Student COVID policy

Students are expected to adhere to the College’s COVID-19 procedures and guidelines.

Vaccines and boosters

Gettysburg College strongly recommends that our community remain up to date with their COVID vaccines, but it is not required. You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and got the most recent booster dose recommended for you by the CDC. If you have completed your primary series—but are not yet eligible for a booster—you are also considered up to date. Students may and are encouraged to submit vaccination records through the student Medicat portal.

Testing

There will be no weekly COVID-19 testing of students or employees, regardless of their vaccination status. Students experiencing symptoms and would like to be seen or tested, can call the Health Center by WellSpan at 717-337-4105 to schedule an appointment. Please carefully review the College’s student COVID-19 Guidelines below in the event you test positive or are identified as a close contact.

Masking

Masking is not mandated. Any student or employee may continue to mask if they choose. We encourage all community members to be respectful of these individual judgments.

Isolation

The College will work with students regarding a plan and determine when students can return to classes. Students who test positive must remain masked indoors at all times through Day 10 and should refrain from eating or drinking indoors with others.

Travel

There are no restrictions on student travel to and from campus.

Visitors to campus

Gettysburg College students are permitted to have non-Gettysburg guests on campus.

COVID-19 Guidelines

What should I do if I test positive?

If you test positive using an at-home test or at a provider other than the Health Center, please call Residential Education at 717-337-6901 (Campus Safety at 717-337-6911 during evenings/weekends).
Do not attend class and remain in your residential space.
Please email your faculty. Let them know that you are not able to attend class. Partner with your faculty to determine how you can continue completing your coursework until you can safely return to class in person.
When leaving your room to pick up food or for other reasons, please wear a mask.
You are expected to notify your close contacts.
You can return to class on the sixth day after your positive test if your symptoms are improving and you have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. (If you test positive on the 1st of the month, you can return on the 7th.)
If your symptoms worsen or persist for ten days, please call the Health Center by WellSpan for an appointment.

What happens when I return after testing positive?

What is a close contact?

What if I am considered as a close contact?

You are not required to notify Health Services if you are a close contact on or off campus.
Per CDC guidelines, if you are up-to-date on your vaccines and asymptomatic, you can remain on campus as long as you stay masked, both indoors and outdoors, for five days after your contact. You should test on the fifth day.
If you are up-to-date on your vaccines and symptomatic, CDC guidelines require that you stay home until your symptoms improve. You can return to classes if symptoms improve as long as you stay masked, both indoors and outdoors, for five days after your contact. You should test on the fifth day.
If you are not up-to-date on your vaccines, CDC guidelines require staying home for five days after your most recent contact. If you test negative on the fifth day, you can return to campus but should mask, both indoors and outdoors, for five more days.