Vaccinations for the Coronavirus are on the rise, however, local colleges are experiencing a rise in cases of the virus.
Students at St. Lawrence University were notified on February 10 that COVID-19 cases increased at Clarkson University. Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Karl Schonberg and Vice President and Dean of Student Life Hagi Bradley stated, “During the past few days, 33 new positive cases were identified and contact tracing is in process.”
According to the COVID-19 part of Clarkson University’s website, Provost Robyn Hannigan and Vice President Kelly Chezum asked faculty and staff to shift to remote learning. This was a move to allow more time to trace positive cases and follow appropriate cleaning protocol according to the website. The University was placed on Red- level alert, which moved social activities online and limited gatherings and classroom activities.
Students were advised to click through a daily health screening, which had questions pertaining to symptoms of illness or a possible COVID-19 infection. Clarkson’s website stated “Of the recent positive cases, we know some are inclusive of people already in quarantine from previous exposure. We also have new cases of unknown origin at this time which we need to support further contact tracing and disinfecting protocols.”
At the beginning of the 2020- 2021 school year, all students at Clarkson University were asked to sign the Clarkson Commitment which is similar to the Laurentian Pact according to Chezum. The commitment states, “our Clarkson Commitment motivates us to do all that we can to create an environment where everyone is safely able to participate in the wide range of activities available at the University.”
Despite the Clarkson Commitment, new cases appeared. The new cases at the university are likely due to the expansion of family units. “Clarkson’s positive cases are like those in the wider community when the “family unit” is extended in social settings beyond immediate roommates and protocols like mask wearing or physical distancing are relaxed,” according to Chezum.
The rise in cases and precautionary and mandatory quarantines has been met with an encouraging response as claimed by Chezum. Chezum also stated that there are several resources for community members in quarantine. “Our faculty and staff in Clarkson Ignite have created some engaging virtual events for the students to participate in during this time and the response has been incredible.”
Clarkson ignite is described as an “innovation ecosystem” that connects Clarkson’s community through hands-on creative experiences. These experiences include masterclasses, podcasts and competitions as maintained on the programs website.
In addition to online resources, the COVID-19 response team at the university provides each student with a University Care Team member. This member ensures that students have access to all the resources they need whether it is regarding mental health, medical issues or resources needed in quarantine. Staffing for the mental health portion of the Student Health and Counseling Center was increased in Fall 2020, said Chezum.
Similar to the St. Lawrence campus, Clarkson is a first-name basis community, mentioned by Chezum. Therefore, this pandemic has hindered the social aspect of the university. “People like to open doors for one another and it’s a place that differentiates its rigorous education through a lot of hands-on experiential learning and personal interactions across majors, faculty and staff,” said Chezum. “While many new technology resources are aiding that experience and will remain in our inventory of options to connect, we like being around each other more than we can right now.”
Chezum believes that the Clarkson campus has found new ways to connect and “they truly embody what it means to be a Golden Knight, they problem solve, and look for new ways to connect and be together.”
“Right now we all need to follow the science in what we do and work through COVID-19 fatigue, which is very real and hard. We all want everyone to be healthy and safe,” mentioned Chezum.
As of February 15, the University Care Team is following 93 positive cases of the virus as well as 210 students in mandatory quarantine. This is down from their previous 257 students in quarantine the week prior. Students and faculty are asked to treat everyone as if they have COVID-19 and follow mask wearing protocols according to their website.