Spring 2022 COVID Protocols and Mitigation

Jan. 6, 2022

Welcome back to campus! With the hopes that our faculty, staff, and students were able to unwind and recharge during this winter break, it is very exciting to launch the Spring 2022 semester! As we prepare to welcome our students back to campus, we have been reviewing the impact of COVID considering the fast-spreading Omicron variant. In consultation with the chair of our Board of Trustees, we will be adjusting mitigation efforts for the spring semester as classes start on Monday, Jan. 10. Provost Ennis has already provided instructional guidance for our faculty colleagues, and this information will slightly adjust that guidance. The following information is being provided regarding our efforts as we start the semester:

Face Masks

The indoor mask mandate is being reinstated. Effective immediately, all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear face coverings indoors. This applies to all spaces across campus except for private offices and individual residence hall rooms. Face masks are also required on University shuttles, minibusses, and vans.  

There are limited exceptions, including dining facilities while eating, some athletics and student recreational facilities, and performing arts spaces among performers during performance. Such exceptions will be posted and communicated in a timely matter.

This mandate will be reviewed pending conditions in approximately 30 days. The COVID-19 Operations website will be updated accordingly. 

Coastal Carolina University strongly encourages students, faculty, and staff to obtain a COVID-19 viral test and know their results before returning to campus for the Spring 2022 semester. CCU community members who cannot obtain a test prior to their return can take advantage of the free COVID-19 testing on campus. Free testing on campus will continue throughout the semester to ensure all students, faculty, and staff have access to COVID-19 testing in an effort to reduce the risk of community spread on campus. Everyone should minimize contact with others as much as possible while awaiting test results and reduce potential exposure to COVID-19.  

How to notify CCU of a positive test result 

For those individuals who test positive, it is very important that you inform the University. Students can contact the COVID-19 Call Center by e-mail at covid@coastal.edu to provide that information. Students are to self-isolate while waiting for a University contact tracer to contact them. Employees should follow the Employee and Supervisor Protocol and complete the COVID-19 Intake Report for Human Resources form online. Employees are to self-isolate while waiting for a University representative to follow up with important information.  

Those who receive a positive test result during winter break must complete their isolation requirements before returning to campus. In addition, those exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual and identified as a COVID-19 close contact must complete their quarantine requirements before returning to campus.

Students and families who have general questions about CCU’s COVID-19 response can contact the CCU COVID-19 Call Center at 843-349-4100 (from outside the US +1-843-349-4100). The COVID-19 Call Center is staffed Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST), and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. (EST).

Updated Quarantine and Isolation Procedures

CCU has updated the University’s quarantine and isolation procedures to align with the shortened quarantine and isolation period recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and adopted by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). For more information, visit the quarantine and isolation section of the COVID-19 Operations website.

Recognizing the ever-changing landscape regarding COVID can be daunting, please know that we will continue to make the decisions that are best for the University community. We are incredibly grateful for the work of the COVID teams working alongside the Emergency Management team for almost two years. Thank you for your dedication to this University. 

Respectfully,
Michael T. Benson