Dear students,
I am writing with information about your return to campus and the University’s plans for COVID-19 testing.
Students, faculty, and staff will schedule their tests for COVID-19 at covidtesting.wesleyan.edu or within their WesPortal in the COVID-19 Resources bucket. Users can select a preferred date and time for testing and once a test has been booked, the user will receive an email confirming the upcoming appointment.
Wesleyan, along with more than 50 other colleges and universities, had planned to use software developed by CoVerified to assist with scheduling tests, delivering results, and more. This software is not yet ready to be used. Wesleyan will deploy CoVerified if and when we are confident that it will meet the expectations of our students, faculty, and staff.
The Testing Process
All of the testing will take place under a large tent on Andrus Field, with six-foot distancing enforced. We will have medical staff on site to assist with the testing process. The testing process involves a self-administered nasal swab that should take three to five minutes to complete. Please be patient as we expect there may be some delays in getting everyone accustomed to the process. Learn more about our testing partner, the Broad Institute.
Here are the next steps for you:
- Read and consent to participate in COVID-19 testing on campus via your WesPortal as a condition of returning to campus for the fall semester. You will receive email confirmation after you submit your consent form. Please be prepared to show testing staff an electronic or a paper copy of this confirmation the first time you come to the testing tent.
- Where possible, complete a COVID-19 test at home within 72 hours of returning to campus. Email a copy of your result (a photo is fine) to healthforms@wesleyan.edu. If your test comes back positive, you have symptoms, or you have a known COVID-19 exposure, please stay home. Contact your primary care physician, and inform Wesleyan’s Health Services medical staff. You will not be permitted to come to campus until you have been medically cleared.
- Update your personal contact information and emergency contact information in WesPortal. We need to be sure that the mobile number we have on file is correct.
- Schedule an appointment for your first test upon your arrival to campus. To do this, please visit covidtesting.wesleyan.edu. You will be prompted to log in to your WesPortal. (If you are already logged in to your WesPortal, you can get to the site by clicking “Schedule COVID-19 Test” in the COVID-19 Resources bucket.) You can select a preferred date (it should be the day you arrive on campus) and time for testing. Once a test has been booked, you will receive an email confirmation of the upcoming appointment.
- Please remember that while we have staggered the arrival of students over the week of the August 24 to reduce congestion on campus, there are a limited number of testing slots each hour, so please be patient if you aren’t able to schedule an appointment at your preferred time. You will need to complete the test prior to going to your residence hall to pick up your key. (If you arrive after the testing site closes for the day, you will be directed to Public Safety to pick up your key and you will be required to get your first test when the testing center opens the following morning.)
- Students will be tested twice per week. Tests should be scheduled at least three days apart, and individuals are encouraged to adhere to a regular testing cadence (e.g., Monday/Thursday, Tuesday/Friday). Appointments are scheduled for 15 minutes.
- The expected turnaround time of test results is 24 to 36 hours. You will be able to access your test results through a portal on the Broad Institute’s website. When your results are ready, you will receive an email containing a link to click, which will take you to a login on the Broad Institute’s website. The first time you log in, you will need to verify your local address and phone number (mobile number, if you have one). Once you complete authentication, you will set up a password and be able to access your test results.
- Any student who receives a positive test result will be contacted by a member of Health Services to inform them of the result, assess how they are feeling, and guide them through the next steps. In the rare instance that the student is having worrisome symptoms, they will be transported to Middlesex Hospital for further care. Otherwise, they will be asked to stay in place until arrangements for isolation can be made. The student will be isolated for at least 10 days from the time that the test was conducted and/or the onset of symptoms. Food will be delivered twice daily, and Health Services staff will conduct daily wellness checks.
We know you may have additional questions about testing. Dr. McLarney and I are hosting a Testing webinar for students today at 1 p.m. to answer your questions. Learn more about our plans for testing, and see a checklist of everything you should do before arriving on campus.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Dean Rick Culliton
Dean of Students
Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee
Wesleyan University