Keira Kant, Associate Dean of College Life, informs students residing in off-campus housing about the COVID-19 rules and rubric for the spring 2021 semester.
Dear Students Residing Off-Campus,
I hope this letter finds you well. I write to you this morning with updates and reminders about the Spring 2021 semester. As you will recall, upperclass students had an opportunity to indicate their intent to be part of the residential cohort or the remote cohort for this coming semester. While the majority of approved students living in town decided be part of the residential cohort, there are some approved students living in town who have chosen to be part of the remote cohort. The information in this email is applicable to all approved students living in town, regardless of cohort.
This email will detail the type of violations that could result in a series of sanctions, including losing Commencement privileges, a behavioral contract, suspension, and/or deferred suspension. I have included a copy of the COVID-19 Rules and Rubric for the semester where these violations and possible sanctions are laid out. Please read this email carefully to ensure you understand the expectations.
Types of Violations (Masking, Physical Distancing, and Gatherings)
Complaints of non-compliance from your local neighbors, many of whom are College faculty, staff, and other students who are aware of the College’s rules and rubric, will be accepted by DPS and other College offices (e.g. Residence Life). An official report will be created and submitted to Student Rights and Responsibilities to determine if COVID-19 and/or other College policies have been violated. The report will document students who are not in compliance.
Masking and distancing are critical in our efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Gatherings can contribute significantly to the spread of COVID-19. Please be reminded that you must follow the COVID-19 rules when hosting guests. This includes masking and distancing by all students if a guest is present in your residence.
As a reminder, guests are not permitted at your residence under quarantine conditions, including Arrival Quarantine. Violation of the COVID-19 Hosting Guests policy will result in assignment of sanctions, including remote study, loss of privilege to participate in Commencement, a behavior contract, and/or suspension. Any documented violations will be addressed through the College’s conduct process.
Sanctions for violation of the College’s COVID-19 rules (as additional notes) may include:
- Remote Study for Residential Cohort Students (included on the Rubric) – Students in the residential cohort who violate COVID-19 rules may be placed on a warning and/or moved to remote study.
- Loss of Privilege to Participate in Commencement (included on the Rubric) – Partaking in Commencement exercises is a privilege for Gettysburg students and employees alike. To be clear, prohibiting participation in Commencement is a step that the College does not wish to take, but it will if necessary to curtail student behavior during this pivotal juncture for the campus community and its safety.
- Behavioral contract (from Student Handbook) – The purpose of the Behavioral Contract is to outline the expectations the College has of its student(s) and the specific behaviors students are expected to engage in or avoid. In the context of COVID-19, the Behavioral Contract will be focused on mitigating behaviors that place individuals at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. The Behavioral Contract may be developed with individual students or with a group of students. Behavioral contracts may be utilized in addition to administrative sanctions such as probation.
If you observe a violation of the Student Health Agreement, please submit a Community Concern Form. If you have questions, please let me know.
Be safe and be well,
Keira S. Kant ’95
Associate Dean of College Life