Fall 2021 FAQs

Fall 2021 classes are scheduled to begin  on Monday, Aug. 23, and end on Friday, Dec. 3. Final exams will be held Monday, Dec. 6, through Friday, Friday, Dec. 10. View the detailed academic calendar for more information. 

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Contact Student Health Services at 814-732-2743 to let them know you are feeling unwell or that you have been asked to quarantine. Then contact your professor(s) to let them know you won't be in class. Ask for instructions about how to keep up or catch up on any missed material or assignments.Back to top

Frequently asked questions regarding the State System's Western Integration are available here.Back to top

No. Eating and drinking is not permitted in class at this time.Back to top

Academic Success Coordinators are available in the Academic Success Center to assist you. To schedule an appointment with your ASC, click on the Starfish icon in my.Edinboro, call 814-732-2218 or email success@pennwest.edu.

Tutoring is also available 24/7 through SMARTHINKING.

SMARTHINKING provides web-based tutoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can access live tutorials in writing, math, business, IT and sciences, as well as a full range of study resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, research tools and study skills manuals.

How to access SMARTHINKING:

1. Log in to the Edinboro Portal
2. Click on the "Tutoring" icon
3. Click on the SMARTHINKING Online Tutoring graphic.

Whether it's a simple question about accessing library resources/services or helping you with your research paper, librarians are available to assist you with you with every stage of your research and assignment needs.

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Yes. Parking permits will be required.

The campus community will receive information at a later time about obtaining parking permits for the fall 2021 semester.

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Yes. Students can use their student ID to ride EMTA buses to Walmart or anywhere in Erie county.Back to top

Yes. In-person events, activities, club sports and recreational sports will resume normal operation and capacities.

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Everyone regardless of vaccination status is required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth when they are indoors on campus.

Attendance tracking and physical distancing are also encouraged.

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Yes. Parking permits will be required during the fall semester.

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Edinboro University is partnering with Aramark Food Service to introduce some exciting culinary options for the fall semester. 

In the Celtic Court, located right inside the Scotland Road entrance of the Pogue Student Center, we will continue to offer a traditional home style diner experience through the renovated MacCato’s Counter dining experience. You can also select traditional sandwiches and chicken tenders from Tenders Love and Chicken or opt for the international flavors of Bento Sushi cuisine.

In Van Houten Marketplace, not only can students and employees enjoy new dining experiences from a wide array of stations, but we can also enjoy new experiences such as dining theme nights, chef tables and culinary classes. Food trucks and guests restaurants will also transport you from college dining to a metropolitan culinary experience.

Hungry guests can choose from the Greens & Grains salad and grain bar, Under the Hood grille, Nonna’s Kitchen for pizza and pasta, Simmer & Thyme soup bar, True Balance – dedicated to those with food allergies, Local Harvest for fresh and local offerings, an ever-changing menu at Restaurant Rotation, Jumping Greens for vegan and vegetarian options and Keystone Bakery, Co. for your fresh-baked delights.

In the Cyber Café – just behind the Scot Cinema movie theater – students can grab that quick cup of coffee or a baked good from Crafted by Commonplace Coffee. For lunch, guests can swing by Butter and Honey for soups and sandwiches.

Plans are in the works for a specialty Edinboro University coffee blend through Crafted by Commonplace.

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Yes. Food service will be authorized at events. There is no evidence that COVID-19 is spread through food, but sharing utensils and congregating around food-service areas may present risks. If food is offered at an event, individual meals should be served or dispensed via pre-packaged boxes or bags rather than a potluck, buffet or family-style meal.

Eating and drinking are not permitted during class.

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The CDC recommends taking basic precautionary steps to prevent the spread of germs and respiratory viruses.

• Get vaccinated.
• Follow CDC and University mask guidelines.
• Stay 6 feet away from others.
• Avoid crowds.
• Avoid poorly ventilated spaces.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or more, especially after using the restroom, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• Use an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Always cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and discard used tissues immediately.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in your home.
• Don’t share food or drink.
• Monitor your health daily, and stay home when you are sick.

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Everyone regardless of vaccination status is required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth when they are indoors on campus. You must wear your mask in all classrooms and academic buildings, office buildings, performance spaces and common areas inside residence halls. Masks will not be required in most outdoor settings.

You may remove your mask when you are inside your own residence hall room, actively eating or drinking in Van Houten Dining Hall or other dining area, or alone in a private office.

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No. Daily health screenings are no longer required, but members of the campus community are encouraged to monitor their health each day. 

If you are sick, notify your supervisor or faculty members and stay home.

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If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19:

• Stay home and isolate in your room. Do not attend in-person classes, and stay away from people you live with. 
• Contact Student Health Services at 814-732-2743 and get tested.
• Monitor your symptoms closely. If you are experiencing emergency warning signs such as trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face, seek emergency medical care immediately. Call 911 or call ahead to you local emergency facility.

If you test positive, you can be around others after you've met the following criteria:

• It's been at least 10 days since your symptoms first appeared and
• You have not had a fever in at least 24 hours  without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• All of your other symptoms are improving

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There are a couple of things that you can do to keep your glasses from fogging while wearing a mask.

• Make sure that your mask fits securely over your nose. A mask with a nose bridge will keep warm air from exiting up to your glasses. You can buy masks with a nose bridge or masks that can be shaped to fit the face.
• Simply wash your lenses with soapy water and shake off the excess liquid. You can allow your lenses to air dry or gently wipe them off with a soft cloth before wearing your glasses again. If you have a special coating on your lenses, check with your optician before washing them with soap and water.
• Use your glasses to seal the top of your mask and shape it to your face.

Learn more about keeping your glasses from fogging up while wearing a mask on the Cleveland Clinic website.

