Countdown to Spring: Ready for 2021

Academics: Hybrid Face-to-Face and Virtual Instruction 

Will I be able to take hybrid face-to-face classes on campus in the Spring? 

Yes, Stevenson plans to offer approximately 60% of course sections in hybrid face-to-face format. Students will also be able to take them virtually if they prefer. If you have not already indicated whether you plan to attend class in person or remotely for the Spring, please take a moment to do so now by filling out this form.  

Can I still register for Spring classes?

Yes, you still have time to register for Spring 2021 classes. The last day to register is February 2, 2021.  The complete schedule of Spring classes in post here. 

Athletics: Plan for Competition 

Will Fall, Winter, and Spring sports be competing during the Spring semester?

Yes, Stevenson’s Athletic Department is working with the MAC on a plan for competition for all sports, in accord with NCAA testing, health, and safety protocols. The MAC will rely on the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) as it pertains to the plans for the men’s and women’s ice hockey season. Click here for the announcement from SU and the MAC. Stevenson will share further details with student-athletes and their families in the coming weeks via our Countdown to Spring communications. 

Is there a competition plan for Men's & Women's Ice Hockey?

Yes, the Presidents' Council of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) has announced its intent to resume conference athletic competition in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey. The council approved February 19, 2021, as the revised tentative start date of its conference ice hockey schedule provided it is safe to conduct athletic activity at that time based on local, state, and federal guidelines. Planning for the season's competition format is ongoing, and more information will be announced at a later date. For more information, click here.

Campus Housing & Move-In Testing 

Can I still register for spring campus housing?

Yes, you can. The university still has campus housing available. Currently non-residential students interested in housing for the Spring 2021 may request housing by completing this form:  Request Housing for Spring. Once completed, the Office of Residence Life will follow up with you and work to identify residential space on campus for you. 

Will SU be testing Resident Students in advance of move-in to help limit the spread of COVID?

Yes, testing will be required before Spring move-in for Resident Students. Details of the testing process are posted under the tab “Spring Move-In Pre-Testing: Resident Students”.  

Is SU requiring pre-testing for non-resident students (commuters) who will be on campus this Spring for hybrid in-person classes or athletics?

Yes, Stevenson is requiring COVID-19 pre-testing for non-resident students (commuter students not living on campus) before they return to campus for the Spring 2021 semester. This requirement applies to: (1) all non-resident students who will attend in-person classes on campus; and (2) all non-resident students who are participating in athletics. Details of the testing process are posted under the tab “Spring Move-In Pre-Testing: Non-Resident Students”.  

COVID Testing 

Will SU continue Random Surveillance Testing (RST) in the Spring?

Yes, we will continue our RST program for resident students during the Spring semester. RST has been a helpful strategy for measuring the possible prevalence of COVID among our student population. RST data from the Fall indicated less than 2% of students tested were positive for COVID-19. 

What follows is information for Resident Students about how to comply with the COVID-19 pre-testing requirements for the Spring move-in process. Please read this information carefully and thoroughly. 

Move-In Testing Process For Resident Students

Spring Move-In will take place from Tuesday, January 19, 2021 through Sunday, January 24, 2021, however, you will need to be newly tested for COVID-19 AND receive and submit a negative test result before you will be allowed to return to campus to move into your residence.  

Testing Requirements

• Your test must be administered within 10 days before your arrival on campus. This means that if you plan to move in on Saturday, January 23, you must be tested no earlier than Wednesday January 13, 2021. 
• You must receive the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. Please note: We cannot accept a home-administered PCR test, a rapid antigen test (where you get results on the same day), or point of care test as these tests are less accurate than the PCR test. PCR test results can take up to a week to receive depending on the location. 
• If the University has a record of you having tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days of your move-in, you will not be required to test prior to returning to campus. Based on current guidelines, an individual who has tested positive carries a certain level of immunity for 90 days after testing positive.  
• If our records indicate that you have tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days of the beginning of the move in process, you will receive a direct communication from the Residence Life team to clear you and schedule you for your move-in. 
• If you have tested positive over the winter break, you must upload your results to the Wellness Portal and notify the Wellness Center at wellness@stevenson.edu so that your record can be reviewed and you can be cleared and scheduled for your move-in. 

Where to Take Your COVID-19 Test

• All returning students are encouraged to take a COVID-19 test in their local community before returning to the University.   
• For students who are unable to take a test at home before they return to campus, there will be testing available on campus starting on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. After you receive your on-campus test, you must return home and await your test result and notification of clearance from Residence Life before you move in. Students should use the link www.stevenson.edu/testingprocess to sign up for available on-campus testing dates and times. 
• If you are a non-local student (defined as those who will travel farther than a one-hour drive to campus), you can be tested on campus and request a local hotel room reserved by Stevenson where you can await your result and release from quarantine before being cleared to move in. If you need to use this option, please submit a request to www.stevenson.edu/hotel.   

