General COVID-19 Information for Fall 2021
- Mount Aloysius College will continue in-person classes for Fall 2021.
- The campus is open for tours, visits, and events.
- The College continues to follow CDC and state health guidelines.
Please review the messages below for more details on COVID-related plans for the Fall 2021 semester.
If you feel ill, please stay home. Use the CDC’s symptom checker below, and contact Director of Student Health Services Shannon Grove. Mount Aloysius College continues to ask Mounties to wash their hands and maintain social distancing as space allows.
COVID-19 cases on this dashboard include laboratory-verified test results. The dashboard will be updated weekly each Wednesday.
The data represents activity since August 30, 2021.
The College will not disclose any identifying information about affected individuals. Students who test positive will be placed in isolation accommodations. To the extent possible, students who test positive will return home. As contract tracing identifies community members at risk for exposure, they will be contacted for quarantine measures.
Active positive cases will be removed from the first column once satisfying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for system-based recovery. All active case counts are classified to the best of the College’s knowledge.
| Active positive cases in isolation on campus | Active positive cases off-campus | Dedicated rooms currently occupied for isolation or quarantine (%) * | Cumulative Positive Student Cases – Fall 2021 semester** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0% | 89 |
Updated 12/21/2021 10:03 AM ET
*This reflects the percentage of dedicated rooms currently occupied for individuals in isolation or quarantine on campus. Note: an active positive case or students identified for quarantine might either be at home or in their own room depending on the particular situation. These rooms may also be used for short term housing for students who are sick but test negative for COVID-19.
**This result reflects early arrival, quarantine, and testing of residential students.
Fall 2021 Messages
Greetings, Mounties,
The College is fortunate to have three Trustees who each serve as CEO with local hospital systems. Due to rising COVID-19 rates, these hospitals, like many across the region, are now severely restricted in responding to basic and emergency community health needs.
Our Trustees report that this is a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” locally, and that,
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Nearly 90% of their hospitals’ COVID admissions are from unvaccinated individuals; and,
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Almost 100% of ICU COVID admissions are from unvaccinated individuals.
It is also clear who is NOT filling our hospitals: neither the vaccinated/boosted, nor those with extremely rare side-effects from vaccination.
What does this mean for Mounties?
Our College is rightfully proud of its founding by the Religious Sisters of Mercy. From the very start, these Sisters acted to protect community health – caring for the ill during a cholera epidemic in Dublin. Inspired by this history, every Mountie should reflect on our present circumstances, and how they can help the community.
We continue to strongly encourage vaccination and booster shots in order to protect not just the College, but also our local area, including those who will need access to healthcare in our hospitals.
In considering pertinent factors, this article, by the Biology Department at the University of Dallas, is worth careful review. This is a calm presentation, quite unlike polarizing general and social media platforms, which too often foster outrage to boost “clicks.”
During the break, we will continue to monitor conditions and health department guidance, and will communicate the protocols for our return prior to the start of the spring semester. Residence Life will send an additional message to residential students related to COVID protocols for Spring 2022.
As we finish up the semester and start a well-earned winter break, I wish you rest, joy, and peace with loved-ones and friends. Stay tuned for a special Christmas video featuring a number of our Mounties later this week.
Be Well, Live Mercy,
John McKeegan
President, Mount Aloysius College
Dear Mounties,
We are looking forward to your arrival to campus for the Fall 2021 semester and want to provide additional information to follow up on President McKeegan’s message from August 12, 2021. We know many of you are looking for details about arrival, testing, and the residence hall move-in processes.This email contains important information about your residence hall move-in so we ask that you read this communication thoroughly.
We are using a staggered approach to move residential students to campus. This will allow us to maintain appropriate distancing and safety protocols, as well as facilitate an efficient move in process for our students and the staff who will be assisting on those days.
Based on the information we have received, you have been assigned the following move-in day:
- Fourth Round of Arrivals: August 29, 2021: Returning students.
Students will receive an email from SignupGenius to select a time for their arrival. Please make sure to check your email Friday 8/13/2021 after 4:00pm.
Special Requests: We recognize there may be some challenges for students and families with regard to meeting the move-in dates outlined above. While we wish we could work with every student individually to provide them the exact move-in date and time they require, we do not have the ability to allow early arrivals or changes to move-in dates. There is much to do to prepare our residence halls and with limited staff, it is not possible to coordinate the logistics of move-in requests outside the time frames specified. We ask that you refrain from making these requests and appreciate your flexibility in working with the dates and deadlines outlined for move in.
Preparation for Move-In:
(1) Testing: As the communication from the President stated, the College believes that our success last academic year was due in part to the frequency of COVID-19 testing conducted at the College. All residential students who have not received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) will be required to provide the results of a negative PCR test 3 to 5 days before their scheduled move-in date. PCR test result times vary by location, so please be sure to allow enough time to receive your test results and upload them at least 24 hours prior to your arrival to campus.
We encourage students to update Health Services on their vaccination status by uploading their vaccination information or their PCR test results using this form.
In general, the College will assume that every student is unvaccinated until they disclose otherwise and provide evidence of being fully vaccinated. The use of an individual’s vaccination status will be limited to the purposes of our virus control program by appropriately authorized personnel.
As mentioned in previous communications, we encourage students to be vaccinated, this would exempt them from testing, exposure, and quarantine due to COVID-19. All students must upload their vaccine card or test results at least 24 hours before their arrival date. Students will not be able to move into the residence halls unless they meet the requirements above.
(2) Housing Agreement 2021: In order to save time on move-in day, we ask that you sign your housing agreement before your arrival. Please use the link provided here: https://forms.gle/
Move-In Day Information
You are expected to arrive at your assigned time for move-in. We understand that sometimes circumstances can be outside of your control, however we ask that you please do your best to arrive at your scheduled time and not much earlier or later.
If you are not feeling well, please stay home! We will work with you to have you arrive when you are feeling better. The CDC Coronavirus self checker can help you determine if it’s safe for you to come to campus or not.
You and two guests will have the opportunity to help you move your belongings to your residence hall room. You will be directed to unload your vehicle, park the car and take your items to your room within an hour. All persons who enter the residence hall are expected to wear a mask and comply with social distancing practices.
We will continue to communicate details about move-in in the upcoming days. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with our testing and residential move-in processes, and encourage you to check your email frequently for updated communications. We are very excited for your arrival and are looking forward to having you on campus!
Sincerely,
Residence Life
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not feeling well or have any symptoms leading up to move-in, we ask that you please contact Health Services (814)-886-6515 or studenthealthservices@mtaloy.
Dear Mounties,
We are looking forward to your arrival to campus for the Fall 2021 semester and want to provide additional information to follow up on President McKeegan’s message from August 12, 2021. We know many of you are looking for details about arrival, testing, and the residence hall move-in processes.This email contains important information about your residence hall move-in so we ask that you read this communication thoroughly.
We are using a staggered approach to move residential students to campus. This will allow us to maintain appropriate distancing and safety protocols, as well as facilitate an efficient move in process for our students and the staff who will be assisting on those days.
Based on the information we have received, you have been assigned the following move-in day:
- Third Round of Arrivals: August 27, 2021: New students including new Transfer students.
Students will receive an email from SignupGenius to select a time for their arrival. Please make sure to check your email Friday 8/13/2021 after 4:00pm.
Special Requests: We recognize there may be some challenges for students and families with regard to meeting the move-in dates outlined above. While we wish we could work with every student individually to provide them the exact move-in date and time they require, we do not have the ability to allow early arrivals or changes to move-in dates. There is much to do to prepare our residence halls and with limited staff, it is not possible to coordinate the logistics of move-in requests outside the time frames specified. We ask that you refrain from making these requests and appreciate your flexibility in working with the dates and deadlines outlined for move in.
Preparation for Move-In:
(1) Testing: As the communication from the President stated, the College believes that our success last academic year was due in part to the frequency of COVID-19 testing conducted at the College. All residential students who have not received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) will be required to provide the results of a negative PCR test 3 to 5 days before their scheduled move-in date. PCR test result times vary by location, so please be sure to allow enough time to receive your test results and upload them at least 24 hours prior to your arrival to campus.
We encourage students to update Health Services on their vaccination status by uploading their vaccination information or their PCR test results using this form.
In general, the College will assume that every student is unvaccinated until they disclose otherwise and provide evidence of being fully vaccinated. The use of an individual’s vaccination status will be limited to the purposes of our virus control program by appropriately authorized personnel.
As mentioned in previous communications, we encourage students to be vaccinated, this would exempt them from testing, exposure, and quarantine due to COVID-19. All students must upload their vaccine card or test results at least 24 hours before their arrival date. Students will not be able to move into the residence halls unless they meet the requirements above.
(2) Housing Agreement 2021: In order to save time on move-in day, we ask that you sign your housing agreement before your arrival. Please use the link provided here: https://forms.gle/
Move-In Day Information
You are expected to arrive at your assigned time for move-in. We understand that sometimes circumstances can be outside of your control, however we ask that you please do your best to arrive at your scheduled time and not much earlier or later.
If you are not feeling well, please stay home! We will work with you to have you arrive when you are feeling better. The CDC Coronavirus self checker can help you determine if it’s safe for you to come to campus or not.
You and two guests will have the opportunity to help you move your belongings to your residence hall room. You will be directed to unload your vehicle, park the car and take your items to your room within an hour. All persons who enter the residence hall are expected to wear a mask and comply with social distancing practices.
Thanks to Student Activities, we will also have the help of some returning students who will be happy to help you unload your car. New students will also receive an official Mount Aloysius College face mask upon arrival to their residence hall.
We will continue to communicate details about move-in in the upcoming days. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with our testing and residential move-in processes, and encourage you to check your email frequently for updated communications. We are very excited for your arrival and are looking forward to having you on campus!
Sincerely,
Residence Life
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not feeling well or have any symptoms leading up to move-in, we ask that you please contact Health Services (814)-886-6515 or studenthealthservices@mtaloy.
Dear Mounties,
We are looking forward to your arrival to campus for the Fall 2021 semester and want to provide additional information to follow up on President McKeegan’s message from August 12, 2021. We know many of you are looking for details about arrival, testing, and the residence hall move-in processes.This email contains important information about your residence hall move-in so we ask that you read this communication thoroughly.
We are using a staggered approach to move residential students to campus. This will allow us to maintain appropriate distancing and safety protocols, as well as facilitate an efficient move in process for our students and the staff who will be assisting on those days.
Based on the information we have received, you have been assigned the following move-in day:
-
Second Round of Arrivals: August 22, 2021
MAAP students, Cross Country, Tennis and Golf between 2pm – 4pm
Students will receive an email from SignupGenius to select a time for their arrival. Please make sure to check your email Friday 8/13/2021 after 4:00pm.
Special Requests: We recognize there may be some challenges for students and families with regard to meeting the move-in dates outlined above. While we wish we could work with every student individually to provide them the exact move-in date and time they require, we do not have the ability to allow early arrivals or changes to move-in dates. There is much to do to prepare our residence halls and with limited staff, it is not possible to coordinate the logistics of move-in requests outside the time frames specified. We ask that you refrain from making these requests and appreciate your flexibility in working with the dates and deadlines outlined for move in.
Preparation for Move-In:
(1) Testing: As the communication from the President stated, the College believes that our success last academic year was due in part to the frequency of COVID-19 testing conducted at the College. All residential students who have not received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) will be required to provide the results of a negative PCR test 3 to 5 days before their scheduled move-in date. PCR test result times vary by location, so please be sure to allow enough time to receive your test results and upload them at least 24 hours prior to your arrival to campus.
We encourage students to update Health Services on their vaccination status by uploading their vaccination information or their PCR test results using this form.
In general, the College will assume that every student is unvaccinated until they disclose otherwise and provide evidence of being fully vaccinated. The use of an individual’s vaccination status will be limited to the purposes of our virus control program by appropriately authorized personnel.
As mentioned in previous communications, we encourage students to be vaccinated, this would exempt them from testing, exposure, and quarantine due to COVID-19. All students must upload their vaccine card or test results at least 24 hours before their arrival date. Students will not be able to move into the residence halls unless they meet the requirements above.
(2) Housing Agreement 2021: In order to save time on move-in day, we ask that you sign your housing agreement before your arrival. Please use the link provided here: https://forms.gle/
Move-In Day Information
You are expected to arrive at your assigned time for move-in. We understand that sometimes circumstances can be outside of your control, however we ask that you please do your best to arrive at your scheduled time and not much earlier or later.
If you are not feeling well, please stay home! We will work with you to have you arrive when you are feeling better. The CDC Coronavirus self checker can help you determine if it’s safe for you to come to campus or not.
You and two guests will have the opportunity to help you move your belongings to your residence hall room. You will be directed to unload your vehicle, park the car and take your items to your room within an hour. All persons who enter the residence hall are expected to wear a mask and comply with social distancing practices.
We will continue to communicate details about move-in in the upcoming days. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with our testing and residential move-in processes, and encourage you to check your email frequently for updated communications. We are very excited for your arrival and are looking forward to having you on campus!
Sincerely,
Residence Life
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not feeling well or have any symptoms leading up to move-in, we ask that you please contact Health Services (814)-886-6515 or studenthealthservices@mtaloy.
