Limestone University has announced its on-campus protocols related to COVID-19 for the Fall 2021 semester.
Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker has revealed that while the coronavirus vaccine is being strongly encouraged, it will not be mandated by the Gaffney-based institution.
However, prior to arrival on campus, students will be asked to provide Limestone with proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within a specified amount of days prior to coming to campus. For the previous three semesters, Limestone students have been required to provide proof of a negative test prior to moving into campus housing and starting classes.
Based on current health projections, Limestone expects protective face masks and social distancing will not be required this fall, but those who feel more comfortable wearing protective face masks and social distancing will be welcome to do so, Parker noted.
“We are looking forward to the Saints family being back on campus in August – including our students, faculty, and staff,” Parker said. “For those who have been fully vaccinated, the risk for COVID-19 infection is very low. Because of the prominence of the vaccine, we will not be requiring protective face masks on campus for the upcoming fall semester. If someone decides to wear a mask, we will certainly respect that decision. For those who are unvaccinated, it is going to be recommended that they do wear masks because there are still risks of infection out there.
“There are some dangerous variants of the virus floating around,” Parker continued. “For those who are unvaccinated, the potential practices for quarantining and isolation, if they are exposed, may be different. Knowing that people will be making different choices when it comes to vaccinations, it is going to be important for Limestone to know the status before the year starts for students, faculty, and staff members. While the risk of exposure for someone who has been vaccinated is minimal, we will be contact tracing and then informing those who are unvaccinated if they have been possibly exposed. Of course, we will continue to monitor the evolving conditions and adjust as necessary.”
Contact tracing will be conducted for unvaccinated close contacts (any unvaccinated individual within six feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more) of laboratory-confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients, and those unvaccinated individuals identified as close contacts will require a period of self-quarantine. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will be isolated from the campus community for the appropriate period of time.
Student-athletes at Limestone who are not vaccinated may be subject to testing protocols as determined by the NCAA and respective conferences. Parker said student-athletes might want to take testing procedures into consideration when making their vaccination choices.
Limestone students, especially those from foreign countries, who are in areas where vaccinations are not readily available will have the opportunity to receive the vaccine once they get to campus.
“Because of the dedication and commitment of our entire campus, we have been as successful as any institution in protecting our university community throughout the coronavirus pandemic, diminishing the impact of the virus, and continuing to provide a meaningful educational experience for our students,” Parker said. “We take great pride in how our Saints responded to those past challenges, and we feel confident our campus community will remain just as diligent in the months ahead.”
Classes for the Fall 2021 semester at Limestone will begin on Monday, August 23.
The South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) reported recently that 94 percent of the COVID-19 cases during the time of June 1-14 were among people who were not fully vaccinated. DHEC also reported that each of the 11 deaths attributed to COVID-19 during that period were among those not fully vaccinated against the virus.
April 2, 2021
April 1, 2021
A COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be held at Limestone University tomorrow, Tuesday, April 6, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., inside the Timken Center.
The single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered (with this vaccine, a second shot is not necessary).
Those interested should contact Limestone University Human Resources Director Janie Corry for the required paperwork: jcorry@limestone.edu.
Participants should also bring their insurance cards with them on Tuesday.
The vaccines are being administered by the Medicine Mart Pharmacy, with assistance from the Limestone Health Center, and with approval from DHEC.
The COVID-19 vaccine shots are available only to Limestone University students, faculty, and staff members who are interested.
For more information, please contact Human Resources.
February 18, 2021
Limestone University’s Timken Center parking lot will be the site for free COVID-19 testing on Monday, February 22, and Tuesday, February 23, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day.
Free testing is available for Limestone’s faculty, staff, and students.
Members of the Limestone campus community are urged to make an appointment if possible, by sending an email with your desired date and time to healthcenter@limestone.edu.
Both walk-up and drive-thru options will be available. Results from the testing will be available in approximately two to three days.
Members of the local community can also show up to be tested (Limestone Health Center appointment is not necessary for members of the local community).
Limestone’s Campus Safety and the National Guard will be on-site to handle traffic flow in the area.
The testing is being made available through Limestone’s partnerships with DHEC and Healthy Me, Healthy SC.
The Limestone community is reminded that masks are mandatory in all classrooms and across campus. To help limit the spread of COVID-19, do not share drinks; do not share masks; clean your hands often; cough or sneeze in your bent elbow - not your hands; avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; limit social gatherings and time spent in crowded places; void close contact with someone who is sick, and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
JANUARY 6, 2021
To protect the health and well-being of the campus community, it is essential that Limestone University students have a COVID-19 diagnostic test no later than 10 days prior to the start of the spring semester that begins in January of 2021. Students must submit online the necessary testing results prior to moving back into residential housing or attending classes on the Day Campus in Gaffney.