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Yes.Back to top

Wi-Fi is available in the Frank G. Pogue Student Center, near the Boro Pit and in the parking lot next to Mallory Lake. You can log in using your Edinboro username and password.

If visiting campus is not possible or practical, check in with your local internet provider. Some companies are providing internet access free or at a reduced rate for students during the pandemic.

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Information Technology Services (ITS) maintains an extensive list of self-help solutions and technology guides.

The ITS Zoom Guide contains information about setting up your Edinboro Zoom account as well as links to live training webinars. You can also access Brightspace by D2L & Bongo Tutorials and Solutions or contact the Technology Help Center for more information.

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If you have questions about quarantine and isolation, view the University's decision trees.

• Employee Decision Tree
• Student Decision Tree

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In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: 

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. 

Please note, if you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Please reach out to your healthcare provider to discuss. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions.

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While students and employees will not be required to have received a COVID-19 vaccine to be on campus, all individuals eligible to receive the vaccine are encouraged to do so to assist in protecting our community.Back to top

According to the CDC, the following people should get tested for COVID-19:

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People who have had a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
  • People who are fully vaccinated should get tested 3-5 days after exposure, and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
  • People who are not fully vaccinated should quarantine and be tested immediately after being identified, and, if negative, tested again in 5–7 days after last exposure or immediately if symptoms develop during quarantine.
• People not fully vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine who are prioritized for expanded community screening for COVID-19.
• People not fully vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine who have been asked or referred to get testing by their school, workplace, healthcare provider, state, tribal, localexternal icon or territorial health department.

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Yes. Diagnostic and surveillance testing is available to students at no cost, regardless of whether you live on or off campus.

Contact Student Health Services at 814-732-2743 to schedule a test. 

Employees should obtain their own tests utilizing off-campus testing services.

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The University will conduct COVID-19 entry and surveillance testing for all students living in on-campus housing, ROTC cadets and University athletes.

Note:  Students that have been fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status will not be required to participate in entry or surveillance testing.

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You quarantine when you might have been exposed to the virus.

You isolate when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.

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According to the CDC website, when you can be around others (end home quarantine/isolation) depends on different factors.

The most protective recommended quarantine period remains at 14 days after the date of last exposure (Day 0) to a person who is infectious with COVID-19. CDC has provided options for reduced quarantine which balances the reduced burden to the individual under quarantine against a small possibility of increasing the spread of the virus. These options are provided below based on the requirements established by the Department of Health.

Students who are not fully vaccinated 

Individuals that have not been fully vaccinated and have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19, have the following options to reduce their 14-day quarantine:

• Quarantine can end on day 11 if you remain symptom-free and receive a negative test collected on or after day 7.
• Wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet from others through day 14. Do not return to in-person classes or resume close-contact activities until day 15.
• If you do not get tested, you must remain in quarantine through day 14.

Students that have been fully vaccinated (on or off campus) and do not have symptoms

Fully vaccinated individuals that do not have symptoms living on or off-campus do not

need to quarantine after exposure to a person with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, provided they meet the following criteria:

• They are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine);
• They have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure; AND
• They continue to monitor their daily health and get tested if symptoms develop.

Note: Fully vaccinated individuals living in on-campus housing should be tested but are NOT required to quarantine after an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Individuals that do not meet both above criteria should continue to follow guidance for individuals who are not vaccinated after exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Isolation

Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (with or without symptoms) from people who are not infected.

Residential students will isolate in their residence hall room and will be monitored. The University offers concierge services for those individuals that are in quarantine or isolation. These services include meal delivery, laundry services (if needed), and mail collection. To request these services please contact Student Health Services.

Non-residential students should isolate themselves in their current housing location, separate themselves from others, monitor their symptoms and follow directions from the Department of Health.

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COVID-19 travel-related restrictions have ended, but all requests for University-related travel will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis.

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If you have been fully vaccinated and you have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to quarantine if you remain asymptomatic. You should, however, monitor your daily health and get tested if you develop symptoms.

If you have not been fully vaccinated and you have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you are to quarantine in accordance with the CDC and PA Department of Health requirements.

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We have created a COVID-19 Tracker webpage to keep you informed of the number of confirmed positive cases involving a student or employee who has been living, working or taking an in-person class on campus or who may have presented an exposure risk to other members of the University community.

You are encouraged to visit the web page and review its content so that you are aware of the communications protocols and other procedures that have been put in place to address confirmed positive COVID cases.

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No. But masking is required in all campus buildings unless you are inside your own residence hall room, actively eating or drinking in Van Houten Dining Hall or other dining area, or alone in a private study room or office. 

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The CDC does not recommend the use of face shields due to the fact that particles can still escape under and around the shield. The University is not authorizing face shields as an approved substitute unless needed as part of a medical accommodation. Please refer to the CDC’s information on face coverings and the University’s fall plan for additional face masking information.

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If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19:

• Contact your healthcare provider and notify your supervisor. Get tested.
• Stay home and isolate in your room. Do not go to work, and stay away from people you live with. If you cannot work from home, the following leave options are available: Annual, personal, sick ,compensatory or request leave without pay.
• Monitor your symptoms closely. If you are experiencing emergency warning signs such as trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face, seek emergency medical care immediately. Call 911 or call ahead to you local emergency facility.

If you test positive, you can be around others after you've met the following criteria:

• It's been at least 10 days since your symptoms first appeared and
• You have not had a fever in at least 24 hours  without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• All of your other symptoms are improving

If you test negative, you should continue to avoid others until your symptoms improve to prevent the spread of your illness.

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Yes. The University has partnered with the PA Department of Health to offer free COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic employees and students. Testing is available in Dearborn Hall lobby on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please use the Darrow Road entrance. 

Employees who are experiencing symtpoms should contact their healthcare provider to arrange a test.

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