The health and safety of Warren Wilson College students, faculty and staff is our top priority.

Fall 2022

Below is important information about Fall semester 2022.

Masking Optional

After careful consideration from the COVID Task Force and Cabinet and in collaboration with our local and regional health partners, Warren Wilson will move to mask optional in all buildings with the exception of the Health Center beginning Wednesday, September 7th. Masks will also continue to be required for COVID-exposed students, faculty, and staff.

Classes 

Except for a small number of pre-approved on-line courses, all classes will be in person. Quarantine procedures (see below) will be followed for all students, faculty, and staff who test positive. Academic affairs will communicate with students who are asked to quarantine or isolate and will coordinate with faculty to develop an academic plan for absences. This plan may vary per class (and change to fit the particular moment in the course). 

Work

Work will be in person. Crew supervisors will provide more information during the first work crew meeting regarding procedures due to any COVID-related absences as well as basic expectations for attendance while maintaining a safe work environment.

Vaccination Status

Warren Wilson requires every staff, faculty, and student to be vaccinated or to complete a form for an allowable exemption. All returning staff and students who have already turned in their status do not need to do this again. 

All new incoming students should complete the Vaccination Verification Form before Orientation begins. It is available on the New Student page of myWWC (under Admissions and Aid). 

If you are faculty, staff, or a student with an exemption, weekly testing is no longer required.  

Vaccinations with up to date boosters remain the best protection against COVID, including the variants, to prevent severe illness. The College will no longer require and track booster updates though we strongly encourage all community members to stay up to date on recommended COVID boosters. To learn more about the booster shots please review CDC information. 

Quarantine Space 

Students will have several different options for quarantine depending upon individual circumstances. Students who are symptomatic or suspect that they may have be COVID positive will work with our Health Center staff to be screened to determine whether to quarantine or isolate. All students are encouraged to think about and consider their options should they need to quarantine off-campus. We will maintain limited space on campus for those students who do not have other options. 

Quarantine/Isolation Guidelines 

Our COVID protocols were developed using CDC guidance, NC State guidelines, and in collaboration with Buncombe County Health and Human Services. It is important to note that our quarantine and isolation times may be different from other state guidelines and other colleges due to the fact that we are following Buncombe County guidelines.  

Students, please remember that the Health Center staff need to be informed when you are exposed to a positive person, are a direct contact, or have symptoms of your own.  The Health Center staff are the only folks who can officially release you from quarantine or isolation and will utilize the testing available in our area.

Calculating Quarantine – If you were exposed

The date of exposure is considered Day 0. Day 1 is the first full day after your last contact with a person who has had COVID-19. More information about when and how to quarantine based on vaccination status and an individual’s situation is below.

Calculating Isolation – If you are sick or test positive

Day 0 is your first day of symptoms or a positive viral test. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed or your test specimen was collected. If you have COVID-19 or have symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days. If asymptomatic, Day 0 is the day tested and day 1 is the first full day following the day tested. More information about isolation is below.

Exposure

Exposure refers to contact with someone infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in a way that increases the likelihood of getting infected with the virus.

Close Contact

A close contact is someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinical diagnosis) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. For example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes. People who are exposed to someone with COVID-19 after they completed at least 5 days of isolation are not considered close contacts.

 IF YOU Were exposed to COVID-19 and are NOT up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations (including any booster dose(s) when eligible):

• Stay home and quarantine for at least 5 full days.
• Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home.
• Do not travel. If you must travel during days 6-10, take precautions.
• Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
• Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
• If you develop symptoms, isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. 
• Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask. Avoid being around people who are at high risk.

IF YOU Were exposed to COVID-19 and are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations (including any booster dose(s) when eligible):

• No quarantine – You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms.
• Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
• Watch for symptoms for 10 days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
• If you develop symptoms – isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others.
• Take precautions until day 10
• Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask. 
• Take precautions if traveling
• Avoid being around people who are at high risk.

IF YOU were exposed to COVID-19 and already had confirmed COVID-19 within the past 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test):

• No quarantine
• You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms.
• Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
•  If you develop symptoms – isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others.
• Take precautions until day 10.
• Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask.
• Take precautions if traveling.
• Avoid being around people who are at high risk.

