Dear Arcadia Undergraduates,

We are grateful for our University community’s efforts to remain #ArcadiaStrong and focused on health and safety this semester. This academic year is off to a good start, with our All-Modes Ready planning allowing us to pivot to a mostly online format during the COVID-19 pandemic. You, the faculty, our graduate students, and staff have worked together to produce, provide, and enjoy the meaningful educational experience you have come to expect at Arcadia. 

Arcadia’s leadership, health experts, faculty, and staff continue planning for a safe and effective spring semester. Our health and safety teams continue to gather vital components in our mitigation of COVID-19 within our University community, including securing COVID-19 testing resources; you can monitor campus testing results by following our public COVID-19 dashboard. 

Health and safety remain the priority for our University community. It will dictate our options and planning decisions for the spring semester to maximize our educational and extracurricular possibilities on campus. 

Our goal is to expand the number of students learning and engaging safely on campus. Our current phase has 175 students in highly controlled learning environments on the Christiana, Willow Grove, and Glenside campuses in the Forensic Science, Physician Assistant, and Physical Therapy graduate programs, with 40 students living on the Glenside campus. We also are housing 23 students overseas at Arcadia’s London Center. 

The next phase of our approach begins Oct. 19 and will allow access to the Glenside campus facilities of the Kuch Athletic Center and outdoor fields for a limited number of users. Athletic facilities available for undergraduate student usage in the Kuch Center and areas include the Alumni Gymnasium, Indoor Track, Fitness Center, Aerobics room, Lenox Pool, Jean Lenox West Field, Weiss Tennis Courts, and Blankley Field, with limited access to Locker rooms; the Sports Training Center will be accessible to student-athletes only, and the eSports arena will be open to approved users who are a member of the varsity team. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Pool hours: 2-6 p.m.), only; Saturday-Sunday is closed. Social distancing and mask-wearing are required in all facilities. Limited use access does not extend to faculty and staff during this phase. 

Any undergraduate student who wishes to use the available campus facilities will need to complete the application process, beginning with this form; please note that applying does not guarantee access. Students must test negative for COVID-19 through Student Health Services before first use, agree to a scheduled surveillance testing process, agree to not participate in large gatherings on or off-campus, and adhere to guidelines and conditions of limited-use access. Usage will be limited, and applications will be processed in the order received. All campus usage will adhere to federal, state, county, and University health and safety guidelines to protect all members of the Arcadia community. The next phase of campus facility usage may expand to include the University Commons. 

As we monitor developments, we will continue to update information daily. As mentioned, our preparedness teams across the University are finalizing plans for the spring semester, which we will communicate to the Arcadia community by late October. We thank each of you for your remarkable efforts and dedication during this incredible year of challenges and reiterate our thanks and gratitude for all that you do. 

Sincerely,
 
Ajay Nair, Ph.D.
President

Jeff Rutenbeck, Ph.D.
Provost