Submitting Your Test Results 

• Once you receive your negative results, please go to www.stevenson.edu/negativetestresults to complete the form and upload your negative test results. You will need to log into Microsoft Office 365 using your Stevenson University email address and password. 
• Be sure your documentation includes the following information: (1) student name, (2) date your test was collected, (3) name of the test given, and (4) test result.   

Being Cleared for Move-In 

• When the Wellness Center receives your negative test result, a staff member will review and verify your result. 
• Once cleared by the Wellness Center, the Residence Life Team will send you notification that you are cleared to move in. The clearance email will include a link for you to confirm your arrival date. 
• If you have previously tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days and we have record of your test result, the Wellness Center will review your record and the Residence Life Team will send you notification that you are cleared to move in. The clearance email will include a link for you to confirm your arrival date.  
• If you have tested positive over the winter break or if we do not have record of your positive test result from the past 90 days, you must upload your results to the Wellness Portal and notify the Wellness Center at wellness@stevenson.edu so that your record can be reviewed and you can be cleared and  scheduled for your move-in. 

Prior to Arriving on Campus  

• Be Safe: From the time you are administered your test until you move into your campus residence, we strongly encourage you to limit interactions to maintain the integrity of your test result. This includes:  
   
• Practicing physical distancing in all your activities, remaining at least 6 feet or more from others  
• Avoiding large gatherings, crowds, and small gatherings where you cannot physically distance 6 feet or more from others  
• Wearing your face covering when out in public  

• Symptom Tracking: You must continue daily self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms before you return to campus AND throughout the semester. Use the Student Symptom Tracker via the Wellness Center Patient Portal to quickly check for possible symptoms. We encourage you to watch Don’t Ignore the Symptoms to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of COVID-19 and to contact the Wellness Center at 443-352-4200 or wellness@stevenson.edu if you have possible symptoms. 

Questions or concerns? Please contact ResLifeReception@stevenson.edu.  

Stevenson is requiring COVID-19 pre-testing for non-resident students (commuter students not living on campus) before they return to campus for the Spring 2021 semester. This requirement applies to: (1) all non-resident students who will attend in-person classes on campus; and (2) all non-resident students who are participating in athletics.

Because many people have traveled or may have been exposed to COVID-19 over the winter break, and since you will be on campus for classes or athletics this Spring, Stevenson is requiring that you get a COVID-19 test no earlier than January 15 and submit your test results by January 22.

1.   Uploading your results to the Wellness Portal and
2. Notifying the Wellness Center at wellness@stevenson.edu so that your record can be reviewed and documented.   

COVID-19 Testing and Submitting Your Results

Stevenson University can only accept results from the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. We cannot accept a home-administered PCR test, a rapid antigen test (where you get results on the same day), or point of care test as these tests are less accurate than the PCR test. PCR test results can take up to a week to receive depending on the location. 

There are many COVID testing sites located throughout Maryland. For specific locations and scheduling details, visit https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/symptoms-testing and https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/community-based-testing-sites/index.html#md. For non-Maryland residents, visit your state’s Department of Health website and search COVID testing.

If you cannot get a test off campus, we have limited testing times available on campus. You can schedule an on-campus test by using the form www.stevenson.edu/testingprocess. Wellness will review your test result. You will then receive notification of your clearance to return to campus from Student Affairs (it will come from the email address studentaffairs@stevenson.edu).

Staying Safe Before Coming to Campus

From the time your test is administered until the start of classes on January 25, we strongly encourage you to limit interactions to maintain the integrity of your test result. This includes:

• Practicing physical distancing in all your activities, remaining at least 6 feet or more from others.
• Avoiding large gatherings, crowds, and small gatherings where you cannot physically distance 6 feet or more from others.
• Wearing your face covering when out in public.
• Symptom Tracking: You must continue daily self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms before you return to campus AND throughout the semester. Use the Student Symptom Tracker via the Wellness Center Patient Portal to quickly check for possible symptoms.

We encourage you to watch Don’t Ignore the Symptoms to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of COVID-19 and to contact the Wellness Center at 443-352-4200 or wellness@stevenson.edu if you have possible symptoms. It is important to follow these COVID-19 health and safety practices now and throughout the semester.

Thank you for your cooperation as we all work together to Keep Stevenson Safe!

