The following guidelines were developed to be as comprehensive as possible. However, additional protocols are currently being developed, and this site will be updated regularly prior to the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. Please visit this page often for the latest information and guidelines, which are subject to change.
Classrooms
Classroom spaces are being reconfigured to the extent possible to ensure physical distancing. Some classes may be reconfigured to a hybrid in-person/online format, where necessary.
Masks or face coverings are required indoors on University property, including classrooms.
Residence Halls
Visitation policy
Guests are temporarily prohibited from visiting residence hall rooms. Guests will still be allowed in lobbies and common spaces, but must wear masks or face coverings.
Lobby/Common Area Policies
All lobby and common place policies in effect will remain in effect; the following are additions to the existing policies. Should the following create a contradiction or discrepancy, this policy will supersede.
- Only current traditional Anderson University students, staff, and faculty will be allowed to enter Residence Hall lobbies.
- Lobbies will remain in use at a reduced capacity. All lobbies are assigned a specific maximum occupancy based on its size and in accordance with the CDC, DHEC, and the AU COVID-19 Task Force recommendations. Occupancy signs will be clearly posted at every entrance and will be primarily self-regulated.
- All individuals visiting the lobby must wear a face covering that fully covers the individual’s nose and mouth at all times.
- No individual will be allowed to eat within a lobby.
- Hand sanitizer will be readily available in each lobby space.
- Shared recreational equipment (i.e. ping-pong tables) will remain available. Cleaning products should be readily available and students will be encouraged and responsible for cleaning the shared equipment before and after use. Ping-pong balls and paddles will not be available; students must provide their own and will be encouraged to not share their own.
Large Group Event Guidelines
All large group events are suspended at this time.
Upon removal of this temporary restriction, all events must be registered through AUnited, and attendees must RSVP to maintain accurate headcounts. This allows the University to ensure there aren’t too many people gathered in one space and within size limits based on CDC and SCDHEC guidelines. Physical distancing protocols will be incorporated into all event plans.
- When possible, large group events will be held outdoors.
- Face coverings must be worn at all indoor group events. For outdoor events, if physical distancing is not possible, face coverings must be worn by all participants.
- Food served at events will be prepackaged or served by the event host. The host will utilize disposable food service items including utensils and dishes. Self-serve food or drink options will not be available.
- Entrances and exits to the event will be clearly marked and maintained to ensure one-way foot traffic, and flow markings will be utilized to keep large groups from forming.
- Hand sanitizer will be provided at the entrances of the event.
- All activities will include a post-event assessment to determine success and opportunities for improvement.
Student Clubs and Organizations
Student clubs and organizations (SCO) will be allowed to meet in person, but will need to take the following steps to ensure safety.
- SCOs who are reserving space on campus must do so well in advance to allow Guest Services enough time to find an adequate location for the meeting.
- Face coverings are required for all indoor meetings.
- All meetings must be done in a space that allows for physical distancing of at least 6 feet for all participants.
- For outdoor meetings, if physical distancing is not possible, face coverings must be worn by all participants.
- SCOs must use the RSVP feature in AUnited to help plan for the correct number of attendees.
- SCOs will be required to set up a streaming option for all meetings for members who choose not to meet in person and in case the room capacity is reached.
- SCO presidents will be required to complete the Club & Organization Safety Check list prior to their meeting to help plan for a safe meeting. The checklist will contain the following information.
- We’ve booked our location with Guest Services, and we have an email confirmation from them. We understand that our meeting or event must comply with the expected number of attendees that we communicated to the Guest Services team.
- We are able to fully physical distance OR we’re planning to all wear masks to ensure safety.
- We understand that our capacity cap is very important. If our event exceeds our permissible capacity, we will set up a Zoom meeting for the additional students to join in on.
- We will not move any furniture in our assigned room.
- After the meeting, the SCO president will be required to complete an online form to verify their attendance and that they were able to follow all safety guidelines. The form will contain the following questions.
