Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The health, safety, and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff is a top priority at Mount Union. When making decisions regarding public health issues such as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the University will always work cooperatively with and follow the guidelines and recommendations of leading health organizations, including the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, the Ohio Department of Health, the Stark County Health Department, and the Alliance City Health Department.

In June, we lifted most pandemic-related protocols and returned to a more normal summer term. As a reminder, our current protocols are as follows:

Face Coverings

Face coverings will be required in all classrooms and labs, regardless of vaccination status.
Those who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear face coverings or maintain physical distancing in non-classroom or non-lab environments, whether indoors or outdoors.
Those who are not vaccinated should continue to wear face coverings and maintain six feet of physical distance while on campus, whether indoors or outdoors.
Face coverings are not required in residential facilities.
We fully respect the comfort levels of those who are vaccinated who may prefer to continue to wear face coverings.
We ask that you employ compassion when regarding the comfort levels of others on campus regarding face coverings. If someone should request that you use a face covering when entering their office or personal space, please show courtesy and care by complying.

Facilities and Events

Campus classrooms have been transitioned to their full-capacity setup. Other campus facilities are no longer subject to capacity restrictions.
Those hosting indoor events on campus are required to maintain attendance logs should they be needed for contact tracing.
The Physical Plant housekeeping team will continue to clean and disinfect offices, classrooms, and labs, as well as restrooms and common areas, daily, when buildings are open. This includes before, during, and after “business hours.”

Vaccination

Although the COVID-19 vaccine is not being required at Mount Union, we strongly encourage members of the campus community to consider receiving it to protect themselves and others. The COVID-19 vaccine is the single most effective way to protect our community and return to normal interaction.
Those vaccinated individuals – students, faculty, and staff – presenting a valid, physical vaccination card indicating that at least an initial dose has been received are eligible for a $100 incentive made possible via CARES Act funding. Students should visit the Student Health Center and faculty and staff should visit the Office of Human Resources to show proof of vaccination. The deadline for this incentive is September 30. More details will be forthcoming, including locations for additional vaccination verification opportunities on campus.
Vaccination clinics will be offered on campus this fall. Dates and times will be announced via email.

Testing/Quarantine/Isolation

Testing will continue to be available on campus through the Student Health Center for symptomatic students.
Non-vaccinated athletes will be tested weekly in accordance with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) protocols.
Random surveillance testing may be reinstated for non-vaccinated members of the campus community in October. If it is necessary to do so, an announcement will be made via email.
Quarantine and isolation procedures will remain similar to those utilized during the 2020-2021 academic year with one exception. Vaccinated community members will not be subject to quarantine upon exposure unless they are presenting symptoms.

FAQs

Can you provide an online-only attendance option to students who have significant risk factors and/or do not feel safe to be physically present for classes?

Students may request online-only courses as an accommodation through the Office of Student Accessibility Services. Students will need to provide medical documentation that supports the need for their request. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Course availability will depend upon the most reasonable method of accommodating the student's need factoring in the available courses and sections, faculty input, and options for instructional methods.
What are COVID-19 symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of this illness include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Reported cases have ranged from little to no symptoms to severe illness and death.

Coronavirus shares many similar symptoms with the common flu and other illnesses that tend to peak during this time of the year. Should you experience any symptoms of this nature, exercise caution and make an appointment with the Student Health Center by calling (330) 823-2692 or reach out to your primary healthcare provider. Please call the Student Health Center or your primary healthcare provider BEFORE going to their offices.
What are tips to preventing COVID-19 illness?

The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. The following are a few things that the CDC recommends you do to help prevent the spread of any type of illness.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or sleeve, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Keep soap, hand sanitizer, and tissues on hand. Make them easily accessible at home and carry with you when possible.
- Keep household cleaning spray or wipes readily available. Always use according to label instructions.
- Clean “high-touch” surfaces daily. These include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.
- Don’t share personal items such as water bottles.
- Keep informed of recommendations of public health officials using the resources below.
We encourage you to consider the precautionary measures listed above while following general health guidelines that include getting adequate sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and incorporating exercise into your regular routine.
How is COVID-19 spread?

Although the CDC is still studying the transmission of COVID-19, at this point, it is believed that it is spreading via respiratory droplets, much like the flu. Up-to-date information can be found on the CDC webpage.

At this time, the CDC believes that COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
What is the University doing to prevent the spread of germs on campus?

As is typically done during flu season, the University has increased the cleaning of common areas, door knobs, light switches, and other high-touch areas to protect against the spread of any contagious illness. As an additional safety measure, housekeeping staff members have been deep cleaning campus during spring break with heavy-duty disinfectants. In addition, hand-sanitizing stations are being installed around campus.
What should I do if I experience symptoms?

