Spring 2021: Plan for a Safe and Healthy Campus

To demonstrate our care for each other, all students, faculty and staff were required to sign a BW BE SAFE Pledge affirming our commitment to following protocols and supporting each other.
Preview the pledge >

• The undergraduate 16-week semester calendar has been adjusted. The first day of classes is January 19. View spring 2021 academic calendar and final exam schedule.
• The graduate student academic schedule remains unchanged.

• All classes employ blended instruction that includes in-person and synchronous remote instruction. Synchronous remote instruction means you are attending a live class remotely (such as from your dorm room, home or other location), allowing for interaction and participation in class activity. Your class schedule reflects these changes.
• Most classroom locations have appropriate space to meet fully in person while maintaining 6-foot distancing and wearing masks. However, some classes have been divided into smaller groups, with each group attending in-person one-day a week and via synchronous remote instruction the remainder of the week.

Introducing the BW BE SAFE MVP rewards program! Get spotted doing the right thing during COVID and you'll get a $5 gift card to Starbucks and a chance to win a big prize in weekly drawings. Learn more.

• Welcome Back to BW - January 15, 2021
• Thankful for the BW community - November 24, 2020
• Important update for BW students - November 12, 2020
• COVID-19 campus update - November 6, 2020
• Happy Halloween - October 30, 2020
• Mid-semester Health Updates - October 8, 2020
• BW announces Spring 2021 Semester Calendar - September 28, 2020
• Meet BW's Health Team - September 25, 2020
• Getting involved at BW - September 18, 2020
• BW Expands Healthcare Programs and Facilities - September 11, 2020
• Information about COVID-19 exposure off campus - September 4, 2020
• Week one, well done. - August 28, 2020
• Preliminary Results of Arrival Testing Program - August 26, 2020
• Welcome Back to BW - August 20, 2020
• Important info about the Daily Health Check-in and arrival testing - August 13, 2020
• Can you picture the first day on campus? - August 6, 2020
• Educating ourselves about COVID-19 - July 30, 2020
• Campus preparedness update - July 23, 2020
• Important information for student arrival on campus - July 15, 2020
• Preparing for our students' return to campus - July 2, 2020

Check-in is as simple as answering one question about your daily symptoms. If you are experiencing no symptoms, you will receive a green GO, and you can start your day. If you are experiencing any of the less commonly associated symptoms of COVID-19, you may receive a yellow CAUTION sign to monitor your health more diligently during the day or, in some cases, seek guidance from the BW Health Center. If you are experiencing any of the most common symptoms associated with COVID-19, including a temperature over 100° F, then you will receive a red STOP sign and be directed to the BW Health Center and not to report to class or campus employment.

What if I have symptoms caused by other health conditions?
If you have symptoms that are common for you and/or associated with other conditions (like asthma, chronic sinus issues, allergies, etc.), you would choose the middle CAUTION option and be given two choices in the response from the app:

(1) If your symptoms are unusual for you, STOP and do not go to class or attend campus events. Seek medical guidance.

(2) If your symptoms are common or usual symptoms for you, GO to class or attend campus events but continue to monitor symptoms for any changes.

You can download the app for your smartphone now and begin using it wherever you are. BW's Daily Health Check-in is powered by RAVE Guardian, a trusted partner that assists BW with emergency communications. You can download the free app to your smartphone here:

• Apple App Store (iPhone Users)
• Google Play Store (Android Users)

Simply follow the instructions for installing the app and complete the registration process. Be sure notifications are allowed for the Guardian app so you will receive a daily prompt to complete your BW Daily Health Check-In. If you need assistance, please contact the BW IT Help desk at (440) 826-7000.

You will also receive an email in your @bw.edu email inbox. Email will serve as a backup should you lose your phone, run out of battery power or not have a smartphone. You can only take the daily check-in once per day either through the app or email.

BW Daily Health Check-in is part of our overall strategy to control the spread of the virus in the BW community and promotes personal responsibility. Thank you for doing your part by downloading and regularly using this app.

Surveillance testing is one way we help reduce the spread of COVID-19 on campus along with the protocols you are already following. You may have participated in on-campus surveillance testing in the past, BW is increasing the number of individuals tested and changed the way we conduct surveillance testing.

Surveillance testing has been made even easier with the new BW partner Navica a division of Abbot Labs Company. When selected for testing, members of the campus community will receive an email notice from BW with information on testing procedure. A second email will come directly from Navica with information on the COVID-19 test. Instructions on how to download a testing app, how to pick-up your test and receive results are included in the email notifications.

BW required all returning students to complete a pre-arrival COVID-19 test prior to the start of classes on January 19 and continues to provide daily testing of symptomatic students in addition to weekly surveillance testing of a sampling of students and employees to measure the general health of the campus.

COVID-19 testing of symptomatic students is available at the BW Health Center, in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. The Health Center will administer the Cleveland Clinic-provided test and the Clinic’s lab will process and provide results. Please note that COVID-19 testing will not be available in the Health Center for BW employees. Call the BW Health Center at (440) 826-2178 for availability and assistance.

In the event an individual has tested positive for COVID-19, a team of BW employees has completed contact tracing certification to help identify and notify individuals that have had close contact during the time frame that the positive individual may have been infectious. This team will work closely with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and the Ohio Department of Health.

During the semester, the University will provide weekly updates reporting the number of confirmed positive cases on campus and the number of confirmed recovered cases on campus. This information, along with updates to all BW’s preparedness information, can be found at bw.edu/spring2021.