Jul. 28: Update on on-board testing

The Office of Student Affairs writes regarding the requirement that all residential and commuter students complete an “on-boarding” COVID-19 test.

July 28, 2020

Office of the President Header

Dear Students,

As we approach the start of the fall semester, we write to you today with information regarding the required on-board testing process the College has established to best promote the health and safety of our community.

Please know that all residential and commuter students are required to complete an “on-boarding” COVID-19 test and submit their negative result to the Testing Center prior to living in the residence halls or starting classes on August 24th. Remote students are excluded from this process.

There are multiple ways in which you can secure a COVID-19 test:

Come to Campus and Use the Stonehill Testing Center

Stonehill is offering free testing for commuter and residential students from August 5, 2020 to August 17, 2020 (including weekends) from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at Alumni Hall. No appointments are necessary. Resident students dropping off their belongings during this time frame are encouraged to stop by the Testing Center while on campus to complete their test.

If you have questions regarding this testing option, you may contact the Testing Center during operational hours by calling 508-565-1166 or emailing one of the Testing Center Directors, Doreen Vovcsko, RN or Monique Avila, NP.

Secure a PCR Test Ten Days Prior to Your Return to Campus

You may complete a test in your local community prior to your return. This test must be secured within ten days of returning to campus and be a FDA EUA-approved molecular polymerise chain reaction SARS-CoV2 Test (PCR Test). Please note that an antigen or anti-body test is not valid for this process.

The College will reimburse you up to $100 towards the cost of this test. If you are in need of additional financial assistance, you may contact the Student Aid and Finance Office at 508-565-1088. To receive reimbursement, please complete the reimbursement form, which will be located on the Controller’s Office website starting on August 5th.

Given that the testing availability and turnaround time may fluctuate within communities, it is advised that you allow sufficient time to schedule your test and be cognizant of when the results will be received.

To secure a local test, you may want to begin by contacting your doctor. Please be aware that, while availability could be limited, there may be some free and low-cost testing options in your area. See the links below for general testing location information:

If you are unable to come to campus and/or do not have access to a testing site, you may be eligible to receive a test kit by mail. Please call the College's Testing Center at 508-565-1166 to discuss eligibility for this option.

Students from outside New England, New York, New Jersey, or Hawaii should refer to the recent email from our office for details on Massachusetts COVID-19 travel order.

Other Important Information

  • Proof of a negative test is required to return to campus. If you do not receive your test results prior to the official move-in date or prior to the start of classes on the 24th, you must stay home and participate in coursework remotely until you receive confirmation of your negative test result.
  • If you receive a positive test as part of this on-boarding process, you are instructed to contact Health Services at 508-565-1307, and staff will inform you of the protocol that must be followed prior to being cleared to come to campus.
  • After your test has been administered, you are expected to practice the safer at home guidelines until you return to campus or start classes.

Please be reminded that all resident and commuter students will also be required to engage in on-going, weekly surveillance testing. Further information regarding this process will be made available over the next few weeks.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this process, and we look forward to welcoming you back to campus next month.

Sincerely,


Pauline Dobrowski
Vice President of Student Affairs


Kevin Piskadlo
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

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