Return to the Hill: Spring 2021

The Return to the Hill (RTTH) Task Force, created by President Roger Casey and led by Executive Vice President/Provost Julia Jasken, is a leadership committee that meets regularly to develop recommendations for the President and the Board of Trustees as we work to keep the college safe during during the COVID-19 outbreak. As the college monitors COVID-19 nationally and regionally, we will be adapting the health and safety protocols that worked successfully in the fall in order to ensure a safe spring semester. In some cases, new protocols have been put in place.

For the Fall 2020 semester, McDaniel College utilized a green, yellow, and red notification system to inform our campus community of the success of our shared efforts in minimizing the spread of COVID-19. This system will continue through the spring.

Download the Return to the Hill Planning Framework For Employees: Review the Return to the Hill Workplace Guidebook

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Resources State of Maryland COVID-19 Resources

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus this spring, even as we recognize that the coming semester will look different than the fall. We continue to be guided by our First Principles and realize that our community’s ability to successfully operate will require each of us to commit to the long-term health of our community that will necessitate short-term sacrifices of each of us.

COVID-19 Campus Notification System

McDaniel College will utilize a green, yellow, and red notification system to inform our campus community of the success of our shared efforts in minimizing the spread of COVID-19. The following information will also be updated regularly on the COVID-19 Notification System webpage:

Total of newly confirmed positive COVID-19 cases within our on campus population over the previous seven days.
Total cumulative number of positive COVID-19 cases within our own campus population, since Feb. 1.
Total cumulative number of college administered COVID-19 tests, including rapid tests and surveillance tests, since Feb. 1.

Community Safe. McDaniel Strong.

“Community Safe. McDaniel Strong.” is our way of uniting our campus in our shared responsibility in preventing the spread of COVID-19. It requires each of us to commit to following all guidelines and proactive measures that have been put in place to positively impact the health, safety and well-being of our community.

All members of our community are expected to follow the health and safety guidelines as stated in our pledge. By each of us doing our part, we can make a difference that echoes far beyond the Hill.

Key Decisions

Our reopening plans have been informed by the recommendations of the Return to the Hill Task Force and subcommittees, as well as guidance from state and county health officials. The task force will continue to meet during the semester to assess the plans in place and make any necessary updates.

The key decisions below have been made for the 2020-2021 academic year and will continue to be updated, as needed. It is important to note that spring semester health and safety protocols are not the exact same as the fall, as the Return to the Hill Task Force uses the most recent information and resources available to ensure a safe and healthy semester.

Undergraduate Academic Calendar: Move in Dates: January 29-31, 2021

First Day of Spring Classes: February 1, 2021

Last Day of Spring Classes: May 7, 2021

Semester Ends: May 14, 2021

The full undergraduate academic calendar is available here.
Undergraduate Semester Model: The spring semester will return to our standard 15-week term with 4 courses taken at once for the duration of the semester.
Undergraduate Modes of Instruction: McDaniel will offer three types of classes for the spring semester:

Traditional in-person classes

Hybrid classes

Online classes
Graduate & Professional Studies: Graduate and Professional Studies course instruction will continue to be offered online for the spring semester, with the exception of M.S. in Teaching which will have some courses delivered in a hybrid format that will require some on-campus class time.

Mask Usage: All members of the McDaniel College community will be required to wear facial coverings when inside buildings and residential common areas.

Employees should refer to the RTTH Workplace Guidebook for specific mask requirements.

Students should refer to the COVID-19 Student Protocols for specific mask requirements.
Cleaning Protocols: In order to facilitate the increased frequency of cleaning and sanitization our our campus facilities, the college has committed to nearly doubling the size of our current housekeeping staff and adding a second shift for additional coverage. Learn more about our updated COVID-19 Cleaning Protocols.
Testing Protocols: Student Protocols for COVID-19 will be applicable to all students spending time on campus, both residential and commuter. These policies and guidelines pertain to the prevention of COVID-19, procedures for potential exposure or if a student receives a positive test result, student isolation and quarantine, and voluntary surveillance testing. More information can be found in the Isolation and Quarantine Planning Guide.
Wellness Center: Our Wellness Center will be focused primarily on providing COVID-19 related medical care, including surveillance testing, and will not be open for walk-in appointments.

McDaniel College is partnering with LifeBridge Health to expand the college’s student health service offerings provided by McDaniel’s Wellness Center. Through this partnership, McDaniel students can receive routine medical care and telehealth appointments directly from LifeBridge Health. Visit the Wellness Center webpage for details.

Surveillance Testing: For the spring semester, surveillance testing will commence the week of February 15, 2021.

The College will continue to use a surveillance testing to periodically test individuals who are not displaying or experiencing any symptoms. This strategy proved to be an effective tool in the fall to mitigate the spread of the virus. The test group will be a representative sample of the campus population using a modified random selection process.

