Student emergency financial aid grants

The CARES Act (Section 18004(a)(1)) provides emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted due to coronavirus and are now facing financial challenges.

On April 16th, 2020 Holy Cross College signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the Department of Education, and commits to using no less than 50% of the funds received through the CARES Act to provide these emergency financial aid grants to eligible Holy Cross College students.

On April 25th, 2020, Holy Cross College received $234,796 from the Department of Education in emergency financial aid grants.

 

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for these funds, students must be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
For the Spring 2020 semester, 274 Holy Cross College students were deemed eligible for Emergency CARES funds based on information provided in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

 

Distribution

In directing assistance to those eligible for federal funds, the CARES Act identifies the criteria as “expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).”

Holy Cross College developed the following fourfold process and formula to distribute the funds:

1. On May 5th, all eligible students were notified of their eligibility for a $300 grant. They were also given the chance to decline the award and ask that it be redistributed to students in greater need. A total of 268 students accepted these grants totaling $80,400.
2. Students were also invited to apply for additional funds by sharing (confidentially) how they have been impacted by the disruption of campus operations due to the pandemic. Requests were capped at $6,000 to ensure that funds could be distributed to as many students as possible. These requests total $67,720.
3. The College also wanted to ensure that funds went to students who were known to be in economically fragile situations. The College directed a portion of funds to students identified as most at risk by using a combination of formulas that took into account both the student’s EFC (expected family contribution) as well as the gap between the EFC and the cost to attend Holy Cross College. Students were granted either the greater of their additional funding request or the formula amount for students in economically fragile situations. For example, if a student requested an additional $300, but the formula indicated they should receive $500 additional, the student received $500. If the student requested $800 additional and gave good reason, and the formula indicated they should receive $500, the student received $800. In addition, based on informal and formal conversations and emails with the Dean of Students regarding challenges due to the disruption of campus operations before the formal request process was developed, some students were awarded additional aid. These disbursements total $74,580.
4. Since the regulations ask colleges to consider “each student’s particular socioeconomic circumstances in the staging and administration of these grants,” we will reserve the remaining funds to apply case by case to those students who have entered into a different social-economic situation because of the disruption created by the pandemic.

As of May 22, 2020, the College has disbursed $222,700 to 268 eligible students.

As of July 6th, 2020, the College has disbursed $225,700 to 268 eligible students.

As of August 6th, 2020, the College has disbursed $226,700 to 268 eligible students.

As of September 30, 2020, the College has disbursed $228,700 to 268 eligible students.

As of December 31, 2020, the College has disbursed $231,185 to 269 eligible students.

As of March 31, 2021, the College has disbursed $234,796 to 269 eligible students.

 

Institutional portion & FIPSE

9/30/20 Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3)

12/31/20 Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3)

3/31/21 Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3)

HCC CARES Fund

In addition to the disbursal of federal funds, we have established a fund through generous donations to assist those students who are ineligible to receive federal assistance. On May 5, these students were sent a letter inviting them to share financial hardships due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Based on these responses, we have awarded $18,780 to 27 Holy Cross College students.

Dear Holy Cross College community,

Congratulations on keeping our campus healthy and safe this fall semester! Your participation in daily health checks, along with being mindful of physical distancing, wearing masks, and practicing good hygiene has kept us continuing to move forward this semester.

Your focus on adhering to campus protocols and your diligence in doing what is needed to keep our community safe has been paying off these last few weeks. As we look ahead to next semester, we know that national forecasts are predicting a surge later in 2020. A particular concern and challenge for the College is when students leave campus for breaks, are exposed to infection, and return possibly spreading the contagion to others. To minimize this occurrence, we will begin classes for the spring semester on February 3, 2021; continue through the semester without a spring break, and with classes cancelled on Good Friday, April 2, 2021. More details about the schedule for the spring semester will be forthcoming in the upcoming weeks.

We believe this course of action will allow us to remain on our course for in-person classes and keep our campus safe. Please know of my continued daily prayers as we continue to forge ahead to assist you in meeting your goals and your aspirations. Remember, we are a community of Scholars, Citizens, Leaders, and Disciples – We are the Saints!

Ave Crux! Spes Unica!

Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C.

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Dear Holy Cross College Community,

It is the end of July and we are still forging ahead with our plan to return to campus this fall. We have put plans of action in place that will keep our community safe, secure, and together once again. With a commitment from our students, faculty and staff to follow specific guidelines and protocols this fall, I believe we will have a successful 2020-2021 school year and overcome this difficult moment in time with true grit and dedication to the Holy Cross tradition.

Starting August 3, all members of the College will receive a text to their cell phone daily and are required to complete the health assessment tasks asked in the communication. This health check will be used to assess the health of individuals and the community proactively. If it is your preference to receive this communication via email, please contact the IT department at [email protected]. Non-compliant members of the community will face accountability that will be discussed in future communications. A complete list of protocols can be found on our website at www.hcc-nd.edu/return-to-campus.

This daily health check, along with being mindful about physical distancing, wearing masks, and practicing good hygiene will keep our campus healthy and safe. The health and safety practices we have adopted are designed to minimize the possibility of COVID-19 infection for all, and especially to avoid exposure for those among us who are most vulnerable to severe illness.

Thank you for your patience and your commitment to honoring these expectations. Our College community is close knit and we pride ourselves on our commitment to hard work, diligence, and perseverance. By working together, I know we can remain healthy, support each other during these challenging times and create new ways to build community.

In Holy Cross,
Father David T. Tyson, C.S.C.

Here are resources where students can report a COVID-19 related concern, either anonymously or not:

1. call: 574-239-1069
2. email: [email protected]
3. Submit a report at using this link, which can also be found on our coronavirus website at: https://www.hcc-nd.edu/coronavirus/

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January 8, 2021

Dear Saints,

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that your New Year is off to a good start.

As you continue to enjoy time away from campus, whether it be relaxing with family, working at a place of employment, on-going academic studies with a winter course, or a bit of all of the above, know that we here at Holy Cross continue to pray for your health and overall well-being and we very much look forward to having you back on campus for our Spring 2021 semester.  As you all know, classes begin Wednesday, February 3^rd.  Included here is important information regarding our return to campus.

Pre-Arrival COVID-19 Testing

All students will be required to take a pre-arrival COVID-19 test.  The procedure will be very similar to the pre-arrival test that you all completed for the Fall semester.  Everyone will receive a lab order from Dr. Michelle Pearson that will be sent to your Holy Cross email.  Using this form will ensure that lab results are faxed or emailed to an appropriate contact, so please be sure to have the lab order with you when you go to be tested.  Please plan to complete your test 7-10 days prior to your arrival to campus.  Please be attentive to this testing window because as you may know some testing locations may take several days to process results, and you want to be sure your results are received by the College prior to move-in.

Please check with your own health insurance provider regarding coverage of the cost of the test. If at any point you have or develop any symptoms of COVID-19 prior to your return to campus, please contact your family physician. If you have any questions or concerns about the COVID-19 test, please direct them to Mr. Tom DeHorn, Director of Student Health Services.

Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 since November 1^st or will have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be exempt from the pre-arrival test.  Please provide Mr. Tom DeHorn, Director of Student Health Services, with documentation.

In addition to completing the COVID-19 test prior to returning to campus, we ask everyone to be particularly attentive to physical distancing and health behaviors in the two weeks prior to coming to campus. Your efforts and the personal decisions about your activity that you make to limit the possibility of infection are extremely important for caring for the common good of our community.  The job for all of us is to look out for one another. Be smart in the two weeks prior to the semester’s start. We ask that you consider reducing or even avoiding unnecessary activities and travel. You do not want to contract the virus, nor do you want to expose your friends, classmates, and roommates when you get here.

Daily Campus Health Check

All members of the College community, administrators, faculty, staff, and students will once again be required to complete a daily health check.  This tool was instrumental in keeping our campus safe again this semester.  The daily health check, along with being mindful about physical distancing, wearing masks, and practicing good hygiene will again be the keys to keeping our campus healthy and safe.  The health check must be completed daily and will begin for most students on January 29^th (some student groups required to report to campus earlier will begin to receive their daily health checks sooner than this date).

Arrival to Campus

The residential halls, including University Edge, open at 10:00 a.m. on February 2^nd (the day before the 1^st day of classes).  Meal plans will begin with lunch on this same day.  Keys for your dorm building and room will be located in your campus mailbox.  Please retrieve them from your mailbox upon your return to campus.  If for serious travel reasons you need to request an early move-in, please contact me directly for approval.

Students flying internationally to return to campus will be asked to undergo a 4-day quarantine upon arrival and will receive a COVID-19 test on the 4^th day.  Students flying internationally are approved to arrive as early as January 29^th but must inform me of their particular arrival time and date.

Mindful of the challenges and sufferings that are currently impacting our nation, our communities, our families, and our own individual lives, I share with you this prayer that was part of morning prayer in the Magnificat.  For me, these words are a reminder of the Christian vocation to live in hope as we strive to love our neighbor:  “If we love God, if we believe in Jesus Christ, if we trust in the glory revealed in the mystery of Christmas and Epiphany, then we in turn must love one another, so that our daily lives continue to manifest God in our day.”

I look forward to seeing you all again in a few weeks.

Spes Unica,

Dean Polaniecki

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Dear Holy Cross College community,

Congratulations! All of your diligence and focus on adhering to campus protocols, as well as doing what is needed to keep our community safe is paying off. Your participation in daily health checks, along with being mindful of physical distancing, wearing masks, and practicing good hygiene will keep our campus healthy and COVID-19 out of our backyard. I am totally confident that after these few weeks as a committed Holy Cross community, we can safely navigate the perils of COVID-19.

As of today, the College has had only 5 COVID-19 cases, with only one still active. As new cases arise, we will share this information via our website at www.hcc-nd.edu/return-to-campus. The number we report in campus updates represents all community members including students, faculty, and staff. A reminder, if you have been in contact with someone who tested positive, or suspect that you yourself have contracted the virus, students please contact the Student Health Services at (574) 239-1067 and faculty and staff should contact their primary care provider.

Even with the unfortunate surge of the virus that was experienced at Notre Dame, I believe that our College community can have a successful 2020-2021 school year. The exercise of your responsible behavior and care for the safety of all is evidence to me that we can succeed. If we stay the course we will overcome this difficult moment in our history with the same true grit and dedication that is so characteristic of the Holy Cross tradition.

Please know of my continued daily prayers as we continue to forge ahead to assist you in meeting your goals and your aspirations. Remember, we are a community of Scholars, Citizens, Leaders, and Disciples! We are the Saints!

Ave Crux! Spes Unica!

Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C.

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Dear Holy Cross Students,

I am writing to you regarding our present situation and its impact on community life and our academic and social environment. The College has informed you that we have experienced two positive cases of COVID-19. As a result, some students are in quarantine due to contact tracing. At this point, we are in control of, and are containing, the situation. I again want to thank everyone for their diligence in adhering to the safety protocols. Keep up the good work! I would like to bring a matter of concern to your attention, one that I need to address.

In every human community, there are those members who choose to hold themselves above the norms and regulations of the common good. A community is NO community at all if it allows negligence and dangerous behaviors to be tolerated, thus impeding the work of the community, the progress of its members, and most of all, endangers their health, and their lives. As President of Holy Cross College, I share the common cause of the community, and share responsibility for the welfare of the College with those designated as officers of the College, and in concert with the Board of Trustees. At my inauguration as president, I promised to exercise a singular obligation not only to the governance of the College but the community, itself, by taking action when necessary to ensure, as far as possible, the welfare of the College both its participants and its operations. It is in fidelity to that promise that I write to you today.

In deliberation with the officers of the College, and in consultation with the leadership of the Board of Trustees, I am announcing the following Accountability Protocol, as an Emergency Protocol, which is effective immediately and until further notice.

Any student(s) that is found to have violated published or stated protocols of the College; or orders of the city of South Bend, St. Joseph County, or the State of Indiana; or has engaged in behaviors that blatantly threaten the health of the College community, either on the campus, or off the campus; or, tri-campus community, or the South Bend/Mishawaka community will be suspended from enrollment in the College. If an offending student requires quarantine, testing, or isolation, the suspension will take effect at the end of the period, and the suspended student will be removed from the campus. A suspended student will not be eligible for membership in the Holy Cross College community until the beginning of the academic year 2021-2022. The policies in place that govern tuition, room and board, and fee remission will apply.

Some might wonder if the above applies only to students. Established HR policies will govern alleged violations that involve faculty, staff and administration. We are a community that has various stakeholders that are not equal in their relationship to one another or bound by the same regulations. However, no one is exempt from scrutiny for intentional violations or personal interpretations of health and safety policies, especially in a pandemic.

It is my goal to remove obstacles from the path of the vast majority of Holy Cross students. Students who want to continue to learn, study, and grow in a distinctive intellectual environment and faith community. To tolerate a few irresponsible members bringing Holy Cross College to a standstill by their negligence and disregard for the community, itself, would in fact be the greatest of all negligences.

Please know of my daily prayers as we continue to forge ahead to meet your goals and your aspirations, and to do so keeping COVID-19 out of our backyard!

#HoCroStrong! #HoCroDetermined!

In Holy Cross,

Father David

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Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you all making the most of the summer months. Here at Holy Cross we continue to prepare campus for your arrival and the beginning of the Fall Semester on August 10th. We have missed your physical presence on campus, and we are truly excited to welcome you back.

Many of you have had the chance to watch Father Tyson’s video that was shared with the community earlier this week. As he mentioned, we continue to work with our tri-campus partners as well as local, state, and national health officials and we have developed a number of expectations, procedures, and protocols to help ensure a safe semester for everyone.

Reopening campus will require adaptations and sacrifices from all of us — students, faculty, and staff. The health and safety practices that are detailed here in this letter are designed to minimize the possibility of COVID-19 infection for all, and especially to avoid exposure for those among us who are most vulnerable to severe illness.

Holy Cross, like Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s, is proceeding with caution with our return to campus, and beginning conservatively in terms of modifications to facilities, programs, and services. The safety of you, our faculty, and our staff is our top priority, and what scientists know about transmission of the virus continues to evolve. We will continually monitor the effectiveness and necessity of our protocols. We will add additional measures if needed based on the best available medical advice. On the other hand, if we can safely relax some guidelines over time, we will do so.

Thank you for your patience and your commitment to honoring these expectations, some of which will require us to adjust some of our usual Holy Cross expectations and campus way of life. However, just as drive-by events or virtual sing-alongs have emerged nationwide, I have every confidence you will bring creativity and ingenuity to the ways you connect with one another and make campus life vibrant. We are eager to collaborate with you to create these opportunities.

Prior to Returning to Campus
Before returning to campus, we ask everyone to have a COVID-19 test in the 10 days prior to your arrival. To make this simple, the College will provide the lab/test order from our Dr. Pearson. In the middle of July, those scheduled for early arrival will receive an email with directions on how and when to do this. Those arriving to campus over move-in weekend (August 7th – 9th) will receive an email with the lab/test order in the later part of July. Anyone who tests positive will stay home and self-isolate according to standard health timelines. The college will then approve a return to campus after isolation. We ask that ask everyone do their best to complete this test in your local community. This communication that you will receive via email that contains the actual lab/test order from Dr. Pearson will also include a link to the final copy of the Holy Cross College COVID-19 Health and Safety playbook. This playbook will provide a comprehensive and complete overview of all campus protocols, procedures, and expectations. In addition to the electronic version, a physical copy will be given to all students during Welcome Weekend. As with the Holy Cross Student Handbook, everyone will be expected to familiarize oneself with this playbook and abide by it in its entirety.

In addition to completing a COVID-19 test prior to arriving to campus, we ask everyone to be particularly attentive to physical distancing and health behaviors in the 2 weeks prior to coming to campus. You are joining the community of Holy Cross College—your community. Your efforts and the personal decisions about your activity that you will make to limit the possibility of infection are in some ways more important to the health of our campus than even the COVID-19 test itself. The job for all of us is to look out for one another. Be smart in the two weeks prior to the semester’s start. We ask that you consider reducing or even avoiding unnecessary activities and travel. You do not want to contract the virus, nor do you want to expose your friends, classmates, and roommates when you get here.

Returning to Campus and Welcoming New Students
Residence hall staff will arrive on campus beginning Thursday, July 30th for training. Other groups that have been approved for early arrival include ROTC members, SGA and Welcome Weekend Leaders, and returning soccer players. International students have received separate communication regarding travel and arrival.

New students have received information regarding Welcome Weekend and move-in appointments that will occur on either August 7th or August 8th. First year room assignments are currently planned for release by Friday, July 10.
Returning students living on campus will move in on Sunday August 9th.

Throughout the move-in process and the adjustment to on-campus living, personal behavior and decision making that limits the opportunity of infection will be of highest importance. Wearing masks and social distancing will be mandatory in all campus spaces, as it is also the requirement for the whole of the tri-campus and the larger local community of South Bend.

Living, Eating, and Praying in Community
Whether you live on campus or off, please continue to wash your hands or sanitize frequently, wear your mask when around others and practice physical distancing. These practices not only protect you, but they protect your peers, faculty, hall staff members, building services and dining hall staff, advisors, our South Bend and Mishawaka neighbors, and others from infection. They are also essential to minimize the number of people who would need to be quarantined in the case of infection. All students will receive a welcome back package that includes hand disinfectant, a thermometer, and at least two masks, though we also encourage you to bring extra supplies with you to campus.

Our residence halls will operate at standard occupancy, though significantly enhanced cleaning and other adjustments in our common life will be necessary to keep one another safe. Assigned roommates will be considered a “household” for purposes of contact tracing. Students will not need to wear masks when they are in their assigned rooms, but they must wear masks in all other rooms and common spaces, including hallways, lounges, and visiting other dormmates. Hall lounge capacities will be adjusted for physical distancing. Students may receive visitors in the residence halls, these guests must wear masks and observe physical distancing at all times and in all spaces. No guests may stay overnight in the halls. We believe if students follow these protocols the residence halls will be safe and healthy environments.

Notre Dame Campus Dining is adjusting dining hall and Ave Brew policies and offerings in accordance with best industry food service practices. In the dining hall, disposable ware will be used, self-service buffets will be replaced with individually portioned, served buffets, and other modifications to the space will be made to ensure that we can dine together safely. In addition, outdoor dining will be available near the dining hall and Grab and Go options will be available.

Gathering together as a faith community and nurturing the spiritual life of our students remains a crucial priority consonant with our Catholic mission. The St. Joseph Chapel will be open and will offer Mass and other liturgies and services and will operate consistent with diocesan guidelines. The College will offer liturgies open only to our campus community, while the Village Masses (Sunday morning Mass and 5:00 p.m. daily Mass) will not be open to students.

Nurturing Your Health and Well-Being
Our world has changed radically since March. Whether you are a new or returning student, you transitioned to some form of remote instruction. While you persevered admirably, this experience was isolating for many and a particular challenge for students who might have less resources available to them. Well over 100,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States, with hundreds of thousands more around the world. The economic fallout of the pandemic has impacted the financial situation of many students’ families and created uncertainty related to summer work, internships, and future employment prospects. Additionally, we have recently been reminded of the terrible impact of racism in our country.

We already have a variety of services in place to nurture our students’ physical and emotional well-being, and we will further enhance them this fall. Every member of the Holy Cross community must complete a daily self-screen. The health and wellness staff will reach out to you if the results of your health screen indicate you should be assessed and tested for COVID-19. Although some aspects of testing are still being finalized, free on campus COVID-19 testing will take place.

With the modifications the College has made and dedicated adherence to our public health practices by students and all community members, we believe our campus will be as safe as any other environment. The risk of acquiring the virus on campus should be very low. Nonetheless, we are prepared to care for students if they become infected with COVID-19 and therefore need to be isolated. We will similarly support students who are considered close contacts of infected individuals and therefore need to be quarantined. Adhering to our health and safety practices especially regarding mask wearing and physical distancing, both on and off campus, is the best way you can minimize the risk that you will become infected or be considered a close contact of an infected individual.

Off-campus students will likely complete any necessary isolation or quarantine time in their homes. College staff will check in with these students daily and ensure the students have access to food and other essentials. Isolation rooms on campus and University Edge have been identified for any on-campus infected student. These students will also be checked on daily and will be provided food and other essentials. Additionally, any student in quarantine or isolation will receive academic support and have access to all coursework and instruction through virtual means. Finally, Holy Cross has strong partnerships with both local hospitals if a student’s illness becomes severe.

Holy Cross, in partnership with local public health officials, will perform contact tracing for any infected student. Our system is intended to allow contact tracers to thoroughly identify all high-risk or close contacts, conduct timely notification of contacts to prevent further transmission, ensure resources are available for appropriate medical evaluation of any contacts who are or become symptomatic, and ensure successful quarantine or isolation of contacts during the potential time frame when they may be infectious.

Enabling Student Formation Through Facilities and Programming
Given the adjusted timing of the semester and what we have learned about transmission of the virus, we encourage you and all student groups to utilize our outdoor grounds in safe ways as much as possible. Plans to increase useable outside space for eating, activities, and recreation are being undertaken at this time.

Student Activities, Campus Ministry, Hall Staff, and others that help provide campus programming are eager to meet with students for conversation, pastoral support, and program planning. All student clubs and organizations will have the opportunity to meet in person in accordance with appropriate College public health practices and amended student club and organization guidelines and protocols. Student groups may also choose to meet virtually. Attendance must be taken at all in-person meetings and events to allow for contact tracing if needed.

We are still developing our plans for the student activities that scientists believe hold significant risk for transmission, whether due to the nature of the activity, the proximity of individuals at those events, or the inevitable contact between individuals. Sadly, we do not anticipate permitting group vocal activities indoors, student dances, or many contact club or intramural sports. While these changes will present constraints, we look forward to working with you to imagine new ways to enrich our campus life.

Preparing You Well for Fall
We often speak of Holy Cross as a family and that our campus very much functions like a home for all of you. Other than essential travel, such as a family emergency, this semester you are asked to stay home at Holy Cross during the semester. Staying at Holy Cross and limiting interaction to within the tri-campus will support the common good and allow us all to remain healthy and safe. Staying home at Holy Cross and in the tri-campus may at times feel like a burden, but it will also be an opportunity to live and grow in such a way as never before, allowing a deeper sense of community and sense of commitment to those that make up this family of Saints.

This is a lot of information to digest, and I realize some items require significant and sometimes painful changes to ways we interacted on campus prior to the pandemic. I hope you will approach these modifications by remembering that they will allow us to be here safely on campus, a place where young men and women learn to be Scholars, Citizens, Leaders, and Disciples. We all have a role in the health and safety of our community and personal decisions to prioritize the common good must be at the heart of all that we do. Together, I know we can remain healthy, support each other during these challenging times and create new ways to build community.

Thank you in advance for your patience as we continue to finalize our preparations for your return. With a sincere sense of anticipation I await your return to us. Please know of my prayers for you and your loved ones and stay well this summer.

Spes Unica
Dean Polaniecki

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June 16, 2020

Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you and your families healthy and enjoying the summer. As you all know, the first day of classes for the Fall Semester is August 10th. For those of you that will be living on campus, move-in will take place on Sunday, August 9th. Move-in can occur anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Approval will be required for anyone moving in before the 9th. An email must be sent to me requesting early arrival. In the email, please state the date that you would like to move-in as well as the reason. RAs, SGA members, soccer players, Welcome Weekend Crew Leaders, and Campus Ministry Spes Interns do not need to email me as your supervisors will communicate with me regarding your move-in.

In the near future, Father Tyson will address the whole college community to share how Holy Cross and our tri-campus partners at Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s are preparing for the Fall semester. Following that message and leading to your arrival, I will be sharing important information about campus protocols, expectations, and procedures that have been developed to help ensure the safety of our community. It will be more important than ever to realize that our community is bound together in an effort to live as Scholars, Citizens, Leaders, and Disciples and we will all have a part to play in the living out of our common mission.

I know I speak on behalf of so many when I say that I am looking forward to seeing you all in August!

Spes Unica
Dean Polaniecki

Dear faculty and staff,

We hope this message finds you healthy and well. When we announced that we were moving to distance learning on March 7th, never did we nor could we imagine how the following months would transpire nor the length of time that we would be apart. We know that the sudden transition required significant adjustments, flexibility, and herculean efforts to do your work in new ways, while worrying and caring for the health and safety of your loved ones. We did all of this while being physically separated and abiding by our stay at home order, knowing that our sacrifice was for the common good of all. Please know of our deep gratitude for all that you have done, and continue to do, to serve our community and fulfill our mission. We know that it was tremendously difficult, and we are in awe of the strength, grit, and tenacity of our community that was once again on display these past months.

Reopening campus and welcoming students back in August will require each of us to call upon the same characteristics: flexibility, tenacity, strength, grit. It will require adaptations and sacrifices from all of us – faculty, staff, and students. Thank you for your patience and your commitment to honoring these expectations, some of which will require us to adjust some of our usual Holy Cross expectations and campus way of life. However, just as drive-by events or virtual sing-alongs have emerged nationwide, and mask-wearing and physical distancing have become much more commonplace, we have every confidence you will bring creativity and ingenuity to the ways you teach, work, and connect to continue to foster an intellectual and residential community that forms Scholars, Citizens, Leaders, and Disciples.

Many of you have had the chance to watch Father Tyson’s video that was shared with the community earlier this week. As he mentioned, we continue to work with our tri-campus partners as well as local, state, and national health officials and we have developed a number of expectations, procedures, and protocols to help ensure a safe semester for everyone. This letter will provide an overview of those expectations. The health and safety practices that are detailed here in this letter are designed to minimize the possibility of COVID-19 infection for all, and especially to avoid exposure for those among us who are most vulnerable to severe illness.

Holy Cross, like Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s, is proceeding with caution with our return to campus and beginning conservatively in terms of modifications to facilities, programs, and services. The safety of you, our faculty, and our staff is our top priority, and what scientists know about transmission of the virus continues to evolve. We will continually monitor the effectiveness and necessity of our protocols. We will add additional measures if needed based on the best available medical advice. On the other hand, if we can safely relax some guidelines over time, we will do so.

We thank the members of the reopening committee who have worked diligently to review information, provide input, and develop protocols. We write today to share with you updates on a number of ongoing efforts regarding communications, public health protocols, and policies and decisions that affect our work together. As always, we welcome your input and feedback. This letter is meant for both faculty and staff, and various parts will be more or less relevant for some of you – but we want to provide a full picture to all of you. We will publish the full guidelines and provide an electronic and hard copy to all faculty and staff.

Returning to Campus
While you are still welcome and encouraged to work from home, we are slowly starting to see you return to campus, and it is wonderful to be together again. As the dean of faculty, Dave Lutz, has already communicated, faculty are expected to return to campus August 3. Similarly, staff are expected to return to campus by August 3. However, due to many office setups for many administrative and operational functions of the College, some staff may be asked to work remotely on a part-time basis in order to reduce office density and protect the health and safety of the community. If this is an expectation for you, it will be communicated directly to you by your supervisor.

In addition starting July 6, when you come to campus the following will be expected of you:
Daily Health Checks
All faculty, staff, and students will be expected to perform a health check using an app procured by the College prior to coming to campus (or in the case of students, leaving their dorm room). This app will help the College keep a pulse on the health of the community and provide guidance to those not feeling well. It is anticipated that the app will roll out later in July. In the meantime, we ask that you perform a daily health check using the symptom guidelines set by the CDC, or one of the many free COVID-19 health screening apps available for smartphones. If you present with any symptoms, or just generally do not feel well, do not come to campus. Any faculty or staff who is presenting with symptoms while on campus will be asked to return home. This is not the time to “push through” symptoms.

Masks and Physical Distancing
It has been shown that physical distance and mask wearing both individually reduce the spread of the virus, and together are especially effective. When a distance of a minimum of six feet is not possible or when people are in an enclosed space for an extended period of time, a face covering is crucial.

In light of this, Holy Cross has adopted the following policies:

• All students, faculty, and staff in a College campus space will be expected to wear face coverings at all times when they are, or may be, in the presence of other individuals within a building, except when alone in a private room (office, residence hall room) or in a private vehicle.
• Students will be expected to cloth wear face coverings in all common areas of the residence halls, but not within their own room.
• Visitors to campus will be expected to wear face coverings at all times.

The College will be issuing all members of the Holy Cross community a minimum of two face masks. We also encourage you to purchase additional of your choosing.

Enhanced Sanitation
The College will provide hand sanitizing stations at the main entrances of all buildings and in high-traffic common areas throughout campus. In addition, the facilities team will be cleaning highly trafficked areas and high-touch surfaces more frequently. The College has also purchased an electro-static sprayer that allows us to disinfect large spaces such as Ave Brew Cafe or Driscoll Lounge quickly and effectively. It will be used daily.

The College invites and encourages all faculty, staff, and students to be active participants in helping to keep our spaces disinfected. We will provide sanitizing wipes and sanitizing sprays in high traffic areas such as lounges, classrooms, and meeting rooms. Please feel free to use these to wipe down the space before and after use to help reduce the spread of the virus. We also encourage you to wipe down your own workspaces and offices frequently.

The College will also be moving to MERV-13 air filters for all of our buildings with a central HVAC system. These systems will also be set to maximize fresh air intake within the design limits of the equipment. This may mean that it takes additional energy to cool and heat our buildings, and we ask for your patience with the air temperature.

Protocols for classrooms and other instructional spaces
We have established a number of protocols that will govern classrooms and other instructional spaces:

• Facilities is adjusting each classroom to maximize social distancing between students, as well as between students and faculty. Some furniture may be removed, and the layout of a particular classroom may be sub-optimal for your preference.
• Six feet of social distance will not be possible in all classrooms, which is why facemasks are critical.
• Faculty will have the option of wearing a face mask or a face shield, which will be provided by the College.
• Faculty are encouraged to consider opening classroom windows and/or doors when practical to increase air flow.
• Cleaning protocols aimed at preventing COVID-19 will be implemented in all instructional spaces.

Physical Space Modifications
In addition to classrooms, facilities will be modifying communal spaces such as lounges and conference rooms where possible to encourage physical distancing. This may mean moving, removing, or exchanging furniture.

The College will install plastic sneeze guards in certain places such as reception desks or cash registers. In addition, the College will provide stand-alone, portable plastic sneeze guards that rest on desk for office and classroom use as an added measure of safety for any full-time faculty and staff who request them. In order to secure sufficient quantities, we ask that you submit a request for a sneeze guard to [email protected] no later than Wednesday, July 8th. We will also provide portable sneeze guards that adjuncts may “check-out” for single or semester use.

Since it is harder to contract the virus outside, the College is also securing tents for the semester to provide outdoor meeting spaces. These tents may be used in variety of ways including for meetings, student activities, and dining.

Meetings
Internal meetings
For internal meetings, the meeting chair set a meeting be in person or virtual using MS Teams. Anyone who is working off campus should not come in for the meeting, but rather attend virtually. Masks or face coverings are to be worn during in person meetings. Given different on-campus schedules for the fall, it is recommended that meetings be scheduled rather than “drop-in” whenever possible.

Meetings with off-campus guests
We strongly encourage meetings with off campus guests be held virtually using MS Teams whenever possible and practicable. If it is not possible to hold the meeting virtually, all visitors to campus should complete a daily health check and must wear a mask. When practical, meetings could be held outside

Faculty Office Hours
Faculty with offices may hold office hours and meetings with students in their offices or via MS Teams. However, faculty who do not have offices must meet with students via MS Teams or if practicable, outside or another open area.

Dining
One of the hallmarks of Holy Cross is our dining hall and communal meals together as one community. In order to try to preserve this important aspect of campus life, Campus Dining is adjusting dining hall and Ave Brew policies and offerings in accordance with best industry food service practices. In the dining hall, disposable ware will be used, self-service buffets will be replaced with individually portioned, served buffets, and other modifications to the space will be made to ensure that we can dine together safely. In addition, hours will be extended, and outdoor dining will be available near the dining hall and Grab and Go options will be available.

Travel
The College’s efforts to minimize COVID-19 infections and safeguard the health of the entire Holy Cross community depend on a package of measures and protocols. One important element of that package is to curtail travel to and from campus as much as possible, in order to lessen the introduction of new sources of infection. This is the primary reason for the significant adjustment to our academic calendar, with the fall semester now beginning with classes on August 10 and running straight through the completion of final exams by November 20. This is also the reason that College-related travel will be strictly limited throughout the fall 2020 semester. Only travel that is deemed essential will be approved. Before returning to campus after approved travel, those traveling may be required to quarantine in order to help safeguard our campus community.

Further, we are requesting and strongly urging that students, faculty and staff will avoid personal travel away from campus, their homes, or the local area during the fall 2020 semester except under exceptional circumstances (e.g., sick family member). Again, this expectation is based on our need to work together for the safety of the entire community.

Praying Together
One of the biggest adjustments for many of us this spring, and even this summer, was how we prayed and worshipped together. We are eager to be able to pray together once again as a community. However, this too will look different:

Starting at the beginning of the semester, 12:25pm daily mass and 7:30pm Sunday mass will be offered following all diocesan guidelines. However, we are limiting attendance at these masses to the College community. In order to protect their high risk population, the 5pm daily mass and Sunday morning mass is only available to residents of Holy Cross Village. Members of the College community should not attend them.

Testing and Contact Tracing
We are facilitating the testing of all students prior to their return to campus. We will also provide free on-campus testing for all students. A team of staff have agreed to be on the contact tracing and support team, which will be led by Tom DeHorn, and have already begun training. This team will work with and support students from their initial COVID-19 test through quarantine, and if needed, supported isolation. The College has a number of rooms available for isolation.

Any faculty and staff who have symptoms or have had close contact (15 minutes of contact with less than six feet of separation and no mask) with a person who has COVID-19 should contact their doctor to be tested, let Gwen DeMaegd know, and quarantine at home even if no symptoms are present. If any faculty or staff tests positive for COVID-19, report the positive test result to Gwen DeMaegd and remain isolated according to your doctor’s order and the CDC guidelines. The College will then begin contact tracing at the College as is deemed necessary and appropriate. The College will modify its sick leave policy through the end of at least 2020 so that any time taken for quarantine, isolation, or in support of a dependent family member in quarantine or isolation will be paid and time off will not count against the sick bank.

Concluding Thoughts
We know that this is a lot of information to digest. We also realize some items require significant and sometimes painful changes to ways we interacted on campus prior to the pandemic. We are hopeful that you will approach these changes the same way you approached the sudden changes of the spring, with vigor, tenacity, and grit, and all for the common good of our community. For many it is difficult, and can even be discouraging, to adjust to so many changes at once. Let us cling to Hope, knowing that these changes will not be for forever, but that they will allow us to be here on campus once again together, helping our students learn to be Scholars, Citizens, Leaders, and Disciples.

Let us end with our sincere thanks, and warm wishes for a safe and healthy long weekend.

Regards,

Justin Watson
Provost

Monica Markovich
Vice President for Finance