West Virginia University’s spring 2022 semester will begin Monday, Jan. 10, with many of the current COVID-19 campus health and safety protocols remaining in place as health officials monitor the emerging omicron variant.

The COVID-19 protocols will be re-evaluated as additional information becomes available relating to the omicron variant, the consideration of the FDA by new therapeutic medicines, as well as levels of infection and hospitalization as we move closer to the spring semester.

“It is important, even though we may be weary of the pandemic, that we do not let down our guard,” said Dr. Jeffrey Coben, dean of the School of Public Health and associate vice president for Health Affairs. “We have had success to this point in mitigating the impact of the virus on our campuses because our faculty, staff and students have taken this threat seriously, and I urge that we continue to take care of ourselves and each other. Please consider getting fully vaccinated, including a booster dose if applicable.”

Mask protocols

At this time, masks will continue to be required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in all classrooms, labs or any WVU System facility or building being used as a classroom.

Masks are expected, but not required, for those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 in all indoor settings as well as outdoors where large groups are gathered. Additionally, masks will be required, regardless of vaccination status, for passengers on the PRT and WVU buses through March 18, 2022, under updated federal guidelines from the Transportation Security Administration.

Masks may also be required in clinical and patient care areas of the Health Sciences Campus.

COVID-19 module for new, incoming students

New students starting at WVU this spring are required to take the COVID-19 education module by Jan. 9, 2022. Those who are returning this spring do not need to retake the module. Those required to take the module will receive an email soon from covidmodule@notify.wvu.edu with more information on how to complete the module. Please check junk and spam folders for expected emails that have not been directed to the inbox.

Vaccines

WVU continues to strongly urge everyone to be fully vaccinated and to get a COVID-19 booster. Employees and students, especially new students starting this spring, are asked to verify their vaccine status at http://myhousing.wvu.edu.

Those on the Health Sciences Campus involved in patient care, including residents, fellows and students, are required to follow separate WVU Health System or other clinical provider’s policies, including those related to COVID-19, such as masks, PPE and vaccinations.

Some faculty, staff and students working on or in connection with certain federal contracts may be required by executive order to be vaccinated. Questions may be directed to talentandculture@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU Medicine Student Health has the Pfizer vaccine available for WVU students at its clinic in the Health and Education Building. Walk-in appointments are offered during regular business hours (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

The Monongalia County Health Department is offering free vaccinations by appointment on most days at its facility at 453 Van Voorhis Rd. Anyone who wishes to be vaccinated can call the MCHD at 304-598-5119 to schedule an appointment.

Vaccines will continue to be offered on the Morgantown campus one day a week in partnership with the MCHD. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Other vaccination opportunities can be found at vaccines.gov.

Testing and monitoring

Due to high vaccination verification rates, WVU will not conduct or require campus-wide COVID-19 testing at the start of the semester. Any sample/surveillance testing during the semester will be based upon situations as they arise.

Testing will be available in partnership with the MCHD which will continue to offer community testing opportunities for the WVU community. Visit https://www.monchd.org/ for more information.

For personal safety and the safety of others, students and employees should not ignore symptoms of COVID-19; those with any symptoms of COVID-19 should not report to campus for work or class.

All WVU community members are required to report if they test positive for COVID-19 or are quarantining due to suspected or known exposure to COVID-19. In Morgantown, students and employees should report their positive results to CareServices@mail.wvu.edu.

Testing and vaccination information for WVU Tech students and employees are available on the Beckley Return to Campus website.

Similarly, testing information for students and employees at WVU Potomac State College can be found on the WVU Keyser Return to Campus site.

Isolation and quarantine procedures

The University continues to implement isolation and quarantine procedures on campus. Students living in the residence halls who have COVID-19 will be isolated in Gaskins House.

WVU’s public dashboard will be updated to report the vaccination verification rate on a biweekly basis for the Morgantown, Beckley and Keyser campuses. WVU COVID-19 case counts and testing information will not be reported on the dashboard due to the change in testing strategy.

Academics

The spring 2022 semester will begin on Monday, Jan. 10, and will include a traditional Spring Recess March 12-20.

Details about assigned seating and seating charts for contact tracing purposes will be shared with faculty and instructors in the coming weeks.

Faculty may obtain additional PPE measures for classrooms through Mountaineer Marketplace.

The University will use a traditional grading scale again this spring and will not offer a high pass/pass/fail option.

WVU offers many resources such as tutoring, success coaching and workshops to help students be academically successful.

• WVU tutoring centers continue to offer in-person tutoring,  virtual drop-in tutoring and virtual tutoring appointments. The tutoring.wvu.edu website provides links to the various tutoring centers across the WVU System as well as a tool to help students identify the most appropriate center to contact for help.
• Student Success Coaches work individually with students to enhance their academic success in time management, note taking, reading and study skills. To request a success coach visit the studentsuccess.wvu.edu website.
• More than 50 on-demand workshops (Student Lingo) are available 24/7 and cover important topics such as exam preparation, taking tests online and staying motivated in online learning. For more information visit https://studentsuccess.wvu.edu/services/seminars.
• MindFit is a program offering a range of services designed to help students overcome obstacles to academic success, including enhanced academic support and coaching, as well as innovative, brain-based interventions – such as cognitive training and neurofeedback – to improve attention span, memory and cognitive functioning. For more information, including the cost of these services, visit mindfit.wvu.edu.

The University continues to monitor current travel guidelines and global infrastructures and will follow federal and state guidelines. Students and academic advisers with questions related to international study abroad opportunities should contact the Office of Global Affairs.

Housing, on-campus activities and support

Residence halls will reopen on Saturday, Jan. 8 at noon. Students may move in or return to their space at their convenience.

WVU will continue Refresh activities and other student and on-campus activities will operate on a normal basis during the semester, including the Rec Center, Adventure WV, Craft Center, club sports, student organizations and WVUp All Night.

The Carruth Center offers a variety of counseling services while providing 24/7 emergency and crisis response to students. Healthy Minds University, operated by WVU Medicine and the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, supplements the Center’s services and serves as an additional counseling and psychiatric resource for students.

The West Virginia University Faculty and Staff Assistance Program is a free service offered to employees and their dependents. FSAP is a confidential resource that provides professional staff three sessions of short-term counseling to determine the best resources available to address presenting issues. For an appointment, WVU employees can call 304-293-5590.

Communications

Updates can be found on the Return to Campus website. New information will also be shared in upcoming editions of MOUNTAINEER E-News for employees and student Unews.

COVID-19 and related questions can be submitted or sent via email to returntocampus@mail.wvu.edu. Visit the Return to Campus website for the latest information.