Message to Students and Families – Finals Week and Winter Quarter Plans

October 26, 2020

Dear Students, Parents and Families,

I first want to express my sincere appreciation for the dedication and diligence displayed by our students, faculty and staff in protecting the health and safety of our campus community thus far, as we head toward the finish of the fall quarter.

We’ve truly rallied together as a community during this pandemic and I believe we’re on a path to successfully complete the Fall Quarter, return to campus after the New Year and have a strong finish to the Winter and Spring Quarters.

I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with a few noteworthy updates as we wrap up the Fall Quarter and move to remote instruction for the first three weeks of the Winter Quarter (Nov. 30-Dec. 22). As a reminder, comprehensive details of these updates can be found in our evolving “Rose Ready” document outlining our COVID-19 campus guidelines. We have clearly marked the key changes in the most recent version as “Winter Quarter Updates.” Those include:

Finals Week and Winter Quarter Testing Plans:

  • For Fall Quarter Finals Week (Nov. 16-19) students will continue their surveillance testing schedule and will receive their final test result by the morning of their last final. Students can deviate from their normal testing schedule during Finals Week, and are responsible for submitting their last surveillance test by 8:30 a.m. the weekday before they plan to leave campus. Measures are in place to ensure any student identified as being in a positive testing pool for COVID-19 will be able to complete their finals.
  •  
  • For the Winter Quarter, students will be required to test for COVID-19 upon their return to campus. Students will be asked to exercise heightened diligence while they wait for their results, and will not be able to attend class in person until they receive a negative result. Residence Halls will open to students beginning at noon on January 3, 2021.
  •  
  • During the return to campus testing period beginning January 3, students on campus waiting on their test results will be allowed to go to the dining hall for to-go service only, and return to their rooms to eat. Students are encouraged to travel to and from the dining hall alone or with their roommate. Students are asked to avoid being in groups and to remain in their rooms during this testing transition back to campus.
  •  
  • Any student traveling back to Rose-Hulman from outside of the United States will need to isolate and quarantine within the U.S. for 5 days. Those traveling from CDC-identified Level 3 countries should quarantine for 14 days.
  •  
  • During the Winter Quarter and potentially beyond, all faculty, staff and students attending class/working on campus will continue to be required to participate in routine weekly surveillance testing. Those returning to campus the week of January 4 will resume routine weekly surveillance testing beginning January 11. 

Residence Life/Campus Access

  • Students requesting to stay in the residence halls during the Winter Quarter must submit a waiver to Student Affairs by 10/30/20. Students can find the waiver at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TF5BZW6. Approvals will be limited to those students subject to travel restrictions; who have inadequate internet for classes; who can’t return home for safety or other issues approved by Student Affairs; who stay for approved Rose-Hulman organized activities with objectives that can’t be met remotely and are supported or supervised by a member of the faculty or staff; who are still in isolation/quarantine.

  • The residence halls will lock at noon on Saturday, November 21 (end of finals week). Only approved students will have access to the residence halls past this point in time. Please plan accordingly when making plans to depart campus after Fall Quarter finals.
  • Students remaining on campus for the first three weeks of Winter Quarter will continue to have a full residential meal plan and the ability to use meal swipes and DB. Not all dining locations will be open, but a complete listing of offerings from Bon Appetit will be available closer to the start of Winter Quarter.
  • Students not living in residence halls will only be allowed to return to campus during the

Nov. 30-Jan. 3 period if they meet certain criteria - including having inadequate internet for  classwork or those approved to be on campus for Rose-Hulman organized activities which can’t be met remotely and are supported or supervised by a member of the faculty or staff.

  • Students who have a regular presence on campus during this time will be expected to continue daily wellness testing and surveillance testing conducted Monday-Thursday.

If you have any questions regarding testing or related protocols, please contact campushealth@rose-hulman.edu. For questions regarding any aspects of residence life please contact Director of Residence Life Cory Pardieck at pardiecj@rose-hulman.edu.    

Thank you, again, for your cooperation. I wish you continued good health and safe travels during this upcoming Thanksgiving break and subsequent start to the Winter Quarter.

Stay well,

President Coons

Launch Root Quad
Return to Top