Fairmont State’s highest priority is the safety and wellbeing of all students, faculty and staff. The University will continue to act out of an abundance of caution to protect our campus and surrounding communities. Additional changes to campus protocols may be announced.

The University’s COVID-19 Task Force will monitor the West Virginia DHHR County Alert System weekly to determine current COVID climates in Marion County. The DHHR County Alert System color map can be accessed here. Fairmont State will operate on one of two campus scenarios that will be determined based upon current coronavirus levels in Marion County. The newly established operating procedures were developed by the COVID-19 Task Force and University Leadership to ensure the safety of our entire campus community. Please see the scenarios outlined below.

ADVANCED COVID PROTOCOLS

For Use When County Map Lists Marion County in ORANGE or RED

Campus-Wide Information:

• Masks required by all individuals on campus, even if vaccinated, including outdoor areas and events unless otherwise exempted through the ADA process or while working in an office alone, with the door closed, or in their residence hall room with their assigned roommate.

• In-person meetings or events should only be held in facilities that meet the COVID-19 capacity limits. 

• Meetings of less than 25 should be held remotely or through a web-based platform. If held in person, COVID-19 facility capacity limits must be followed.

• Dining will remain open with restrictions based on local health department guidelines currently in place. Restrictions will be communicated to the campus community once confirmed by the Marion County Health Department.
• Cleaning supplies will continue to be available. Should cleaning supplies need to be replenished, please contact the Physical Plant at 304-367-4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• Plexiglas barriers and other COVID safety items will remain in place. Should you need additional COVID safety items, please contact Physical Plant at 304-367- 4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• For assistance with COVID IT-related items, please contact Tech Commons at help@fairmontstate.edu or 304-367-4131.
• Requests for additional COVID signage should be sent to University Relations and Marketing at urm@fairmontstate.edu.

Academics:

• In-Person Instruction Attendance Policy:
  • Students, please note all faculty attendance policies are still in effect during the spring semester. To best protect our Falcon Family the University has continued the hybrid course delivery method, allowing students who are ill or are placed in quarantine to attend classes synchronously.  If you are feeling ill, please use the illness reporting form to alert the University’s COVID-19 Task Force.  The Task Force will determine the best course of action for you and notify you and your professors if you should attend class synchronously to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses on campus. If you have not made arrangements to attend classes synchronously with the University’s COVID-19 Task Force, you will be held accountable to the attendance policies of your professors. Once you have been released to return to class by a healthcare professional or a campus COVID liaison, you are expected to follow the specific attendance policies in effect for your classes, (for most classes this means in-person attendance).
• All individuals are expected to wear masks indoors unless otherwise exempted through the ADA process or while working in an office alone, with the door closed, or in their residence hall room with their assigned roommate.
• Seating charts for assigned seating and recorded attendance is required for each meeting of face-to-face, on-campus classes.
• Seating charts may be requested for contact tracing, if the need should arise the faculty member will be notified.
• Attendance records should be maintained for each class meeting, whether or not attendance figures into course grading.
• Classroom attendance policies apply for all forms of class content delivery.
• Students are expected to follow the attendance policy of the course unless they have an approved exception from the COVID Liaison or an approved accommodation through the Office of Accessibility.
• Faculty may choose to reduce classroom density up to 50% of room configuration or enrollment.
• All classes will be delivered face-to-face, synchronously broadcast and recorded.
• Faculty should hold office hours and advising sessions remotely and limit time on campus.
• Cleaning supplies will continue to be available. Should cleaning need replenished, please contact the Physical Plant at 304-367-4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• Plexi-glass barriers and other COVID safety items will remain in place. Should you need additional COVID safety items, please contact Physical Plant at 304- 367-4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• For assistance with COVID IT related items, please contact Tech Commons at help@fairmontstate.edu or 304-367-4131.
• Requests for additional COVID signage should be sent to University Relations and Marketing at urm@fairmontstate.edu.

Athletics:

• Fairmont State University will follow all Mountain East Conference guidelines. 