While participation in the process remains voluntary, individuals selected are strongly encouraged to participate.

View Student Prevention, Testing and Treatment Protocols here.
Updated Housing Policies: Updated housing policies and guidelines related to COVID-19 will be in place in addition to the housing and dining agreement and are applicable to all residential students.

Compliance with all the College's safety guidelines and restrictions is non-negotiable. It is important to note that the College’s Code of Student Conduct applies to behavior that occurs on and off campus. View the COVID-19 Sanctions Chart.
Campus Dining: During the required Limited Community Contact Period, students will pick-up food and return to their residence hall or an outdoor area.

Due to health and safety guidance, the occupancy of Englar Dining Hall (GLAR) will be reduced to adhere to social distancing and indoor dining guidelines.

Residents will be expected to sign up for the time and location of each meal. We will also have additional options available to enjoy meals in outdoor settings.

Visit the McDaniel Culinary Services website for complete hours of operation.

Student Supports: All student supports, including the Bursar’s Office, CEO, Financial Aid, Hoover Library, ODI, Registrar, SASS, Student Engagement, Wellness Center, and others, will still be available, either through in-person meetings or through Zoom conference calls.
Student Clubs and Organizations: The new academic schedule still includes a daily Activity Hour for students to stay involved on campus through participation in clubs, organizations, and athletics. Physical distancing and other health and safety guidelines will still need to be abided by.
Athletics: In alignment with the statement released March 5 by the Centennial Conference Presidents Council, chaired by McDaniel College President Roger Casey, McDaniel has announced its plans to move forward with spring intercollegiate competition for its 10 spring sports: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, and men’s and women’s tennis. Read the full release and view the FAQs that have been established.

Tuition: McDaniel College's tuition rates for the 2020-2021 academic year can be found here. Tuition charges have been set and will not change for the 2020–2021 academic year regardless of instructional modality (online, hybrid or face-to-face instruction). Courses will continue to be taught by McDaniel faculty and we remain committed to keeping the low faculty-student ratio that is a hallmark of a McDaniel education.
Room and Board: Room and board charges for the 2020-2021 academic year have been set and will not be changed or reduced due to changes in the academic calendar. Because room prices are highly variable based on building and single/double occupancy, students may contact the Bursar's Office for exact room costs. To provide increased flexibility, all students on a McDaniel College meal plan will receive double the amount of McDaniel Bucks for the fall semester.
Billing Policies: To accommodate the needs of our students and families who may require additional payment flexibility for the 2020–2021 academic year, McDaniel has made changes to our billing policies, including waiving the $75 enrollment fee for McDaniel’s 5-month payment plan for all families effective July 1, 2020.
Financial Difficulties: Students with financial challenges should contact the Financial Aid Office

Spring Semester Updates

Due to the forecast for significant snow starting on Sunday and potentially continuing through the early part of the week, the College has made the difficult decision to postpone all Sunday arrivals for residential students. We apologize for this unfortunately timed weather event and realize the logistical challenges this may pose to many of our students and their families.

If you had reserved an arrival time for Sunday, please do one of the following:

If you can arrive on Saturday, January 30th, please cancel your Sunday reservation and reschedule for an available Saturday time.& As many additional spots have been made available as our COVID-19 testing protocol will allow.
If you cannot arrive on Saturday, please cancel your Sunday reservation and reschedule for your move-in for February 5, 6 or 7. The second phase of COVID testing happens for students during these days and can also serve as arrival times for students who were prevented from returning to campus due to the weather.
If you have extenuating circumstances and need to talk with someone about your arrival plans, please contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@mcdaniel.edu or (410) 857-2240 between 8:30am – 4:30pm on weekdays and the Department of Campus Safety at (410) 857-2202 after 4:30pm on Friday.

For students whose arrival is delayed until February 5, 6, or 7, we ask that you continue quarantining at home as you would have on campus. This way, the limited community contact period will end for all students on February 8 as planned.

Just as a reminder, all classes are online during the first week of the semester for all students whether they are on campus or at home.

Thank you for your patience as the College modifies the arrival plans because of the weather.

January 29, 30, and 31, 2021: Residence Hall Move-in. Residential students received an email on 01/21/2021 with instructions for move in, including reserving a move-in time. Please contact the Office of Residence Life at 410-857-2240 or at reslife@mcdaniel.edu if you have questions or would like to discuss an individual circumstance.; All residential students will be required to complete a COVID rapid test upon their return to campus regardless of whether a test was completed prior to your arrival. Note that the required Limited Community Contact Period will begin upon move-in.
Monday, February 1, 2021: First day of Spring Semester Classes. Hybrid and in-person classes will be held fully online to support the required Limited Community Contact Period.
February 5, 6, and 7, 2021: All residential students will be required to complete a second COVID rapid test on either February 5, 6, or 7. Commuter students should sign up to get tested on the 5, 6, or 7 if they will be participating in hybrid or in-person classes.
Monday, February 8, 2021: Scheduled end of the required Limited Community Contact Period. Hybrid and in-person courses return to standard scheduling.

Due to increasing positivity rates and hospitalizations, the Return to the Hill Committee believes additional health and safety protocols must be implemented to ensure the best possible start to the spring semester. Among the most important of these is doing our best to prevent positive COVID cases from entering our residential community. The availability of rapid tests, which were not widely accessible in the fall, provides us an opportunity to minimize asymptomatic positive cases from entering our residential community. A second rapid test following the required Limited Community Contact Period provides an additional level of safety.

All residential students will be required to complete a COVID rapid test upon their return to campus regardless of whether a test was completed prior to arrival. The test will be provided free of charge by McDaniel College and will be performed by Quest Diagnostics professionals. If the rapid test comes back positive, you will be required to return home immediately.

All students who receive a positive rapid test will also complete a PCR tested to confirm the positive results. This provides the greatest assurance of a positive test.

All residential students will be required to complete a second COVID rapid test on either February 5, 6, or 7. The test will be provided free of charge by McDaniel College and will be performed by Quest Diagnostics professionals. A positive test will result in the college’s isolation protocols.

Though we realize the inconvenience of limiting in-person social interaction, all residential students will participate in a required Limited Community Contact Period from the day they move on campus until Monday, February 8. This is an additional health and safety measure being put in place for the spring semester due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations nationally and regionally. We believe a period of limited community contact will help ensure a safe and healthy campus by minimizing the potential spread of asymptomatic positive cases on campus. This is especially important because winter weather negatively impacts safer options like outdoor dining.

Residential students will be expected to minimize in-person contact as much as possible during this period. Students will be permitted to leave their on-campus residence to pick up food and, if applicable, use a shared bathroom. Students can also be outside following social distancing and mask wearing guidelines. Residential students should plan to remain on campus and limit all community contact both on-campus and off. All classes, including hybrid and in-person classes, will be fully online for the first week to support the Limited Community Contact Period.

Commuter students should sign up to get tested on the 5, 6 or 7 if they will be participating in hybrid or in-person classes.

All residential students must receive, and provide verification of receiving, the flu vaccine prior to their return to campus. Prior to Jan. 25, 2021, students may email their verification to wellness@mcdaniel.edu. After Jan. 25, students are asked to bring their verification with them to move-in. Students who received a flu shot at one of the on-campus clinics will not need to provide documentation of receiving the vaccine because the Wellness Center already has that verification. Commuter students should plan on providing verification of the flu vaccine if they will be attending hybrid or in-person classes on campus.

Students may choose to receive the flu vaccine upon return to campus. Please bring your health insurance information with you to Check-In if you will need to get a flu vaccine upon arrival.

If you are not able to receive the flu vaccine due to extenuating medical or personal circumstances, please complete the following waiver: Flu Vaccine Waiver Request.

We are looking forward to welcoming you back to campus in the spring. In anticipation of the spring semester and decisions about housing, we will need to collect some information from you. These steps are only for current residents or students looking to move onto campus for the spring semester. If you are not currently living on campus, and plan to remain off campus for the spring, you do not need to do anything. In order to prepare for your return in the spring, we ask that students complete this process we ask that students complete this process as soon as possible.

Please visit https://mcdaniel.erezlife.com, log in, and select My Profile from the top left to make sure that your information there is correct.
Complete the one question survey where you can confirm your plans for Spring 2021 housing: https://mcdaniel.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Rl27Ija0ZjGkPb.

Remember: If you had a Fall room and did not previously cancel for the Spring, the same room is in place for next semester. If you intend to cancel, please indicate so on the survey.

For those students who did not live on campus but would normally choose to if not for the pandemic, we encourage you to talk with friends who lived on campus this fall in order to determine if returning to campus housing is a possibility for you. If you have any questions about returning to campus housing for the spring, please contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@mcdaniel.edu.

Move-in for the spring semester will take place January 29, 30, and 31, 2021, and students will need to schedule a time to move in just like for the fall. We expect to share additional information, including how sign up for your move-in time, in early January.

Return to the Hill: Spring 2021

COVID-19 Campus Notification System

Community Safe. McDaniel Strong.

Key Decisions

Academics

Health and Safety

Residential Life and Food Service

Athletics & Student Life

Financial Matters

Spring Semester Updates

Inclement Weather Impact on Move-In

Inclement Weather Impact on Move-In

Important Dates

Important Dates

Mandatory Rapid Tests

Mandatory Rapid Tests

Required Limited Community Contact Period

Required Limited Community Contact Period

Flu Shot Requirement

Flu Shot Requirement

Spring Housing Information

Spring Housing Information

Important Contacts

Frequently Asked Questions

Important Contacts

Frequently Asked Questions