Details on Mandatory COVID-19 Testing for All Students

Above: College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu gets a COVID-19 test on Jan. 11, 2021.

The College of Charleston shared the following message with students on Friday, Jan. 15, regarding mandatory COVID-19 testing requirements during the spring 2021 semester:

Dear Students,

As we settle into the spring semester, the College continues to monitor and respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

To mitigate the transmission of the virus on campus and in the greater Charleston community, the College will begin requiring COVID-19 testing of approximately 300 students per week throughout the semester. This mandatory testing protocol will start the week of January 25. Selected students will be notified about the details of the testing via email and text and will be required to report to the sponsored testing events on campus.

Students who do not comply with the testing protocol may face disciplinary action and will have their Cougar Card deactivated, limiting access to campus services such as dining halls, fitness centers, the library and other facilities.

These weekly testing events — to be administered by the Medical University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control — will take place outside the Stern Student Center on the Glebe Street patio. To learn more about this new testing requirement, enforcement measures and exemptions, please visit the COVID-19 Required Testing FAQ on the Back on the Bricks website.

Prior to the beginning of mandatory testing, the College will offer two voluntary testing events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on January 19 & 20 outside the Stern Student Center. Details and registration information can be found at this link.

In addition to regular testing, the College continues to require face coverings and social distancing on campus and encourages frequent handwashing and self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms.

While these requirements may pose inconveniences in the short term, they are vital to our safeguarding the health of our campus community, and they are the only ways we will return to the life we knew before the pandemic. Until then, we can’t let our guard down. We must continue to make sound decisions based on science and data, with an emphasis on providing a rewarding, engaging and safe learning and living environment for our students.

Our deepest appreciation, as always, to everyone whose support makes our academic mission possible. We will continue to manage through these challenging times together!

Sincerely,

CofC COVID-19 Leadership Team