Communications:

• University COVID-19 protocol is based, in part, on the daily county map color. However, as other factors impact the level of protocol (Standard or Advanced), the current on-campus protocol will be observed until notification of a change is sent via campus communication.
• When a change in the county map color also results in a change in the COVID-19 Campus Safety Protocol, the following will occur:
  • Text alert sent to anyone enrolled in the campus Emergency Alert System (To enroll go to my.fairmontstate.edu and click on “Emergency Notification”)
  • E-mail sent to all students and employees
  • Website banner will be updated
  • Social Media post will be made.

Masks:

• Masks required by all individuals on campus, even if vaccinated, including outdoor areas and events unless otherwise exempted through the ADA process or while working in an office alone, with the door closed, or in their residence hall room with their assigned roommate.

Quarantine:

Based on new guidance from the CDC and the West Virginia DHHR, Fairmont State has updated its Isolation (for those who test positive) and Quarantine (for those who had contact with COVID) guidelines. Please see the below chart for the current guidelines.

*Recommendations base on guideance from the WV DHHR and the CDC.

Recruitment and Recruiting Events:

• Reduction of Visitors On Campus:
  • No more than twenty-five total individuals per recruitment event or campus tour group; effort should be made to reduce instances where events or campus tour groups overlap in any particular location.
• Procedure
  • Visits can be scheduled on-line and are available Monday through Friday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.
  • At the time of scheduling, the student shall acknowledge COVID restrictions, and agrees to abide by visitation policy and COVID protocols. Following submission of acknowledgment, student will receive a confirmation e-mail with the date, time, and tentative schedule for their visit.
  • An admissions counselor will contact the student/groups, in advance of the visit, to review the COVID protocols, and confirm their planned itinerary (tour, admissions counselor appt., faculty visit etc.).
  • Upon confirmation of visit, student will be sent a visitor parking pass mailer with their schedule and arrival instructions.
  • All campus tour participants shall park at Turley. Upon arrival, student will call the recruitment office; a staff member and tour guide will greet them outside.
  • The COVID screening questionnaire and temperature check will be obtained for each participant.
  • The tour will conclude by meeting with an admissions counselor; provided that meetings should not occur in personal offices or other similar space. Use of conference rooms or large spaces is encouraged to allow for social distancing and limit the number of people in a single office or space.
• Restrictions
  • Visitors will only be shown the inside of the Falcon Center or other public meeting areas, academic areas/buildings and residence halls as noted below.
  • Residence hall room tours will have no more than six (6) people, and no more than 2 people will be permitted in a residence hall room at any one time.
  • Tours and visitor meetings will not include offices or other confined spaces.
  • Masks must be worn at all times

Residence Halls:

• Masks required by all individuals on campus, even if vaccinated, including outdoor areas and events unless otherwise exempted through the ADA process, while working in an office alone, with the door closed, or in their residence hall room with their assigned roommate.
• In-person meetings (of less than 25) may choose to reduce density up to 50% of room configuration, or hold meetings remotely or through a web-based platform.
• Gatherings of 25 or more are prohibited.
• Common areas (including community kitchens) should not exceed more than 50% of room configuration.
• Dining will remain open with restrictions based on local health department guidelines currently in place. Restrictions will be communicated to the campus community once confirmed by the Marion County Health Department.
• Visitors will only be permitted between residents who live in the same dorm. Outside visitors (whether student or community member) is prohibited.

Student Life and Student Organizations:

• Masks required by all individuals on campus, even if vaccinated, including outdoor areas and events unless otherwise exempted through the ADA process or while working in an office alone, with the door closed, or in their residence hall room with their assigned roommate.
• In-person meetings (of less than 25) may choose to reduce density up to 50% of room configuration, or hold meetings remotely or through a web-based platform.
• Gatherings of 25 or more are prohibited.
• Events of 25 or more may be de-densified, postponed or canceled. Event organizers will be contacted only if a change in the event is required.

Testing Based on Contract Tracing:

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Marion County Health Department have provided guidance relative to contact tracing scenarios and testing guidelines resulting from those scenarios. This includes when to mandate COVID-19 testing for classes in which students are positive or symptomatic. Fairmont State will follow the recommendations of these agencies and work within the guidelines they have provided. As of Friday, August 27, 2021, Fairmont State, in coordination with the Marion County Health Department, began required campus testing as-needed based on current guidelines.

Those individuals required to be tested will be contacted individually. If you should receive any questions regarding testing events please refer those questions to covidstudenthealth@fairmontstate.edu.

Travel:

Per directive from the Governor of the State of West Virginia, dated May 4, 2021, all non-essential, state business travel for state employees, outside the state of West Virginia including international travel, is and remains suspended.  The institution has defined “essential travel,” which is permitted if conducted per state travel guidelines, as out of state travel associated with recruitment (including athletic recruiting), athletic team travel, and grant funded travel.   At this time, international travel is considered nonessential and is suspended for all purposes.

Vaccine Information:

• On-Campus Vaccine Clinics: The University strongly recommends all students and employees be vaccinated for COVID-19. On-campus vaccination clinics will be held weekly throughout the fall semester as vaccines are available. Information about walk-in vaccine clinics will be published in the Falcon Flyer and on the Fairmont State University website. Currently, free walk-in clinics are planned every Thursday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Student Health Services. Please direct questions regarding vaccine clinics to studenthealth@fairmontstate.edu or 304-367-4155.
• Off-Campus Vaccine Options: You can also obtain a vaccination at off-campus locations. Vaccine availability can be found at vaccines.gov.

Visitors:

• Campus visitors must wear a mask at all times including visitors (and participants) of the recreational areas and while visiting the Falcon Center Main Street.

STANDARD COVID PROTOCOLS

For Use When County Map Lists Marion County in GREEN, YELLOW, or GOLD

Campus-Wide Information:

• Masking is optional in classrooms and laboratory spaces. All classes held at full capacity.
• All classes face-to-face, synchronously broadcast and recorded.
• In-person meetings, activities and events may be held under normal operations.
• Shared spaces are open under normal operations.
• Maximum gathering numbers determined by space configuration, federal, state, and local guidelines.
• Dining will remain open under normal operations.
• Cleaning supplies will continue to be available. Should cleaning supplies need to be replenished, please contact the Physical Plant at 304-367-4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• Plexiglas barriers and other COVID safety items will remain in place. Should you need additional COVID safety items, please contact Physical Plant at 304- 367-4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• For assistance with COVID IT related items, please contact Tech Commons at help@fairmontstate.edu or 304-367-4131.
• Requests for additional COVID signage should be sent to University Relations and Marketing at urm@fairmontstate.edu.

Academics:

• In-Person Instruction Attendance Policy:

  • Students, please note all faculty attendance policies are still in effect during the spring semester. To best protect our Falcon Family the University has continued the hybrid course delivery method, allowing students who are ill or are placed in quarantine to attend classes synchronously.  If you are feeling ill, please use the illness reporting form to alert the University’s COVID-19 Task Force.  The Task Force will determine the best course of action for you and notify you and your professors if you should attend class synchronously to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses on campus. If you have not made arrangements to attend classes synchronously with the University’s COVID-19 Task Force, you will be held accountable to the attendance policies of your professors. Once you have been released to return to class by a healthcare professional or a campus COVID liaison, you are expected to follow the specific attendance policies in effect for your classes, (for most classes this means in-person attendance). 

• Students involved in off-campus learning experiences, including those in school and healthcare settings, are required to follow the policies in place at that location. This includes policies related to COVID-19, such as masks, PPE and vaccinations.

• Masking is optional in classrooms and laboratory spaces. 

• All classes held at full capacity.
• All classes will be delivered face-to-face, synchronously broadcast and recorded.
• Seating charts for assigned seating and recorded attendance is required for each meeting of face-to-face, on campus classes.
• Seating charts may be requested for contact tracing, if the need should arise the faculty member will be notified.
• Attendance records should be maintained for each class meeting, whether or not attendance figures into course grading.
• Classroom attendance policies apply for all forms of class content delivery.
• Students are expected to follow the attendance policy of the course unless they have an approved exception from the COVID Liaison or an approved accommodation through the Office of Accessibility.
• Cleaning supplies will continue to be available. Should cleaning need replenished, please contact the Physical Plant at 304-367-4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• Plexi-glass barriers and other COVID safety items will remain in place. Should you need additional COVID safety items, please contact Physical Plant at 304- 367-4110 or facilities@fairmontstate.edu.
• For assistance with COVID IT related items, please contact Tech Commons at help@fairmontstate.edu or 304-367-4131.
• Requests for additional COVID signage should be sent to University Relations and Marketing at urm@fairmontstate.edu.