The following health, safety, and hygiene measures for the Spring 2021 semester reflect the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of Maryland, and local health authorities for promoting health and safety to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

• January 8, 2021 - Spring Semester COVID-19 Pre-Testing for Non-Resident Students
• January 5, 2021- Resident Students: Time to Plan Your COVID Testing
• December 31, 2020 - SU Countdown to Spring: New Year's Message
• December 22, 2020 - Countdown to Spring: Move In Testing
• December 14, 2020 SU Countdown to Spring
• December 14, 2020 - An End of Year Message from President Elliot Hirshman
• December 2, 2020 - Stevenson / MAC Announce Plan for Athletic Competition in the Spring
• November 30, 2020 - Spring 2021 Academic Calendar Update

The Spring 2021 semester will start Monday, January 25, 2021. The Spring Academic Calendar is available here. Stevenson plans to offer approximately 60% of course sections in hybrid face-to-face format on campus. Students will also be able to take them virtually if they prefer.  

All students should indicate whether they plan to attend class in person or remotely for the Spring by filling out this form. 

The last day to register for Spring classes is February 2, 2021.  The complete schedule of Spring classes is posted here.  

The university will monitor State of Maryland and Baltimore County public health guidance throughout the Spring as they track and respond to COVID-19 infection rates in the state, counties, and local communities. The university is prepared to transition to and to provide all course instruction remotely online if deemed necessary for campus health and safety. 

The following health and safety measures are in place to promote the health and safety of students and employees during daily academic and instructional activities on campus as part of hybrid face-to-face classes. 

Stevenson Dining Service operations and locations are configured for the optimal safety and health of our students. In addition to physical distancing for diners while accessing and eating at our various dining locations. Our plan includes maintaining safe operating procedures by dining services staff, replacing self-serve food stations with server-staffed stations, providing meals in takeaway containers for students who want to eat in their rooms, and enhanced cleaning and sanitation of dining areas. 

WATCH: Stevenson Dining Services Health & Safety Measures 

Dining health and safety measures for Spring include: 

• No-touch swiping when entering the Rockland Marketplace. 
• Floor and table decals marking required physical distancing while entering, exiting, getting food, and eating. 
• Physically distanced tables and seating. 
• Plexiglass barriers on tables. 
• Additional tables with Plexiglass barriers in the Rockland Banquet Room and outdoors under tents to accommodate overflow from the Rockland Marketplace. 
• No self-serve. Food stations will have assigned servers to assist students, and Plexiglass barriers have been added in front of serving areas. 
• Continual cleaning and sanitation. Tables are cleaned and disinfected after each use. Electrostatic spray disinfectant is used to augment nightly cleaning. 
• Dining services employees wear face coverings and gloves, and they are required to monitor for symptoms daily before reporting to work. 

The university asks every student to read the Informed Consent for Student Participation and acknowledge that they have by digitally signing it. The Informed Consent is to help students make an informed judgment about their choice to participate in campus life while understanding, despite the health and safety measures and guidance, there are possible risks in any situation. A student's matriculation is not contingent upon their signature, but Stevenson asks all students to read the document thoroughly. 

Informed Consent for Student Participation

This document contains important information about your decision to participate, occupy and use Stevenson University’s campus, buildings, facilities and related services, activities and programs (collectively, the “University”) in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) public health crises.  The undersigned student has read and acknowledges the matters set forth below.  

Student acknowledges and understands that COVID-19 infections and illnesses have been confirmed and are continuing throughout Maryland, the United States, and the World.  Despite the efforts of Stevenson University to slow the transmission of COVID-19, Student acknowledges that he or she may still be exposed to the coronavirus.  Student understands and agrees that by participating, occupying or using the University, he or she voluntarily assumes the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.  In accordance with the most recent guidance and protocols issued by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the State of Maryland (collectively, “Public Health Authorities”), for slowing the transmission of COVID-19, Student agrees to and shall take all appropriate actions to adhere to personal hygiene guidelines and social distancing guidelines set forth by the Public Health Authorities.  Student acknowledges and agrees that Stevenson University may revise such steps and any related procedures at any time, including based on updated recommended guidance and protocols issued by the Public Health Authorities, and Student further agrees to comply with Stevenson University’s revised procedures prior to further use of the University.   

Student acknowledges and agrees that he or she has carefully considered the choice to participate, occupy and use the University, understands the risks associated with COVID-19, and that Student finds and accepts same as being safe and reasonably suited for the use by the Student. Student acknowledges and agrees that Stevenson University has taken certain reasonable steps to implement recommended guidance and protocols issued by the Public Health Authorities (as defined below) for slowing the transmission of COVID-19.   

Student’s voluntary signature indicates student has carefully read and understands this Informed Consent for Student Participation. 

I Acknowledge that I Have Read the Informed Consent