Dear Trinity Students and Families,

We look forward to welcoming students to campus soon. We write today with important information to update you and to help you plan your return.

To responsibly ensure the health of all in the community, every individual who comes to campus will need to commit fully to abiding by the important safety expectations for the coming academic year. Careful observation of physical distancing, the use of masks whenever you are out of your room, and purposefully orchestrated move-in times are among the measures that are crucial for the well-being of all in our community. These safety expectations will begin the day you arrive on campus and will extend through each day of the fall term. We hope that by the spring semester, adherence to these measures will help preserve the health of all in our community.

Pre-arrival Checklist

Please complete the pre-arrival checklist (https://moodle.trincoll.edu) before you come to campus. You can access the checklist by using your Trinity College username and password. Careful completion of each of these tasks before arrival is required. You will not be granted access to residential buildings or classes until you complete your check-in and testing process.

The pre-arrival checklist pertains to all students, those living on campus and off. Included on the checklist are the following tasks:

  • Sign up for your move-in time slot. To help us maintain a safe number of people on campus, please do not arrive early and do not come to campus if you are not scheduled to do so. Contact [email protected] if you did not receive an email with move-in information.
  • Update your contact information. Accurate, up-to-date information is vital if we need to get in touch with you or with your emergency contact.
  • Review the strategic packing list of things to bring (and what not to bring this particular semester). Please remember that it is critical to pack light, as the public health situation could change significantly at any point.

COVID-19 Testing Reminders and Updates

All students must complete pre-arrival testing prior to coming to Trinity. This requirement was outlined in our August 7 letter, which included pre-arrival testing information as well as information about the onboarding testing that you will complete during the arrival time slot you scheduled.

The testing of all students, faculty, and staff is an important part of our efforts to keep the on-campus community safe this year. Each day, the college will test up to 1,000 individuals. Our COVID-19 testing site will be located in the Trinity Field House in the Ferris Athletic Center. The medical personnel managing this center are experienced in overseeing testing sites involving sample collection. The center’s design and protocols will be implemented in accordance with pertinent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 guidelines, and the college will clean the space daily. Everyone present will be required to wear a face covering at all times while at the testing site. It is important that you understand, however, that an inherent risk of infection is associated with sample collection and that you may be exposed to COVID-19 in such a setting. We ask that you do your part in our efforts to keep everyone healthy by complying with all testing site protocols and procedures.

It is extremely important that you remain current with your testing appointments. If you miss a test, you will be contacted promptly by a staff member and must appear for the next appointment you are assigned. Failure to do so at that point will be considered noncompliance and will result in disciplinary action, including possible removal from campus.

COVID-19 Quarantine

Please remember that all students from affected states will need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. You should remain in your room at all times except for the following: to retrieve meals from Mather, to pick up mail, to go to the testing site, and to visit the Health Center, if needed. Students arriving from non-affected sites also should limit their activities as described above until you have two negative PCR COVID-19 results from the college testing program. This should take place within seven to eight days of your arrival.

Because it is so vitally important that we all abide by these parameters, the college will not allow individuals to gather in spaces (e.g., on the Main Quad, the LSC quad, athletic fields, lounges) until we get past this first stage of arrival, August 24–September 7. (The track at Jessee/Miller Field will be open for individuals to walk and jog; masks and social distancing will be required.) The rationale for this policy is to limit the possibilities for the virus to spread. As we move toward September 7, the college will assess the current situation based on the number of COVID-19 cases within our population. If the number of cases remains low, the college may allow individuals to gather in small groups as outlined in the community contract as long as groups are practicing the appropriate CDC guidelines.

As noted by the CDC and other medical experts regarding the global health crisis, this pandemic is a significant and rapidly evolving medical situation with far-reaching consequences for individuals and families and for the various communities each of us inhabits. All students and families must inform themselves about the health and safety concerns related to this communicable disease and assess their particular situations; we especially urge those with underlying health conditions to seriously consider not returning to campus this fall.

Helpful Links to Information for 2020–21

Returning to Trinity for Fall 2020
Academic Information for 2020–21
Helpful Contacts for Additional Questions

All who return to campus this year must abide by the health and safety expectations included in the materials that have been provided to you.

We look forward to your full engagement and caring leadership as we venture together into this new academic year, full of many unknowns, challenges, and opportunities for growth and development.

Sincerely,

Joe DiChristina
Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management

Jody Goodman
Dean of Student Life and Director of the Bantam Network