September 25, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Today we write with an update on our campus alert level and information regarding our work to limit the spread of COVID-19 at Trinity.

Our number of active COVID-19 cases has dropped this week—from a high of 15 on Monday, September 21, to 10 today. This progress is no doubt due in large part to our collective efforts to be vigilant in following health and safety protocols and the steps we took quickly to limit the spread we were seeing in residential areas. We thank you all for doing your part in this critical work. However, with the current number of active cases and students in quarantine, now is not the time to ease up on those efforts. Therefore, we have determined that the campus alert level will remain at yellow for the next 3-4 days.

We will continue to monitor the situation and determine necessary responses, and we will update you whenever the alert level changes—whether that’s back to green or to a more heightened level of orange or red.

Through at least October 2, the following practices will remain in effect:

  • Dining will remain as grab-and-go; no seating is permitted inside dining facilities
  • Students’ residence hall access is limited to the floor of their own residence; common areas remain closed; students must wear face coverings and maintain a minimum of 6 feet of physical distance from one another if you are in a room with someone other than your suitemate or apartment mate(s)
  • Students may continue to gather outside informally to socialize and dine, but the groups may not be larger than six people, and face coverings must be worn except when eating.

In an effort to allow students to engage safely in many of the educational and learning activities that complement our classroom experience, we will be allowing some on-campus activities beginning Friday, September 25, with requirements as described below:

  • Organized groups of limited size will be able to convene if they have in-person faculty/staff supervision. Such gatherings will be limited to 12 students outdoors and six students indoors. Examples include the Chapel Singers, Gospel Choir, Student Government Association meetings, Center for Hartford Engagement and Research sponsored initiatives, and athletic teams. The presence of a college employee who can ensure compliance with all COVID-19 related policies is required. Student groups without faculty/staff in-person supervision may not convene.
  • All participants will be required to wear face coverings and maintain proper physical distance for the duration of the activity.

We also wanted to update the community regarding what we are experiencing in terms of violations of COVID-19 rules. To date, 108 students have been given written warnings for such violations as not wearing masks while in residence halls, not properly distancing in residence hall rooms, and gathering (inside and outside) in groups larger than allowed. A small number of students have had to leave campus to complete the remainder of the semester remotely due to violations of our COVID-19 rules. Campus Safety will continue to monitor compliance in residence halls and around and off campus to ensure our students are adhering to the guidelines as stated in the community contract. It is important to remind students that they should only travel off campus for essential reasons. This includes going to a doctor’s appointment, a legal meeting, or family emergencies. Students should not travel off-campus to engage in social activities (e.g. dining at a restaurant) or participate in other functions off campus that result in potential additional exposure to COVID-19.

Finally, beyond the college’s rules and protocols, Governor Ned Lamont recently issued an executive order that, among other things, allows local police, health departments, and elected officials to issue fines for failing to comply with the governor’s orders. Individuals not following the state’s requirements for wearing masks and socially distancing in public places can be fined $100.00. We wanted to make sure you were aware of this new statewide order.

Adhering to expectations and demonstrating responsible behaviors will help keep you and our community safe and help Trinity have a successful semester. And please remember to attend to your COVID-19 testing schedule. Compliance with this has been excellent so far, and we are grateful to all of you for this.

Sincerely,

Joe DiChristina, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management
Jason Rojas, Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President for External Relations