#wooweekly
Fall 2020 Residence Life & Housing Information
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
WE CAN DO IT!
At WSU, we want to emphasize that as a member of #woolife we expect you to advocate for and foster a culture of shared responsibility for the health and safety of our larger community. Please keep in mind that best practices and public health guidance continues to evolve, and as such, these recommendations may as well.
Social distancing and the wearing of face coverings are required. Failure to follow these WSU standards and expectations will minimally involve a staff member conversation. Continued incidents in which students do not adhere to the standards and expectations will result in an educational meeting and, ultimately, may result in conduct sanctions, including removal from WSU housing, transition to remote-only learning, or other disciplinary action per the Student Code of Conduct.
Guests and visitors both within and outside of the WSU community will not be permitted in the residence halls.
Resident Student Testing UPDATES
We will be testing all residential students on a weekly basis, through the Broad Institute. Residents will use the Co-Verified App to schedule their weekly test and no more than 7 days should pass between tests.
Testing is a mandatory requirement, on a weekly basis and every resident should have already been tested at Check In to the residence halls.
Symptom Tracking is also a mandatory requirement on a daily basis. Each resident should report any new symptoms. Residents should not report symptoms that are considered "their normal" - for example, seasonal allergies, migraine, etc. Doing so may result in a false restriction to campus. If you have no new symptoms, please choose "no new symptoms".
Contact Tracing will only have to be used if you are exhibiting symptoms. At that time, you will be asked to use the Contact function on the CoVerified app.
If you are unsure what to attribute a symptom to, then you should report it. Instructions for using the app, and accessing the web browser version (https://web.coverified.us/login) are available below.
How To Use the CoVerified App
Step 1: Download the CoVerified Campus App or you can access via the browser version https://www.coverified.us/download
Step 2: When you open the app it will say RESTRICTED if you have not done your daily symptom checker.
Step 3: To remove this restriction, please click REPORT in the bottom left of the app.
Step 4: Click REPORT SYMPTOMS, then select any new symptoms experience within the last 24 hours.
Step 5: If you have no symptoms, you will be CLEARED.
Scheduling a Test
Select TESTING on the bottom
Select the CALENDAR WITH A PLUS on the top right
Choose your DATE RANGE
Select test location:WSU COVID-19 Testing Center
Select the TIME FRAME you want and then PRESS BOOK
Obtaining results from App
Select ALERTS from bottom of screen
Here you will see your RESULTS
Obtaining results from email
You will get an email from CareEvolve stating that you have lab results available
There will be a link as well as a registration code
Click on the link and you will need to register with your email address and registration code. If you are a resident student at WSU, please use 486 Chandler Street, Worcester, MA 01602.
Once you register you will get another email congratulating you for completing your initial registration with another confirmation code and link
Once you click on the link type in your confirmation code that you received in your second email
Click on the collected date and it will take you to your results.
Reading Results
1. Your results should be a clear POSITIVE or NEGATIVE.
2. If it says INCONCLUSIVE, it's okay. This just means that the lab couldn't get a clear yes or no answer based on your sample. Please come to the COVID Testing Center to have another test sample taken.
Questions related to the app, including issues with sign-on, should be directed to Paul Vernucci, our COVID-19 Response Manager. He can be reached by email at pvernucci@worcester.edu or x8908.
Are you travelling out of Massachusetts?
If you have plans to travel, outside Massachusetts to a state that is not considered lower risk, please remember the MA State Travel Order is still in effect:
#1 - The state requires all travelers, with certain exceptions, coming to Massachusetts to:
Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form https://www.mass.gov/forms/massachusetts-travel-form prior to arrival.
If your COVID-19 test result has not been received prior to arrival, visitors, and residents must quarantine until they receive a negative test result.
Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day.
Massachusetts residents are urged to limit any out-of-State travel only to States designated as COVID-19 lower-risk States.
#2 - WSU is requiring the following:
- Complete the Resident Student Travel Form
- Sign up to be tested in our COVID testing center on the weekday that you leave campus for the non-safe state (even if you tested that week already).
- Sign up to be tested on the weekday that you return to campus, after your travels.
Please schedule these tests in your CoVerified App.
The current list of COVID-19 lower-risk states include:
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont & West Virgina
Cleaning Protocols & Laundry
Cleaning Protocol: Frequent cleaning and sanitization procedures of bathrooms, common areas, hallways, and other shared spaces will be in place. Facilities will frequently clean high-touch surfaces in residence hall common areas, which include hallways, doorknobs, elevators, elevator buttons, light switches, handrails, stairwells, lounges, common bathrooms, and quiet study lounges, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
Keep in mind that students in suites, semi-suites, and apartment-style residences will be responsible for cleaning their kitchens and bathrooms following their use.
Tuesday will be toilet paper, trash bag and cleaning supply pick up at the Wasylean Hall front desk. Please plan to bring your empty spray bottle to this station for a refill when you need one!
Laundry: COVID-19 means that clothing, too, should be kept as clean as possible. The CDC provides recommended guidelines for doing laundry. Those guidelines advise using the warmest water possible, drying items completely, and washing only your own clothes. Towels and sheets should be washed frequently. Students are advised to bring an ample supply of cloth face coverings that can be used between laundry visits. Students will need to practice physical distancing even while doing laundry. Please follow occupancy guidelines to maximize the use of the laundry facilities.
GOT MAIL?
Our office hours are:
Monday 9:00am-5:00pm
Tuesday 9:00am-7:00pm
Wednesday 9:00am-7:00pm
Thursday 9:00am-7:00pm
Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Please use the following address format to receive mail:
Worcester State University
Your First and Last Name - Residence Life
Worcester State University
486 Chandler Street
Worcester, MA 01602
All packages will still be sent to Central Receiving and an email will be sent for package pick up.
How to Use the LRC
Access to the Learning Resource Center (LRC) is limited to members of the WSU community (students, faculty, and staff with valid WSU OneCards).
To access the building, users must use the card swipe machines located at the 1st and 2nd floor entrances. Users without OneCards will not be able to access the building.
For assistance with OneCards, users should contact the OneCard Office located in the Shaughnessy Administration Building, Suite A-140, 508-929-8888, https://www.worcester.edu/OneCard/.
The Learning Resource Center Fall hours are:
Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
To view the most current Hours of Operation, visit https://libguides.worcester.edu/hours.
Resident Student Parking Update
All approved resident parking permits can be picked up and purchased with your ONECARD at the University Police - Wasylean Hall. They are located on the 1st floor.
Permits will be approved for the fall semester only at this time. The rates below reflect a semester ONLY price.
Dowden Lot (RC) - $88.00
Parking Garage (RG) - $50.00
RC Decals are approved to park in the Dowden Hall parking lot spaces only.
RG Decals are approved to park in the garage on floors 3-5 only.
Meal Plan Changes
The link can be found under DINING. If you have any questions, please email us at reslife@worcester.edu.
Questions, Comments, Concerns?
Our Zoom Help Desk will be monitored Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm. Please feel free to log on at any time and someone will answer your questions.
This service is for brief questions you may have. A Residence Life staff member may ask you to make a longer appointment or need to follow up with you after your zoom meeting. You will be added to a Zoom waiting room and a staff member will meet with you as soon as they are available. Please be patient as they may be meeting with other students. Feel free to leave the waiting room and check back in at a later time.
Residence Life & Housing
Email: reslife@worcester.edu
Website: http://www.worcester.edu/Residence-Life/
Location: 486 Chandler Street, Worcester, MA, United States
Phone: 508-929-8074
Facebook: facebook.com/woolife
Twitter: @wsureslife