Responding to Covid-19

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Return-to-Better

 

Active cases
includes faculty/staff and students, both on and off campus
Recovered
includes faculty/staff and students, both on and off campus
Total
includes faculty/staff and students, both on and off campus
Last updated 05/13/2022

Total: Total number of cases (Active and Recovered) among Students, Faculty, and Staff, both on and off campus, since tracking began for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Active: Positive cases not yet recovered.
Recovered: Able to resume normal activities.

As of Friday, May 13, 2022, we have suspended tracking cases for the 2021-2022 Academic Year.

To date, no cases of COVID-19 among the community of Edgewood College have required hospitalization. 

 

 

Return to Better

We are committed to a return to classes on campus and in-person when the 2021-‘22 academic year gets underway.

Our students expect to engage with our outstanding faculty and with one another – both in and out of the classroom – and they expect to do that in-person, in one of the best college towns in America – Madison.  That's why we are committed to teaching and learning in classrooms, and in-person, this fall.

Our Return to Better Task Force is taking steps to make that happen - not to return to ‘normal,’ but to return to better, applying all the lessons we have learned and continue to learn through the experience of the pandemic.

Protocol Update - Masks Required Indoors

August 4, 2021

We are not out of this pandemic. Effective Thursday, August 5, 2021, masks are required inside campus buildings for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This requirement applies to everyone - those who are fully-vaccinated, and those who are not. As a valued member of the community, you will hear when this latest update to our protocol is no longer necessary. We do this for each other, because from the beginning of this pandemic, we have shown each other and Greater Madison that we live our values of Community and Compassion.

Again - getting vaccinated – for all who are eligible – is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We urge each member of our community to be vaccinated. 

-Dr. Heather Harbach
V.P. for Student Development/Dean of Students

Update

July 1, 2021

As a community we have followed the guidance of our public health professionals since the beginning of this pandemic. The CDC and the Wis. Department of Health Services recommends that all who are eligible be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Therefore, we too are strongly urging each member of our community to be vaccinated.

Students – we have created a simple form for you to update your COVID-19 vaccination status, and have sent you the link via email. You will indicate whether you have been vaccinated, whether you plan to but have not yet, or whether you do not plan to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Please complete this simple form now, and no later than Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021.

There will be continued updates for students as we approach our fall semester, including some very attractive reasons for completing the form. (Did someone say ‘big scholarships?’ And ‘free parking spaces?’) Please remember to check your email often throughout the summer.

If you have any questions, please email deanofstudents@edgewood.edu. If you need assistance finding a vaccination appointment, reach out, we are here to help! 

Enjoy your summer!

-Dr. Heather Harbach
V.P. for Student Development/Dean of Students

Student, Faculty, and Staff Pledge 2020-21

Preventing the spread

In order to do everything we can to keep all of our community as safe as possible, the Edgewood College community will adhere to a number of safety protocols during the 2020-2021 Academic Year as a way of minimizing risk of the spread of COVID-19. These protocols are based on guidelines provided by Public Health Madison Dane County.

As a member of this Community, I will…

  • Wash my hands properly and regularly.
  • Cover any coughs or sneezes.
  • Comply with posted Public Health Madison Dane County requirements.  
  • Wear a mask covering my nose and mouth while in indoor spaces.
  • Maintain social distancing.
  • Assist in the use of disinfectant wipes to clean shared public workspaces prior to use.
  • Take reasonable precautions to avoid contracting COVID-19 both on- and off-campus.
  • Avoid public places and minimize interpersonal contacts if I have been exposed or have any symptoms of any illness.
  • Report any potential exposure or symptoms to the College and follow any instructions to seek medical care or to quarantine.
  • Agree to be tested for COVID-19, as prescribed by health care professionals. Agree to be cooperative and flexible as we work together to support one another and give our community the best balance of learning and safety.

COVID-19 Reporting for 2020-21

We tracked positive cases of COVID-19 beginning in August of 2020. Data includes students, faculty, and staff. This data includes both on-campus and off-campus students, faculty, and staff. We reached a peak of active cases (28) on September 19-20, 2020. 

For 2020-21, we managed a total of 171 positive cases. None of those cases are associated with on-campus transmission. No case required hospitalization, and all cases reported as recovered.

 

 

Covid-19 Updates

These pages are a resource for students, parents, and our entire community.

 

Spring Semester Update - Days Feel Brighter

Apr 8, 2021, 5:58 PM

Dear Students and Colleagues –

If you are reading this email, know this:

As of Monday, April 5, 2021, all Wisconsin residents above the age of 16 (that’s YOU!) are now eligible to receive the vaccine for COVID-19. Many faculty and staff have already done so, and now students have the opportunity as well. There is great information, which includes instructions for getting on a list to receive your vaccine, at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Getting the vaccine before you head into the summer will make travel easier, will benefit your friends and family, and will go a long way toward making this coming fall truly a Return to Better, as we resume in-person classes, and renew the life and energy of our beautiful campus in the heart of Madison. Students – if you have questions about eligibility, or anything else related to getting a vaccine, please reach out to Deanofstudents@edgewood.edu and we will assist.

Days feel brighter (today’s much-needed rain notwithstanding) but the pandemic is not “over.” Even as some restrictions are lifting, our protocols remain in place, and will for the foreseeable future. We won’t let our guard down now, even as the vaccination rate in our community increases. We will get there, and we will do it together – all of us.

We are preparing for a significant day on campus. Commencement is set for Saturday, May 15, 2021. We will have three ceremonies, preceded by Commencement Liturgy. We are segmenting what is routinely a single ceremony to ensure maximum physical distancing, and to put our community in the position of celebrating our graduates – and to enable our graduates to celebrate with the special people in their lives. So many pieces of our shared lives have felt beyond our control. The decision to hold Commencement on campus, and in this format, represents a happy return to at least the feeling of control. Yes, there are and will be protocols in place, and yes, our plan for the day requires approval by our public health authorities, and by our public safety authorities. But it will be in-person, on campus, and it will be a celebration for all – including some May 2020 grads who had to go without a ceremony last year. Faculty and Staff – watch for a brief survey regarding how you can serve on this important day for our graduates and their families.

Four more weeks of classes for the spring semester, then finals week. Wear your mask, keep your circles tight, and get a vaccine when and if you can, and let’s finish the semester strong.

Cor ad cor loquitur.