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Ursuline’s pandemic protocols are informed by close consultation with experts from Cleveland Clinic and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and follow the guidelines of the State of Ohio Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This page tracks testing and confirmed cases among our community members and is updated every Wednesday.
Below are frequently asked questions. To read more in-depth updates, including information about federal relief funds, go to our Coronavirus News Section. Additional updates are available to Ursuline students, faculty, and staff on the College's intranet, MyUrsuline, where a log-in is required.
No, testing at the start of the Fall semester is not required.
The CDC currently lists Cuyahoga County as an area with high transmission rates. At the same time, health care professionals report that COVID’s effects are lessened by vaccines and the disease is becoming more endemic. The Ursuline community has done its part by achieving a high vaccination rate. As we start the semester, be sure you are current on your vaccinations including boosters.
Yes! Our classrooms have been equipped so that we can provide face-to-face instruction with virtual learning for those who are in isolation or quarantine, for most courses.
All in-person course meetings follow strict guidelines requiring facial coverings for all, asking for those not vaccinated to practice social distancing, and other protocols to maintain health and safety.
In accordance with CDC recommendations as of Friday, August 11, 2022, the CDC lists Cuyahoga County as an area with high transmission rates. Currently, masks remain recommended but optional in all buildings including residence halls with these exceptions:
a.) Mask wearing is strongly recommended indoors for those not up to date with vaccines and those with underlying health conditions. How do I know if you’re up to date? Click: Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC
b.) Mask wearing remains mandatory in art studio labs, science labs and Nursing Resource Center (NRC) including its main skills lab, health assessment lab, and simulation room where individuals are near each other for extended periods. As part of the learning experience, the NRC models real-life clinical environments which require masking.
c.) Mask wearing may be requested in a meeting or classroom, due to proximity or individual vulnerability. Any time you are asked to wear a mask, we count on you to do so. Exercising respect is one of our four core values.
d.) Students and faculty in clinical settings must comply with those facilities’ masking requirements.
e.) You are expected to wear a mask on campus for five days AFTER returning from five days of isolation.
f.) Athletes must comply abide by any NCAA regulations.
Those who are not up to date on their COVID vaccinations should maintain social distance from others. A culture of shared responsibility will help us avoid infection.
We continue to urge all members of our campus community to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 as soon as possible, toward the goals of protecting your own health and promoting herd immunity on our campus and in our larger communities. Find a COVID vaccine near you.
Thank you for taking care of yourselves and, in the spirit of Saint Angela Merici, considering the health and well-being of others.
Beyond vaccination, the most important steps we can take are also pretty simple steps: wash hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds each time; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Students, faculty and staff are all required to assess their own symptoms daily, watching for:
• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms.
Ursuline students should use this form to report experiencing symptoms of COVID, exposure to COVID, and/or COVID test results. Once you have submitted this form, the Ursuline COVID Help Team can offer support and guidance.
We will urge any resident student who tests positive to recover in their permanent home. Faculty will provide online instruction. If that is not possible, students who live in a single room in the residence halls can isolate there and have meals delivered while they recover. Any resident who develops COVID-19 but does not have a single room will be offered one.
On August 11, 2022, the CDC announced streamlined guidelines for isolation: CDC streamlines COVID-19 guidance to help the public better protect themselves and understand their risk | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC
In summary, if you have been exposed and have no symptoms, you are no longer required to quarantine, but you are to wear a mask for 10 days, monitor your symptoms, and test on day five.
If you develop symptoms, stay home and test:
· If results are positive, isolate for five days.
· If results are negative, you don’t have to quarantine per CDC Guidelines. Of course, if you are feeling ill, you are expected to stay home until you are well enough to return to campus.
Our goal is to maintain on-campus presence that enables us to offer valuable faculty-student interactions, at the same time that we protect the health and safety of the Ursuline College community. COVID circumstances continue to evolve, however. For this reason, the Ursuline College administration pledges to continue to monitor guidelines from the State of Ohio, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, and the CDC. Students, faculty and staff are urged to stay on top of campus developments by reading Ursuline emails daily.
