After transferring to online learning in March in an effort to protect students, faculty, and staff against COVID-19, Piedmont College will reopen campus for in-person undergraduate classes alongside new guidelines to maintain safety on campus.
Classes will resume Aug. 10, and the academic calendar will remain unchanged with the exception of fall break, the last week of classes and final exams. The college’s fall break, which is scheduled for Oct. 12-13, has been canceled. In-person instruction will end Nov. 25, following Thanksgiving break, and the last days of classes and final exams will take place online.
The campus will continue to follow social distancing guidelines, including changes to classrooms and laboratories, common spaces, and the Chartwells cafeteria. Large classes may move to online hybrid classes, meaning some meetings will be online rather than in-person to maintain social distancing standards. The cafeteria will no longer offer self-serve or buffet style stations. The college “has implemented enhanced disinfecting practices,” which will remain in place until further notice.
Piedmont continues to encourage face coverings on campus. Coverings should be worn by all persons on campus, with the exceptions of those with “clear and compelling reasons.” The college urges members of the community to exercise “social responsibility and kindness,” in regards to face covering.
Masks will be provided by the college, and are not required to be worn in single-person offices, residential rooms, or in “spacious” common spaces in which social distancing can be achieved.
Large-scale COVID-19 testing will be available to students on campus; these testing opportunities will be communicated to students via email and student life. Students living on campus will be required to answer a COVID-19 pre-screening survey before moving in. Any students who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine in their residence hall or home. Roommates of any student who tests positive will be required to test for COVID-19 and may be required to quarantine as well.
As the college puts new guidelines in place, as well as answers frequently asked questions, they will update their COVID-19 webpage.
