Fall Term 2020 - Pre-Arrival Information

The information on this page reflects arrival guidance for undergraduate students for the Fall 2020 term only.

For the most up-to-date information about arrival for Winter 2021, please visit https://student-affairs.dartmouth.edu/resources/2020-2021-planning-information 

• Whether you will be living on- or off-campus, you must begin monitoring health symptoms daily from home now. Contact the Health Service at 603-646-9400 if you develop a fever or symptoms of illness. Our Health Service clinicians will consult with you and determine whether you need to delay your arrival date until they clear you to return to campus.
• Students approved for fall on-campus enrollment will receive an email from Dr. Reed at the Health Service Thursday morning, 8/27, providing specific pre-arrival test ordering requirements. Please be sure that you watch for, and follow, the unique link you will receive to respond to the testing provider, immediately. You will need to provide a shipping address so that the testing kit can be shipped to your current location as soon as possible, and you will need to schedule a time to conduct your observed test. Observed testing times will be available starting this weekend. You need to complete this as soon as possible. If you have a positive test, you may not travel to campus, and you will be contacted by a Health Service clinician for follow-up. 
• Pre-arrival testing is both required (as you know from your Community Expectations Agreement) and entirely at the College's expense.

• We know this is challenging, but as we have said repeatedly, please bring ONLY what you can carry yourself. If we have an outbreak and need to shut down for the term, you need to be able to take all of your belongings with you. See the Student Access to Campus FAQs for more information
• Be sure that you will have what you need with you for the first 14 days. Hinman Mail and Controlled Storage will only be available on a limited, pre-scheduled basis beginning September 14th. 
• Hinman Mail will notify students living on-campus by email that they may pick-up mail and packages at a designated time during business hours, Monday-Friday. Daily capacity will be limited. Hinman will not release mail and packages on demand outside of the scheduled pick-up time. 
• Students living on-campus may contact Residential Operations to schedule a time to retrieve belongings in storage during business hours the week of September 14th. Daily capacity will be limited. Controlled Storage will not release belongings outside of the scheduled pick-up time. 
• Hinman Mail and Controlled Storage services will only be available to students living on campus during this period. Details about services following September 25th will be provided in mid-September. 

• You must plan to arrive on campus on your assigned arrival date at your assigned arrival time. Arrivals have been carefully calibrated to reduce density at the testing tent and at the residence halls themselves as you move in. Different floors in the same building may be moving in on different dates. We need you to honor these assignments, as they are designed to comply with health guidelines and to reduce risk. There will be no early arrivals, and arriving outside of your assigned time will result in delayed entry at the sole direction of college staff. 
• The Dartmouth Coach is now running on a reduced capacity basis and on a new schedule. We are working with them to maximize the number of buses they can run during the arrival period, and to add a stop at Maynard near the testing tent. Please keep an eye on their schedules. To ensure you have a seat on the Coach, please plan to purchase your ticket by September 4. 
• As previously announced and as Provost Helble stated during the Community Conversation on August 5th, we are asking you say your goodbyes at home. Please plan to travel without family and friends if at all possible. If someone must accompany you, we ask that you simply be dropped off without walking the campus.  If you do arrive with a family member or friend, we will insist that you observe proper social distancing, wear face protection at all times while on campus and remain outdoors. No one will be permitted to enter the residence halls with you, and there will be no entry to other college facilities. These steps are critical in our effort to start the term successfully for all. 
• College policies about student parking have not changed, but we have slightly increased capacity by adding a small remote lot for long-term student parking. With rare exceptions, first-year students, as always, are not permitted to have cars on campus. All student vehicles must be permitted and registered following College parking policies.
• Keep in mind that under the 20/21 travel policy for undergraduates, you may not travel during the term beyond the Upper Valley, defined as Hanover, Enfield, Lebanon, Lyme, and West Lebanon in New Hampshire, and Norwich, Hartford, Quechee, Wilder, and White River Junction in Vermont. If you anticipate needing to travel outside of these areas, you should shift to remote enrollment to ensure that you aren't in violation of the policy.

