March 15 Update on Wheaton COVID-19 Procedures

Dear Wheaton students, faculty and staff:

We are writing with an important COVID-19 update to the information you have received in previous communications in regards to self-quarantine travel restrictions, student move-out procedures, housing request deadline changes and student support self-distancing procedures. Please read this information carefully.

Wheaton College has updated its self-quarantine procedures, which were originally sent on March 2, 2020. Effective immediately, any community member who has traveled internationally is not permitted to access campus for 14 days after the date they returned to the U.S. We encourage them to return to their family home or to an off-campus residence, to self-quarantine AND practice social distancing.

We had communicated, on March 11, 2020, that all students should pick up their belongings by Sunday, March 22, 2020. With travel guidance by the federal, state and local government rapidly evolving, we encourage you to retrieve your necessary belongings as soon as possible if you were planning to return to campus over the next week. If you are unable to fully retrieve your belongings, you will need to schedule an appointment to do so with Residential Life staff between March 23 and May 9 via [email protected]. Your belongings can stay in your room until May 9 at the latest but you will not have access to your room. These appointments will only be available from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

We have also communicated the opportunity to request to stay in housing for those students who do not have any other options for housing due to life or travel restrictions. In order for us to best prepare for these accommodations, please submit a housing petition as soon as possible, and preferably by the end of the day Monday, March 16 (Your browser must be logged into your Wheaton Gmail to access). We have significant preparations to make and you can help us with these if you give us this notice. We strongly encourage students to seek alternative housing options because only extenuating circumstances will be approved. If approved, it is important to note that the on-campus experience will be limited to housing and dining.

As we had communicated on Friday, March 13, operations at the college are continuing, even as faculty move to remote classes and some staff move to remote work. However, we have implemented social distancing practices for all offices. Social distancing means avoiding locations where large groups of people congregate (more than 10 people), and maintaining a distance (approximately 6 feet) from others. Do not congregate in large groups if and when you are on campus. Whenever possible, you should not visit offices and communication should be done via email, phone or text and meetings handled via Google Meet, Zoom or another alternative.

In the face of ever-changing information about the coronavirus, college officials will continue to closely monitor ongoing developments and guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please be regularly monitoring your email and check Wheaton’s COVID-19 website for the latest information.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation as we strive to keep each member of the Wheaton community and their families and friends safe and healthy in these unprecedented times.

Questions and more information:

  • For students, please contact Cynthia Maricle, Associate Director of Student Health Services at [email protected], or Zack Irish, Interim Dean of Students at [email protected].
  • For faculty and staff, please contact Omaira Roy, Associate Vice President for Human Resources at [email protected].

Regards,

Zachary Irish
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Omaira Roy
Associate Vice President for Human Resources

Cynthia Maricle
Associate Director, Student Health Services

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