- How many students were in attendance for this meeting or event?
- Were you successfully able to physically distance? If not, did all your participants wear face coverings?
- Do you know of anyone in your meeting or event that might be sick? If so, who?
- Did this space work well for you? Why or why not?
- Is there anything else you think we should know?
Campus Recreation and Fitness
Fitness Center
The number of students allowed in the facility will be limited.
- Students may sign up for a 30-minute session using the IMleagues app or website.
- Walk-ins will be allowed if the max number of students has not been reached.
- 10 students will be allowed in the facility for each session.
- Students will be required to sign up and schedule times prior to entering.
- Students will be required to wear a face covering while using the facility.
- Students must use hand sanitizer upon entry.
- Students will be required to wipe down equipment after each use.
Fitness Classes
- Class size will be limited to a maximum of 10 students per class.
- Tape marks will be placed on the floor to designate specific locations for each person in the class.
- Students will be required to pre-register using the IMleagues app or website to avoid crowds gathering in the Fitness Center.
- Students who have preregistered for a fitness class will be required to wait on the Student Center mezzanine until the students in the prior class have exited the Fitness Center.
Athletic Campus Gym
- The facility is temporarily closed. Stay tuned for more information.
Pool
- Guests are required to practice physical distancing of at least six feet.
- Guests must sanitize hands before entering the pool area.
- One-way entrances and exits will be established. Both gates will be clearly marked.
- A cloth face covering is required when close to others on the pool deck.
- Pool toys (floats, balls, etc.) cannot be shared with others.
- If you choose to bring food, please do not share items with others.
- Staff will be sanitizing all high touch areas such as railings and ladders throughout the day and will do a complete cleaning of all furniture and equipment every night.
Thrive Wellness Health Services
Thrive staff will provide health services, but in a different format.
- Health Services are available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
- The after-hours nurse line is available by calling 864-622-6078.
- The door to Health Services will remain locked. No drop-in patient visits are available. Students must schedule an appointment via phone.
Thrive Wellness Counseling Services
Thrive Wellness Counseling Center will operate using teletherapy through the Fall 2020 semester. The office will be staffed with a clinical counselor on a rotating basis for face-to-face appointments with those students for whom teletherapy is not appropriate and/or an emergency or crisis situation. Teletherapy may not be appropriate for the following reasons:
- Recent suicide attempt(s)
- Recent psychiatric hospitalization
- Psychotic processing
- Severe major depression or bipolar disorder symptoms
- Moderate to severe alcohol or drug abuse
- Interpersonal violence (IPV) or abuse occurring within household
We recognize that privacy could be a potential issue for on campus students doing teletherapy, therefore we will provide 2-3 Zoom rooms within the counseling center to allow students a private, quiet space to do their teletherapy session. Appointment times for these rooms would be staggered to allow cleaning of the room after use and to prevent more than one student checking in at a time. All paperwork will be done electronically through the student portal. We are also working on a way for the scheduling of Zoom rooms to be done online.
The counseling center door will remain locked and students checking in will be required to call or text upon arrival. The student will need to have a mask on (or given one) when entering the counseling office, have their temperature checked via infrared thermometer, verbally complete COVID-19 screening, and use hand sanitizer before entering the counseling room. Students will be instructed not to show up early for appointments because our waiting area will be closed.
In addition to the on-campus counselor available for face-to-face crisis or scheduled appointments, we will have virtual “walk-in” hours and offer virtual support group times.
For all prevention and awareness programming, we will follow guidelines already established by the University for group gatherings and CEP events.
Campus Worship – Journey Program credits
Campus Worship will be pre-recorded for online delivery on Wednesdays at 10:10 a.m. It is important that students download the iAttended app in the App Store or Google Play and register for an account using their AU email address. iAttended is how students will view pre-recorded Campus Worship services moving forward. It is therefore crucial that students download the iAttended app and register an account to receive Journey Program credits this year.