Montana Western Students,
As we prepare for your return for the spring semester which begins on January 11, we are taking the necessary steps to continue keeping our community healthy and safe. Please take some time to look over the information below as you prepare to be on campus.
Self-Quarantine Before Returning to Campus Reminder:
- Students are encouraged to complete a 10-day, precautionary self-quarantine immediately before returning to campus and to monitor their health daily. Students should only return to campus if they are symptom-free throughout that period. If symptoms appear, students should seek COVID-19 testing and delay their return to UMW. Should a student need to delay their return to campus due to COVID-19, they should notify their instructor to arrange remote coursework/online support until they can safely join the class in person.
- Additionally, students are encouraged to obtain a COVID-19 test before returning to campus, regardless of whether they have symptoms (if asymptomatic testing is available in your area). If the test result is positive, students should delay their return, quarantining or isolating as directed by health care professionals.
If you have questions or need any assistance with meeting the recommendations above, please contact Dean of Students, Nicole Hazelbaker, by calling 406-683-7900 or email [email protected].
Website:
Please remember to refer to our website, www.umwestern.edu, and the yellow banner at the very top of the page. Here you will find links to all of the information about COVID-19 and how we are mitigating the spread of the virus.
Face Coverings:
In accordance with the guidelines from the Healthy MUS Task Force, all employees, students, and visitors must continue to wear face coverings on campus as outlined in this link.
Social Distancing:
All areas of the campus will observe the CDC guidance on maintaining 6 feet of distance between individuals. This is an important tool in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Hand washing:
Another critical tool in reducing the spread of the virus is frequent hand washing and hand sanitization. Students, faculty, and staff are strongly expected to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer frequently. Hand sanitizer stations will continue to be available throughout the campus.
Testing:
- Over the break, if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and are in Dillon, please contact the Southwest Montana Community Health Center at 406-683-4440 to be tested. If you are outside of Dillon and develop symptoms, please contact your local healthcare provider immediately to schedule a test.
- UMW will continue to offer free symptomatic testing for students at the Dean of Students Center starting on January 11.
Quarantine and Isolation:
- Beaverhead County has recently adopted and implemented updated quarantine and isolation guidelines based on the latest CDC guidance. You can learn more about these guidelines by visiting the UMW Healthy Plan website.
- For students living on-campus, the university has a plan for isolation and quarantine that may involve moving students to other residential units designated for this purpose. Students living on campus with questions about quarantine and isolation plans should contact UMW Residence Life staff ([email protected] or 406-683-7520) for additional information.
- If you are a student, please notify Dean of Students, Nicole Hazelbaker ([email protected] or 406-683-7900) if you need to quarantine or isolate so she can help you manage your courses during this time. Our goal is to help you complete your course while mitigating the spread of COVID-19.
ASUMW:
ASUMW is currently planning activities for students that will be fun, engaging and follow all UMW COVID-19 safety protocols for the spring semester.
Student clubs will still meet and function as they did during the fall semester.
As in previous years, students can also charter new clubs based on subjects they are passionate about. For more information on how to charter a club, please email [email protected].
Residence Hall Activities:
Residence Life is excited to welcome residential students back on campus.
Some COVID-19 safe activities to look forward to in the spring semester include:
- Floor activities to connect with other residents in your hall and building
- In-hall competitions for prizes and bragging rights
- Connection with students in the same block class for in-hall study groups
For more information, please email [email protected].
The Bulldog Athletic and Recreation Center (BARC):
In order to balance the needs of the many building constituents and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission, additional procedures have been implemented for the 2021 Spring Semester. Please visit our website to view the Spring 2021 BARC Usage Guidelines.
Be Well, Bulldogs!
Sadie Caltrider, COVID-19 Testing Coordinator
Baylee Rawson, COVID-19 Communications Coordinator