Weekly COVID-19 Testing Information for Students
Students:
Beginning Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, all Baylor students are required to complete a COVID 19 test weekly at an on-campus testing facility. The good news is that our team of health experts believes this testing will be key, along with current preventive health measures, to unlocking normalcy as the semester progresses and open the potential for more in-person events and activities.
Testing Assignments
Our goal is to make weekly testing as easy and convenient as possible for students with regular appointments and convenient testing locations. Each student will be pre-assigned a weekly testing day, time and location so testing can become a simple part of your everyday routine. If the pre-assigned time does not work for your schedule due to a class or work conflict, you will need to select a new time by 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18. You will receive a follow-up email with your testing assignment tomorrow morning.
Testing Process
This semester's COVID-19 tests are self-administered to enhance your comfort and convenience using a shallow, mid-nasal swab. Once you arrive at the testing tent site, you will scan the QR Code displayed outside of the tent to create a new profile in MLD's Patient Portal. In future weeks, all you will need to do is log into your MLD account and display your personalized bar code to be scanned for testing.
Once inside the tent, a My Labs Direct (MLD) staff member will instruct you on how to administer the test. You will receive an email notification 48 hours after testing via MLD that will instruct you to log in to access your test results. If you test positive, you will be contacted by a member of Baylor's Contact Tracing Team with further instructions.
Make-up Appointments
If you miss your assigned testing appointment for the week, you do not need to reschedule and can walk-in for an appointment at your designated testing location. All make-up appointments must be completed within the same week. Please note that missing your assigned testing appointment for a week may result in a "Failure to Test" charge under the Student Conduct Code as outlined below.
Incentives
In appreciation for each week of testing, you will receive a $3 food voucher to local restaurants and be entered in a drawing for end-of-semester prizes, including $5,000 tuition, $3,000 housing credit and a $1,500 bookstore credit.
Provided that our COVID-19 case numbers are low and testing compliance is more than 95 percent, we are planning to provide students a "wellness day" in which there will be no classes on Tuesday, March 9.
Failure to Test
After two instances of failing to complete a weekly test, you will not be allowed to participate in University or student organization activities (All University SING, athletic events, student organization events, campus recreation sports, access to the Student Life Center for recreation, etc.). After missing three testing appointments, your WIFI access will be disabled for the remainder of the semester. After four instances of failing to complete a weekly test, you will be referred to Student Conduct Administration for disciplinary action. Disciplinary action will include a failure to comply charge, and sanctions may include a range of options up to and including suspension.
Questions
If you have questions, please see our FAQs about Weekly Student COVID-19 Testing.
If you need further assistance, please contact the Baylor Information Call Center at 888-283-2158 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or email COVIDtesting@baylor.edu. The Call Center will be open during regular hours Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 16-17, and on Monday, Jan. 18.
We understand that the additional testing may be an inconvenience and an added burden for you during the spring semester. However, our team remains firmly resolved that weekly testing will allow us to quickly and effectively manage any COVID-19 outbreaks during the semester while also providing additional opportunities for on-campus events, meetings and activities. Faculty and staff also will be testing weekly.
Sincerely,
Baylor COVID-19 Health Management Team