Dear Students,

As you prepare to return to campus, we have been busy strategizing to make sure your arrival experience goes as smoothly as possible. Vassar has instituted a number of changes to our testing and symptom reporting processes, both in response to state regulations and to the constructive and essential feedback we received from students in the fall (Thank you!!).  

The arrival process may take some time, but, rest assured, these steps are necessary to ensure everyone’s safety. Please bring a book or download a podcast to keep you entertained as you await your results in the waiting areas. The tools you will need, as referenced below, can be easily accessed from the Vassar Together screen of the Vassar Mobile app. If you don’t have the Vassar Mobile app you can download it now from the App Store or Google Play Store.

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE:

• Prepare to Arrive at Your Assigned Date: Your assigned arrival date can be found here. It’s important that you arrive on your assigned date and complete this arrival form to confirm with us when you’ll be arriving. 
• Download CoVerified Campus App: Students will use CoVerified to upload pre-arrival test results, see on-campus test results, and complete daily symptom reports. Download CoVerified before you arrive when you have a good WiFi or cellular connection.
  • Pre-arrival tests can be uploaded starting 1/29. Pre-arrival tests must be within 3 days of arrival on campus to be valid (ex. If move-in is 2/1 tests from 1/29, 1/30, 1/31 are all valid).
  • A symptom report must be submitted at the time of the pre-arrival test upload
    • Access CoVerified Campus App on the web at go.vassar.edu/coverified
    • Download from the App Store go.vassar.edu/coverified-ios
    • Download from the Google Play Store go.vassar.edu/coverified-google
    • Launch from the VassarTogether screen on Vassar Mobile
• Download Healthelife: This semester, Healow will no longer be used for testing management. Students will register and use Healthelife or the WMC website at go.vassar.edu/wmc to schedule on-campus testing appointments. 
  • Access Westchester Medical on the web at go.vassar.edu/wmc
  • Download from the App Store at go.vassar.edu/healthelife-ios
  • Download from the Google Play Store at go.vassar.edu/healthelife-google
  • Launch from the VassarTogether screen on Vassar Mobile
  • Register: Registration is required. You will be asked for the zip code of Vassar College as a challenge question. The answer is 12604. 
  • Download the Healthelife mobile app before you arrive when you have a good WIFI or cellular connection.
• Complete the VassarTogether Commitment: Students will again need to agree to the VassarTogether Commitment. All students are required to have submitted the commitment before arriving on campus. 
  • You will need to be logged in to Google with your Vassar google account 
  • You will be prompted to complete the commitment the first time you launch CoVerified 
    • If you don’t complete it at that time, you can access the form at go.vassar.edu/VTCommitment or from the VassarTogether screen on Vassar Mobile 

ARRIVING ON CAMPUS:

• Proceed Directly to Walker Field House / The Athletics and Fitness Center:  See the arrival and testing map for specific locations for arrival and testing at go.vassar.edu/arrival-testing-map and in Vassar Mobile. You may not move-in to your room without being cleared by Health Services at Walker/AFC where you will receive a rapid (antigen) test.
• Antigen Testing: You do not need to schedule Antigen testing. Simply follow the arrival instructions below.
  • Private Vehicle Arrival: Stay in your vehicle and drive up for Antigen testing as indicated on the map. It’s best if the student can be on the driver’s side of the vehicle whenever possible.
  • Rideshare or Cab Arrival: Enter Walker Field House / The Athletics and Fitness Center for your antigen test as indicated on the map.  
• Antigen Test Results: Wait for your antigen test results.
  • Positive Results: Stay at Walker/AFC and you will be contacted by the backup administrator on call who will give you further instructions about a confirmation test (at Baldwin Hall) and isolation accommodations.
  • Negative Results: You will see your results in CoVerified by tapping TESTING followed by the clipboard in the upper right corner. When your negative results appear, you may proceed to your housing assignment in your private vehicle or via the shuttle as indicated on the map. Your key pick-up will be located at the Walker Field House / The Athletics and Fitness Center for apartment residents and at the Houses for House residents.
• Pre-Arrival Test Results: If you did not obtain a pre-arrival test or the results invalid (greater than 3 days prior to arrival), you will receive a temporary housing assignment.
  • If your pre-arrival test was positive, contact Health Services immediately (845) 437-5800 and health@vassar.edu.
• Late Arrival: If you completed the arrival form to let us know that you expect to be coming in after 4 PM you’ll receive an email with information about your evening’s accommodations on the morning of your arrival. If you unexpectedly--or didn’t complete the arrival form and--arrive after 4 PM, travel directly to Hampton Inn & Suites and contact the CRC at 845-437-5221 to request hotel accommodations; call the CRC prior to getting to the hotel. You should return to campus for testing the following day at Walker/AFC between 9 AM and 4 PM. You are NOT permitted to move into your campus assignment until you are cleared to do so.

MOVE-IN:

• Key Pick-up and Arrive at Your Residence: Keys will be located at the AFC for apartment residents and at the Houses for House residents. When you arrive at your respective key pick-up location, you will show the green CLEARED badge in Coverified to the Residential Life staff member. You will also need to show email confirmation that you completed your VT Commitment. Once the staff members confirm your clearance, you will be given your room key and can move-in.
  • If your badge shows RESTRICTED you should remain at Walker Field House / Athletics and Fitness Center and ask for assistance. A clinical staff member will address status concerns. Do not proceed to your residence.
  • Guests who may have accompanied you to campus may not enter the Residential facilities. Guests may only use the temporary restroom facilities outside Walker Field House / Athletics and Fitness Center.  

FOLLOW UP TESTING:

• First PCR Test: Schedule a PCR test for the day after arrival using the HealtheLife app or at go.vassar.edu/wmc. Tests will be held in the AULA.
• Next PCR Test: Schedule another PCR test for 4 days after arrival using the HealtheLife app or at go.vassar.edu/wmc. Tests will be held in the AULA.

REGULAR COMPLIANCE:

• Regular Testing: Students will be tested on campus at least every two weeks. You will schedule your tests using Healthelife or the WMC website at go.vassar.edu/wmc. Failure to comply with testing requirements will result in a RESTRICTED status in CoVerified.
• Immunity: Students who have had a positive COVID-19 test in the last 90 days should upload those test results with the date of the test to CoVerified. You will be exempt from testing requirements until the immunity expires.
• Symptom Reporting: Students will be asked to complete a symptom report once every 24 hours starting on 2/15. Failure to complete your daily symptom report will result in a RESTRICTED status in CoVerified. 

Special Weather Alert for Students  Arriving on 2/1/2021 

We are currently anticipating a moderate weather event in the Hudson Valley that could affect students moving in on February 1st. At this time, we will move forward with our testing schedule and move-in as planned. Families looking to arrive before the storm can refer to this link for a listing of nearby lodgings at your own expense. Students are also welcome to reach out to the Office of Residential Life (inoa@vassar.edu) to reschedule their arrival date.  Given our three-day testing compliance requirement, you must reschedule your arrival date to February 2nd. Students scheduled to arrive on February 1st who reschedule beyond February 2nd will need to adjust their required pre-arrival test to comply with our three-day requirement.

Thank you for your valuable feedback and engagement in this process. As always, we remain committed to limiting COVID-19 on campus while also creating a supportive learning environment and community for everyone. You can read more information about Vassar’s commitment to the Spring 2021 Campus Experience at vassar.edu/together.

We are excited to see you all soon!

Warmly,

Carlos Alamo-Pastrana
Dean of the College
Associate Professor of Sociology and Latin American and Latina/o Studies