Message to CAS Students from the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities

Hello LC Students,

As the semester comes to a close, the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities would like to thank you all for your hard work this semester. Not only did you complete countless homework assignments and tests, but you also have helped our community stay safe during a global pandemic. Due to your diligence, our COVID-19 cases have remained low and our campus has been able to stay open.

That being said, we know that fatigue with the pandemic is setting in, and as the semester winds to a close, many of us want to celebrate with our friends. Over the past few weeks, our office has seen new reports about large gatherings on campus, both in the residence halls and on the campus grounds. Given Governor Brown’s new directives, the uptick in COVID-19 cases nationwide, and our newly reported cases on campus, we cannot stress enough the risk that these gatherings pose to the safety of our community. These gatherings not only put you at risk, but they also pose a threat to the safety of our LC staff, faculty, community neighbors, and the families of those students traveling home in the coming weeks.

This is a reminder that according to our COVID-19 Mitigation Policy, failure to comply with COVID-related health guidelines issued by state, local, federal, or Lewis & Clark College is prohibited. As a reminder, our current guidelines from the College include:

• No more than 2 additional residents are allowed in a residential room regardless of residence room type;
• Observe all occupancy limits as posted in common spaces;
• Students must limit their social interactions to their own residence hall complexes;
• Masks must be worn and social distancing must be observed at all times when you are not inside your residence hall room;
• No visitors from off-campus are permitted in the residence halls;
• Off-campus travel is restricted to essential travel only (grocery store and doctor’s visits);
• Residential students must limit social gatherings to their six-person pods for the remainder of their time on campus.

Behaviors that ignore healthy guidelines and endanger the safety of community members can result in disciplinary action ranging from a warning up to removal from the campus community. For students found to be participating in large gatherings on or off campus, particularly given the current circumstances in the pandemic, we will be considering whether it is appropriate for you to continue living on campus this semester, as well as in the Spring semester.

Community members are encouraged to promote public health by reminding one another of social distancing and transmission reducing behaviors. When it feels unsafe for you to intervene in a situation that poses a risk to our community, we encourage you to submit a report.

We are wishing you a successful remainder of the semester and safe travels if you are returning home. Please do not hesitate to email srr@lclark.edu if you have any questions about COVID-19 policy.

The Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities