Lewis & Clark holds as paramount the health, safety, and well-being of every member of our community. This pledge articulates expectations related to COVID-19 for all LC community members for the 2022–23 academic year.
The institution’s vaccination policy ensures that a very high percentage of students will be vaccinated against COVID. Per the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines help protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. COVID-19 vaccines also help protect against infection. Although people who are vaccinated can still get COVID-19, they are much less likely to experience severe symptoms than people who are unvaccinated.
While most often COVID-19 has mild or no symptoms, the disease can be debilitating or even life-threatening for some individuals. The fact that the disease so often has mild or no symptoms makes it hard to identify those who are infected. In fact, it is not possible for an individual to reliably distinguish between COVID, a cold, and seasonal allergies.
We, therefore, need community members to take steps to reduce the transmission of the virus on campus. We are an inclusive and diverse community. Remember that some of our community members are not able, for medical or religious reasons, to be vaccinated. Every member of our community – including you – must do their part to protect everyone else. This means adhering to national, state, and local health guidelines and requirements, and adhering to those measures LC deems safe and appropriate for our campus.
I pledge that I will:
- Stay aware of campus and community disease transmission levels, so that I can make informed decisions about the exposure risks I take.
- Keep a supply of masks on hand, and wear a mask or other face covering when required by LC and by state and local officials, both on and off campus.
- Practice hand hygiene: wash my hands frequently and use hand sanitizer.
- Maintain the cleanliness of common areas.
- Remember the most common symptoms of COVID.
- At the first sign of any COVID symptoms, I commit to self-isolating in my room/residence. This means keeping a thermometer on hand and monitoring myself for COVID symptoms on a daily basis. I also commit to keeping on hand a supply of facial tissues, hand sanitizer, wipes, and fever-reducing medication.
- Keep at least two COVID antigen tests on hand at all times. (Please be aware that while positive results on antigen tests are rarely inaccurate, false negatives do occur. So if you ever become symptomatic, do not rely on a single negative antigen test to rule out COVID. Instead, you should start by isolating for 24 hours; taking your first test; if it’s negative, then re-test 48 hours later, all while you remain in isolation.)
- Not attend class/on-campus work if I am sick. I will email my faculty/supervisor about my absence.
- If I 1) experience severe COVID symptoms; 2) have mild COVID symptoms and am at higher-risk for severe disease from COVID; 3) have COVID symptoms and need access to on-campus testing:
- If it’s between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, I will contact the Health Service (503-768-7165) to schedule an appointment for consultation.
- If my symptoms develop at night or on a weekend (when the Health Service is closed), I will call a healthcare provider (such as the free nurse consultation line 1-877-617-9531) for guidance or schedule an appointment with Health Service staff the following business day. If any provider advises me to continue isolation, I will do so.
- If I am ever diagnosed with COVID by a provider on or off campus, I will review and complete all steps listed on the I’m a student who tested positive LC webpage.
- Comply with any college requirement for COVID testing.
- Monitor my LClark email address for COVID updates, important information, and instructions.
I additionally attest that:
- Working together in the context of the above expectations will help make campus safer for everyone.
I acknowledge understanding the information above, and I pledge to uphold the above expectations to help protect myself, my fellow students, and my college faculty and staff. I understand that should I fail to abide by the above expectations, I may be subject to disciplinary action through the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which may include removal from college housing or the inability to attend classes.
