Today, Jan. 22, marks the final day of student move-in at on-campus residence halls, preceding the start of face-to-face classes on Monday, Jan. 25. Although the number of students has been scaled back from initial plans, there will still be over 1,000 undergraduates moving into single-occupancy rooms on campus this week. Plans have been made by Drexel to ensure a return that is as safe as possible for all of its members, but there are still many unanswered questions.
When organizing the move-in, the university should, in theory, inform all Resident Assistants about all safety protocols and scenarios. However, many RAs are still unsure how to best proceed and how to advise residents, who are sure to have a barrage of questions. The university should be making this important information clear and easily accessible to ease concerns from the community and ensure that on-campus activities can resume safely.
The influx of new students has left the surrounding community on-edge, and many off-campus students are still uncertain what testing is available to them. All students moving into the on-campus dorms will be required to undergo COVID-19 baseline testing during assigned testing days each week upon receiving notice from the Drexel Health Tracker app.
However, testing is also available for students who are taking only remote courses and living off-campus. Whether these students are experiencing symptoms or not, they may also schedule a COVID-19 test through the Drexel Health Tracker app anytime between Monday and Friday. If no appointments are available at Drexel’s testing sites, students can utilize other locations around Philadelphia (though likely at their own expense) and report their results through the app as well.
For students arriving on campus, we implore you to stay healthy and be responsible when venturing out. Remember that you are not only a student at Drexel, but also a member of the larger Philadelphia community. Although members within the Drexel community are able to easily receive testing, many other community members cannot and need your help to prevent the virus’ spread.