UNDERGRADUATES STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS

Please see the Quarantine and Testing Guidelines for Undergraduate Students for more information

• Your first stop will be at the testing tent, between the Health Service and the McLaughlin residence halls. You'll receive more specific directions before you arrive. The Dartmouth Coach will be adding a stop nearby. Wear your face covering at all times and maintain physical distance. Greeters at the welcome tent will show you where to leave your things temporarily and will guide you to the Health Service staff conducting the tests. When you're finished, greeters will direct (and guide) you to your residence hall to move-in. 
• On arrival, you will receive washable face coverings, a thermometer for daily required temperature screenings, and an easily refillable 16-24 oz carry bottle with washable microfiber cloths for personal disinfecting purposes. 
• Greeters at each residence hall will help manage traffic flow into the residence halls to reduce density at the entry and to maintain physical distancing and will guide you to designated paths of travel to follow. When you arrive in your room, you'll find the contact information for your UGA. Contact them right away to let them know you're there, and to get important daily updates. Settle in and get comfortable. 
• You will need to keep face coverings with you at all times, and to wear them whenever you leave your residence hall room – including in the hallways and restrooms in your building. Keep in mind the College policy on face coverings and the Town of Hanover face covering ordinance that was passed on August 10th. 
• Under the College policy, even when physical distancing can be maintained, a cloth face covering is required as an additional public health measure to help prevent the spread of the virus from a person who may be carrying the virus but does not have symptoms. Under the Hanover ordinance, members of the public (including students) must wear face masks while using public sidewalks (campus sidewalks are public), other pedestrian ways, public recreation areas, and other public property within the town of Hanover where maintaining adequate physical distancing is not possible because of pedestrian congestion. Failure to comply with the ordinance may result in a fine from the town.
• During the first week in September, you will receive more information about meal delivery and menu offerings for the first three days. Please be sure to complete your pre-arrival dining survey before you travel so that DDS knows what to deliver the day you arrive. You'll receive more information about that soon. 
• Bathroom use guidelines:
  • Residence hall custodians will clean bathrooms before 8 am seven days a week, and will be through for additional disinfections later in the day. Each bathroom will have a sign on the door that provides the capacity of the bathroom. In general, the guide is "every other fixture" to maintain physical distancing. If there are only two fixtures in a bathroom, only one person should be using it at a time. If there are three fixtures, two could use at the same time, leaving the middle fixture unused. 
  • In the residence hall, you should carry your own caddy with toiletries, and use your personal disinfecting bottle and microfiber cloths to wipe every surface you touch before and after you touch it. 
  • If you encounter custodial staff in the residence halls, DDS staff in dining venues, or staff and faculty elsewhere, please be kind and appreciative, and please be wearing your face coverings and maintain 6' physical distance at all times. If you are not in compliance, employees may understandably become concerned about exposure. All of our essential workers, faculty and staff who may interact with you in person are committed to your health, as well as their own and one another's. They like you, are subject to health and testing guidelines.
• You'll need to remain in your room in your residence hall as soon as you arrive for the next 24-72 hours - until your arrival test results are back. If negative, the arrival quarantine period will continue, but you'll be able to go out to pick up your meals and engage in individual physical exercise - as described in the Quarantine and Testing Guidelines for Students. During this initial period, you may only leave your room to use a restroom or for medical care. Kitchens and lounges will be closed. You will do your daily temperature screening and pre-order food from DDS, which will be delivered to your residence hall common area. Guests, visitors and gathering in groups of any size will not be permitted. 
• If your initial on-campus test is positive, a Health Service provider will be in touch with you directly, and you will hear from a public health official conducting contact tracing. When test results lead to a health requirement to quarantine or isolate in our designated quarantine and isolation halls, or to a transport for medical care, test results will be known only to those directly involved in support functions.
• Campus staff will deliver pre-ordered meals to each residence hall common area twice a day during your 0-2 day post-arrival period.  The dinner delivery will include continental breakfast for the next morning. 

STUDENTS LIVING LOCALLY OFF-CAMPUS

• Students approved for fall enrollment living locally off-campus, and students not approved but living locally off-campus, will be expected to follow the Quarantine and Testing Guidelines for Students Living in Off-Campus Housing 
• You need to self-quarantine on arrival, and may only leave your residence for curbside pickup of food or essential supplies or for medical care. Guests, visitors, and gathering in groups of any size are not permitted. You will receive information from the Health Service about on-campus testing scheduling. 

UNDERGRADUATES STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS

Please see the Quarantine and Testing Guidelines for Undergraduate Students Living On Campus for more informatiom