As was the case prior to the beginning of the current 2020-2021 academic year that started this past August, Limestone Day Campus students are required to show proof of COVID-19 testing before moving into residence halls (for residents) or before attending the first day of classes (for non-residents). Testing information must be sent to healthcenter@limestone.edu (non-athletes) or submitted to Athletics (athletes) and can include one of the following:
Limestone University expects all students to be tested for COVID-19. Individuals should obtain a test shortly before their return to campus, by a method of their choosing. Testing may be obtained through community-based testing sites (many at no charge), commercial providers, or a primary care physician. If a student cannot obtain a test in the needed window, one can be administered upon arrival on campus for a fee. Please contact the Health Center to schedule.
Please note that a proof of a positive test in the last 90 days will also be accepted in order to move into residence halls and/or attend classes.
JANUARY 4, 2021
New students may move into campus housing on Friday, January 8. Please refer to the Orientation Schedule for details:
limestone.edu/admissions/undergraduate/orientation
Returning students may move back into campus housing on Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
L-Cards will be automatically activated for those students who have submitted their Covid-19 test results to the Student Health Center and have paid their respective bills with the Business Office. If not cleared medically and/or financially, students will need to visit those respective offices prior to moving back into campus housing.
The first day of classes is Monday, January 11, 2021.
Students who need to make adjustments to their class schedules should contact their Academic Advisor.
If any student does not plan to return to Limestone University for the spring semester, please contact Stacey Mason at smason@limestone.edu.
Thank you for your cooperation, and thank you for being SAINTS!
To protect the health and well-being of the campus community, it is essential that Limestone University students have a COVID-19 diagnostic test no later than 10 days prior to the start of the spring semester that begins in January of 2021. Students must submit online the necessary testing results prior to moving back into residential housing or attending classes on the Day Campus in Gaffney.
As was the case prior to the beginning of the current 2020-2021 academic year that started this past August, Limestone Day Campus students are required to show proof of COVID-19 testing before moving into residence halls (for residents) or before attending the first day of classes (for non-residents). Testing information must be sent to healthcenter@limestone.edu (non-athletes) or submitted to Athletics (athletes) and can include one of the following:
Limestone University expects all students to be tested for COVID-19. Individuals should obtain a test shortly before their return to campus, by a method of their choosing. Testing may be obtained through community-based testing sites (many at no charge), commercial providers, or a primary care physician. If a student cannot obtain a test in the needed window, one can be administered upon arrival on campus for a fee. Please contact the Health Center to schedule.
DECEMBER 7, 2020
Due to the unique challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Limestone University has made changes to the academic calendar. The changes support our efforts to minimize exposure and the probability of infection spread on campus by reducing travel during breaks. Please see the PDF file below for details!
2021 Fall Semester Academic ScheduleNovember 13, 2020
To protect the health and well-being of the campus community, it is essential that Limestone University students have a COVID-19 diagnostic test no later than 10 days prior to the start of the spring semester that begins in January of 2021. Students must submit online the necessary testing results prior to moving back into residential housing or attending classes on the Day Campus in Gaffney.
As was the case prior to the beginning of the current 2020-2021 academic year that started this past August, Limestone Day Campus students are required to show proof of COVID-19 testing before moving into residence halls (for residents) or before attending the first day of classes (for non-residents). Testing information must be sent to healthcenter@limestone.edu (non-athletes) or submitted to Athletics (athletes) and can include one of the following:
Limestone University expects all students to be tested for COVID-19. Individuals should obtain a test shortly before their return to campus, by a method of their choosing. Testing may be obtained through community-based testing sites (many at no charge), commercial providers, or a primary care physician. If a student cannot obtain a test in the needed window, one can be administered upon arrival on campus for a fee. Please contact the Health Center to schedule.
Thank you for your cooperation, and thank you for being SAINTS!
August 27, 2020
Limestone University students and faculty are back in the classroom, and the Saints are returning to the playing fields as the 2020 fall semester gets ready to wrap up its second week.
The new term officially got underway on Monday, Aug. 17, and according to Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker, spirits are high as the institution enjoys its first semester as a university.
