COVID-19 Guidelines & Protocols

Furman encourages faculty, staff and students to be immunized against COVID-19 and to receive booster vaccinations when eligible.

Students may submit a copy of their vaccination card to furmanstudenthealth@PrismaHealth.org. A simple photo of the card attached to an email will suffice.

Faculty and staff may not ask students about their vaccination status, and may not require more stringent safety measures from unvaccinated students or treat students differently based on vaccination status. Please remember that there are a number of reasons that a student may choose not to be vaccinated. Anyone with questions or concerns should contact Human Resources.

Supervisors may not ask employees about their vaccination status, and may not require more stringent safety measures from unvaccinated employees or treat employees differently based on vaccination status. Please remember that there are a number of reasons that an employee may choose not to be vaccinated. Anyone with questions or concerns should contact Human Resources.

• Faculty and staff who are symptomatic or have obtained a positive test should not report to work and are encouraged to submit the LiveSafe Health Survey or notify Human Resources.
• Students who are symptomatic or have obtained a positive test should not go to class, work or dining facilities, and are encouraged to submit the LiveSafe Health Survey or contact the Earle Student Health Center (ESHC) and await further instructions.
• Symptomatic or infected individuals must isolate promptly, and infected individuals must remain in isolation for ≥5 days and wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask if they must be around others. Infected individuals may end isolation after 5 days, only when they are without a fever for ≥24 hours without the use of medication and all other symptoms have improved, and they should continue to wear a mask when around others on campus through day 10.
• Furman will approach our isolation protocols in much the same way a household would provide support to a family member with an illness. Students in campus housing who test positive for COVID-19 may isolate in place and recover with the help of campus resources, or may choose to go home or elsewhere at their own expense to complete the isolation period, as long as travel is permitted by CDC guidelines.
• On-campus students living with a roommate who tests positive for COVID-19 and who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 may contact Housing & Residence Life to explore temporary options, if available.
• Students can work with Dining Services to use their meal swipes in exchange for a box of groceries that a friend could deliver to them off campus (if they stay locally to isolate) or to their room on campus. Contact Tony McGuirt to make arrangements.
• Furman does not guarantee remote access to academic courses and/or any other offerings during isolation. Students must communicate with their individual instructors to develop a plan to make up any missed academic work, as is our normal protocol for other illnesses.
• Tuition, room and board charges will not be reduced for students who are required to isolate. Students are responsible for any personal costs and expenses associated with COVID-19.

Students who are symptomatic or who are concerned about being a close contact to an individual who is either symptomatic or has tested positive for COVID-19, should contact the ESHC instead of seeking assistance in the external community, for the following reasons:

1. We can coordinate and expedite testing if needed, providing all testing options for you.
2. We can clarify and explain what type of exposure you may have had to an infected individual (i.e. primary vs. secondary), thus helping to decrease anxiety.
3. We can initiate contact tracing to protect the Furman community.

• Individuals who receive a positive result from a rapid test are encouraged to report that result to the Earle Student Health Center (students) or Human Resources (faculty and staff).
• The ESHC may administer a COVID test to students who are symptomatic, regardless of vaccination status.

• Individuals who have been within six feet of an infected roommate for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period are considered a close contact. Most people are contagious two days prior to becoming symptomatic or receiving a positive COVID test. It is likely that an individual who is a close contact of a roommate has already been exposed to COVID-19 before their roommate tests positive.
• On-campus students living with a roommate who tests positive for COVID-19 and who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 may contact Housing & Residence Life to explore temporary options, if available.
• Expectations for roommates of COVID positive students:
  o Wear a well-fitting mask when in public, especially indoors, for a minimum of 10 days.
  o Test five days after exposure.
  o If symptoms develop, students should contact the Earle Student Health Center at 864.522.2000 for an appointment and testing.
  o If students test positive, email furmanstudenthealth@PrismaHealth.org and inform them of the result.

• Instructors will be notified of a health status that requires a student to be prohibited from attending the physical classroom.
• Consistent with CDC recommendations, individuals with a confirmed or suspected exposure to an individual who is symptomatic or tested positive for COVID-19 are requested to wear a mask when around others for 10 days, monitoring closely for symptoms and testing after 5 days, regardless of their vaccination status.

Instructors may not require masking in classrooms, and masking is not required at CLP events.

• Faculty and staff may require that students and colleagues wear a mask when entering their office, studio or high-contact lab areas, or when meeting individually. Likewise, students may ask faculty or staff to wear a mask when meeting with them individually.
• Faculty, staff and students may require masking of all participants when traveling in vehicles on or off campus for university-sponsored purposes.
• In both instances above, the faculty or staff member must provide the mask(s). Masks may be requested contact Rick Schosky.

Faculty and staff who require or may qualify for reasonable accommodations based on a disability may work with the Human Resources to inquire about the ADA process. Students who require or may qualify for reasonable accommodations based on a disability may work with the Student Office for Accessibility Resources to inquire about the ADA process. Additionally, students, faculty and/or staff may receive notification that masks are required in classrooms or other spaces on campus to reasonably accommodate a student or colleague’s confidential disability.

We are supportive of students, faculty and staff who choose to continue to wear masks, and individuals should not be questioned about their decision, nor should they be discouraged or prohibited from wearing them.

• Faculty, staff and students participating in Furman-sponsored travel are expected to follow required local, state, federal and international health and safety protocols.
• The following tips will help minimize the transmission of disease:
  o Wear masks in all forms of transportation;
  o Reduce density in sleeping quarters; and
  o Maintain small pods of close contacts.
• Trip leaders must have a plan to immediately separate symptomatic individuals from the group, connect them with a healthcare provider, and safely return them to campus.
• Individuals and trip leaders must have the ability to rapidly test a symptomatic individual at the first sign of symptom development (rapid antigen “at-home” tests may be the best choice).

Administrators and health professionals will continue to monitor COVID-19 conditions in our community. If it becomes necessary, previous mitigation protocols may be reinstated, and new mitigation protocols may be created.