Academic Year 22-23 COVID-19 Policy
1/17/2023 (may be amended at any time)
Mask Policy:
Georgian Court University is mask friendly. While masks are generally not required, they may be worn by anyone who feels more comfortable with a mask. In addition,
- Masks MUST be worn in Health Services and the Counseling Center.
- Masks may be requested to be worn by faculty/staff for specific programs, classes or in certain offices. All members of the Georgian Court community may request that others wear a mask during meetings or other activities. Complying is a sign of respect consistent with our commitment to our care for each other. Please keep a mask with you at all times.
- Masks may be required indoors if the number of cases rise either on campus or in the community. Notification will be made via the Georgian Court website and signage.
COVID-19 Vaccination Policy:
To protect the campus from the coronavirus-19 and its variants, all students must be up-to-date with the COVID-19 vaccine unless they were granted an exemption (see below). Per the CDC, this includes at least one booster dose beyond the primary series for most people.
Students whose health records are incomplete for COVID-19 vaccinations will be placed on a health hold. Students will be notified that they are being placed on a health hold through a secure message in their student health portal. Being placed on a health hold prevents a student from being able to register for classes for the following semester. If you have any questions regarding a health hold, contact the Office of Health Services at 732-987-2756, via email at urnygufreivprf@trbetvna.rqh or via a secure message through the student health portal at georgian.studenthealthportal.com using your GCU log in credentials.
Religious Exemptions:
- Students who received the primary course of COVID-19 vaccines (e.g., two doses of Moderna or Pfizer or one does of Johnson & Johnson) will not be eligible for a religious exemption from the booster shot.
- Students must submit the Request for Religious Exemption form to the student health portal (georgian.studenthealthportal.com) or email it to urnygufreivprf@trbetvna.rqh. Requests will be reviewed in the order in which they are received, and students will be notified by email.
- Religious exemption requests from new/incoming resident students must be submitted at least five (5) business days before move-in.
- If you were granted a religious exemption from previous semesters from GCU (not from another institution or an employer), then you do not need to apply again. If you were granted a religious exemption from your employer or from another university, you do need to apply. GCU will not automatically honor religious exemptions granted from other institutions.
Medical Exemptions:
- Students wishing to apply for a medical exemption must submit a signed, stamped and dated letter from a treating physician indicating a medical reason/condition in which COVID-19 vaccines are contraindicated. Documentation will be reviewed by the GCU Health Services physician. Documents should be uploaded to the student health portal (georgian.studenthealthportal.com) or emailed to urnygufreivprf@trbetvna.rqh. Documentation must be updated annually.
- Medical exemption requests from new/incoming resident students must be submitted at least five (5) business days before move-in.
Residence Hall Move-in:
- RESIDENT students with religious or medical exemptions must provide negative COVID test results taken within three days of move-in to be cleared to move into residence halls. Weekly tests are not required afterwards.
- RESIDENT students with NO exemptions must provide proof of COVID vaccine + booster to be cleared to move into residence halls. A negative COVID test is not required for those up-to-date with their vaccination status.
Commuter Student Requirements:
- COMMUTER students with religious or medical exemptions DO NOT have to provide COVID test results before coming onto campus and no weekly tests are required.
- COMMUTER students without religious or medical exemptions must provide proof of COVID vaccine + booster by the first day of class, or they will be placed on a health hold (after the drop/add period).
Students Enrolled in 100% Online Programs:
- Students enrolled in 100% ONLINE PROGRAMS are exempt from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Please note that taking classes online for the semester is not the same thing as being enrolled in a 100% ONLINE PROGRAM.
COVID-19 Case Management:
- All students must report positive tests for COVID-19 to Health Services.
- All employees (staff/faculty) must report positive tests for COVID-19 to the Office of Human Resources.
- If a student reports testing positive, faculty and students in all of the student’s classes will be notified by Health Services of their potential exposure but the identity of the student will not be provided.
- If a student-athlete reports testing positive, their team members will be notified of exposure but the team, as a whole, will NOT be quarantined.
- Infected students will be advised to:
- Inform their professor and indicate that they will be isolating.
- Alert their close contacts.
- Isolate for at least five days and wear a mask for at least five more or as directed by Health Services.
- Exposed students and faculty will be advised that they need to decide to quarantine (or not) based on their own knowledge of their own conditions. As of 8/1/22, Georgian Court strongly recommends, based on CDC guidelines:
- If not up-to-date on covid-19 vaccine, quarantine for at least five days, get tested, and take precautions (i.e., wear mask when around others) for an additional five days.
- If up-to-date on covid-19 vaccine, no quarantine is needed. However, monitor for symptoms, get tested, and take precautions (i.e., wear mask when around others) for ten days after exposure.
- Health Services will not be placing students in quarantine; students will be responsible for their own quarantine management.
- Health Services will not be notifying students when they can be released from quarantine.
- Students who have been granted religious and medical exemptions have been advised that they will need to quarantine if exposed in the communication that was sent when their exemptions were approved.
- In-person classes should continue in person:
- Unless the faculty member teaching the class must isolate or quarantine.
- Or unless more than 50% of the students in a class must isolate or quarantine.
- Faculty and students should wear masks in a class where exposure occurred for the ten day period after exposure.