• Once you have the arrival (day zero) negative test result from the Health Service, you will have limited opportunities to leave your room between days 3 and 14 of your quarantine. You will be tested again on days 3 or 4 and days 7 or 8, and will be released from your quarantine period by Health Service staff on Day 14. 
• During this period, you will monitor your health through the daily TSA screening, you may leave your room to pick up DDS meals at assigned locations and times, you may go outside for walks or outdoor exercise on your own or participate in Dartmouth-organized outdoor activities. Guests and visitors are not permitted, and you will not have access to college facilities. 
• If you test positive for COVID-19, you will be moved to isolation housing with the support of Health Service clinicians, who will remain in close touch; and an official contact investigation will be performed by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and close contacts will be notified. 
• Meals will be available at six different locations around campus. During this arrival quarantine period, you will be assigned to one of the locations below to pick-up your daily meals. To avoid crowding, time for meal pick-up will be assigned. Locations include:
  • Behind Collis/in front of 53 Commons
  • Rocky Courtyard 
  • The Shabazz lawn 
  • Maynard Greenspace 
  • Brace Commons Courtyard 
  • Across from the Onion south of Topliff
• Menus at these locations during this period will include: 
  • popular, standard fare selections or vegan selections with accommodations for allergies and preferences (e.g. gluten-free, seafood allergy, Halal, Kosher, etc)
  • lunch choices feature prepared entree salads and popular sandwiches with a variety of sides, dessert and beverage choice
  • dinner will be served hot, featuring entree and associated sides, dessert and choice of beverage
  • standard continental breakfasts

STUDENTS LIVING LOCALLY OFF-CAMPUS
Please see the Quarantine and Testing Guidelines for Undergraduate Students Living in Off-Campus Housing for more informatiom

• Once you have the arrival (day zero) negative test result from the Health Service, you will have limited opportunities to leave your room between days 3 and 14 of your quarantine. You will receive information from the Health Service about additional testing. 
• During this period, you will monitor your health through the daily TSA screening, you may leave your room for curbside pickup of food or essential supplies or for medical care, and you may go outside for walks or outdoor exercise on your own or participate in Dartmouth-organized outdoor activities. Guests and visitors are not permitted. 

• Whether you enroll remotely or on-campus, there will be many online opportunities for you to meet and connect with each other, and to get involved in student organization activities and events. 
• For '24s and incoming transfer students, the first days will be focused on New Student Orientation. During this time, you'll be able to meet upper-level students, learn about over 200 student organizations on campus during the Student Involvement Fair, and participate in various social events. 
• After September 25th when the arrival quarantine period is over, there will be both online and in-person events and activities (limited capacity, with prior approval to ensure compliance with College health requirements). Just to give you a few examples, these may include art tours at the museum, fitness classes, outdoor hiking and exploration, student organization meetings, trivia, and more. While the student organization landscape will certainly be different this year, we are committed to supporting student governance and an engaging out-of-class programs and experiences for all of you-whether you're on-campus or enrolled remotely. 
• You'll receive programming schedules and more detailed information the week of September 7th. 

• On-campus components of classes begin, subject to all facilities and health guidelines.
• Guests and visitors in the residence halls and campus facilities are not permitted.
• You will continue to  monitor your health and complete the Temperature Self-Assessment (TSA) screening daily. You may not enter college facilities, attend classes with on-campus components, or otherwise move about the campus if you have not completed the TSA, or if you are consulting with Health Service clinicians about your TSA results. 
• For the remainder of the term, Health Service clinicians may need to relocate students to dedicated residence halls for quarantine or isolation as needed as a result of contact tracing efforts or positive test results. Students will not be able to self-quarantine or isolate in their assigned residence hall rooms, as that will place other students at risk. Health Service clinicians will stay in close, daily and confidential contact with students in quarantine or isolation housing and will support them through it. Official contact investigations will be performed by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and all close contacts will be notified.
• Students relocated to quarantine or isolation residence halls will be able to order meals that will be delivered twice daily. 
• You may not host or attend in-person gatherings of more than 9 people in any location, on-campus or in the community, including off-campus residences and facilities, unless the gathering has been approved by Dartmouth. Gatherings will be subject policies and procedures further detailed by the Office of Student Life.
• You may move about on campus, and in the local areas of Enfield, Hanover, Lebanon, Lyme and West Lebanon in New Hampshire, and Hartford, Norwich, Quechee, White River Junction and Wilder in Vermont. You may not go further outside the Upper Valley without violating the travel policy for undergraduates.
• If you are approved for fall on-campus enrollment, you may enter campus facilities that are open after September 25th (when everyone is out of arrival quarantine), subject to all general and specific facilities guidelines for hours of operation, entry, use and required paths of travel, wearing your face covering and maintaining 6' physical distancing at all times.
• If you are not approved for fall on-campus enrollment, you may not enter any campus facilities – whether you are living locally or are inclined to come to the area to visit. Capacities of all facilities have been substantially reduced, and as we have said, limited capacity facilities have been prioritized for those students approved for fall on-campus enrollment. 
• Guests and visitors who have not received specific authorization to be at Dartmouth are not permitted on campus. 
• In the event of an outbreak, the College may restrict access, shift all instruction to entirely remote, reduce services temporarily, and/or terminate on-campus enrollment and empty the campus. Students must follow all College health and safety directives throughout the term.