Piedmont’s COVID-19 Response: Key Elements
- Students, employees, and visitors are required to wear face coverings in classrooms, laboratories, and all other indoor areas.
- Unvaccinated individuals are required to wear face coverings at all times while on campus.
- Vaccination is not required, but is highly encouraged.
- Residential students are required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 7 days of move-in. Documents can be provided in person or through the Piedmont app.
- Students, faculty, and staff are required to complete the daily Lions Check health screening through the app.
January 5, 2022
Dear Piedmont students, faculty, staff, and supporters,
As we prepare for classes to begin on Jan. 10, I wanted to remind you of Piedmont’s COVID-19 safety protocols.
The COVID-19 Task Force and I closely monitored the pandemic during winter break. While the highly transmissible Omicron variant certainly presents new challenges, Piedmont now — sadly — has two years of experience mitigating the virus’s impact on our campuses.
Through diligent adherence to our COVID protocols, Piedmont has minimized spread among students and employees and been able to provide a largely “normal” educational experience, even during these most abnormal of times.
We will continue to abide by our COVID-19 protocols during this next phase of the pandemic.
As a reminder:
- All residential students must submit either a negative COVID test or proof of completed vaccination. The COVID test must be dated no more than seven days before move-in. Residential students may submit their documents in person or via the Piedmont app.
- As we have since returning to in-person classes, we will require students who test positive to quarantine for 10 days. This quarantine period exceeds the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s 5-day quarantine period.
- The daily Lions Check health screening will continue to be a requirement for all students, faculty, and staff. The Lions Check can be completed via the Piedmont app.
- Piedmont’s face covering requirement will remain in place. As a reminder, all students, employees, and visitors are required to wear face coverings in all indoor areas. Unvaccinated individuals are required to wear face coverings at all times while on campus.
- Students who experience symptoms or test positive for COVID must go to Starfish.piedmont.edu and select “COVID-19 symptoms/recent positive test/recent vaccination” to notify university personnel so we can respond appropriately.
Beginning this spring, Piedmont is modifying the exposure protocol for faculty and staff. Faculty or staff members who have been in “close contact” to a COVID-positive individual will:
- Report close contact to Human Resources immediately.
- Quarantine from campus for five days. If the employee has no symptoms, they will return to campus on day six and must wear a face covering at all times for an additional five days.
- Quarantine from campus for five days. If symptoms appear, they must be tested. If they test is positive, they must isolate for 10 days from date of symptoms.
- Keep Human Resources apprised throughout the process.
For these purposes, “close contact” is defined as:
- Living in the same household as a sick person with COVID-19
- Caring for a sick person with COVID-19
- Being within 6 feet of a sick person with COVID-19 without a face covering for more than 15 minutes; or
- Being in direct contact with secretions from a sick person with COVID-19 (e.g., being coughed on, kissing, sharing utensils, etc.)
I have been deeply proud of Piedmont’s thoughtful, strategic, unified response to the pandemic, which at all times has prioritized the health and safety of every member of the university community. As we now face Omicron together, I thank you for your continued cooperation.
Wishing you a successful spring semester,
JFM
December 1, 2021
Today, President Mellichamp issued the following statement to faculty, staff, and students:
Dear Piedmont students, faculty, and staff,
As the fall semester draws to a close, I want to thank you for all you’ve done to protect our campus community during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead to the spring semester, and the new concerns presented by the Omicron variant, it is imperative that we continue to diligently abide by our COVID protocols.
For the spring semester:
- All residential students must submit either a negative COVID test or proof of completed vaccination. The COVID test must be dated no more than seven days before move-in. Residential students may submit their documents in person or via the Piedmont app.
- The daily Lions Check health screening will continue to be a requirement for all students, faculty, and staff. The Lions Check can be completed via the Piedmont app.
- Piedmont’s face covering requirement will remain in place. As a reminder, all students, employees, and visitors are required to wear face coverings in all indoor areas. Unvaccinated individuals are required to wear face coverings at all times while on campus.
- Students who experience symptoms or test positive for COVID prior to returning to classes must go to Starfish.piedmont.edu and select “COVID-19 symptoms/recent positive test/recent vaccination” to notify university personnel so we can respond appropriately.
