2021-2022COVID-19 Information

Westmont expects full enrollment on campus this fall, with students living in the residence halls, attending class indoors, eating in the Dining Commons, and returning to Murchison Gym for chapel services three times a week.

The college will continue to offer some classes outside and provide outdoor seating for dining.

In accordance with Santa Barbara County regulations, everyone attending classes and events indoors or working in shared offices will wear masks at all times.

“We’re bringing people back to campus again and will continue to do that as safely as possible,” says Jason Taverez, director of institutional safety. Last year, Westmont students lived on campus and attended some classes remotely and others in person outdoors. Frequent testing and contact tracing greatly limited the number of COVID-19 cases, and the college maintained a positivity rate close to 1 percent.

To return to campus, students must present proof of vaccination or a negative COVD-19 test administered in the past five days. Unvaccinated students will undergo regular, rapid testing throughout the year, and students developing COVID-19 or exposed to someone with the illness will be isolated.

Faculty, staff and students will continue to report their symptoms (or lack of symptoms) daily if they come to campus or participate in any activities on campus.

Westmont will continue urging all faculty, staff and students to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

If enough people express interest in being vaccinated, Westmont may offer this service on campus.

Masks

• Masks are required at all times when indoors with the following exceptions:
  • When eating and drinking.
  • When in your room with only your roommate.

Testing

• Westmont will pay for both random and symptomatic testing.
• Vaccinated students will not need to be tested unless they develop symptoms, and they
  may request a COVID-19 test at any time.
• Unvaccinated students will be randomly tested throughout the semester using our new
  rapid antigen tests, which are far less invasive and yield results in 5 minutes. Students
  testing positive will then get a rapid PCR test with results available in 15 minutes.
• All students with symptoms—vaccinated and unvaccinated—will be tested.

Quarantine

• Vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine after an exposure. We simply ask
  you to monitor your health and report any COVID-like symptoms to
  Institutional Resilience and get tested as soon as possible.
• Unvaccinated students exposed to someone testing positive for COVID-19 or exhibiting
  COVID-like symptoms will be required to quarantine.
  • Students exposed to someone testing positive for COVID-19 can test out of
    quarantine five days after their last contact via a PCR test.
  • Students exposed to someone experiencing COVID-like symptoms can be
    released from quarantine if the individual exhibiting symptoms tests negative for
    COVID-19.

Isolation

• All COVID-positive students will be required to isolate. We’ll have a limited number of isolation rooms on campus this semester. Because of these space limitations, the college reserves the right to send students to the Best Western in downtown Santa Barbara by Cottage Hospital.
  • Students without symptoms who test positive for COVID-19 will be isolated for 10
    days from the date they received their test results.
  • Students with symptoms who test positive may leave isolation 10 days following
    the onset of symptoms, assuming all symptoms are resolving and they’ve been
    without a fever for 24 hours.
  • Unvaccinated students who test positive for COVID-19 and are housed off
    campus temporarily for isolation may be responsible for any out-of-pocket
    expenses incurred during their stay, including the cost of the hotel room and any
    meals.
  • Westmont will cover the cost of housing and meals during isolation off campus
    for vaccinated students who test positive for COVID-19, similar to what the
    college did last year.

Guests

• You may have guests in your rooms, but you must all wear masks during those times.
  • No overnight guests will be allowed in residence hall rooms.