COVID Testing and Arrival – Graduate and Professional Students
The following was sent to graduate and professional students on August 13, 2020. Please note the content on these pages and files is no longer being updated and may be out of date.
Welcome to campus!
We know there is much information about what steps you need to take to be following the guidelines established by the CDC, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Boston University. In order for you to engage in our campus community, we need your help. All students returning to campus will be required, through a digital agreement, to agree to a set of health commitments and expectations including routine and frequent testing, and, if necessary, contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation. To read more about the steps that BU is taking, and about the new healthcare organization created to support our campus during this time, please visit the new Back2BU site. In addition, please continue to read and adhere to communications from this office – a message will be forthcoming about enforcement and compliance related to attestation and testing.
Please read the following carefully and most importantly, make sure you sign up for testing.
Scheduling your first test: If you live off-campus, we encourage you to schedule testing on or after August 18, so that you can satisfy your testing requirements for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and be able to attend in person classes or campus meetings, events, and gatherings. If you are living in an on-campus student residence through BU Real Estate, you must schedule your testing for the day you are moving in to your assigned room, suite or apartment. You can access Patient Connect to schedule your test via the Healthway website. As a graduate or professional student engaged in weekly campus learning and activities, you will be required to get tested one time per week.
As part of scheduling, you will be required to:
- review and agree to a set of Health Commitments and Expectations
- review a Consent to Testing and electronically give your consent
- update your contact information
- schedule your appointment
Living off-campus: If you are living off campus, and coming from a higher risk state, you will complete your MA travel quarantine and recommended stay-in-place in your off-campus apartment or home, which means you should limit your movement to your residence for the duration of your two tests. You should only leave your apartment or home to pick up food or for medical or testing appointments.
Living in on-campus student residences: As part of the process for moving into University on-campus student residences, students will report for testing on their move-in day and will not be able to complete move-in without testing.
If applicable, you will complete your MA travel quarantine and your stay-in-place in your assigned room with other members of your household, where you may only leave your room to pick up food (take-out only and return to your room), for medical appointments, and for your COVID-19 testing; and, during your stay-in-place period, you must use your assigned restroom – you may share living space and a bathroom with your household members.
Many of you have asked question about the MA quarantine requirements, what the expectations are for living and learning on campus or what happens if you get sick. Our Back2BU site has all the information needed, as well as links to other valuable resources. If you have further questions please reach out to healthwayhelp@bu.edu
Following through with these expectations will be a condition of being a member of our in-person, campus community—going to classes; studying; utilizing campus dining, recreation, and library facilities; working; and participating in activities. We wish you the best this semester and hope you do your part to keep our campus healthy and safe,
Kenneth Elmore
Associate Provost and Dean of Students
Judy Platt, MD
Director, Student Health Services