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.

 

Traditional May Commencement Will Not Take Place

Mar 23, 2020, 5:00 PM

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff –  

While I’m confident that this first day of fully-online classes brought with it some unforeseen challenges, I hope it also was a day of re-connecting with friends and colleagues, and a day to look ahead. 

We know this is new territory for us as members of this community, and of the world community. And being in a community can mean making difficult decisions.  
Earlier today at the President’s Council meeting, we made the decision that the traditional Commencement ceremony, scheduled to be held Sunday, May 17, 2020, will not be held. Commencement Liturgy, scheduled for the same weekend, also will not be held. 

I’m sure this raises questions and concerns; please allow me to address some immediate issues. 

First, we are exploring alternative ways to celebrate the enormous accomplishment of earning a college degree – at every level. We are in the information-gathering stage as of this afternoon. Please watch for updates on that topic soon. 

Some of you have already ordered commencement attire (cap & gown). If you have ordered commencement attire, you will be contacted shortly with instructions for options available to you. 

This Spring has brought many disappointments to you. Some of you have not had the pleasure and challenge of competing with your athletic teams.    Completing clinicals and internships now has a different face.   Being with your classmates, especially for seniors or other graduates, now becomes a virtual reality.  And yet, while the learning modality has changed, the high level of quality instruction remains.  Our faculty members remain dedicated to deliver on our promise to our students.   

We close with this quote, appropriate for our time, because this is what we do best at Edgewood College: 

“Building communities that practice understanding, loving-kindness, and compassion may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of our world.”  Thich Nhat Hanh 

Circumstances are changing rapidly, and it can feel difficult to keep up. Students – you received an email from Heather Harbach, Vice President for Student Development, this morning. Please review it and reach out; while we are separated in body, we remain a community that cares for each and every member. 

Please continue to check your email for updated information. Those updates are archived at www.edgewood.edu/covid-19 for reference.  

Thank you for all you do to make this a true community of learners. 

Mary Ellen Gevelinger, O.P., Ed.D., Interim President 
Margaret Noreuil, Ph.D., RN, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs/Academic Dean