“To say our students are thrilled to be back on campus would be a huge understatement,” said Parker. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, like most schools across the country, we moved to remote learning during the spring semester. A lot has happened on our campus since then, including the new three-story library and student center coming out of the ground, the start of construction on a new front campus amphitheater, all the new signage, and of course, the name change to Limestone University. Everyone has been so excited about all the improvements – and they’re obviously happy to be out of their houses back at home and here on campus with their friends and classmates.”
Limestone is randomly testing 125 students per week for COVID-19, and during its first week, there was only one positive test that caused an asymptomatic student to be isolated. That case led to Limestone’s contact tracing protocol that resulted in additional students being quarantined.
“In our first week, we started testing on that Tuesday, so we tested 100 students and had just one positive case,” Parker explained. “That’s a positive rate of only one percent, which means our students are doing the right things when they are on campus and off-campus as far as washing their hands, wearing their face masks, and social distancing as much as possible.
“Compared to the big public schools that have tens of thousands of students, here at Limestone we can test a large percentage of our student body in a short amount of time,” he continued. “There have been some rumors that Limestone has over 100 positive cases, most likely because the word has gotten out that we are testing over 100 students per week. And because students are being quarantined due to contact tracing, that, of course, does not mean any of those tested positive, but that misconception has certainly been out there.”
In addition to classes resuming on campus, the NCAA recently approved for athletic teams to begin conditioning drills, with on-field practices to be phased-in soon.
“We have protocols in place for dealing with positive tests and quarantines and they are working,” Parker said. “But more than anything, it takes buy-in from the students and the entire campus community to keep us here with face-to-face classes and activities, instead of returning to remote learning. Our students really are being Saints.”
In an effort to mitigate exposure to COVID-19, Limestone opted to cancel fall break for its students, and in-person classes will end prior to Thanksgiving, with all final exams taking place online.
Accompanying Photo: Limestone mascot "Bernie" wearing his protective face mask on campus.
July 29, 2020
Limestone University’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic needs the support of our students to be successful.
To protect the health and well-being of the campus community, it is essential that Limestone University students have a COVID-19 diagnostic test prior to the new 2020-2021 academic year that begins in August. Students must submit online the necessary testing results prior to moving into residential housing or attending classes on the Day Campus in Gaffney.
Limestone Day Campus students are required to show proof of COVID-19 testing before moving into residence halls (for residents) or before attending the first day of classes (for non-residents). Testing information must be uploaded using the Student COVID-19 Response Questionnaire (non-athletes) or submitted to Athletics (athletes) and can include one of the following:
Limestone University expects all students to be tested for COVID-19. Individuals should obtain a test shortly before their return to campus, by a method of their choosing. Testing may be obtained through community-based testing sites (many at no charge), commercial providers, or a primary care physician.
Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by the Department of Student Success for guidance.
If a student tests positive for COVID-19 after coming to campus and/or beginning face-to-face classes, Limestone’s response actions will include health monitoring, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, as well as a heightened disinfection of classrooms and other necessary areas.
Limestone University remains confident in its plan to reopen. Our Crisis Response Team has worked diligently to develop our plan that embodies best practices in risk mitigation and provides clear indicators of when and how to adapt to changing conditions. We will be re-evaluating our plan regularly to create the safest possible conditions in which to study, work, and live together at Limestone.
Our plan to mitigate risk and limit the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in the local community will succeed only if every student, faculty, and staff member commits to appropriate public health behavior both on and off-campus.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
If you have questions regarding the necessary COVID-19 testing, please send an email covidresponse@limestone.edu.
July 13, 2020
Your pursuit of a degree at Limestone is important. Limestone University transforms students’ lives. Your time in college will influence not only your future career, but also the communities you help and future generations of your families. There are risks of bringing students, faculty, and staff together for the fall. However, the risks are manageable, acceptable, and lower than many other environments and occupation. We will not lose the educational future of your generation from a lack of risk management and planning.
We are doing things to reduce the risk on campus, but Limestone is not an island. The risks of our community, state, and nation will intrude. Limestone has been safer than most places and can continue to be so. However, I do not want confidence in our ability to manage risk and reopen to create the illusion that you are immune to the state of the planet. It is important to stay aware, acknowledge, and manage your risk.
The Limestone University campus crisis response teams and various task forces and working groups, as well as cabinet, have been developing plans to reopen with improved safety, cleanliness, and social distancing in the fall. However, you manage your risk by being informed about the risk and modifying your behavior to reduce the risk.
How will Limestone respond when someone tests positive and move to prevent an outbreak?
Awareness and acceptance of the responsibility of risk management by each individual is the key to campus safety. It is going to be a great year, but an unusual fall semester! Thank you for choosing Limestone University!
Dr. Darrell Parker
President, Limestone University