COVID-19 Updates

At this time, students participating in a residential program in 2023 will be required to be fully vaccinated, where allowable by U.S. law. Commuter students will not be required to be vaccinated, at this time. 

While some of our university partners are finalizing a policy around which vaccines will be required, the U.S. is following the World Health Organization’s approved vaccines which include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Astra Zenica, and Sinovac.  We expect that our university partners will follow similar guidelines. If an international (non-U.S.) student is not able to be vaccinated in their country of residence prior to arriving on campus, or if an international (non-U.S.) student is not able to receive an approved vaccine, they must cancel by June 1, 2023, and will be eligible to (1) transfer to an online program (2) roll-over their enrollment to Summer 2024 or (3) receive a full refund less the application fee and optional travel/tuition insurance. 

Families will be asked to provide their vaccine information through our Health Form Portal. This portal provides a way for families to securely share medical information with our staff prior to campus arrival. Families should be prepared to upload copies of their vaccination card as well as dosage dates and batch number information. Our Health Form Portal will be available in March.  

Yes, families will have the opportunity to submit a Medical/Religious exemption request.  All requests must be started within 10 days of enrollment and will be thoroughly vetted by our operations and compliance team who will work closely with our university partners to understand their protocols.   
  
Only exemptions that are for bona fide purposes will be considered. Our review team will examine the request to determine if reasonable accommodation can be arranged without creating potential undue burden or hardship on the part of the program and/or host campus.   

This process can take 2-3 weeks and does not guarantee the exemption will be granted. Further, if an exemption is deemed bona fide, it does not guarantee that reasonable accommodation can be arranged. Should an exemption request be denied or our review team determines that reasonable accommodations cannot be made, students will be eligible for a refund so long as the exemption request was started within 10 days of enrollment. Please email info@summerdiscovery.com for more information and applicable forms. 

At this time, students and staff will not be required to wear facial coverings while indoors and near other participants in small group settings unless explicitly mandated by university policies or if observed trends warrant a temporary increase in our safety precautions. Masking and safe social distancing will be encouraged while outside in group settings and while eating as appropriate. Our protocols may shift based on CDC and university guidelines.  

All students and staff will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID test prior to arrival at any on-campus program. Tests must be taken within 48 hours prior to arrival at the program. Students will provide test results via our online Health Form Portal.  

Vaccinated students will not be expected to receive regular testing.  

Staff and students with approved medical or religious vaccine exemptions will be required to complete COVID testing according to the university’s guidance which could be once or twice weekly. In addition, students or staff with these exemptions must test if they have any potential direct exposure to COVID. More details regarding what this process will look like at each campus will be determined and communicated closer to the program start date.

We are actively working to minimize and prevent COVID transmission on campus, but we are prepared should a student test positive.    

Students who demonstrate symptoms for COVID or test positive on a rapid test will be moved into isolation and monitored. They will be tested again and if the positive test is confirmed we will work with the family’s COVID 19 Point of Contact to determine an action plan. Some universities may require that any student that tests positive depart the campus for a minimum of five days, possibly longer depending on the severity of the case. If the student is allowed to remain on campus, the student will be housed apart from other students and supervised by staff, unless the COVID 19 Point of Contact can pick the student up to provide more individualized care during their recovery. Once the student tests negative after Day 5 and is no longer symptomatic, they may return to the program with a doctor’s written release, and will be required to wear facial masks at all times while around students or staff for an additional five days. University policies pertaining to remaining on campus during COVID are subject to change and expect to be finalized as we move closer to the summer season.  

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, a parent or guardian will be notified immediately, and the student will be moved into isolation. Depending on the university policy, a parent or guardian may be asked to pick their student up from the program as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after being notified. If a parent or guardian is not available, we will use the contact designated on the “COVID-19 Point of Contact” form. Any costs associated with healthcare, travel, meals, accommodation, or anything additionally related to isolation or immediate pick-up are to be covered by the family.  

We understand not everyone lives close to our program locations. However, this year, we are requiring that families designate a “COVID-19 Point of Contact” who will be able to pick a student up from campus within 24-hours of a positive COVID-19 case if needed. This policy is designed to keep students and staff safe and healthy and help to not spread the virus.