Students in campus housing at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro have been told to pack essential belongings in a "go-bag."
The University of Central Arkansas in Conway has prepped non-residence hall locations for any who fall ill.
At Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University warns that students violating a recommended self-quarantine "will be subject to disciplinary action."
Thus far, no colleges and universities in the state have said any students on-campus have covid-19. A few colleges have said an off-campus student has tested positive for the respiratory illness.
[CORONAVIRUS: Click here for our complete coverage » arkansasonline.com/coronavirus]
But protocols and procedures at state universities outline how schools will respond should any students living on campus become sickened.
Large public universities, on spring break last week, have moved to close their housing except to students with need. The universities had already shifted to online-only classes in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
But an undetermined number of students will remain in residence halls. Colleges, including the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, have said they will continue housing international students and will consider requests from students facing hardship if not on campus, such as those lacking online access.
The campus covid-19 protocols vary. Some schools, like Arkansas State, explicitly identify steps to be taken for on-campus students in contact with someone who possibly has covid-19.
"Arkansas State has developed procedures for both isolation (students with symptoms waiting for test results or students with a positive test result) and quarantine (students who are asymptomatic, but have had close contact with students who are ill)," states a message to students dated March 19 that's also posted on the ASU website.
An ASU spokesman said Friday that no on-campus students were in quarantine or isolation.
UA PROCEDURES
The University of Arkansas, responding to a public disclosure request submitted Tuesday, provided mostly information about covid-19 testing procedures at its campus health center. A few sentences directly referenced steps to be taken for students who have been tested.
[DOCUMENT: Procedures for managing a positive case » arkansasonline.com/329procedures/]
A spokeswoman on Thursday said the university "reserves the right to supplement this response" to the Democrat-Gazette's request, and the university's staff had Friday off for spring break.
UA's procedures cited the Arkansas Department of Health, referring to it as ADH. A symptomatic on-campus resident who tested positive for covid-19 would "be required to self-isolate off-campus," the policy states, while also describing what would happen if that wasn't possible.
"In the event a symptomatic, COVID-19 positive on-campus student is unable to return home, they will self-isolate in a private room with a private bathroom, per ADH guidance," states the UA procedure.
UA's procedure also states: "Students, faculty or staff after-hours screening and testing may also be referred to Washington Regional Medical Center, where they -- if symptomatic -- would likely remain."
A spokeswoman said the procedures had been posted online March 23, but the language was not on UA's website as of Friday. The university on Monday announced that an off-campus student has fallen ill with covid-19.
UA earlier this spring had about 4,950 students living in campus housing, though most students who spoke to the Democrat-Gazette after the switch to online-only classes said that a large majority of classmates in their residence halls had left. Housing at UA will close to most students April 3.
STATE GUIDANCE
Arkansas Tech University provided a four-page "plan of action" in response to a records request. UCA provided two pages. The universities referred to the state Health Department in their procedures.
The state Health Department has not written any protocols specifically for colleges to follow in the case of an on-campus resident falling ill with covid-19, said Danyelle McNeill, a department spokeswoman.
McNeill said the state agency, in general, notifies colleges and universities about students or staff with a pending covid-19 test as well as if there is a positive result.
Some protocols developed by campuses also placed an emphasis on having students notify college authorities if they're tested.
[DOCUMENT: Plan for reported case on-campus » arkansasonline.com/329plan/]
The Arkansas State University message tells students that, if tested, they should call ASU police and "inform them you have been told to self-isolate." Students are also told: "You are NOT to return to your current on-campus residence hall room."
The plan is for students to be moved to "isolation location housing," and ASU in the message advises students to get ready for that possibility by packing up some items in advance.
"To prepare, we are advising all on-campus students to have a 'go-bag' that has three days worth of clothing, toiletries, medicines, and your class materials and devices," states the message, from Dean of Students Martha Spack, which ASU has posted on its website.
The message lays out how ASU is preparing both "isolation" and also quarantine locations, as students are told that if they are tested "roommates or others you have had close contact with will be directed to campus quarantine areas."
Students in such ASU housing will still get meal delivery and laundry service, along with "daily monitoring," according to the message. They "will not be authorized to leave their respective spaces until they have been cleared by medical authorities," the message states.
Before Friday, ASU had about 1,200 students stating they planned to stay through spring. Students now must petition to stay after the university announced Friday that housing would close to most students April 3.
Arkansas Tech's protocol states that "PPE" -- an acronym for personal protective equipment -- will be used when interacting with an on-campus covid-19 patient, and that food delivery to a student in isolation will take place "at a designated drop-off point to limit exposure."
"If a student who has been in contact with a positive case resides in campus housing, the Associate Dean for Residence Life will be notified and will attempt to make arrangements for isolating the student on campus, if necessary," the Arkansas Tech plan also states.
In documents presented to its board of trustees, Arkansas Tech estimated that more than 640 students might remain living on campus after its housing closes on April 3.
[DOCUMENT: Protocol for residents recommended for testing » arkansasonline.com/329protocol/]
NOTIFYING STUDENTS
UCA's plan includes a "basic message" script for use when notifying students that they have had contact with a person who has tested positive for covid-19.
"While you may have already been practicing social distancing, as is considered a best practice, you must now remain at home to monitor yourself for symptoms from this possible exposure. The recommended self-quarantine period is 14 days from the date of exposure," the script says, in part. It goes on to tell such students living on campus to call a housing official "to arrange for quarantine housing."
Amanda Hoelzeman, a UCA spokeswoman, clarified that UCA would use houses and duplexes it owns rather than residence halls for quarantine housing.
"In normal times, these are typically used to house graduate students. Early in the pandemic planning process, we identified these as quarantine housing locations and began taking steps to prepare them for that purpose," Hoelzeman said in an email.
Hoelzeman said UCA on Friday had seven students in "on-campus quarantine housing" after returning to the U.S. from study-abroad trips.
"All are reaching the end of their 14-day [quarantine] period within two to three days," Hoelzeman said Friday. UCA had about 450 students living on campus during spring break, but its housing will close today to all except those with "indisputable need," Hoelzeman said.
Among smaller universities, Southern Arkansas University has published on its website "polices and procedures" related to the new coronavirus. The university states that "academic resources and accommodations" will be provided for any student in self-quarantine.
"Any student who does not self-report and becomes a public health risk OR who does not fully comply with required self-quarantine recommendations will be subject to disciplinary action from the institution," the university's listed "policies and procedures" goes on to state.
Metro on 03/29/2020