Frequently Asked Questions

Per the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, all staff and faculty must be vaccinated or have an approved medical or religious exemption prior to coming to campus. Employees with an approved exemption may be subject to additional screening. Wastewater testing will continue at no cost to employees.

Employees may not use the Student Health Center. Employees must test off-campus at a facility of their choice (e.g., pharmacy, doctor’s office, urgent care center) and rapid test results are acceptable.

The Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) through BHS provides 24/7 free, confidential, in-the moment-support to employees and their household members to help with personal or professional problems. Counseling services, community discounts, financial and legal consultation services, and childcare and eldercare referrals are also available. Take advantage of the numerous athletic and fitness opportunities as well, including Goucher’s walking trails.

If a student has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, they should call or email the Student Health Center (410-337-6050/nurse@goucher.edu).

If a student has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, they should contact the Student Health Center (410-337-6050/nurse@goucher.edu). If they have tested positive for COVID-19, they should use the COVID reporting form.

If a student is positive, the Student Health Center (SHC) will inform the associate provost for undergraduate studies, who will then inform the faculty member that the student will not be able to attend class in person. This notification will not specify why the student may not be able to attend class as medical information is confidential.

Goucher College follows current CDC guidance regarding quarantine and isolation.

The process for requesting a temporary absence from class due to testing positive for COVID-19 or Monkeypox is as follows:

1. If a student experiences any symptoms, they should consult the Student Health Center (SHC).

2. If a student tests positive, they should immediately use the reporting form.

3. The SHC will follow up with the student and tell the associate provost for undergraduate studies the dates the student will be absent.

4. When the associate provost for undergraduate studies receives notification from SHC, they will inform the student´s faculty and advisor via email (e.g., [name of student] will not be able to attend your [xxx] class until [date]. [name of student] will get in touch with you in a timely manner to inquire about how to keep up with classwork.).The subject of the email will be the name of the student.

5. All faculty members have attendance policies in place that should be enforced. Faculty members will work with each student who has been approved for a short-term health absence as indicated in the Quarantine and Isolation Policy to keep up with coursework through reasonable instructional adaptations. Faculty members will abide by APC guidelines for online instruction, which is that the default expectation in our residential campus is that classes are in-person. Students with an approved long-term health absence may petition the associate provost to drop/withdraw from a course after the deadline or may apply to the dean of students for a leave.

There will be various interpretations of the CDC guidelines including that one epidemiologist may not agree with another. We are not contracted with a specific epidemiologist, but our team is constantly conversing with local colleagues, the health department, and participating in webinars about best practices based on CDC guidelines that include epidemiologists. It is also important for any faculty and staff member to know that they are always welcome and encouraged to be tested when they want.