Return to Campus Newsletter

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff, 

I hope that you found my last update on the on-campus COVID-19 screening to be helpful and informative. With the fall quickly approaching, I wanted to take a moment to share additional details on the testing process and elaborate on where the on-campus site would be located for all students, faculty and staff on campus this fall. I’ll also share the policy that details when and where face coverings should be worn on campus.

On-Campus COVID-19 Screening Location
As we previously shared, all students, faculty and staff who will study, teach and work on campus this fall will be required to participate in weekly onsite COVID-19 screening testing. The regular screening of our on-campus population will help us to identify positive cases of the virus in asymptomatic individuals and allow us to take appropriate steps to ensure they self-isolate and recover. To support this initiative and to provide a safe and easy-to-access location, the lower level of the Miller Parking Deck will be the designated site for weekly testing.

Each week, students, faculty and staff will be required to go to the Miller Parking Deck after checking in online to conduct their regular screening. After entering the lower parking deck, those being tested will register at a check-in table where they’ll present their Bentley ID and receive a testing swab and labeled vial. They’ll then make their way to the observation table where Bentley staff will observe them self-administer their test. After swabbing the inside of both nostrils, they’ll place the swab inside of the labeled vial and place it in a box on the observation table before going on their way.

Test administration is designed to minimize contact between the tester and observer and promotes a quick, safe and efficient process. More details will be shared in the coming weeks on the sign-up process and layout for the testing site. It’s important to note that this process is designated for the weekly screening testing that will take place throughout the fall. Any students who are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will be required to contact the Health Center to undergo testing at a different location.

Face Covering Policy
The universal wearing of face coverings is shown to reduce disease transmission and is one of several layers of public health interventions to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on campus. As an extension of the governor’s COVID-19 Order No. 31 requiring face coverings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Bentley has adopted the following policy:

• When on campus, whether indoors or outdoors, all members of the community are required to cover their mouth and nose with a mask or cloth face covering.
• Face coverings are required to be worn by all students and faculty in classrooms at all times. Face shields are not known to be effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and are not an accepted replacement for a face covering on campus.
• Face coverings can be removed when seated in dining areas configured in accordance with physical distancing requirements.
• Anyone unable to wear a face covering on the advice of their healthcare provider due to a medical condition may be accommodated in accordance with the policies of the Office of Disability Services.
• Everyone allowed on campus this fall will be required to wear a face covering, practice physical distancing and participate in the screening test program.

Like so many policies and protocols aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 at Bentley, the face-covering policy may be modified from time to time based on the university’s evolving understanding of the virus or any new standards put into place by local, state or federal authorities. The Cabinet and Return to Campus Task Force will be sure to keep the community updated in the event that this policy changes.

Please continue to check the Back to Bentley webpage and associated FAQs for new details about the return to campus, as these pages are being updated frequently. We’re looking forward to your return.

Geoffrey C. Bartlett, CEM
Director of Emergency Management