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Spring Semester Rosemont 2021 Messages

June 2, 2021: For current information about Rosemont College’s plan to keep the campus community safe from COVID-19, please visit here.

January 6, 2021

Dear Undergraduate College Students and Families,

Happy New Year!

We are writing with important information about the Spring semester at Rosemont College.

You can also find the details included in this letter online at www.rosemont.edu/Rosemont2021.

The Undergraduate College will resume in-person instruction with the hybrid model of Two Terms, One Focus on Tuesday, January 19^th. 

Over the course of the Fall semester, we heard from many of you that Two Terms, One Focus brought with it challenges, and we know that Zoom fatigue is very real! In response to that feedback and all that we learned over the Fall semester, some courses will be delivered in a 14-week format and all classes will meet in-person and/or synchronously twice each week, an increase from the one synchronous in-person meeting of each class that we experienced in the Fall.

Residential students may return to campus on Saturday, January 16^th, Sunday, January 17^th, or Monday, January 18^th. On January 18^th, in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Office of Diversity and Belonging and the Office of Mission and Ministry will hold a prayer service in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at 2:00 pm.  All are invited to gather virtually or in person, to listen, to pray, and to discern how as a faith-based, educational community we are called to respond to our nation’s struggle for racial justice. This prayer service will serve as the beginning of a six-week celebration during which students will be invited to submit works of artistic or academic expression that relate to our theme: “Sharing our Voices, Telling our Stories: Contemplating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and our Nation’s Struggle for Racial Justice.” More details about this event will be shared with the entire Rosemont community soon.

Move-In to Residence Halls

Details about returning to residence halls has been communicated to students by the Office of Residence Life.  Students should reserve a move-in time/date via the online form emailed to them from the Office of Residence Life.  One family member or friend may assist with move-in.  Masks must be worn, and social distancing must be observed during move-in. Student check-in will take place in the lobby of the Hirsh Community Center. All students must check-in before proceeding to their residence hall. Students arriving after 5:00 pm will be asked to contact Public Safety for the Residence Life staff member on-call to respond and check them in.

 COVID-19 Testing Requirements for the Spring Semester

Through our partnership with Main Line Health, we will hold on-campus baseline prevalence COVID-19 testing on campus on Thursday, January 14^th and Friday, January 15^th.  As was the case in the Fall, all Undergraduate College students will be required to show proof of a negative COVID PCR test prior to their first day on-campus. The date of the test must be within 7 days of your first day on campus.

You may sign up to be tested on campus online at www.rosemont.edu/Rosemont2021. Testing will take place in the Community Center.  Please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time.  Be sure to bring your Rosemont student ID and your healthcare insurance card, if you have one.  The College will cover the cost of your COVID-19 test.

If you elect to be tested off-campus, please be sure that the test is a PCR test.  Antigen tests (often known as Rapid Tests) will not be accepted as proof of being COVID free, as the results are not as reliable.

If you are tested on-campus, the College will have the results of your test on file for your first day on campus.  If you are being tested off-campus, please be sure to bring proof of your negative result when you arrive on campus.

Please keep in mind that test results typically take 3 days to process, whether you will be tested on-campus or off-campus.  Please remember that you must present proof of your negative test result the first day you return to campus and plan your testing date and your move-in date accordingly. 

Quarantine Protocols on Campus

Per the Commonwealth, anyone who visits Pennsylvania from another state, including Pennsylvanians returning to the Commonwealth, must get tested within 72 hours prior to entering the Commonwealth. If a student is unable to get a test prior to entering the Commonwealth, is waiting for test results, or chooses not to get a test, they must quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Pennsylvania or secure a negative test, whichever is first.

In compliance with the CDC’s new guidelines on the length of time one is recommended to spend in quarantine, Rosemont will require students who have been exposed to the coronavirus to spend a shorter period in quarantine.  Students will spend 10 days in quarantine without COVID-19 testing and 7 days in quarantine after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later).

As you know, Rosemont was able to successfully complete the Fall semester with a cumulative PCR positivity rate of 3.3% thanks to the efforts of our students, faculty, and staff.  We are confident that our plan and protocols will allow us to have a similar result in the Spring and that we’ll continue to carry out the College’s mission while safeguarding the health of all on campus.

If you have questions about returning for the Spring semester, please contact Jen East in the Office of the President at        610-527-0200 x2202 or president@rosemont.edu.

We look forward to seeing you on campus on the 19^th.

Sincerely yours,

Previous messages can be found here.