Precis – COVID is an evolving situation, and these guidelines are not meant to be policies, rather provide direction for faculty and staff organizing travel for students. Specific feedback and direction will be provided on a case-by-case basis. These guidelines have been developed in consultation with WSU EH&S and the Provost Office and are subject to change.
- Required: Instructors must get permission from their respective program head and the director prior to making travel plans by sending an email with the class, dates of travel, number of students and function. Please indicate the email how this travel is important to fulfill the pedagogical goals and learning outcomes of the class.
- Required: All students registered for classes are fully vaccinated or have an exemption, and thus can participate in class related travel pending the exceptions below. Boosters are strongly encouraged.
- Some venues will not allow individuals who have not been vaccinated to enter. There needs to be a plan for the student while not participating in the activity to complete the course requirements. Communicate to students the venues that they will not be able to enter.
- Some bus companies will not allow individuals without vaccination to ride. Find out the policy from the bus company and communicate to students.
- If a student is unable or chooses to not participate in the travel due to concern for their health, alternative means for completing the travel related content for the course should be accommodated.
- Required: Everyone must wear a well fitted mask (KN95 or well fitted surgical mask highly advised) for the duration of the trip while in the presence of others except during outdoor activities.
- Travelers may only take masks off in presence of others while actively eating/drinking or in their lodging area with only pod members present.
- Masks should be more protective than a bandana/cloth mask.
- Have extra masks on hand in event someone loses theirs.
- Required: Have a contingency plan if a students or instructor shows COVID symptoms and needs to be isolated. If symptoms are exhibited the person (faculty or student) should get a COVID test immediately from an approved test site. If the student does not want to get a test, during the period of waiting for results, and a positive test result, they MUST be isolated for a minimum of five days including potentially extended hotel stay and individual travel back home after the isolation period. If the COVID test is negative, the student may continue to participate in the trip if feeling well.
- Student travel waiver forms need to outline the policy of isolating for 5 days in the event of COVID symptoms and/or a positive COVID test. The form needs to inform the student that the student’s emergency contact will be notified if they get sick and need to isolate. (See Policy 10.9 and 10.9.1)
- The School will incur the cost associated with additional hotel stay and travel for the individual(s) that have symptoms and then test positive.
- Required: Anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID prior to leaving for the trip must stay home, and cannot participate on the trip (if virtual is an option that could be an alternative provided)
- Required: Keep people in pods. A pod is a group that is consistently together. For example, the same persons would stay together in the same room each night, sit together on the bus each day, and eat (including at the same table) together consistently. Most pods that can be accommodated comfortably in a hotel room or eating establishment consist of 2-4 persons.
- Keep the students in pods for all activities
- Same students share the same room for each night’s stay
- If they are already friends/roommates put those students together as a pod as they are already socializing together.
- Eating/drinking on the bus is fine, keeping students seated together in their pods
- Eating meals at hotels/elsewhere is fine but keep students in pods. Infection can often be traced back to eating and drinking together so keeping the faculty/students in the same pods (eat at the same table or eating area with separation as possible from others outside the pod) limits exposure to others while masks are removed.
- Strong Advisement: As possible, limit close contacts to only those on the tour – a close contact is any person closer than 6′ together for more than 15 minutes.
- Advisement: Recommendation to have students and faculty bring their own test kits. Keep in mind in early few days of virus rapid tests may not show positive results. A person exhibiting symptoms must be isolated even if a COVID test is negative.
- Advisement: Having more fresh air on the bus is preferred (open window) if can be tolerated.
- Advisement: Swimming pool activities are not advised due to increased risk of exposure (as masks are not usually worn in the pool), but are not prohibited.