Responding to Covid-19

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Return-to-Better

 

Active cases
includes faculty/staff and students, both on and off campus
Recovered
includes faculty/staff and students, both on and off campus
Total
includes faculty/staff and students, both on and off campus
Last updated 05/13/2022

Total: Total number of cases (Active and Recovered) among Students, Faculty, and Staff, both on and off campus, since tracking began for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Active: Positive cases not yet recovered.
Recovered: Able to resume normal activities.

As of Friday, May 13, 2022, we have suspended tracking cases for the 2021-2022 Academic Year.

To date, no cases of COVID-19 among the community of Edgewood College have required hospitalization. 

 

 

Return to Better

We are committed to a return to classes on campus and in-person when the 2021-‘22 academic year gets underway.

Our students expect to engage with our outstanding faculty and with one another – both in and out of the classroom – and they expect to do that in-person, in one of the best college towns in America – Madison.  That's why we are committed to teaching and learning in classrooms, and in-person, this fall.

Our Return to Better Task Force is taking steps to make that happen - not to return to ‘normal,’ but to return to better, applying all the lessons we have learned and continue to learn through the experience of the pandemic.

Protocol Update - Masks Required Indoors

August 4, 2021

We are not out of this pandemic. Effective Thursday, August 5, 2021, masks are required inside campus buildings for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This requirement applies to everyone - those who are fully-vaccinated, and those who are not. As a valued member of the community, you will hear when this latest update to our protocol is no longer necessary. We do this for each other, because from the beginning of this pandemic, we have shown each other and Greater Madison that we live our values of Community and Compassion.

Again - getting vaccinated – for all who are eligible – is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We urge each member of our community to be vaccinated. 

-Dr. Heather Harbach
V.P. for Student Development/Dean of Students

Update

July 1, 2021

As a community we have followed the guidance of our public health professionals since the beginning of this pandemic. The CDC and the Wis. Department of Health Services recommends that all who are eligible be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Therefore, we too are strongly urging each member of our community to be vaccinated.

Students – we have created a simple form for you to update your COVID-19 vaccination status, and have sent you the link via email. You will indicate whether you have been vaccinated, whether you plan to but have not yet, or whether you do not plan to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Please complete this simple form now, and no later than Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021.

There will be continued updates for students as we approach our fall semester, including some very attractive reasons for completing the form. (Did someone say ‘big scholarships?’ And ‘free parking spaces?’) Please remember to check your email often throughout the summer.

If you have any questions, please email deanofstudents@edgewood.edu. If you need assistance finding a vaccination appointment, reach out, we are here to help! 

Enjoy your summer!

-Dr. Heather Harbach
V.P. for Student Development/Dean of Students

Student, Faculty, and Staff Pledge 2020-21

Preventing the spread

In order to do everything we can to keep all of our community as safe as possible, the Edgewood College community will adhere to a number of safety protocols during the 2020-2021 Academic Year as a way of minimizing risk of the spread of COVID-19. These protocols are based on guidelines provided by Public Health Madison Dane County.

As a member of this Community, I will…

  • Wash my hands properly and regularly.
  • Cover any coughs or sneezes.
  • Comply with posted Public Health Madison Dane County requirements.  
  • Wear a mask covering my nose and mouth while in indoor spaces.
  • Maintain social distancing.
  • Assist in the use of disinfectant wipes to clean shared public workspaces prior to use.
  • Take reasonable precautions to avoid contracting COVID-19 both on- and off-campus.
  • Avoid public places and minimize interpersonal contacts if I have been exposed or have any symptoms of any illness.
  • Report any potential exposure or symptoms to the College and follow any instructions to seek medical care or to quarantine.
  • Agree to be tested for COVID-19, as prescribed by health care professionals. Agree to be cooperative and flexible as we work together to support one another and give our community the best balance of learning and safety.

COVID-19 Reporting for 2020-21

We tracked positive cases of COVID-19 beginning in August of 2020. Data includes students, faculty, and staff. This data includes both on-campus and off-campus students, faculty, and staff. We reached a peak of active cases (28) on September 19-20, 2020. 

For 2020-21, we managed a total of 171 positive cases. None of those cases are associated with on-campus transmission. No case required hospitalization, and all cases reported as recovered.

 

 

Covid-19 Updates

These pages are a resource for students, parents, and our entire community.

 

Spring Semester Update - A Small Step for Social Justice

Apr 29, 2021, 3:34 PM

Dear Students and Colleagues -

It is hard for me to believe that we are in the last week of April and that next week marks our final week of classes in what has been a strange and challenging, yet also rewarding and reaffirming, year. It has felt a little like a year-long exam week, and this community has passed one test after another. I am grateful for all of you.

I am happy to report that we took another small step for social justice yesterday when I joined the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa and dozens of Catholic Bishops, organizations, and colleges around the country in expressing support for LGBT youth by signing (on behalf of Edgewood College) a statement from the Tyler Clementi Foundation aimed at protecting LGBT youth and denouncing the bullying often directed at them. The statement reads:

“As we see in the Gospels, Jesus Christ taught love, mercy and welcome for all people, especially for those who felt persecuted or marginalized in any way; and the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that LGBTQ people are to be treated with ‘respect, compassion and sensitivity’. All people of goodwill should help, support, and defend LGBTQ youth; who attempt suicide at much higher rates than their straight counterparts; who are often homeless because of families who reject them; who are rejected, bullied and harassed; and who are the target of violent acts at alarming rates.”

This signing came on the heels of last Friday’s LGBTQ Day of Silence, an annual day intended to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of LGBTQ+ students. By supporting the statement, we proclaim our opposition to any form of violence, bullying, or harassment directed at LGBTQ people. As our mission clearly states: We embrace and aspire to reflect the rich diversity of the world’s cultures and perspectives. We foster open, caring, thoughtful engagement with one another and an enduring commitment to service, all in an educational community that seeks truth, compassion, justice and partnership. In that vein, I want to make it clear that we oppose any form of violence, bullying, or harassment and will defend any who are rejected, bullied, and harassed or who are the target of violent acts.

On the COVID-19 front, the news is encouraging. Numbers in Wisconsin have been decreasing slightly, and we only have one active case on campus, as of the writing of this message. However, as I have repeated many times, we’re not done yet. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19-including completing the second dose if that’s required—is an important step in Returning to Better this fall. 

Our preparations for our on-campus, in-person graduation liturgy and commencement ceremonies on May 15th are continuing. Most graduating students will be picking up their caps, gowns, and tickets next week. I’m grateful to all those who have been working tirelessly to make it happen. Faculty and staff who are planning to assist will be hearing more soon.

There also have been a number of discussions across campus regarding the implementation of Return to Office guidelines for faculty and staff. I want to assure you that College leadership is making thoughtful, meaningful decisions regarding this issue. A message to the faculty and staff dedicated to this topic is forthcoming.

Finally, students: You should have received an email earlier this week from Edgewood Central informing you of the fact that during the Fall 2021 semester, all enrolled students—undergraduate and graduate, part-time and full-time—will be able to apply for the next round of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds from the federal government. We expect that eligible students will receive a minimum of $1,000 to offset costs and hardship brought on by the pandemic. The online application is simple and opens September 15th. You will receive more information when that time approaches.

I wish you well as we move towards the end of this academic year and focus our sights on Returning to Better. 

Be well. 

Cor ad cor loquitur