Baylor resources for COVID-19 isolation/quarantine

Dear Baylor Parents,

I am grateful to report that Baylor is currently experiencing a decrease in the number of active COVID-19 cases and lower clinical and surveillance positivity rates over the past seven days. Thank you for the ways you have contributed to our success by encouraging your student to follow the guidelines and policies we have in place to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Implementing isolation and quarantine protocols is critical to ensure the health of our Baylor Family and the Waco community. That said, we recognize that being in isolation or quarantine can be a challenging experience for students. It’s hard to forego the typical experience of attending classes and participating in campus activities, even temporarily.

We want to provide as vibrant an experience as possible to our students who are isolated because of a positive COVID-19 test or quarantined because of direct exposure to someone with the virus. I’d like to make sure you and your student know about the expanded services our Student Life team is providing to students who are in isolation or quarantine.

Care Team

• Care Team Services provides students with emotional support, assists them with problem-solving, and advocates for them with faculty and staff as needed. This team serves as a point of referral and liaison to campus and community resources.
• Members of our Bear Aid team deliver meals to students who live on campus. This team is coordinated by the Missions and Public Life staff and assisted by numerous volunteers each week. Students with a meal plan can order meals that accommodate their preferences, allergies and nutritional needs. For more information about how to access this service and others that are available to students on campus, visit our Isolation and Quarantine Housing webpage. A resource guide with information about grocery delivery and other dining options is available for students who live off-campus. Information about mail and package delivery, as well as laundry services, is also included in this resource guide.

Pastoral Care

• Chapel for All, the chapel format our Spiritual Life team has implemented in light of COVID-19, allows students to watch services online and engage in reflective experiences. Spiritual Life has compiled a variety of online resources to help students grow spiritually despite the challenge of being apart from one another.

Counseling

• Students can schedule individual appointments with the Counseling Center, which offers TeleBehavioral health services. Any student who is experiencing a mental health crisis can reach the Counseling Center by calling 254-710-2467. Our counselors monitor this line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Recognizing that students who are in isolation or quarantine may want to talk with others who share their experience, the Counseling Center recently started “Quaranteam,” a group counseling experience offered on Zoom for students to receive and offer support.

Campus Recreation

• The Campus Rec team has prepared body-mass workouts that students who are in isolation or quarantine can do in their rooms without equipment.
• Quarantined students can participate in Go Time, an opportunity to come to the outdoor fitness court for sunshine, fresh air and socially distanced fitness activities. Students will receive a weekly sign-up link via email.

Contact Tracing Isolation and Quarantine Call Teams

• As part of our contact tracing efforts, a separate team within this initiative is responsible for making regular check-in calls to all students in isolation or quarantine. These routine calls are used to check the health status of students in isolation or quarantine and determine if they need additional support for academics, social support, or other needs.

Please encourage your student to access these resources. If your on-campus student is overwhelmed and looking for guidance, his or her Community Leader (CL) is an excellent place to start. If your student resides off campus, the Care Team noted above is an excellent resource. They can be reached at 254-710-7069 or careteam@baylor.edu.

I’m grateful to the Student Life team for their creativity and responsiveness to student needs. These colleagues continue to adapt our programming to bring the Baylor experience to our students who are managing the challenges of COVID-19. Our goal is to make isolation and quarantine as manageable and positive as possible.

As always, I appreciate your prayers and partnership.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President