 IF YOU Tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status:

• Stay home for 5 days and isolate from others in your home.
• Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home.
• Do not travel.
• Ending isolation if you had symptoms – End isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are improving.
• Ending isolation if you did NOT have symptoms – End isolation after at least 5 full days after your positive test.
• If you were severely ill with COVID-19 or are immunocompromised – You should isolate for at least 10 days. Consult your doctor before ending isolation.
• Take precautions until day 10.
• Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask.
• Do not travel – Do not travel until a full 10 days after your symptoms started or the date your positive test was taken if you had no symptoms.
• Avoid being around people who are at high risk.

State and County Testing Resources

BCHHS Testing Information:

https://www.buncombecounty.org/countycenter/news-detail.aspx?id=18637

NC Find MY Testing Place:

https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/about-covid-19/testing/find-my-testing-place

CARES Act HEERF Updates

Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting for all HEERF I, II, and III Grant Funds (Updated July 7, 2022)

HEERF III (Institutional Portion) report for the quarter ending 03/31/2022 (Updated April 4, 2022)

FINAL UPDATE July 2, 2020:

CARES Act Higher Education Relief Fund for Students – Public Announcement and FAQs, May 21

About CARES Act Funding

The recently enacted federal CARES Act HEERF has provided federal funding to educational institutions to distribute for emergency student grants.  The purpose of the student grants is to provide financial assistance to students for expenses that are a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to the impact of the coronavirus.

Was Warren Wilson College included in this Funding Allocation Under the CARES Act?

Yes, in April, President Morton received notification and information about the CARES Act HEERF funding from the Secretary of Education.  Soon after, authorized personnel signed and returned the Certification and Agreement form to the Department of Education as required to receive the funding specifically for Warren Wilson College.  In that certification, the college agreed to appropriately spend the $388,269, representative of the 50% student allocation received under Section 18004 (a)(1) of the CARES Act, to provide emergency grants to our students.  In addition, the college must certify that they have continued to pay all eligible employees and contractors during the period of disruptions or closures to the greatest extent practicable.  We have also complied with this stipulation to the greatest extent practicable.

What Kinds of Expenses are these CARES Act HEERF Student Grants to cover?

Examples of expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the impact of the coronavirus are food, housing, course materials, technology needs, health care, or childcare.

What are the Eligibility Criteria for the CARES Act HEERF Student Grants?

Students who meet all criteria below are eligible for the CARES Act HEERF student grants:

1. Working towards an undergraduate degree at Warren Wilson College
2. Actively enrolled as of March 13, 2020, in the Spring 2020 semester, in at least one in-person course, even if that course moved to an online format due to the coronavirus pandemic
3. Have a valid 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with Warren Wilson College Financial Aid Office

Per the US Department of Education, international students and undocumented students are not currently eligible to receive CARES Act HEERF student grants.

How Much Will I Receive?

Warren Wilson College elected to equitably serve those considered eligible to receive the funding stipulated above.  We have simply divided the total funds received by the total number of those eligible from above.  The total number of those eligible is 535 students.  Dividing our funding level of $388,269 by 535 computes to allow for $725.74  per eligible student.

Are there any actions required of those eligible?

Eligible students do not need to take any action to receive these grant funds.

When will I receive these funds if I am eligible?

Our goal is to process these grants by the end of May 2020.

How will I receive these funds if I am eligible?

All eligible students will receive a check mailed to their address on file.  If you recently completed the room and board refund form, then we will utilize those addresses.  Since this program is focused specifically on student emergency grants, the checks will be made payable to the student only and to the address on file. In order to keep the grant program processes flowing efficiently, we are unable to accommodate special requests at this time due to the heavy volume of inquiries we are experiencing in the financial services area.

What if I currently owe tuition or other expenses to Warren Wilson College?

The full amount of the CARES Act HEERF student grants will be given directly to eligible students and will not pay any outstanding balances due to the College.  Any outstanding balances due to Warren Wilson College remain the responsibility of the student.

If I am eligible for the CARES Act HEERF student grant, is it taxable? 

No.  Emergency student grants under the CARES Act HEERF are qualified disaster relief payments per the US Internal Revenue Code and are deemed not taxable.

If I am eligible, will I need to repay this CARES Act HEERF student grant?

No, this one-time grant received under the CARES Act HEERF funding does not need to be repaid.

Has the college distributed any CARES Act HEERF student grants as of 5/22/2020?

No.  As our process stipulates above, our goal is to distribute these funds by the end of May 2020.

This Question and Answer format serves to comply with Warren Wilson College’s Department of Educations required 30-day reporting requirement as of 5/22/20.