The College of Charleston will welcome students back for in-person/hybrid classes on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. Without question the fall 2020 semester will look a little different, but the relationships and experiences that new and returning students will have over the next few months will be as meaningful as ever.
Whether youโre embarking on your first year at the College or settling in for your final year, starting off on the right foot is essential. And weโve got you covered with helpful tips for moving in, getting around campus, staying healthy and participating in classroom activities safely.
Classroom Rules
1. All students and professors must wear face coverings inside classrooms.
2. Students must wipe down their areas before use.
3. Classrooms will have reduced capacity of 30-40 percent to ensure proper social distancing.
4. Each classroom will be outfitted with room-specific seating arrangements and signage.
5. Classroom seats will be marked to help students and faculty maintain proper social distancing.
6 Essential Move-In Tips
Move-in day is always exciting (and a little bit hectic). This year, students head back to the residence halls Sept. 11-13, 2020. Here are six ways to help move-in go smoothly.
1. To ensure social distancing, residents may bring no more than two people with them into the residence halls or houses to assist with move-in.
2. You and anyone helping you will be required to wear face coverings while inside the residence halls and houses. You will need to bring these with you.
3. Bring your own sanitizing wipes for your own use and to wipe down any shared carts when you are done.
4. Write your name and room number in big clear letters on everything. Itโs easy for an unlabeled box to get misplaced.
5. Collapsible bins, hangers, stackable plastic drawers, over-the-door hooks โ anything to maximize storage and space โ are a must.
6. To make the move-in process as efficient as possible, students will be limited to two carts of personal belongs (approximately 40 cubic feet total). Before you start packing, please refer to theย What to Bring to Campus page on Campus Housing website for important information about what is allowed on campus and what is not.
5 Ways to Stay Healthy
If you start to feel under the weather, the College of Charleston’s Student Health Services center is available to evaluate and treat your medical needs:
1. From 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses are on hand to treat students who may need anything from allergy shots to treatment for illnesses and infections such as COVID-19 or the flu.
2. If you’re feeling sick early in the morning or late at night or start to feel ill in between classes, CofC students who are physically in the state of South Carolina can also seek care free of charge through the Medical University of South Carolina’s 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care Platform.
4. To help students, faculty and staff remain vigilant about monitoring their health, the College has implemented new daily wellness checks through the Everbridge app. The app will send a notification to users with the Collegeโs COVID-19 Daily Wellness Check, which consists of five questions that should be answered before coming to campus or participating in any in-person classes or on-campus activities.
5. With the College’s new COVID-19 dashboard, you can stay informed on active diagnosed COVID-19 cases within the CofC community as well as the current number of people in quarantine and isolation.
Keep Your Stress in Check
Even under ideal circumstances, college can be stressful. But these aren’t normal circumstances, so it shouldnโt come as a surprise that you might feel stressed as you settle back into life on campus.
The Counseling Center is available for virtual appointments and will be offering virtual groups, consultations, TAO (a self-paced, 24-7 online program) and individual sessions. Students can request appointments or information about groups by phone at 843.953.5640 or by going to the Counseling Center’s webpage. Group information will be updated regularly on that page. There is also a new โOnline Appointment Requestโ link on the webpage.
Students 4 Support, CofCโs trained and certified student-run volunteer group, is available Monday through Thursday from 12 to 9 p.m. during the school year. Students can reach out by texting โ4supportโ to 839863 to find support for issues ranging from relationships to academic pressure.
8 Buildings to Know
If youโre not new to campus, then you should know your way around, but just in case, consider this a refresher. For those students who are new to the College, these eight buildings are essential to student life on campus.
1.ย Addlestone Library, 205 Calhoun St.: Thisย is the main College of Charleston library. Youโll likely spend a few learning-filled days (or nights) in this location.
2. Johnson and Silcox Centers, 30 and 24 George St.: These two gymnasiums are the hub for Camps Recreation Services where you’ll find everything from an indoor running track to badminton and volleyball courts, squash courts and a workout area.
3. Mail Services/Public Safety, 81 & 89 St. Philip St.: Located on the ground floor of the St. Philip Parking Garage, these two offices are essential to student life. Serving as a comprehensive post office, theย Office of Mail Servicesย is located next to theย Department of Public Safety, which provides crime prevention, event management and police services to campus 24 hours a day. This is the place to register your bicycle.
4. Stern Student Center, 71 George St.: This is the epicenter of campus life at the College of Charleston and houses everything from a Wells Fargo ATM to a game room, as well as meeting spaces.
5. Multicultural Center, 207 Calhoun St.: The Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services coordinates the Mentoring Matters, SPECTRA, Safe Zone and ExCEL Award programs. It also hosts monthly cultural events and campus dialogues.
6. Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center, 58 Coming St.: This building, which houses housesย theย Department of Biology,ย Department of Physics and Astronomyย and some faculty from theย Department of Psychology,ย features 77 research, teaching and support labs as well as an auditorium space that can seat up to 319 people.
7. Lightsey Center, 160 Calhoun St.: The Lightsey Center houses the College of Charleston Bookstore and a number of support services for students, including the Academic Advising and Planning Center, theย Career Center, theย Center for Civic Engagementย and theย Office of the Registrar.
8. Beatty Center, 5 Liberty St.: Home to the School of Business, the Beatty Center is the business hub at CofC and includes computer labs, smart classrooms and the Wells Fargo Auditorium.
Get to know all of the Collegeโs buildings by checking out theย campus maps.
Letโs Eat
Charleston has a reputation as a foodie town, but you donโt have to leave campus for a good meal. Dining Services provides plenty of tasty options close to class and the residence halls. Due to facility changes to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, some dining hall hours, services, occupancy and usage may be altered. Up-to-date facility and operating hours can be found at charleston.campusdish.com.
Liberty St. Fresh Food Company: This all-you-care-to-eat location features unlimited buffet-style options. Choose from flame-grilled entrees, brick-oven pizza, vegetarian stir-fry, vegan options, pasta or an abundant salad bar. And a new grab-and-go option will allow students to easily pickup their meals on the run.
Chick-fil-A: Chicken sandwiches, chicken biscuits, salads and more!
City Bistro: Enjoy a variety of lunch, dinner and late-night dining options at this relaxed campus eatery.
Martyโs Place: Made-to-order vegan and vegetarian dishes in a kitchen that follows Kosher dietary laws.
Einstein Bros. Bagels: Check out a wide variety of fresh baked bagels, sandwiches, salads, pastries and homemade desserts.
Starbucks: Coffee of all kinds, cold beverages, pastries and much more!
