COVID-19 CAMPUS INFORMATION

Villanova University reviews and updates its COVID-19 policies to keep the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff paramount while recognizing the high vaccination rate of our campus community and monitoring CDC and state guidelines.

The following COVID-19 policies are currently in effect (updated 1/27/23):

COVID-19 VACCINE REQUIREMENT

All students, faculty and staff who will be on campus are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation. The vaccine requirement applies to all students who are enrolled in any in-person class, whether the class is held on campus or at another location.

Villanova accepts the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Villanova also accepts vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) evaluation process. A listing of COVID-19 vaccines that have been evaluated by the WHO and have met the necessary criteria for safety and efficacy can be found on the WHO website.

Proof of vaccination should be uploaded through Villanova's secure portal for any new law, graduate or CPS student. Traditional first-year undergraduate students (i.e., freshmen or transfers) should submit their vaccination document as part of their Student Health Record, available on the same portal. Information submitted through this portal will remain confidential.

COVID-19 BOOSTER

The COVID-19 booster is strongly recommended for all students, faculty and staff, when eligible, to remain up-to-date with their vaccination status (under CDC guidelines). Find out more from the CDC about staying up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines.

MASKING

Masks are not required outdoors or indoors.
Any community member who feels more comfortable wearing a mask is encouraged to do so.
All community members are expected to continue to have a mask with them at all times. KN95 masks are available on campus for all community members in the Connelly Center.
Faculty may require students to wear masks in their classes, laboratories or offices, and students must comply with this request. Students and staff may ask the same of one another when meeting or getting together.
Everyone is expected to put Community First and be respectful of others’ masking decisions. The reasons why individuals may choose to wear a mask can vary widely, so everyone is expected to show respect in all situations.
Masks are recommended inside campus buildings for visitors to campus.

TESTING

Prior to arriving to campus, all students are encouraged to test for COVID-19, and, if positive, students should stay home through their isolation period. Students who test positive for COVID-19 should notify covidsurvey@villanova.edu so the Student Health Center can provide appropriate care and medical support.
Any student, with or without symptoms, may test at the Student Health Center.
Students who have been exposed as a close contact, who remain asymptomatic, need to test on day 6 (i.e., test at least five full days after their last exposure) and may be tested at the Student Health Center. Such students may also test on their own (with a home test).
All COVID-19 testing at the Student Health Center is a rapid PCR or rapid molecular test and has a fee.
Villanova employees should take advantage of local community-based testing locations or contact their primary healthcare provider for testing.
Mandatory random surveillance testing is not planned for the Fall 2022 semester; if there is a need to change our approach, a communication will be sent to students, faculty and staff.

TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

Students

Any student who tests positive is expected to isolate for five days, per CDC guidance, and notify the Student Health Center at covidsurvey@villanova.edu. (See below for more information about isolation.)
The Student Health Center will inform the appropriate Associate Dean when a student receives a positive COVID-19 test since the student will require a period of isolation. The Associate Dean will inform the students’ faculty that they will be absent from class due to illness.

Employees

Follow CDC guidelines regarding isolation.
Notify your supervisor/department chair to determine the appropriate next steps in terms of using sick time or working from home, if you are able to and a supervisor supports that the position can do so.
Employees are welcome to contact covidsurvey@villanova.edu with any COVID-19 related questions (but it is no longer necessary to notify Human Resources, the Student Health Center or covidsurvey@villanova.edu if you are positive).

CONTACT TRACING

Villanova will continue to engage in contact tracing of student COVID-19 cases.
Students who are close contacts, regardless of vaccination status, will not need to quarantine. Under CDC recommendations, students will be expected to mask for 10 days and test on day 6 (i.e., test at least five full days after your last exposure) if they remain asymptomatic. Rapid testing is available at the Student Health Center or students may test on their own. If a student tests negative, they should continue taking precautions through Day 10. If a student tests positive, they should isolate immediately.
Current CDC guidance also provides that any close contact who has tested positive in the last 90-days for COVID-19 does not need to test regardless of vaccination status. Such individuals should continue to watch for symptoms and, if symptoms develop, test immediately and isolate until test results are known.

ISOLATION

Students who reside in a residence hall who test positive for COVID-19 will generally return to their assigned room for their isolation period and recover with the help of campus resources; students may also choose to go home or elsewhere off-campus to complete the isolation period, adhering to CDC travel guidelines.

Per current guidance from the CDC, an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 must isolate away from others for at least five full days from the onset of symptoms. All students diagnosed with COVID-19 are required to self-isolate in their rooms whether they are living on or off campus. The Student Health Center will continue to have limited isolation space available for students for whom return to their assigned on-campus housing is not advisable for health reasons. Students who are isolating in their assigned on-campus rooms must follow these guidelines:

Isolate in their assigned room for five full days. If feeling better, a student may leave isolation on day 6, continuing to wear a mask for five more days when around other people.
Do not attend class, work, or social gatherings. Do not host students in your room.
Leave the residence hall to retrieve grab-n-go meals from the dining hall (while being diligently masked).
Remain masked and maintain social distancing as much as possible when in the company of others in the residence hall. Wear a mask outside your room. Masking is not required during sleep or while in the shower.
Do not share items (e.g., drinking glasses, eating utensils, towels) or engage in physical contact with others.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if you can’t wash your hands.
Clean surfaces with sanitizing wipes. The Student Health Center can provide students with sanitizing wipes.

If a student is immunocompromised, they should contact the Student Health Center at 610-519-4070 to discuss additional options for isolation or quarantine. The Student Health Center is open 24/7.

TRAVEL

Villanova recommends that anyone traveling on behalf of Villanova be up-to-date with their vaccinations, which includes a booster when eligible per CDC guidelines.
Other travel with Villanova, including optional student travel, will continue to be evaluated in light of the most current CDC guidance and transmission trends.

PARTICIPATION IN CAMPUS EVENTS

Participation in campus events is generally open to all community members.
Some specific events or organizations may determine that up-to-date vaccination status is required for participation or attendance as circumstances warrant.

VISITORS TO CAMPUS

Up-to-date vaccination status is recommended for any visitor to campus.
Masks are recommended inside campus buildings for visitors to campus.