Athletics:

• Fairmont State University will follow all Mountain East Conference guidelines. 

Communications:

• University COVID-19 protocol is based, in part, on the daily county map color. However, as other factors impact the level of protocol (Standard or Advanced), the current on-campus protocol will be observed until notification of a change is sent via campus communication.
• When a change in the county map color also results in a change in the COVID-19 Campus Safety Protocol, the following will occur:
  • Text alert sent to anyone enrolled in the campus Emergency Alert System (To enroll go to my.fairmontstate.edu and click on “Emergency Notification”)
  • E-mail sent to all students and employees
  • Website banner will be updated
  • Social Media post will be made.

Masks:

• Masking is optional in classrooms and laboratory spaces.
• In person meetings, activities and events may be held under normal operations. 
• Students involved in off-campus learning experiences, including those in school and healthcare settings, are required to follow the policies in place at that location. This includes policies related to COVID-19, such as masks, PPE and vaccinations.
• Fairmont State athletics will continue to follow all protocols set forth in the Mountain East Conference guidelines. 
• Masks will not be required in outdoor areas, inside residence halls or in campus offices. Any individual may continue to wear a mask as they feel comfortable.  

Quarantine:

Based on new guidance from the CDC and the West Virginia DHHR, Fairmont State has updated its Isolation (for those who test positive) and Quarantine (for those who had contact with COVID) guidelines. Please see the below chart for the current guidelines.

*Recommendations base on guideance from the WV DHHR and the CDC.

Recruitment and Recruiting Events:

• Recruitment and Recruiting Events will operate under normal conditions.

Residence Halls:

• Residence Halls will operate under normal conditions.

Student Life and Student Organizations:

• Student Events will operate under normal conditions.

Testing Based on Contract Tracing:

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Marion County Health Department have provided guidance relative to contact tracing scenarios and testing guidelines resulting from those scenarios. This includes when to mandate COVID-19 testing for classes in which students are positive or symptomatic. Fairmont State will follow the recommendations of these agencies and work within the guidelines they have provided. As of Friday, August 27, 2021, Fairmont State, in coordination with the Marion County Health Department, began required campus testing as-needed based on current guidelines.

Those individuals required to be tested will be contacted individually. If you should receive any questions regarding testing events please refer those questions to covidstudenthealth@fairmontstate.edu.

Travel:

Per directive from the Governor of the State of West Virginia, dated May 4, 2021, all non-essential, state business travel for state employees, outside the state of West Virginia including international travel, is and remains suspended.  The institution has defined “essential travel,” which is permitted if conducted per state travel guidelines, as out of state travel associated with recruitment (including athletic recruiting), athletic team travel, and grant funded travel.   At this time, international travel is considered nonessential and is suspended for all purposes.

Vaccine Information:

• The University strongly recommends all students and employees be vaccinated for COVID-19.
• Off-Campus Vaccine Options: You can also obtain a vaccination at off-campus locations. Vaccine availability can be found at vaccines.gov.

Visitors:

• Campus will be open to visitors under normal operations.

What to Do If You Are Sick - Illness Reporting Form

***Please note, regardless of your vaccination status, you must complete the Illness Reporting Form if any of the following applies to you:

• You are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19
• You are unvaccinated and have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual
• You test positive for COVID-19

Once you have completed this form, the COVID-19 Liaison, or another representative from Student Health, will email you with further direction. DO NOT RETURN TO CAMPUS UNTIL YOU HAVE FULFILLED YOUR QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN YOUR EMAIL COMMUNICATION FROM THE COVID-19 LIAISON. 

Who to Contact:

• If you are experiencing Mild Symptoms associated with COVID:
  • Students: Call Fairmont State Student Health at 304-367-4155.
  • Employees: Contact your physician or contact student health. COVID-19 rapid tests are available for employees for 10 dollars
• If you are experiencing Severe Symptoms:

  • Anyone experiencing severe symptoms, such as breathing problems, extremely high body temperature or other acute symptoms, should call 911.

    To notify Fairmont State that you are symptomatic, quarantining or that you have tested positive for COVID-19:

    Please complete the Illness and Quarantine Reporting Form.

    If you wish to be tested on campus please contact Student Health (Students):

  • Phone: 304-367-4155.

  • Email: studenthealth@fairmontstate.edu

  • Website