College of Charleston Launches New COVID-19 Safety App

The College of Charleston has a new tool in the fight to help students, faculty and staff stay healthy and informed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Everbridge app, developed by Everbridge Inc., will allow members of the College of Charleston campus community to conduct COVID-19 daily wellness checks, analyze their symptoms if they suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and submit a self-report notification to the College if they test positive for COVID-19.

The Everbridge app is another way of providing information to benefit the overall health of our community.

Download the Everbridge App

Students, faculty and staff can download the free mobile app on their iPhone or Android by searching for the Everbridge app through the App Store or Google Play.

There are a couple of Everbridge apps. Please make sure that you download the app with the orange Everbridge logo shown below.

Open the app after it is downloaded to your phone.
You will be asked if you would like Everbridge to send you notifications. Select your option.
Click on the button to find your organization. Type “College of Charleston” into the search box and select it when it appears in the search box.
You will then be asked to sign in to Microsoft 365 using your College of Charleston username and password.
Once you have input your username and password, you will receive a verification code via text or through the Authenticator app.
Enter the verification code and click verify.
The Everbridge app will open and display your profile settings. Click done. (You can customize your profile settings later using the steps below after the setup process is complete).
A safety notification will appear. Click OK to configure your account.
Click OK on the next notification to confirm your location.
Enter your mobile phone number and verify your country. Press done.
The app is now ready to use. All notifications and incidents will appear in the “feed” portion of the Everbridge app. Your feed may be empty until a notification or incident is activated.

Prioritizing How You Will Receive Your Everbridge Emergency Notifications

Click on the three lines on the top left of your Everbridge feed page.
Click the “Profile” button.
Click on your name in the box.
Click on “Manage My Profile.”
Under the “My Profile” heading, you will see your contact information. To make changes, click the edit button on the right.
Near the bottom of the page is a section called “Here’s how to contact me.”
Use the red arrows to move your preferred mode of contact up or down on the priority list.
Select “Save” at the bottom to complete your changes.

COVID-19 Health and Safety

The Daily Wellness Check

The College of Charleston will request faculty, staff and students to answer a daily wellness questionnaire through the Everbridge app on a regular basis. The questionnaires will be sent to all employees at 6:30 a.m. and to all students at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays. The three methods are Everbridge app, College issued email, and cell phone

The questionnaire consists of five questions.

The request to take the questionnaire will be sent to the Everbridge app, your college email and via text all at the same time.

The text will come from the number 893-61. Please enter this number into your phone contacts.

After answering the questions, users will receive a notification through the Everbridge app, a text message or an email informing the user of their current status.

A green notification will announce that you are clear to come on campus.

If you receive a red screen, you will be instructed to further evaluate your symptoms through the College’s Symptom Checker.
Click on the Symptom Checker link in the message to continue the evaluation.
You will also be instructed to go to the College’s Back on the Bricks website for more information.

You can also conduct the Daily Wellness Check at any time using your Everbridge app.

How to perform a wellness check with the Everbridge app:

Click on the Everbridge app.
Click on the red shield at the bottom right side of your Everbridge app screen.
Click on the Wellness Check to conduct the test.

COVID-19 Symptom Checker

The Symptom Checker is a way that users can determine if they have symptoms associated with exposure to COVID-19.

How to take the Symptom Checker test on the Everbridge app:

Click on the Everbridge app.
Click on the red shield on the bottom right side of the screen.
Click on the Symptom Checker app.
Read the list of symptoms and see if they apply. If so, you will be advised to quarantine immediately and call a medical provider.

Self-Reporting of COVID-19 on the Everbridge App

Everbridge mobile app users can self-report a positive COVID-19 status to the College of Charleston.

How to self-report on the Everbridge app:

Open the Everbridge app.
Press the red shield at the bottom right side of the screen.
Link on the Self-Report button.
Answer all four questions. Student information will be sent to Student Health Services, and employee information will be sent to Human Resources. The screen will inform you to stay quarantined for at least 14 days after symptoms have subsided. It will also remind you to seek medical attention if your symptoms worsen.

Information submitted to the Everbridge app will be protected and kept confidential.

More Updates Coming Soon

Later this fall semester, the College of Charleston will transition our CougarAlert emergency notifications from the current LiveSafe system to the Everbridge system. More information about the features and instructions will be released soon. Until the switch, members of the campus community should continue to use the College’s LiveSafe system. Students, faculty and staff will continue to receive CougarAlerts automatically through text, email and the LiveSafe app.

The College will soon allow people without CofC accounts (parents, campus visitors and neighbors) to opt-in to receive CougarAlert notifications with Nixel. Instructions and information on this feature will be announced later this fall.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Everbridge app?

The Everbridge mobile app allows the campus community to participate in health checks, access the College’s Symptom Checker and self-report a positive COVID-19 test.

Who can download the CofC Everbridge app?

The app is free for all College of Charleston students, faculty and staff. A current CofC email account is required.

How do I change my Everbridge app contact number/email address?

In order to change your contact information on Everbridge, you must make following changes in your MyCharleston account.

Log on to MyCharleston.
Students click on the Academic Servicestab and faculty/staff click on the Employee tab.
Click on the Banner Self-Service link.
Click on the Personal Information link.
Click on “Update this Phone Number” and/or “Update E-mail Addresses” link.
Follow instruction on making the necessary change.
Hit the submit button to make the changes.

Please note that changing the contact information for the Everbridge app in your MyCharleston account will also automatically send future CougarAlerts to the new contact information.

What is the COVID-19 Daily Wellness Check?

The COVID-19 Daily Wellness Check is a quick and convenient way for you to monitor your health. The wellness check consists of five questions that should be answered before coming to campus or participating in any classes or campus activities.

Why does the College have this Daily Wellness Check?

A self-check, coupled with several other measures, including the use of face coverings, social distancing and personal hygiene, helps keep our campus safe and healthy.

How does the COVID-19 Daily Wellness Check work?

You will receive a notification reminding you to complete the Daily Wellness Check. Simply tap on the notification to answer the questions. You will soon receive a second notification indicating if you are cleared to go to campus or if you should complete the College’s Symptom Checker to determine if testing and appropriate medical care are needed.

What are the questions asked in the COVID-19 Daily Wellness Check?

Will you be on campus today?
Are you currently feeling ill?
Do you have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher?
In the last two weeks, have you been diagnosed with COVID-19?
Have you been identified as a close contact of someone who was diagnosed with COVID-19?

If I complete the Daily Wellness Checker and receive an ”approved” screen, does that mean I am allowed to move into my campus housing for the fall semester without submitting a COVID test result?

No. The approval screen after taking the Daily Wellness Checker only indicates that you do not currently meet common risk factors associated with COVID-19. If you are a student who will be living in any College-operated residence hall or historic home, you are still required to obtain and upload a COVID-19 test prior to move-in. Details on these testing protocols can be found on the Back on the Bricks website at the following link: https://cofc.edu/back-on-the-bricks/health-and-wellness/testing-and-self-screening/index.php

Am I able to self-report if I test positive for COVID-19?

Yes. You can self-report a positive COVID-19 test by using the self-reporting button on the Everbridge app. Student information will be sent to Student Health Services and employee information will be sent to Human Resources.

Where can I find out more about the College of Charleston’s plans for the fall semester?