Updated 12/7/21
COVID-19 Update: Campus Status and Federal Requirements
The goal of the Emergency Response Team for the past 21 months has been to limit disruption from COVID-19 and its variants while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our Pillar College community. We continue to rely on testing, temperature checks, contact tracing, and as required quarantine. There is much unknown about this new Omnicron variant. We are monitoring the situation carefully, and our decisions will be based on the best interests of our staff, faculty, and students and on the best science and the data that we have available.
Since the new Omnicron variant has arrived in the States, we encourage you to take precautions to protect yourself and others. As you prepare for Christmas and make travel and social plans, please keep the following guidance in mind:
- Limit exposure to large groups.
- Take advantage of testing opportunities to protect yourself and others. Free antigen self-test kits are available on all campuses.
- Consider getting vaccinated or a booster. Consult your health care provider.
- If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please get tested and stay home.
- If you test positive or are exposed, please follow these instructions for reporting taken from the NJ Department of Health website: https://www.state.nj.us/health/lh/community/
How to report:
Cases should be reported to the local health department where the patient resides. If patient residence is unknown, the report should be made to the local health department where the provider or laboratory is located. Contact information for all local health departments in New Jersey is available at: localhealth.nj.gov. Contact information for local health departments after business hours or on weekends can be found at in the Local Health Department Directory. If you are unsure which local health department should be contacted, use the locator tool at https://www.state.nj.us/health/lh/community/.
If LHD personnel are unavailable, healthcare providers should report the case to the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), Communicable Disease Service (CDS) at 609-826-5964. If the individual does not live in New Jersey, report the case to the New Jersey Department of Health at: 609-826-5964. In cases of immediately reportable diseases and other emergencies and if the local health department cannot be reached, the New Jersey Department of Health maintains an emergency after hours phone number: 609-392-2020.
Updated 8/3/2021
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Pillar College
Beginning this Fall 2021 semester, Pillar College will resume predominantly in-person classroom experiences with hybrid learning options. In all cases where in-person courses, support services and social activities are hosted on campus, safety protocols will remain in-place. The option to participate remotely provides maximum flexibility to accommodate today’s student for greater access to Christ-centered higher education. In all cases, use of digital technology will remain a vital component of Pillar College’s educational experience. Utilizing this modality in the classroom helps prepare all students for career options in which technology skills are expected in the workplace. All students should assume their courses will be offered in-person on campus unless otherwise instructed by their professor or program director/chair.
Protocols for in-person instruction:
The latest guidance from Governor Murphy and Commissioner Persichilli on July 28th “strongly recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks in indoor settings where there is increased risk.”
- Students who have been vaccinated are asked to upload their proof of vaccination to the Student Portal or email a digital copy to [email protected] . Please also bring your COVID-19 vaccine card to class during the first weeks of the semester.
- All staff, faculty, students and visitors are required to have temperature scanned and sign the contact tracing form at designated college entrances. Any individual with a temperature reading of 100 degrees or above will not be allowed to enter Pillar facilities.
Accommodations to participate remotely:
For students who desire to participate remotely (online), please complete an accommodation request form via the link below:
Safety and Wellbeing
At Pillar, we have the privilege of learning and working together in the community. As Christ-followers, we have a responsibility to care well for one another’s mental, physical, and spiritual health during a challenging season. All community members—regardless of vaccination status—will be asked to acknowledge and adhere to the following guidelines to ensure that we can continue to study, work, and socialize safely on campus.
Vaccine
- Pillar College strongly encourages, but does not mandate students or employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to participate in classes, activities, or employment in Fall 2021. Please note that there may be special circumstances which require vaccination (i.e. clinical placement sites or international travel).
- Pillar College community members are strongly encouraged to consult with their healthcare provider and consider COVID-19 vaccination options. Vaccinated individuals will likely experience less disruption due to COVID-19 than those who are not vaccinated, because those who are fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine in most situations.
- Resource: DOH: Vaccine Appointment Finder
- Resource: DOH: Vaccination Website
Social Distancing
- Community members are strongly encouraged to consider distancing to the extent possible to limit the spread of COVID-19. If we experience a surge in COVID-19 cases during the academic year, distancing measures may be put into place to mitigate further spread. Current CDC guidance states that an unvaccinated individual in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 should quarantine.
Face Coverings
- Face coverings will not be universally required for students or employees. We acknowledge that many people will continue to wear a mask, and we encourage individuals to take appropriate actions that are consistent with one’s own comfort level. According to CDC and NJDOH guidance, those who are unvaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering when 6-foot distancing is not possible.
- In some settings, face coverings may still be required (such as settings or activities that required face coverings before COVID-19). In the event of a surge in COVID-19 cases, face covering measures may be put into place to mitigate further spread.
COVID-19 Testing and Exposure
- COVID-19 testing will be available on campus
- Pillar community members are strongly encouraged to take extra care during offcampus activities in order to limit potential exposure to COVID-19 and care well for one another.
- Students may be asked to participate in mass COVID-19 testing events periodically throughout the academic year. Mass testing events may be planned if we experience a surge and/or around scheduled academic breaks when travel may increase the chance of illness or community spread.
- Fully-vaccinated individuals do not need to undergo regular testing, unless they experience symptoms.
Antigen tests are an effective tool to help us prevent the spread COVID-19 at the college. As part of our COVID-19 prevention and control program Pillar College will provide, upon request, a self administered Testing Kit. These kits can be used anywhere — at home, in a car, or any other private and convenient location. The test kits provide complete instructions in English and in Spanish for self testing.
Antigen tests are especially useful for screening because they can identify individuals
- With COVID-19 who do not have signs or symptoms and no known exposure to COVID-19
- Who are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19
If an employee or student with no symptoms and no known exposure to COVID-19 receives a positive screening antigen test result, they should stay at home and quarantine while waiting for that result to be confirmed with a laboratory-based test
If the laboratory-based test is positive, the student/employee has been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. This individual should
- Remain at home
- Keep away from others who are not infected
- Stay in touch with their doctor
- Work with public health authorities to support contact tracing efforts
All positive antigen test results collected as part of a Pillar College self testing program should be reported to the college. All positive test results will remain confidential.
The CDC on 9/21/2021 wrote: “The specificity of antigen tests is generally as high as most lab conducted tests, which means that false positive test results are unlikely when an antigen test is used according to the manufacturer’s instruction” However false positives are possible and need to be confirmed with a laboratory-based test.
Symptoms
- Community members will be expected to monitor health daily.
- Regardless of vaccination status, if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline and stay home until test results are known or there are no further symptoms for seven (7) consecutive day.
- Regardless of test results, students and employees should remain quarantined as long as severe symptoms (fever, body aches, etc.) persist.
Quarantine
- All unvaccinated community members who have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (clinically or test-confirmed), excluding people who have had COVID-19 within the past 3 months, must selfquarantine according to MDH guidance and call the COVID-19 Hotline. Close contact is defined as being less than 6 feet from someone for 15 minutes or more throughout a 24-hour period.
- Fully vaccinated individuals who remain asymptomatic are exempt from quarantine even if they have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19.
Cleaning and Sanitation
- All lounges and common entry points will be cleaned by facilities management.
- Hand sanitizer stations will be provided near the entrances to buildings. All community members are encouraged to sanitize hands upon entering and exiting buildings.
Additional Resources:
- Call (General COVID-19 Questions): 2-1-1 (24/7)
- Call (Medical COVID-19 Questions): 1-800-962-1253 (24/7)
- Call (Vaccine Appointment Support): 1-855-568-0545 (8a-8p)
Life at Pillar
COVID Restart Plan Aug 2021
