinity Hall); the Health Center is open for appointments Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Students should call 860-297-2018 to consult or to schedule an appointment. Students who test positive after hours or on weekends should notify the Health Center by email at [email protected]. They will be given instructions on what to do next, and a staff member will follow up by the next business day.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 will need to follow clearance criteria from the Health Center before returning to class or participating in co-curricular programs. The criteria will include a minimum of five days from the day of the positive test. The duration of this period will be determined by the severity of symptoms and the results of a rapid test that is overseen by the Health Center.

Students who test positive will isolate in place per the protocols that were implemented for spring 2022. In most cases, students will remain in their current room, leaving only to retrieve prepared grab-and-go meals from Mather Hall, to access bathrooms, or to receive medical care.

Employees who develop symptoms should take a rapid test at home. Positive results need to be reported to Kate Durante in Human Resources at [email protected], who will consult on proper protocols including quarantining. Employees also must advise their managers, per the usual process, if they are not able to work due to illness.

We will continue to monitor the presence of COVID on campus and in our local community and will provide updates as needed. Currently, the Hartford County, Connecticut, COVID-19 community level is rated low. You can track and find out more about the COVID-19 situation in Hartford on the CDC’s website. Trinity’s COVID dashboard, which was discontinued in May due to a change in testing and data collection, will not be resumed.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and its changing nature, Trinity community members have demonstrated personal responsibility and care for one another by adhering to important safety and prevention strategies, helping to maintain a positive campus environment and educational experience. On behalf of the COVID Steering Committee, thank you for your efforts to keep our community safe and for the care you have shown to support our academic mission. We look forward to a great semester.

Sincerely,

Joe DiChristina, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management
Dan Hitchell, Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer