Clarification needed on what to do if you’re traveling? Let us break it down for you
Learn about how to report your out-of-state travel as well as potentially getting refunded for these reasons. We would like to reiterate that reporting your travel information is available in emails sent to your @wcsu.edu accounts as well as in the Emergency Management updates located on WCSU’s website.
How to Let Health Services Know
- Email Dawn Lipke of WCSU Health Services (lipked@wcsu.edu) letting her know about your plans for Spring Break (Reference Provost Alexander’s email below).
Will I be Automatically Required to Quarantine for 14 Days?
No, notifying Health Services will not automatically result in a mandatory self-quarantine. This may be the case for those who traveled to high risk and high occurrence areas.
Reporting your Symptoms Post-Trip
If you have flu-like symptoms, you should not come to campus. This is instruction from Provost Alexander. Email Dawn Lipke of WCSU Health Services (lipked@wcsu.edu) if you experience any symptoms of the flu or COVID-19 regardless of whether you are diagnosed or not. Follow our recommended procedure for informing your professors of your symptoms.
Steps on Canceling Plans
- Review confirmation email(s) and/or contract(s) regarding process for canceling
- Check home pages for airlines, hotels, and other arrangements which likely contains updates on precautions or changes put in place as a precaution. Some are giving refunds for flights in high risk areas
- Refunds: Has your flight changed after booking? You may qualify for a refund if your airline changed the flight. Call your airline’s customer service line to explore ways you will most likely get money back? Do the same for hotel, train station, or airport transport
- Travel Credit: Call to see if it would be possible to change the dates of travel or if you could receive travel credit for future use. Credit may expire within a time-frame
- Ensure you receive written confirmation or a cancellation number when you decide to cancel a reservation/booking
Provost Alexander’s Email:
To the WCSU community:
As a result of the university’s proximity to the first cases of COVID-19 in Connecticut, with two cases currently linked to Danbury, and in accordance with a system-wide directive from President Ojakian, Western Connecticut State University is cancelling all out-of-state athletic, academic and student club travel at least through Spring Break. We will also be cancelling or postponing large events.
Although the university recognizes that this decision will cause hardship for many, we are acting with an abundance of caution and considering the safety of students and the public health implications of travel with this action. Specific guidance for those who will be cancelling university sponsored trips and events will be shared with coaches, advisers and department heads in the next two-days.
In addition, all students, faculty, and staff are strongly discouraged from personal travel outside of the state of Connecticut during spring break. If you do decide to travel outside of Connecticut, we ask that faculty and staff inform Human Resources (crattyf@wcsu.edu) and students inform Health Services (lipked@wcsu.edu) so that we may assess the risk and provide guidance on when you can return to campus. If your travel involved a region where there has been a high incidence of COVID-19, you may be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. Be sure to bring textbooks, or other relevant materials home with you, so you can work remotely.
Please see a supporting statement from Mark Ojakian, the president of the Connecticut Colleges and Universities, here (https://www.wcsu.edu/emergency-management/coronavirus-disease-2019/) and the most recent announcement in the attachment to this email.
A reminder:
Any member of the campus community who has flu-like symptoms should stay home. Students should notify their professors and arrange a plan to keep up with their assignments. Likewise, faculty members should contact their department chairperson and/or dean in order to make arrangements for instruction to continue. Staff members are requested to take similar steps by contacting their immediate supervisor and/or the Human Resources department.
Students, faculty and staff who require accommodations should also communicate with the appropriate academic and administrative leadership.
Missy Alexander, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Keith Betts, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs