Baylor Fall Preparations: Have a Plan

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

As we begin the Move-In process over the weekend and into next week, we should all be mindful of the best practices and precautions in place to provide a safe and successful on-campus start and completion of the fall semester. Over the past two weeks, I’ve shared with you many details from Baylor’s layered COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategy.

Today I want to focus on the importance of creating a plan for yourself – including changes to your daily routine, creating an action plan in the event of suspected exposure or a positive test result and precautions we can all take to mitigate risks to ourselves and others around us.

A valuable resource in the Family First Welcome Care Kit we discussed earlier this week is a COVID-19 Student Guide, which provides helpful tips and strategies to create an action plan based on your needs, schedule and personal or family circumstances to mitigate risks to yourself, our campus and the surrounding Waco community.

When creating your COVID-19 action plan, things to consider include:

• Emergency contact list of family, friends, faculty and roommates who should be contacted in an emergency – a list that should be shared with close friends and roommates;
• Healthcare information with names and contact information for preferred healthcare providers, including the Baylor University Student Health Center for COVID-19 testing or treatment, as well as the Baylor University Counseling Center and Pastoral Care for additional stress and anxiety-related support;
• Self-quarantine plan in the event of a direct COVID-19 exposure. Current CDC guidelines recommend a period of 14 days in self-quarantine from the date of direct exposure. When self-quarantining, you should wear face coverings when in the same room as others, arrange for meal deliveries and contact professors immediately to continue coursework remotely;
• Self-isolation plan which includes identifying the location where you will self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. On-campus students will be placed in special self-isolation housing provided by the University for the duration of their isolation period, generally 10 days from the date of testing. Students living off-campus should determine whether you will self-isolate within a private room – preferably with a private bathroom – in your off-campus residence or at your permanent residence; and
• People who can help if there is assistance needed with food, medicine and other supplies during self-isolation or self-quarantine. For on-campus students, Baylor Student Life will check on your well-being, help make contact with faculty as needed and deliver meals if you have a meal plan. Students living off-campus may also contact Student Life for help in contacting faculty and arranging well-being checks during quarantine or isolation.

During these difficult and uncertain times, many of us have experienced feelings of stress and anxiety. While for some, these feelings may be manageable, we must recognize that many of our friends, colleagues, family and classmates may be overwhelmed by the circumstances in which we find ourselves. For those who need additional assistance, Baylor will continue to offer counseling and therapy services for students through the Baylor University Counseling Center and a 24-hour crisis hotline. Baylor provides a number of resources for faculty and staff through the Employee Assistance Program.

We can all benefit – during times of pandemic or otherwise – from following some helpful tips to manage stress and anxiety, including:

• Sticking to reliable news sources and limiting news intake to sources providing new information;
• Taking necessary precautions but not “inventing” new ones. It is important to remain informed and aware, while avoiding getting caught up in unhelpful behaviors;
• Maintain daily routines and make changes only when necessary. Keeping a schedule can be a helpful way to keep your anxiety at bay;
• Don’t completely isolate yourself from others. While physical isolation may be necessary if symptoms are identified, maintaining relationships with friends and family can help curb anxiety. Continue social interaction through FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, phone calls or texts, even if you are in self-isolation or self-quarantine;
• Stay physically active. Be outdoors if you can; and
• Limit screen time. Too much time on electronic devices can keep you from pursuing healthy activities and can add to existing anxiety.

Routines of self-care become even more important as we navigate a “new normal” with different demands. Let’s strive together to be patient, kind, forgiving, respectful, flexible and supportive of one another.

While many of you have been able to submit your COVID-19 test and receive your results ahead of your upcoming return to campus, I am mindful of some ongoing difficulties due to shipping delays. As I mentioned yesterday in my Presidential Perspective, if you are a student and have been unable to obtain your test results before arriving on campus, please complete and submit the COVID-19 Testing Assistance Form. A staff member will review your form and respond with further instructions – please allow 48 hours for a response due to the volume of inquiries. For off-campus students, it is not too late to return the completed test kit that was mailed to your home or supplied address.

First Gent Brad and I are thrilled to participate in Move2BU once again this year – following safety and health guidelines, masked and regularly re-sanitizing our hands – to help make you and your families feel welcomed to our campus and your new home. Together, we will continue to put Family First and keep our community safe throughout the start and completion of this fall semester.

Praying for you daily,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President