Working together, I am certain we can continue to successfully navigate the pandemic while also providing positive experiences for all members of our university community.
Have a wonderful holiday break,
JFM
September 1, 2021
Today, President Mellichamp issued the following statement to faculty, staff, and students:
Piedmont College students, faculty and staff members:
Since the return of students to our campuses earlier this month, all of us have gone to extraordinary lengths to meet the challenges of the Covid 19 health crisis so that we could continue something approaching near-normal operation of our programs. Unlike one year ago, the Delta variant has proven to be an especially virulent and contagious phenomenon; the least slackening of prevention measures can result in widespread infection.
In order to keep the community apprised of the serious nature of pandemic, I am providing numbers from August 2 through August 27.
Total positive tests from Aug. 2 – Aug. 27:
- Students – Athens: 16
- Students – Demorest commuters: 5
- Students – Demorest residential: 35
- Number in campus quarantine: 2
- Staff: 7 (both campuses)
- Fulltime Faculty: 3 (both campuses)
As you will note, we are seeing almost a 100% increase in numbers from Fall 2020. I have asked our Covid task force to look at further measures which can be taken to contain the infection rate. Thanks, particularly, to VP Dr. Kim Crawford, Rose Mariee Allison, and Mitzi Heck who are helping us track cases. And thanks to Dr. Matt McKinney and his staff for helping our student athletes meet NCAA and conference protocols.
We know from our experience one year ago that we saw a noticeable spike in positive cases due to the Labor Day weekend. For that reason, I would urge everyone to be mindful of the extreme risks and the importance of social distancing, masking, and hand washing. With your help, we can ensure that our community here remains a safe place for study and work. All best, JFM
August 26, 2021
Today, President Mellichamp issued the following statement to faculty and staff:
Thank you for all you are doing to continue serving our students while also protecting their health and safety amid the ongoing pandemic. COVID has posed many new challenges, and I continue to be exceedingly proud of Piedmont’s response.
As we battle the highly transmissible Delta variant, it is important that we, as faculty and staff, closely follow the university’s COVID protocols. We must work together to keep our university operating safely, and we must each set an example for our students.
Piedmont’s COVID protocols include the following:
- All students, employees, and visitors are required to wear face coverings in classrooms, laboratories, and all other indoor areas.
- Unvaccinated individuals are required to wear face coverings at all times while on campus.
- Vaccination is not required, but it is HIGHLY encouraged for both students and employees.
- Students, faculty, and staff are required to complete the daily Lions Check screening through the app. The app will help guide individuals who are experiencing symptoms to the appropriate course of action.
Finally, please closely monitor your health and err on the side of caution. If you notice any changes in your health or feel unwell, please do not report to work and contact your supervisor. COVID symptoms can easily be passed off as allergies or a common cold. Coming to work with these symptoms may put your colleagues and students at unnecessary risk.
Thank you again and be well.
August 5, 2021
Piedmont University has issued an important update to its COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Effective Aug. 5, all individuals will be required to wear face coverings in classrooms, laboratories, and other indoor areas where social distancing is not possible. Previously, Piedmont had recommended the use of face coverings in these settings.
The face covering requirement applies to students, employees, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
Piedmont continues to require that unvaccinated individuals wear face coverings at all times while on campus.
All other previously announced COVID protocols remain in place, including:
- Students and employees are not required to be vaccinated, but it is highly encouraged. However, given that Piedmont’s health care partners are requiring members of their teams to be vaccinated against COVID-19, nursing students with clinical assignments during the 2021-22 academic year are required to receive the vaccine.
- Residential students are required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 10 days of move-in. Proofs of vaccination and negative COVID tests may be provided in person or electronically through the Piedmont app.
- Enhanced cleaning protocols will be reinstated in all classrooms, common areas, and residential facilities at the start of the fall semester. Hand sanitizer will also be made available at stations throughout campus.
- Students, faculty, and staff are required to complete the Lions Check health screening via the Piedmont app by noon each day.
