Last revised August 4, 2020
Health and Safety
What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
Immediately call the Julia Church Health Center and follow the instructions that they give you. You are welcome to contact your family physician, but for purposes of tracking the health and safety of the campus community, you must contact the Health Center.
Will I be notified if I have been in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case?
Yes, the College will directly notify those individuals who may have been exposed to a confirmed case on campus, as identified through contact tracing.
Will I be informed of a positive case on campus?
Information regarding COVID-19 cases and contact tracing will be kept confidential, as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). If you are determined to be a close contact, you will be contacted by the Health Center or local public health officials. If you are learning, living or working in a space where a COVID-19 exposure has occurred, you will be notified about cleaning procedures.
The College will not communicate via email for each positive COVID-19 case on campus. Instead, a dashboard that outlines the number of student cases and presumptive cases on campus is available on our website, with data driven from the Julia Church Health Center. It will be updated weekly for your reference.
What should I do if I know of someone on campus who has tested positive for COVID-19 at a healthcare facility off campus, has symptoms or is a close contact?
If someone tells you their COVID-19 status, refer that person to the Julia Church Health Center or ask the person if you may notify the Julia Church Health Center with their information.
When do I have to wear a facial covering?
Until further notice, and in accordance with the Ohio Department of Health Facial Covering Order that was announced last week, appropriate facial coverings must be worn by all faculty, staff, and students when inside of a College building. Faculty and staff will not need to wear a face covering when they are alone in an enclosed space, such as an office. Residential students will not need to wear a face covering when alone in their assigned residence hall room, suite, or townhouse. Facial coverings will be required to be worn by all faculty, staff, and students when in any other indoor location, such as hallways, bathrooms, etc. Facial coverings will be required outdoors when unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from individuals who are not of their family/household.
What if I am unable to wear a facial covering due to a medical condition?
If you are unable to wear a facial covering due to a medical condition when inside of a College building or when you are unable to maintain a distance of six feet or more, please contact the Julia Church Health Center to make arrangements. A note from a healthcare provider may be required.
Will there be testing on campus?
Yes. The Julia Church Health Center will conduct regular testing. The Health Center will administer rapid point of care tests to all students upon arrival to campus and will continue to test a percentage of the campus community on a weekly basis.
Residential Education
Are families permitted to help students move into their dorm room?
Each student will be permitted to have two guests to assist them during their designated move-in time. After that, guests will not be permitted to enter the residence halls. Students and guests should wear facial coverings at all times during move-in.
Since fall athletic seasons have been canceled, will the designated move-in day for student-athletes change?
Athletes who have made definitive plans to move in during their early arrival date and are unable to change those plans should request to move in early using this form.
Are there any additional items that I should bring to campus with me this fall?
Yes. In addition to the items you would typically bring to campus, you should also bring a thermometer to screen your temperature daily; cleaning and sanitization products for regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces; facial coverings; and fever-reducing medicine such as Ibuprofen/Advil, Aleve, or Tylenol/acetaminophen. The College will provide one face covering to each student at check-in, but it is important to have multiple and ensure they are washed after each use.
Will meals be provided for townhouse residents who are not on the meal plan if they must enter isolation?
Yes, the College will work with individually with each student and ensure that meals are delivered to the space in which they are isolated.
Will housing be provided for students during holiday breaks if travel restrictions are in place or they do not feel comfortable traveling home?
As we have done in the past, students will be permitted to sign up for housing during campus breaks. Details will be communicated with students in the few weeks prior to each break.
Will commuter students be permitted in the residence halls as a guest?
At this time, commuter students will not be permitted to enter the residence halls as a guest. Only residential students will be permitted in the residence halls. As we continue to monitor and evaluate the situation, this policy may be updated.
Is it too late for a student to decide to live on campus?
No. Incoming students who wish to apply for housing can do so by filling out the residential application. Returning student who have filled out a housing contract should contact residencelife@hiram.edu.
When will housing assignments be sent out?
The first round of housing assignments has already been sent via email to students. The second round of housing assignments will be sent on August 7 and will include all first-year/incoming students and some returning students.
Is there a discount for students living in East Hall since students in the traditional residence halls are receiving a single room at the same cost as a double room?
The housing rates for East Hall and the townhouses will remain the same for the 2020-2021 academic year. East Hall, one of our specialty housing options, has both double and single rooms within the suites––the double rooms are large enough to allow students to practice physical distancing within their assigned spaces.
Will the extra furniture be removed from double rooms that will be used as single rooms?
All furniture in double rooms will remain in the room and students are required to leave the furniture in that space. Students, however, are more than welcome to utilize the extra furniture in the space.
Can additional furniture be brought to campus for use in East Hall suites and the townhouses?
Yes, students are permitted to bring additional furniture. However, all furniture that is already within the area must remain.
If the College must transition to remote learning and students are asked to leave campus, what will be done with student’s belongings?
If Hiram College must move to remote instruction, students who wish to return home and move out of the residence halls should take their belongings with them when they depart campus.
What support services are available to students?
Our support services remain available to students in a remote capacity. For information about a specific service, visit our Support Services and Resources Page.
Academics
Will all classes be face-to-face this fall, or will students have the option to take courses online/remote?
Our goal is to return to as much face-to-face instruction as possible this fall, and as safely as possible. We are calling our approach to meeting this goal the “Mid-Flex Model” and we have engineered it to bring students and faculty back to classrooms while maintaining some remote instruction that will reduce density in educational spaces. Many courses will be assigned to spaces that allow enough physical distancing, and others may feature student groups in multiple spaces with the faculty member circulating between their activities. Additionally, other courses may allow for faculty to teach in-person and online simultaneously.
Will the 3-week semester be held face-to-face, or will students transition to a remote learning environment following finals for the 12-week semester?
While other institutions have decided to stop in-person instruction late November based on speculative data, the three-week term after Thanksgiving provides Hiram the opportunity to decide later in the semester depending on current health and safety conditions.
Clubs and Organizations
Will students be able to participate in clubs and organizations this year?
Yes. Clubs and organizations will have the opportunity to meet regularly face-to-face, as meeting spaces permit, and via Zoom. Clubs will be asked to abide by current gathering restrictions as defined by public health officials.
Will the Stone Soup Co-Op be open during the 2020-2021 academic year?
As a student run organization, the members of the Stone Soup Co-Op are working to create a plan that will allow them to open this fall. As we receive updates from the Co-Op, we will inform students.
Is there a plan in place for students who would like to hold a peaceful protest?
Guidelines for protests and demonstrations are outlined in our Student Handbook. Our policy requires groups to submit a petition to protest/demonstrate at least two weeks in advance of the event, to allow for proper approval, advertising, planning, and safe implementation. Those responsible for planning protests must follow the implemented health and safety precautions surrounding COVID-19.
Athletics
Will athletes that participate in a fall sport be able to practice and compete?
Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present evolving challenges to our campuses and communities, Hiram College, in collaboration with the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and the NCAC Presidents’ Council, has made the difficult decision to suspend all intercollegiate athletic competition through Dec. 31, 2020.
Will athletes be able to use the athletic fields and indoor facilities for practice/training?
The Hiram College Athletics staff is continuing to review state and local health and safety protocols, and the College will offer the use of both outdoor and indoor facilities as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. The College has developed a “return to workout/practice” document that is currently being reviewed and expects feedback in the coming days. It is our hope to provide safe, physically distanced workouts for student-athletes soon.
Library Services
Will the library be open this fall?
Yes, the library will be open during its regular hours this fall. However, with renovations underway on the first floor of the Hiram College Library, the library is offering curbside pickup for patrons wishing to check out materials from the main collection. Mail delivery via the Service Center and access to the main collection by appointment are also available.
If you need Library Materials:
Please call us at (330)-569-5489 or email us at library@hiram.edu. We will work with you to schedule a time to pick up your materials.
Our phones and email will be staffed between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, but our schedule for pickup will vary as we work to determine what is safest for our visitors.
Visit the library’s hours page for up-to-date information or any changes to service, or feel free to contact us.
If you need Media Center access:
Media Services operations and front desk support are temporarily located at the Dray Computer Center.
If you have a need or a request for service, you can contact Marc Freeman at 330.569.5010, freemanma@hiram.edu, or the support desk at 330.569.5360, instech@hiram.edu.
Renewing Hiram Materials
We are renewing all checked out materials. As always, you may review your checked out library materials online by logging into My Account. Please don’t worry if you see items marked overdue: we’ll sort it out.
What health and safety measures have been implemented in the Hiram College Library?
The library will be following best practices for safety in line with other libraries across the country, including quarantining materials, offering digital materials when possible, and setting up socially distant study spaces. Librarians will be wearing facial coverings and available to answer in-person reference questions. Email, phone, and Zoom reference questions will also be answered.
Alumni and Donor Relations
How can I help a current student who has been impacted by COVID-19?
We recently created a Student Resource Fund to help current students weather this crisis. As of this week, we have added the Student Resource Fund as the fifth “area of need” to our Vision 20/20 campaign, which has been extended through December 31, 2020.
You can make a gift here.
Further Questions
Who can I contact with more questions?
Health questions can be directed to Student Health Center at 330.569.5418.
Parents and students seeking additional information should contact the Office of Student Affairs at 330.569.5233.
Hiram College employees with work-related questions, individuals may call Human Resources at 330.569.5109.
Additional information about the coronavirus can be found on the Ohio Department of Health website here.
For general questions, please email info@hiram.edu.
