This staged process gives the university the ability to evaluate and quickly deploy strategies to increase personal and campus safety and reduce the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in the surrounding community.

The campus alert levels begin at "new normal" functioning and they progress through more restrictive measures which, at the highest level, could result in a closing of the campus. Campus changes in each level may include shifts between online and in-person classes, class size densities, on-campus housing availability and expanded or reduced research. Policies for campus guests and organized social activities may also require more mitigation measures based on the campus status. 

Each alert level corresponds to a numerical range that represents the average score of the 11 factors used to monitor campus conditions. 

 

Status Alert Levels

Alert Level: New Normal (0.00-0.50)

Campus is fully open under ‘new normal’ conditions with primary risk mitigation measures in effect

Follow recommended COVID-19 prevention strategies (e.g., hand washing, physical distancing, wear a face covering)

Alert Level 1: Low (0.51-1.50)

Campus open fully or partially with additional, elevated risk mitigation measures in place in targeted areas

Increase efforts to limit your personal exposure by reducing group interactions and increasing surface/environment cleaning

Alert Level 2: Moderate (1.51-2.50)

Campus open partially, with additional, elevated risk mitigation measures in place throughout campus

Limit everyday activities to increase safety. (Note: There is a potential for temporary restrictions in certain areas of campus where there are known cases.)

Alert Level 3: High (2.51-3.00)

Campus activity is limited; significant alterations to academic and student support operations; a potential shift to virtual delivery of education

Take strong measures to limit all contact. (Note: There is a potential for the reduction of the campus population due to a broader outbreak.)

 

Campus Condition Factors

Campus status indicators include:

• Campus Testing – Availability, capacity and turnaround time for all forms of COVID testing for students, faculty and staff.
• Contact Tracing – The ability of campus health team to contact trace all of those exposed to newly identified cases among students, faculty and staff within 48hrs.
• Isolation and Quarantine Capacity – A measure of the available of on-campus beds for isolation and quarantine.
• Environmental Monitoring – The capacity to conduct early detection to identify COVID spikes and focus specific mitigation strategies to areas of outbreak.
• Campus Case Burden – The levels at which active campus cases triggers increased health and safety measures.
• Infection Prevention Supplies – The availability and distribution of items such as face coverings, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.
• Campus Health Center Capacity – The availability of UofSC health care facilities, staff and equipment needed to provide quality physical and mental health care to the campus community.
• Community Health Center Capacity – The availability of regional health care facilities, staff and equipment needed to provide quality physical and mental health care for the Midlands and for South Carolina in general.
• Mitigation Behaviors – Compliance by students, faculty and staff with behaviors intended to reduce the spread of COVID, to include wearing of face coverings, maintaining social (physical) distance, and frequent hand washing.
• Campus Impact on Operations – The presence and impact of COVID on the availability of the campus workforce, facilities, supplies and the impact of adverse weather/natural disasters on existing resources.
• Community Impact on Operations – The presence and impact of COVID on the Midlands and the impact of adverse weather/natural disasters on the community’s ability to respond to those challenges.

The University Emergency Management Team, with direct assistance and advice from the Arnold School of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Nursing, the School of Medicine and Student Health Services, provides daily updates to the president and cabinet to enable timely and data-driven decisions and guidance. These decisions and guidance will be reviewed regularly by the Future Planning Group, deans and vice presidents for awareness, input and implementation.