Dear Mounties,
We are looking forward to your arrival to campus for the Fall 2021 semester and want to provide additional information to follow up on President McKeegan’s message from August 12, 2021. We know many of you are looking for details about arrival, testing, and the residence hall move-in processes.This email contains important information about your residence hall move-in so we ask that you read this communication thoroughly.
We are using a staggered approach to move residential students to campus. This will allow us to maintain appropriate distancing and safety protocols, as well as facilitate an efficient move in process for our students and the staff who will be assisting on those days.
Based on the information we have received, you have been assigned the following move-in day:
-
First Round of Arrivals: August 18, 2021
Resident Assistants, Women’s and Men’s Soccer and Women’s Volleyball between 10am and 1pm
Students will receive an email from SignupGenius to select a time for their arrival. Please make sure to check your email Friday 8/13/2021 after 4:00pm.
Special Requests: We recognize there may be some challenges for students and families with regard to meeting the move-in dates outlined above. While we wish we could work with every student individually to provide them the exact move-in date and time they require, we do not have the ability to allow early arrivals or changes to move-in dates. There is much to do to prepare our residence halls and with limited staff, it is not possible to coordinate the logistics of move-in requests outside the time frames specified. We ask that you refrain from making these requests and appreciate your flexibility in working with the dates and deadlines outlined for move in.
Preparation for Move-In:
(1) Testing: As the communication from the President stated, the College believes that our success last academic year was due in part to the frequency of COVID-19 testing conducted at the College. All residential students who have not received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) will be required to provide the results of a negative PCR test 3 to 5 days before their scheduled move-in date. PCR test result times vary by location, so please be sure to allow enough time to receive your test results and upload them at least 24 hours prior to your arrival to campus.
We encourage students to update Health Services on their vaccination status by uploading their vaccination information using this form.
In general, the College will assume that every student is unvaccinated until they disclose otherwise and provide evidence of being fully vaccinated. The use of an individual’s vaccination status will be limited to the purposes of our virus control program by appropriately authorized personnel.
As mentioned in previous communications, we encourage students to be vaccinated, this would exempt them from testing and quarantine due to COVID-19. All students who are vaccinated and want to be exempt from testing upon arrival must upload their vaccine card at least 24 hours before their arrival date. Since some students will have extensive travel to get to campus and may not have enough notice to provide a negative test result before returning to campus, we are asking you to sign-up for an initial on-campus test. Only students who test negative for COVID-19 or are fully vaccinated will be allowed to stay on campus.
(2) Housing Agreement 2021: In order to save time on move-in day, we ask that you sign your housing agreement before your arrival. Please use the link provided here: https://forms.gle/
Move-in day Information
You are expected to arrive at your assigned time for move-in. We understand that sometimes circumstances can be outside of your control, however we ask that you please do your best to arrive at your scheduled time and not much earlier or later.
If you are not feeling well, please stay home! We will work with you to have you arrive when you are feeling better. The CDC Coronavirus self checker can help you determine if it’s safe for you to come to campus or not.
You and two guests will have the opportunity to help you move your belongings to your residence hall room. You will be directed to unload your vehicle, park the car and take your items to your room within an hour. All persons who enter the residence hall are expected to wear a mask and comply with social distancing practices.
When you arrive: Please refer to the map sent out in the email from Residence Life.
When you arrive to campus on your assigned move in date/time, please use the lower entrance to campus and proceed directly to the testing site (back of Saint Joseph’s Hall), where staff will check your vaccination status and administer a COVID-19 test if needed. You will need to have a PHI form completed ahead of time to prevent delays. Health Service staff will then proceed to administer a COVID-19 test (nasal swab).
If your results are negative (approx. 15 minutes for result – wait in your car in the parking lot) you will be cleared to move in, given your keys and additional instructions and you will proceed to your residence hall*. You will be required to provide your student ID and the Sign-up Genius confirmation.
*Due to final construction tasks being completed at Ihmsen Hall, all students living in Ihmsen Hall will be relocated to temporary spaces available on campus. All students in temporary housing will move into Ihmsen August 22nd, between 2pm and 4pm. Communication about temporary housing, will be sent to your email before your arrival*
We will continue to communicate details about move-in in the upcoming days. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with our testing and residential move-in processes, and encourage you to check your email frequently for updated communications. We are very excited for your arrival and are looking forward to having you on campus!
Sincerely,
Residence Life
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not feeling well or have any symptoms leading up to move-in, we ask that you please contact Health Services (814)-886-6515 or studenthealthservices@mtaloy.
