Dear May X Students,
We are pleased to have 349 students living in campus housing during the May term, 62 commuting to campus and another 69 remote learners taking an online May X course. And we are excited to report that 75% of May X students on campus have submitted their partially or fully completed vaccination cards to the Earle Student Health Center. A high vaccination rate is what will ultimately allow us to adjust some of our restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals in the weeks ahead.
Please note, students are not considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after completing the vaccination sequence (e.g., both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine) and submitting documentation to the ESHC.
Please carefully read the following information about campus policies and support services for residents, commuters and online learners.
Campus Operational Phase
We will be operating in the PURPLE: Basic Precautionsphase until further notice. Read more about our operational phases here.
To remain in the PURPLE phase, we must remain diligent and continue to maintain the low prevalence of disease on campus by following the guidance in this email.
Masking and distancing outdoors
The CDC has recently adjusted its guidance for individuals who have been fully vaccinated. Individuals are no longer required to wear a mask or physically distance outdoorson Furman’s campus under the following conditions:
- Individuals are fully vaccinated; and
- Individuals are not in a crowded setting. (Furman has defined a crowded setting as more than 10 individuals.)
As has been the policy throughout the year, individuals who are NOT fully vaccinated must wear masks outdoors at all times whenever they will encounter others at distances less than 6 feet.
Masking and distancing indoors
Physical distancing (at least 6 feet) is still required indoors. Masks are still required for all individuals inside any campus building with the following exceptions:
- Students inside their assigned housing space. Masking is still required for all students when in common areas, hallways, stairwells and bathrooms in the residence halls.
- Faculty and staff alone in their assigned office. Fullyvaccinated faculty and staff who are alone in their assigned office may now remove their masks without the requirement of having their door closed, provided that physical distancing is maintained.
Housing visitation policy
All campus housing visitation policies remain the same (see Section 8 of the Supplemental Student Conduct Code). We will re-evaluate housing visitation protocols in the summer session based on full vaccination rates across campus.
Group activities and meetings
- Indoor organized events may include over 30 individuals, not to exceed the maximum posted COVID capacity of the event space. Physical distancing and masking are still required. Student groups and organizations may continue to plan indoor meetings following these guidelines.
- Outdoor organized events must be approved and cannot exceed the maximum capacity of the outdoor space. Physical distancing and masking are still required for groups larger than 10. Gatherings that include food or beverages must be approved by Furman Focused and managed by Dining Services. Student groups and organizations may continue to plan outdoor meetings following these guidelines.
- Students may also informally gather outdoors in groups of up to 30. These larger informal gatherings (more than 10) should continue to remain physically distanced with masking, and should not include food or beverages.
Campus buildings
All academic and non-academic buildings will resume their normal summer (non-COVID) schedule. Check building websites for summer hours. Students who need access to academic buildings after hours and on weekends (e.g., research students) must make those arrangements with their instructors.
Dining options
The Dining Hall is open for students only, using meal swipes or credit/debit cards (no cash).
Monday – Friday
Breakfast, 7:30 – 9 a.m.
Lunch, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Dinner, 5 – 7 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday
Brunch, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Dinner, 5 – 7 p.m.
Starbucks at Barnes & Noble and the Traditions Grille at the golf course are also open during normal hours for students, faculty and staff.
As a reminder, once May X is over, the dining facilities are only available to summer camps and conferences participants due to COVID protocols and will not be available to students, faculty or staff this summer. Students living on campus will have full access to kitchens in North Village and must provide their own food. If any dining locations are made available to students later in the summer, we will notify the campus community. In the meantime, please plan accordingly.
Support services
All of the standard support services are available during the May term.
- The Counseling Center is open and available for both in person or telehealth visits. Students may utilize the 24/7 crisis and mental health support line at 864-294-3031, option #3 from anywhere at any time. Online self-help tools are always available as well.
- The Earle Student Health Center is open for in-person or virtual visits Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. SmartExams are available after hours.
- Connect with the Center for Academic Success(CAS), Writing & Media Lab, Peer Assisted Learning(PAL), or Student Office for Accessibility Resources(SOAR).
- For emergencies, call the Furman Police at 864-294-2111.
PAC hours
The PAC is currently open for students and employees only.
- Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
RA on duty
For lockouts or other housing concerns, contact the RA on duty at 864-546-8694.
Campus visitors
The campus will officially reopen to the public on Monday, May 17. This is for outdoor use only (e.g., lake walking and biking) so you may see more community members on campus in the upcoming weeks. The only indoor location accessible to the general public is the Barnes & Noble Bookstore. Summer camps and conferences will also start in June.
Vaccination update
Students who are fully vaccinated will not be included in any future surveillance testing and will not have to quarantine due to an exposure if asymptomatic.
Students may use https://vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov as a resource for scheduling an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Students who have received the complete dose(s) of the COVID vaccination are encouraged to voluntarily share their vaccination record by emailing a copy of it to furmanstudenthealth@prismahealth.org.
If you have any questions, please email furman.focused@furman.edu. We hope you enjoy your May X course, research project and/or internship this term!
Sincerely,
The COVID Response Committee