MESSAGE FROM REV. JOHN P. STACK, OSA VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT LIFE

December 22, 2020

Dear Student,

This email contains an overview of COVID-19 pre-arrival testing for the start of the spring semester. As a supplement to this communication, the University will provide an important additional update on January 5 with testing specifics and directions. We ask that students wait for the January 5 communication before contacting the University, which will be closed from December 24 to January 4 for the holidays.

Pre-Arrival Testing

The spring semester is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 25. All faculty, staff and students who will be physically on campus or taking in-person classes are required to be tested prior to the start of the semester.

Pre-arrival testing for all students (excluding Law students) will be completed through Quest Diagnostics, as it was in August. Students will receive an email on January 5 with a link to register for a test kit, which will be sent to the address students designate. Students approved to arrive to campus early should register with Quest on January 5 to help ensure a test result prior to the early return. Graduate students working on campus the week of January 11 need to call the Student Health Center at (610) 519-4070 if they do not have the Quest test result by the day they arrive on campus.

Quarantine Expectations

Villanova is asking students to take precautions before returning to campus in January. Students are expected to quarantine at home, or where they physically are in January, for 14 days prior to returning to campus. Please make January plans accordingly. Our plan is that the pre-arrival testing—paired with an at-home quarantine—will ensure the health of the community as the semester begins. Guidance on quarantine may shift and could alter this strategy, depending on CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines.

Surveillance Testing During the Spring Semester

Villanova will once again conduct surveillance testing during the spring semester. The purpose of surveillance testing is to use randomized sampling to monitor the health of the Villanova community, and full participation is necessary for its validity and integrity. We will continue to sample our population weekly in accordance with statistically significant sampling principles.

COVID-19 Vaccination Information

Villanova has been identified by the county and state as a vaccination site, which means Villanova will receive vaccines when they become available for our population. It is too soon to know a timetable for when vaccines will be available for our campus community.

In Conclusion: The Caritas Commitment

While we are all ready for this pandemic to be over, it is more important than ever to continue to practice the health and safety measures that limit exposure: mask-wearing, social distancing and good hygiene. We see the numbers of infections continue to rise across the country—please be safe and make healthy decisions every day. The Caritas Commitment continues to be in effect while you are at home and on campus.

May you and your family have a blessed Christmas and a happy holiday season,

Rev. John P. Stack, OSA
Vice President for Student Life