Healthy Hilltop

Welcome back Hilltoppers!

St. Edward's Fall 2021 semester will deliver the best educational and engagement experiences, campus life, and support to our students, faculty and staff that are aligned with the highest levels of health and safety. Although we will continue to take precautionary measures to quickly adapt to the changing pandemic conditions, we have planned in-person classes, events and programming that allow for a more traditional campus experience.

 Updated Plans for Fall 2021 In-Person and On-Campus

In response to the increased number of Covid-19 and Delta variant cases in Austin and Austin Public Health reaching Stage 5, the highest level, we have made the following temporary modifications to our fall semester plans to ensure a safe return to campus.

Temporary Modifications

1. Face coverings must be worn by both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in all indoor public spaces on campus.
2. Events, meetings, classes and all other activities in indoor and outdoor campus spaces will be limited to no more than 40 people or held virtually. Some events will be rescheduled when cases decline in Austin. Food and beverage service is not allowed for indoor gatherings. 
3. Campus dining will be take-out only with options to eat outdoors.
4. Flexibility for individual courses. While Austin is at Stage 5, faculty members may opt for one online class meeting per week with the other class meetings held in-person. Faculty members will communicate changes to course delivery directly to students.
5. Only essential domestic travel will be allowed with some approved exemptions.

Continued Safety Layers

1. Vaccine documentation or approved exemption for all students, faculty and staff.  
2. Daily TopperSafe screening will continue all semester for all students, faculty, staff and visitors coming to campus.
3. Weekly asymptomatic testing is required of all on-campus students, faculty and staff who have not submitted documentation of full vaccination starting August 9 through December.
4. Baseline testing is required of all residential students before move-in and athletes prior to team activity.
5. To ensure continuity of instruction, the university has established procedures to accommodate course adjustments in the midst of the continually evolving environment.
6. Residence halls will operate at reduced occupancy with individual rooms and no more than two residents sharing a restroom.
7. Guest policy will allow residents to host SEU guests (no external visitors) in their campus residence without limit.
8. Contact tracing, isolation and quarantine protocols and guidelines are in place for students, faculty and staff. 
9. International travel supported by the university is suspended for all students and employees (some approved exemptions).

Please note that we will re-assess all modifications and protocols as we continue to gain more data about cases in the Austin community and recommendations from the CDC, APH and university medical advisors.

Policies and Protocols

• All St. Edward's University Covid-19 policies can be viewed on our website

The St. Edward’s University Covid-19 planning and response is led by a team of cross-campus leadership with guidance from a panel of local, regional and national medical advisors and organizations. SEU continues to closely monitor local conditions and recommendations from the CDC, APH and our medical advisors, and uses this guidance to determine our level of operations for classes, student housing, campus events and activities, and any other adjustments to protect the health and safety of our campus community.

Updated August 13, 2021