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Parents and Families

Email to Students

The August 30 email outlines expectations regarding COVID policies.

Over the weekend, we welcomed back almost 2,100 students living in campus housing. With classes beginning today, more will be coming to campus to attend classes or other activities.

As we all enjoy the return to a more vibrant campus community, I want to remind you that we are still in the midst of a pandemic and all of us must be mindful of the protocols we must all follow in order to keep our community safe and to avoid a disruption or pause due to positivity rates.

Please take advantage of the beautiful outdoor spaces on campus to meet with your friends. Be aware of the Welcome Week events available, including a trip to Playland, an outside roller rink and a trip to a Yankee’s game among many other offerings. Please check out Current Student portal for more information on all the upcoming events.

To enjoy a fun and successful semester, please be aware of the following important policies and information:

Mask Requirement

All persons on campus are required to:

  • Have a face covering available at all times and be considerate of the health concerns of community members.
  • Cover the nose and mouth with a face covering when inside campus buildings with the exception of when inside your assigned residence or while eating or drinking.
  • Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals must wear a mask and maintain six feet of social distancing from those outside their residence in both indoor and outdoor settings.

Daily COVID Screening

ALL residential students and students commuting to campus for classes or to use facilities, regardless of vaccination status, must complete a Daily COVID Screening each morning, Monday through Friday. Failure to submit the Daily COVID screening may result in disciplinary action.

The Daily COVID Screening is on the Current Student Portal, the first link under Quick Links.

Required Pool Testing

Exempt unvaccinated and students not yet fully vaccinated are required to test weekly. Residential students are required to test on Mondays.

The college will be requiring 3%-5% of vaccinated students to test throughout the semester. Watch your email for notification if you are chosen for random testing.

Failure to test as required is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and may result in disciplinary action.

Pool Testing Locations and Times

Testing will take place in the Red Room (First Floor, Student Services Building). Until further notice, the testing schedule is:

  • Monday: 10am–12:30pm (No testing on Labor Day, Monday, September 6.
    (Please note: residential students who are are required to test must test on Mondays.)
  • Tuesday: 10am–12:30pm
  • Wednesday: 2pm–4:30pm
  • Thursday: 2pm–4:30pm

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Instructions for testing procedure

  • If this is your first time participating in testing you must create a COVID-19 Surveillance Account and register online prior to showing up to the testing site. Please use Chrome as your browser.
  • You will need your College ID # which is the P# on the top of your More Card.

Required COVID-19 Vaccinations

With recent FDA approval, all students coming to campus must have proof of at least one shot of the vaccine uploaded to the Health Services Medical portal by Monday, September 6. Students without documentation submitted by September 6 will be withdrawn automatically from the college. Purchase College Tuition and Fee Refund apply.

Any Purchase student who has not yet received at least the first dose of a vaccine must do the following:

If you choose to receive the one-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson/Janssen):

  • You have until Friday, September 3, 2021 to receive the one-dose vaccination. You must upload proof of this vaccination to Health Services through your Medical Records Portal no later than Monday, September 6, 2021.

If you choose to receive a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna):

  • Pfizer: You must receive your first dose no later than Friday, September 3, 2021 and upload proof of this partial vaccination to Health Services through your Medical Records Portal by Monday, September 6, 2021.
  • Moderna: You must receive your first dose no later than Monday, August 30, 2021. You must upload proof of this partial vaccination to Health Services through your Medical Records Portal by Monday, September 6, 2021.
  • You have until Monday, September 27, 2021 to receive the second dose. Once your second dose is complete, you must upload proof to Health Services through your Medical Records Portal no later than Friday, October 1, 2021.

Residential Student Guest Policy

In light of the Delta variant, until the full campus has been vaccinated and pool testing is underway, we have enacted the following temporary visitor policy until September 13. Following that, it is our expectation to allow limited guests in the residential areas, pending a low infection rate and high vaccination rate.

Until further notice, the following residential student guest policy is in place:

  • No guests of any kind (other Purchase students, non-students, or family members) are allowed in the residential areas.
  • Residential students may not enter other residential buildings, rooms, or apartments other than their own.
  • Purchase commuter students are not allowed in any of the residential areas.
  • No outside guests allowed in the residential areas.

Community Standards

Students should be familiar with the College’s expectations regarding behavior as outlined in Student Code of Conduct, including violations and possible sanctions. Failure to follow COVID policies may result in disciplinary action. Think before you act and stay informed of policies.

From the start of the pandemic, we have had to be flexible as new situations have developed. As information changes, we will reassess and communicate again.

We thank you for your cooperation and for helping. Welcome back!