Greetings, Mounties,
We are eagerly anticipating your arrival to our beautiful campus for the fall 2021 semester!
The COVID-19 landscape continues to shift, but we are confident that our community will enjoy a vibrant living and learning experience here on the mountaintop. The experience will include athletics, social activities, residence and commuter life events, and an engaging in-person learning environment.
In order to enhance our year and mitigate the risks of COVID, the College will continue to review CDC guidance and strongly encourage all community members to get vaccinated! More on this below.
This communication provides important information regarding many of the questions you may have related to COVID-19 and our processes this fall. This message will be followed by email announcements from Residence Life tomorrow (August 13) for our residential students, grouped by arrival dates.
These policies may change as the Delta variant affects our regional landscape. We will continue to communicate updates as they occur.
Vaccinations
Mount Aloysius College strongly recommends that all members of our community be fully vaccinated prior to the start of classes. While a COVID-19 vaccination is not currently required, research has demonstrated the authorized vaccines are the most effective combatant against the COVID-19 virus. Mount Aloysius College believes that obtaining the vaccine shows a strong commitment to our Mercy values and reflects our mission.
In addition to exemption from regular testing pools on campus, vaccinated individuals (students and employees) will be eligible for weekly prizes such as cash offerings, priority housing, free parking permits in designated spots, room coverage, and more!
Masking
On July 27, the CDC updated its mask recommendations. The CDC “recommends all unvaccinated persons wear masks in public indoor settings. Based on emerging evidence on the Delta variant, CDC also recommends that fully vaccinated persons wear masks in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.” Cambria County is currently a “substantial” transmission area.
Based on this guidance, effective Monday, August 16, the College is requiring masking for everyone in classroom settings, hallways, offices (when not alone), and meetings on campus. Fully vaccinated individuals may unmask when meeting together with express mutual consent, and in large/open indoor spaces such as Bertschi when distancing is possible. Certain areas in the library, such as tutoring areas, may require masking. Masking policies may shift through the semester in light of CDC guidelines, as well as our community vaccination rates. Get vaccinated!
Residence Hall masking policies will be addressed in the follow-up email to residential students.
Athletic masking will be defined by the NCAA for practice and play.
Masking is required for all employees during indoor group activities related to Employee Development Days.
Testing
We believe that our in-person success last academic year was due at least in part to the amount of COVID testing conducted at the College.
Residence hall students will receive a follow-up email related to testing that must occur for unvaccinated students prior to arrival on campus.
Our COVID website will be updated shortly with specific testing plans for the upcoming year. For now, unvaccinated employees and students should count on regular testing.
Distancing
Classrooms – Classrooms will be arranged in their pre-COVID format. Based on COVID trends throughout the semester, we are prepared to quickly transition to distanced classrooms and utilization of our large, indoors spaces for classes.
Residence Halls – Guests are allowed in residence hall rooms, however, not more than 2 guests are allowed in a room/suite at one time. All guests must be members of the Mount Aloysius College community. All residence hall lounge areas are open for student use (students should mask and/or distance depending on available space). We also encourage students to use available outdoor spaces for social gatherings that will exceed the 2 guest limit.
Dining Hall – The dining hall layout has been slightly modified from last year, however, distanced seating remains available. There will be some self-serve stations in the cafeteria along with pre-packaged items to provide a variety of meal options.
Outdoor Spaces – We will again have outdoor tents for certain activities (weather permitting) and the Ihmsen Breezeway will also be available for use. We will also have our adirondack chairs and hammocks. All Mounties are encouraged to take advantage of the nice fall weather as much as possible for events and activities!
Other Protocols
Additional protocols such as cleaning, transportation, communications and other areas will be detailed on the COVID website shortly. Again, residential students can expect a follow-up email detailing their return to campus.
As we noted repeatedly last year, remember the personal protocols that help to mitigate the risk of COVD on campus and in the community:
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Wash your hands
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Distance when possible
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Mask up
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Stay home when you feel sick
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Get vaccinated
If you have questions, students should email Tracy McFarland (tmcfarland@mtaloy.edu) and employees should email Tonia Gordon (tgordon@mtaloy.edu).
Stay tuned to your email and the COVID website for future updates. We look forward to an active semester with opportunities to engage with your peers at every turn. Check out this Mountie Student Events Google Calendar for a look at the first few weeks of the semester, and add it to your calendar (bottom right) to stay up to date throughout the semester!
Be Well, Live Mercy,
John McKeegan
President, Mount Aloysius College
Stay Connected!