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The Coronavirus pandemic has caused so many issues for millions of students over the past 18 months, many are now scared that the new variants— such as the Delta and Mu variants of the virus—are going to cause campuses to shut down or move to remote learning.
Many colleges around the country are bracing themselves for potential outbreaks of the new, more contagious forms of the virus. Champlain College is no different and has put significant measures in place to control the spread of the virus.
The Burly Beaver sat interviewed Danelle Berube, Vice President for Student Affairs and Institutional Emergency Management Coordinator.
Burly Beaver: Who’s in charge of the covid 19 response?
Berube: “We have a team of leaders who are charged with the College’s planning around our COVID-19 risk mitigation and response. Champlain’s planning has been guided by the recommendations of the VT Governor’s Office, VT Department of Health, CDC, Burlington Mayor’s Office, and other local, state, and national entities.
From the start, our approach has prioritized the health and safety of our on-campus and surrounding community. Champlain’s protocols for students, faculty, and staff are designed to decrease the risk of individuals infected with COVID-19 from entering our campus, prevent transmission of COVID-19, and carefully track the emergence of possible cases within our campus community. We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. We closely monitor local and national data and guidance so that we remain responsive to changing conditions and can adjust our plans and mitigation efforts as needed. We have protocols if we experience increased transmission on campus, including increased testing, as well as contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation protocols.”
Burly Beaver: Are we going to have the option to go home or stay here?
Berube: “It’s difficult to speculate what decisions would be made regarding changes in operations. In determining specific operational changes, we would need to assess the specifics of the state of COVID on campus or beyond. We certainly hope to maintain an in-person living and learning for our on-campus students, and we would need to balance that with an evaluation of the health and safety of our students remaining on campus”.
Burly Beaver: Will Champlain require 3rd Booster shots?
Berube: “Final recommendations and authorization of booster shots by the FDA and CDC are still pending -- in fact, on Friday, an advisory panel to the FDA stated that it did not recommend Pfizer booster shots for the general public at this time. Depending on the recommendations, this could be one measure we would consider as part of a comprehensive response to a campus outbreak”.
Burly Beaver: How is the decision to close campus made?
Berube: “Any decision to pivot to remote learning would be made in close consultation with the Vermont Department of Health. Champlain College and the State of Vermont track criteria related to the health of our campus and that of the broader community around the College. On-campus, Champlain will work together with the Department of Health to share any positive test results, add support for more extensive testing and contact tracing, and determine any changes to operations.
In addition to the number of confirmed positive cases, both at Champlain and in Burlington, other key factors include Champlain’s quarantine and isolation capacity and continued access to testing. In the broader community, the State follows a set of metrics continuously to inform decisions, including new case numbers, rate of increase in growth of new cases, percentage of positivity rate of tests across the state, hospital and ICU utilization, and monitoring of disease indicators.”
If students have any questions or concerns about the Protocols or want more information they can contact Danelle Berube Vice President for Student Affairs and Institutional Emergency Management Coordinator at dberube@champlain.edu
Written by Alex Jackson
Page updated
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