Department of Student Rights and Community Standards

All community members living on campus, or coming to campus three times a week or more must be every 84 hours and complete a daily health assessment.

DAILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT

The daily health assessment is required regardless of whether or not you have symptoms. If a student develops any symptoms, or comes into close contact with a person who has COVID-19 (or is suspected to have COVID-19), the student is required to self-isolate and contact the Health Center at 781-736-6377 during normal business hours. This will allow the university to take proper steps to support your health needs, begin contact tracing and, if needed, to alert other members of the community to any potential exposure.

You must contact the Health Center immediately and stay in place if:

• The campus attestation requires you to do so.
• You are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
• You are a presumptive or confirmed case of COVID-19, including if you are in isolation or quarantine.
• You have been notified that you have been exposed to a presumptive or confirmed case of COVID-19.

If any of the above are true, you may not attend in-person classes or enter public or shared campus spaces until you are cleared to do so by the Health Center.

Brandeis Health Center staff is always available to you for consultation, please contact them at 781-736-3677 with questions or concerns.

COVID-19 screening tests are an investment in the early detection and early containment of infection on our campus community. Testing is self-collected at a supervised site with a cotton swab in the lower (front) area of the nostril. All individuals will have access to their own test results.

Masks/coverings are required on campus, outdoors and indoors, in order to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19. For on-campus residents, the only permissible space in which you are allowed to be mask-free is your bedroom, and this is only permitted if only you, or you and your roommate, are present. Additionally, students and their roommates can be mask-free while sleeping. Students who live on campus must wear a mask in all residential areas outside of their bedroom including bathrooms, lounges, hallways, and all other common spaces in the residence hall. Off campus, the city of Waltham currently requires face masks/covering in all public areas.

Eating

Students may remove their mask to eat or drink but must remain six feet away from one another.

Personal Hygiene

Students are required to wear masks while they are in the bathroom but masks can be removed while conducting personal hygiene that is not possible with a mask on (e.g. showering, shaving, brushing teeth, washing face, etc.). Students are expected to remain six feet apart from others while their mask is removed.

The ability to wear masks in different settings and temperatures for extended periods of time is a key requirement for students registered for Brandeis in-person instruction this fall. Due to public health considerations, all students must wear face coverings. For those who have concerns about wearing a face covering due to health reasons, we encourage them to reach out to Student Accessibility Support to explore possible remote options as an accommodation rather than physically coming onto campus.

Keeping sufficient space between people is one of the best tools to avoid being exposed to COVID-19 and to slow its spread. Because anyone can unknowingly spread the virus before they are sick, it is important to maintain physical distance from others when possible. Students are required to follow these physical distancing policies:

• Stay at least six feet apart from other people. This applies to all parts of campus including but not limited to classrooms, indoor and outdoor spaces, residential spaces, any dining location, lab, studios, library, gyms, workout spaces, shared and common spaces.

• No gatherings of more than ten people at any time, on or off campus, and all students must be masked (or face coverings) and remain six feet apart unless otherwise officially noted.

• Gatherings of more than six people at any time within the residence halls (lounges, suite/apartment common rooms) are not permitted. When gatherings do take place, students are required to remain six feet apart and masked (face coverings). Students are required to adhere to the posted maximum number of occupants in both shared and common spaces.

• Students are permitted to host no more than two Brandeis Guests at a given time in the hall/their living space.
  

  Examples of occupancy limits in the residence halls:
  - In a single room (one person residing): 3 person occupancy limit
  - In a double room (two people residing): 5 person occupancy limit
  - In a suite with three or more people residing there: 6 person occupancy limit
  (Note: In residential suites where 3 or more students reside, the capacity is still 6. Not all residents would be permitted to host two Brandeis guests. Please proactively communicate with your roommates to ensure your suite does not exceed the 6 person occupancy limit.

• Students must stay out of crowded places and avoid large gatherings. Students may not host parties/large gatherings, nor gatherings of more than ten people.

• Limit travel, once on campus, to the greater Boston area until November 20. In case of an emergency that requires a student to travel off campus and out of state it will be necessary for the student to follow MA state guidelines regarding COVID-19 quarantine upon return to campus.

• Non-Brandeis guests are not allowed on the campus.

• Follow current public health guidance, which may change as new scientific data emerges.

Review and adhere to university messaging and hygiene protocols. This includes, but is not limited to:

• All community members must wash their hands frequently and/or use hand sanitizer.
• All community members should avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
• All community members must cover their mouth and nose if you are coughing or sneezing (cough and sneeze into your elbow).

Students living on or coming to campus are responsible for properly cleaning and disinfecting their personal belongings, including masks (face coverings). Students who live on campus are responsible for properly cleaning and disinfecting their private living spaces. Be aware that cleaning and disinfecting protocols may be updated based on recommendations from the CDC, state, and health care professionals. Students are required to adhere to all university messaging about evolving protocols.

Follow instructions for cleaning masks and spaces. For recommendations on how to care for your mask:

• Keep face coverings/disposable mask stored in a paper bag when not in use (breathable storage).
• Cloth face coverings may not be used more than one day at a time and must be washed after use.
  • They should be properly laundered with regular clothing detergent before first and next use.
  • Replace immediately if soiled, damaged (e.g., ripped, punctured) or visibly contaminated.
• Disposable masks must not be used for more than one day and should be placed in the trash after use or if it is soiled, damaged (e.g., stretched ear loops, torn or punctured material) or visibly contaminated.

These protocols will be updated based on recommendations from the CDC, state and health care professionals. Students are required to review and adhere to all university messaging (e.g., emails, flyers, messages on websites, etc.) and evolving protocols.

University van occupancy will be reduced according to current public health guidance. All passengers must wear face coverings and comply with van rules regarding occupancy, distancing, and hygiene protocols.

Emergency travel: If you have an emergency that requires you to travel away from campus, you must submit a travel information form to obtain approval from the Dean of Students Office prior to your planned travel. This applies to all travel outside of the greater Boston area (even other places within Massachusetts) and all out-of-state travel for a time frame which would prevent you from completing the daily health assessment and the 2 weekly required COVID tests for residential students. Upon return to campus, you must follow Massachusetts state guidelines and quarantine until you have received your negative test result if you have traveled out-of-state. Your passport will be orange until you indicate through the Daily Health Assessment that you have received your negative test result. 

Graduate students must register their travel beyond the Greater Boston Area and follow Massachusetts state guidelines regarding the COVID-19 travel quarantine upon return to campus.