Should you experience any symptoms of this nature, exercise caution and make an appointment with the Student Health Center by calling (330) 596-7995 or reach out to your primary healthcare provider. Please call the Student Health Center or your primary healthcare provider BEFORE going to their offices. If you cannot reach the Student Health Center or you have any other COVID-19 related questions, please contact (330) 829-4901.
How will the University continue to address the changing situation related to COVID-19?

Throughout the summer, members of campus planning groups will be focused on academic instruction, monitoring and responding to health and safety issues, and evaluation of classrooms, residences, dining facilities, meeting venues, and workplaces to ensure the safety of our students and our faculty and staff. As these groups continue their efforts, additional details will be communicated.

When making decisions regarding public health issues such as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the University will always work cooperatively with and follow the guidelines and recommendations of leading health organizations, including the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, the Ohio Department of Health, the Stark County Health Department, and the Alliance City Health Department.

In this particular situation, the University has also been in close contact with state government officials, peer institutions, and other higher education professional organizations.

COVID-19 Downloadable Signage

Download and print the provided branded signage resources to post in classroom, offices, facilities, etc.

Institutional Safety Protocols

The University is taking following steps to continue to maintain a safe campus.

Cleaning

The Physical Plant housekeeping team will clean and disinfect all buildings each day, Monday through Friday. Additional disinfecting of high contact areas, including communal restrooms is done daily. Weekend cleaning and disinfecting of all residence hall communal restrooms will continue to take place. The University will provide sanitizing materials for faculty, staff, and students who would like to clean and disinfect their own workspaces, rooms, or communal areas throughout the day.

The University uses a CDC-approved, hospital-grade disinfectant. Our cleaning practices follow all CDC and OSHA approved procedures.

Personal Safety Practices

When on campus, please plan to abide by Mount Union's Four Personal Safety Practices:

Conduct regular health self-assessments
Wear a face covering if you are not vaccinated or if it makes you feel more comfortable
Maintain personal hygiene

Conduct Regular Health Self-Assessments

Campus community members are responsible for monitoring their own symptoms and protecting the health of others. If someone has any symptoms of COVID-19, they should refrain from interacting with others. This means that they should participate in academic and co-curricular events only virtually, stay away from campus or remain in their residential assignment, and seek appropriate medical assistance. You can access a comprehensive list of COVID-19 symptoms and a symptom self-checker tool on the CDC website.

At any time, any campus community members can download the symptom monitoring log and keep track of any symptoms they may experience. Symptom monitoring is supported and encouraged, and if campus community members are not feeling well, they are encouraged to stay in their rooms or at home and away from others, attending classes virtually, working remotely, and wearing a mask whenever they are in public or shared spaces. Students in isolation and quarantine will be required to complete the symptom monitoring log. Each residence hall, fraternity, and sorority house will have a touchless thermometer available for temperature checks, the apartments and townhouses will not. Learn more about how faculty and staff can access thermometers on campus.

As always, our Student Health Center will be our first line of assessment and support for students who fall ill throughout the year. Mount Union is collaborating with Aultman Alliance Community Hospital and the Alliance Family Health Center. Mobile testing and drive by testing will be available to students. At this juncture, the Student Health Center will continue to work with the state and federal government and insurers on the costs associated with testing and treatment.

Be kind! Note that COVID-19 shares many similar symptoms with the common flu, cold, and allergies, and that the baseline for a temperature related to COVID-19 is 100.4 or higher. Please don’t immediately panic and jump to any conclusions. Please be aware that students will get ill. Residents on the floor, roommates, coworkers, and friends may have allergies or will contract colds, the flu, or other illnesses with similar symptoms to COVID-19. There may also inevitably be students diagnosed with COVID-19. It is important to be calm and plan accordingly.

Wear a Face Cover/Use Other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if You are not Fully Vaccinated or if it Makes you Feel More Comfortable

When used properly, facial coverings can be effective for reducing the likelihood of transmitting the COVID virus. Community members are asked to provide their own face covering; however, face coverings may be provided, if needed, through various offices on campus or at programs/events. The University of Mount Union requires that community members wear facial coverings in all shared and public environments on campus if they are not fully vaccinated, and in alignment with other environment-specific guidance related to the use of face coverings on campus.

Provision of Additional PPE Items
As needed for compliance with personal safety practice protocols, the University will provide certain additional personal protective equipment. Included on this list: disposable face masks, facial shields, eye goggles/protection, gloves, disinfectant wipes, sanitizing spray, hand sanitizer, plexiglass divider shields (office/work spaces), thermometers and others.

To request the issuance or restocking of such equipment please download and fill out the appropriate form and return it to bondondl@mountunion.edu. If you have any questions contact the Physical Plant (330-823-7365).

Office/Workspace PPE Request Form

Department PPE Request Form

Maintain Personal Hygiene

The best way to prevent infection is to avoid exposure to the virus. Campus community members should adhere to the following CDC recommendations to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (or any type of communicable illness).

Wash hands, with soap and water, often and for at least 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve, then throw tissue directly in the trash.
Do not share personal items such as water bottles, etc.

Taking Care of My Personal Wellness

Emotional Wellness

The University of Mount Union Counseling Center will continue to provide several traditional and newly added supports from 2020 to students. As always, all services from the Counseling Center are free and confidential to enrolled Mount Union students. Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please go to the counseling page to meet our staff and schedule a live or virtual appointment for anything, big or small. Remember, counseling is a partnership between the therapist and client. This partnership focuses on self-improvement, problem solving, and emotional management. Some of our new offerings this year include:

Partnering with athletics to create a positive mindset and improve performance.
Virtual and live walk- in hours daily that will be advertised on the Counseling Center website, UMU Today, and social media.
Koru Mindfulness workshops and retreats. The Koru approach will help teach undergraduate and graduate students’ evidence-based mindfulness skills proven to manage wandering thoughts, reduce stress, and increase concentration and performance. Check out the App. Class offerings and mindfulness retreats will be posted on the Counseling Center website.
The “Love Initiative,” created by our counselor Tim Campbell, will help students learn, grow, and gain awareness about divisiveness/hate and challenge it with a love ethic. Contact Tim at campbeti@mountunion.edu for more information on this movement.
Evaluations for Emotional Support Animals (ESA) will be considered for existing Counseling Center clients. Please contact Dr. Packard at Counseling@mountunion.edu for more information.
Telehealth counseling sessions for study abroad students and those students completing clinicals.
For more information, the Ohio Department of Education has compiled a list of mental health resources for back to school.

Office of Counseling Services

(330) 823-2886 | counselingservices@mountunion.edu

Physical Wellness

Making healthy decisions is challenging under the best of circumstances and can be even more difficult in a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some tips to help you make the best choices about food, exercise, alcohol/drugs, and sex.

Food

Good nutrition is always important, but during this pandemic, it is even more important because a well-balanced diet of nutritious foods helps support a strong immune system

Eat a balanced diet to maintain good health
Drink plenty of fluids

Check out these sites for more information:

Exercise

Exercise is especially important because it can reduce stress, prevent weight gain, boost the immune system, and improve sleep.

Try to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none.
Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.

Check out recreation and intramurals at Mount Union.

Alcohol and Drugs

Overall, rates of alcohol consumption, heavy drinking and drug misuse, has increased as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you or others have expressed concern about your drinking contact the office of Alcohol, Dug and Wellness Education adwe@mountunion.edu. The following are some suggestions with regard to alcohol and other drugs:

Avoid using alcohol or drugs to cope with the stress of COVID-19.
Because COVID -19 attacks the lungs, it could be an especially serious threat to those who smoke tobacco or marijuana or who vape.
Follow the CDC guidelines when participating in social gatherings https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/

Check out these sites for more information:

Sexual Responsibility

Check out these sites for more information:

Office of Alcohol, Drug, & Wellness Education

(330) 829-6660 | adwe@mountunion.edu

Spiritual Wellness

A big part of caring for personal wellness is being attentive to your spiritual wellness. More than any one faith or tradition, spiritual wellness is about caring for yourself holistically – mind, body, and soul/spirit. Spiritual wellness or soulfulness is about being able to ground yourself, care for yourself, and be attentive to what is happening around you so that you can be fully present to the circumstance, need, or concern at hand. For some, faith tradition plays an important role in providing ritual, practices, and guidance. For others, spirituality is not so much rooted in a faith tradition as much as it is non-faith practices and/or awareness of our natural environment.

Practices that can help improve the state of your soul are practical things that when done with some intentionality offer not only a way to help create balance in your life, but they can help give back a sense of control when things begin feel out of control. By bringing you closer to your soul, spirit, higher awareness, or deep self (whatever term you prefer), these practices can help you to stay grounded and centered to the present and help give you confidence towards the future.

Some Spiritual Tools and Tips (adapted from Alexander Levering Kern)

Office of the Chaplain

(330) 829-8717 | chapel@mountunion.edu

Helpful Resources

These helpful resources from reputable organizations will assist in gathering information about awareness and prevention from the international, national, and state levels.