More progress, slow but steady

This week’s update on our Return to Rowan plan includes encouraging news in a number of areas, starting with these quick snapshots of our University health:

• New confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 dropped throughout the University last week.
• Students in on-campus isolation at Triad Hall — only two as of Friday — are recovering relatively quickly and continuing their studies.
• Active cases overall are declining.

We’ve worked hard throughout the pandemic to protect the Rowan community and our neighbors—and we plan to keep up the intensity of our fight. As we look forward to more progress, we share more news from throughout campus:

Academic options expanding
Last week, a number of faculty and students opted to start more in-person instruction on the main campus. While we’re not near our normal on-campus academic activity and we expect many to prefer remote and hybrid options for the foreseeable future, we’ll continue to expand classroom and lab opportunities as much as possible within health and safety guidelines.

Athletics teams start training
The start of team conditioning in small groups for student-athletes in our fall Athletics programs begins this week. With careful team activities underway, we are hopeful about eventual competition as Athletics leadership and our conference develop plans for the rest of the year.

Increased testing, more promising results
In just the last two weeks, the number of students being tested for COVID-19 increased significantly. Testing those with and without symptoms helps ensure that we’re providing health care and resources to those who need them, slowing the rate of infection and capturing a reliable picture of our population’s health. 

Continuing communication sessions
Last week we responded to our borough neighbors’ concerns  with our third online town hall conversation about the campus and community. This week, we will hold the next of several Webex meetings to present information and answer questions for employees and students:

Wednesday, October 7, 4 p.m.: Employee update
Wednesday, October 7, 6 p.m., Student update

If you can’t attend the virtual session, you can review the recording of these and earlier sessions posted on the Rowan YouTube channel.

New mobile phone app: Anonymous alert
COVID Alert NJ, a new free and secure mobile phone app, is now available to assist all of us in our fight against COVID-19. Available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, New Jersey’s exposure notification app will anonymously alert users if they have been near someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and offers other services to help individuals fi ght infection.

Staying the course
Although we’re gaining confidence from progress so far and many are eager to ramp up instruction and activity, it’s prudent to take our time. We will keep relying on science and public health guidance as we implement and adapt our return plan. Our gradual, cautious approach is helping keep the Rowan community safe and reducing the chance of setbacks.

Thank you, everyone, for your flexibility, patience and commitment to each other in these historic and challenging days. We are making a difference, apart and together.

Tony Lowman
Provost

Kevin S. Koett
Interim Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students

Scott Woodside
Director, Wellness Center