Piedmont also has procedures in place for symptomatic residential students. These students will be tested and required to quarantine until their results are received. Students whose permanent residence is within six hours of campus will be asked to return home for the duration of their quarantine.
Thank you for your help in protecting the health and safety of the Piedmont community.
July 28, 2021
Piedmont University’s COVID-19 task force meets weekly to discuss the status of the pandemic and any necessary adjustments to its health and safety protocols.
Here are a few key updates from the July 28 task force meeting:
- Unvaccinated individuals are required to wear face coverings while on campus. This requirement has been in place since May and applies to faculty, staff, students, and visitors.
- In keeping with local and state policies, Piedmont will not require vaccinated individuals to wear face coverings.
- Faculty members may not require the wearing of face coverings by any students in their classrooms who object to doing so.
- However, Piedmont recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals wear face coverings when indoors and when social distancing (of at least 3 feet) is not possible.
- Faculty and staff members may not inquire into the vaccination status of any other faculty, staff or students. An exception has been made for ascertaining the status of residential students by university staff.
- Students and employees are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, however it is highly encouraged. Piedmont is planning a vaccination event for early in the 2021-22 academic year. More details will be shared when they become available.
- As we announced in May, this fall, residential students will be required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 10 days of move-in. Proofs of vaccination and negative COVID tests may be provided in person or electronically through the Piedmont app.
- As an added precaution, enhanced cleaning protocols will be reinstated in all classrooms, common areas, and residential facilities at the start of the fall semester. Hand sanitizer will also be made available at stations throughout campus.
As a reminder, the daily Lions Check health screening requirement will be reinstated effective Aug. 1 for all students, faculty, and staff. The Lions Check health screening can also be completed through the app.
We continue to monitor the pandemic closely, and we will keep you up-to-date on any changes to our health and safety protocols via institutional email, piedmont.edu, and the Piedmont app.We thank you for all you are doing to keep Piedmont safe.
July 22, 2021
Piedmont University’s COVID-19 Task Force continues to closely monitor the pandemic and update campus protocols as necessary to protect the health and safety of our students, employees, and visitors.
As we prepare to welcome students back to campus for the fall semester, please be aware of the following:
- To minimize potential exposure to the virus, guests to campus dormitories will not be allowed to stay overnight. This protocol will be evaluated weekly and may be adjusted according to the status of the pandemic.
- As we announced in May, unvaccinated individuals are still required to wear a face covering while on campus. This requirement applies to faculty, staff, students, and visitors.
- The daily Lions Check health screening requirement will be reinstated effective Aug. 1 for students, faculty, and staff. The Lions Check health screening can be completed through the Piedmont app.
We thank you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation. Working together, we can continue to offer an exceptional — and safe — experience for all stakeholders throughout the coming academic year.
May 17, 2021
In accordance with recent guidelines from the CDC, Piedmont is suspending the university’s face-covering requirement for those who have been vaccinated. This policy change impacts our faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors. Those who are not vaccinated are still required to wear face coverings while on campus.
May 13, 2021
Beginning Monday, May 17, Piedmont is suspending the daily Lions Check health screening requirement for faculty and staff. Those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms are still required to stay off campus and to report those symptoms to Human Resources.
May 11, 2021
A message from the Piedmont University COVID-19 Task Force::
Our current protocols will remain unchanged through the end of the semester and into early summer. Our return-to-campus protocol for residential students only this Fall requires proof of vaccination or a negative test within 10 days of move in.
The Piedmont University COVID-19 Task Force continues to meet weekly to discuss the state of the pandemic in our community and how these conditions might impact our health protocols. This policy may be updated this summer to reflect these changing conditions.
April 23, 2021
A message from the Piedmont University COVID-19 Task Force:
As we near the end of the semester, we want to thank our campus community – students, faculty, and staff – for your resilience and continued compliance with our health protocols. Thanks to your efforts we are weathering this storm better than most. Our current protocols will remain unchanged through the end of the semester and into early summer.
The Task Force continues to meet weekly to discuss the state of the pandemic in our community and how these conditions might impact our health protocols. We will announce our Fall semester return-to-campus protocols in the summer.