KEYSER, W.Va. – West Virginia University Potomac State College’s spring 2022 semester will begin Monday, Jan. 10, with many of the current COVID-19 campus health and safety protocols remaining in place as health officials monitor the emerging omicron variant.
“It is important, even though we may be weary of the pandemic, that we do not let down our guard,” said Dr. Jeffrey Coben, dean of the School of Public Health and associate vice president for Health Affairs. “We have had success to this point in mitigating the impact of the virus on our campuses because our faculty, staff and students have taken this threat seriously, and I urge that we continue to take care of ourselves and each other. Please consider getting fully vaccinated, including a booster dose if applicable.”
Mask protocols
Masks will continue to be required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in all classrooms, labs or any WVU System facility or building being used as a classroom across all campuses.
Masks are expected, but not required, for those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 in all indoor settings as well as outdoors where large groups are gathered. Additionally, masks will be required, regardless of vaccination status, for passengers using Potomac State College transportation through March 18, 2022, under updated federal guidelines from the Transportation Security Administration.
COVID-19 module for new, incoming students
New students starting at Potomac State College this spring are required to take the COVID-19 education module by Jan. 9, 2022. Those who are returning this spring do not need to retake the module. Those required to take the module will receive an email soon from covidmodule@notify.wvu.edu with more information on how to complete the module. Please check junk and spam folders for expected emails that have not been directed to the inbox.
Vaccines
WVU continues to strongly urge everyone across all campuses to be fully vaccinated and to get a COVID-19 booster. Employees and students, especially new students starting this spring, are asked to verify their vaccine status at http://myhousing.wvu.edu.
Our campus’ BSN students who are involved in patient care are required to follow separate WVU Health System’s or other clinical provider’s policies, including those related to COVID-19, such as masks, PPE and vaccinations. This aligns with those on the Health Sciences Campus in Morgantown including residents, fellows and students.
Some faculty, staff and students working on or in connection with certain federal contracts may be required by executive order to be vaccinated. Questions may be directed to
talentandculture@mail.wvu.edu.
Free vaccine sites in Keyser include:
- CVS Pharmacy, 45 South Mineral Street, (304) 788-3443
- Med-A-Save Pharmacy, 818 South Mineral Street, (304) 788-6010
- Walgreens Pharmacy, 839 South Mineral Street, (304) 788-5931
- Walmart Pharmacy, Located in the Walmart Supercenter, 148 US Route 220, (304) 788-8170
- Mineral County Health Department, Wednesdays, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive. Other days by appointment, (304) 788-1321
The World Health Organization and CDC have added Sinopharm and Sinovac to the list of approved COVID-19 vaccines. WVU now also considers these vaccines among the list of those that are approved for students and employees.
Other vaccination opportunities can be found at vaccines.gov. Vaccines continue to be readily available across the country.
Testing and monitoring
Potomac State College will not conduct campus-wide COVID-19 testing at the start of the semester nor will the College conduct sample/surveillance testing throughout the semester.
Regarding COVID-19 testing, the local Mineral County Health Department is offering the community free COVID-19 testing as follows:
Mondays
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Church-McKee Arts Center parking lot
Wednesdays
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Mineral County Health Department
541 Harley O. Staggers Drive
Keyser WV 26726
Community testing through the MCHD is open to Potomac State College students, employees and residents of Mineral County. Individuals who wish to be tested must bring identification (a driver's license or proof of address) to the testing site. Face masks and physical distancing are required.
For personal safety and the safety of others, students and employees should not ignore symptoms of COVID-19; those with any symptoms of COVID-19 should not report to campus for work or class.
All WVU community members are required to report if they test positive for COVID-19 or are quarantining due to suspected or known exposure to COVID-19. In Keyser, students should report their positive results to Pscstudentexperience@mail.wvu.edu, while employees should report their positive results to CareServices@mail.wvu.edu.
Testing information for students and employees at WVU Potomac State College can be found on the WVU Keyser Return to Campus site.
Isolation and quarantine procedures
The College will continue to implement isolation and quarantine procedures on campus. Students living in the residence halls who have COVID-19 will be isolated in Davis Hall.
WVU’s public dashboard will be updated to report the vaccination verification rate on a biweekly basis for the Morgantown, Beckley and Keyser campuses. WVU COVID-19 case counts and testing information will not be reported on the dashboard due to the change in testing strategy.
Academics
The spring 2022 semester will begin on Monday, Jan. 10, which will include a traditional Spring Break March 12-20.
Assigned seating will be required again with seating charts to aid in contract tracing.
Faculty may obtain additional PPE measures for classrooms through Mountaineer Marketplace.
The College will use a traditional grading scale again this spring and will not offer a high pass/pass/fail option.
Potomac State College offers many resources such as tutoring, success coaching and workshops to help students be academically successful.
- The Academic Success Center will be conducting tutoring with both virtual and in- person sessions available — students can stop in to the Academic Success Center, email JRJones@mail.wvu.edu, or call 304-788-7144 to request an appointment. Alternatively, students can schedule an appointment online.
- Student Success Coaches work individually with students on probation to enhance their academic success in time management, note taking, reading and study skills. To request a success coach, send a request to PSCAcademicAffairs@mail.wvu.edu.
- More than 50 on-demand workshops (Student Lingo) are available 24/7 and cover important
topics such as exam preparation, taking tests online and staying motivated in
online learning. For more information visit
https://studentsuccess.wvu.edu/services.
The University continues to monitor current travel guidelines and global infrastructures and will follow federal and state guidelines. Students and academic advisers with questions related to international study abroad opportunities should contact the Office of Global Affairs.
Housing
Students can move back into residence halls Sunday, January 9th. If other accommodations are needed, please email pschousing@mail.wvu.edu.
The transportation schedule from the train station will be as follows:
Shuttle Pick Up
Sunday, January 9, 2022
Cumberland Amtrak pick up 9:20 a.m. from Pittsburgh/Chicago
Cumberland Amtrak pick up 7:17 p.m. from DC
Students must reserve their space on the shuttle bus in advance. A sign-up sheet is available in the Housing and Residence Life Office. Note: The PSC shuttle will not run unless students have signed up in advance.
PSC follows the Capitol Limited train schedule only. There is not a ticket office or a ticket kiosk at the Cumberland Amtrak Station, so students must purchase their ticket prior to their departure date.
On-campus activities
The dining hall, The Commons, will continue at 100% capacity with safety measures and enhanced cleaning procedures in place. Plexiglass dividers will be available in dining facilities for those who would like to use them. The Rapids, a grab-n-go concept for fast access to food when individuals don’t have time to sit down for a full meal will be 100% operational.
The Student Rec Center will resume operations at 100% capacity. Unvaccinated individuals are expected to wear a mask inside the facility.
Student organizations can organize and gather but are asked to consider hybrid meetings, if possible, during the spring semester.
Additionally, intramural sports can resume practice and competition without restrictions. It is recommended that general meetings be held virtually. Any practice or conditioning should be held outdoors whenever possible.
Unvaccinated individuals are expected to wear a mask at these events.
On-Campus Support Resources
The West Virginia University Faculty and Staff Assistance Program is a free service offered to employees and their dependents. FSAP is a confidential resource that provides professional staff three sessions of short-term counseling to determine the best resources available to address presenting issues. For an appointment, WVU employees can call 304-293-5590.
Potomac State College’s Mental Health and Counseling offers individual counseling services and options for 24/7 emergency and crisis response to students. If students are experiencing any changes in behavior that are out of the ordinary (prolonged depressed mood, nervousness/irritability, eating or hygiene changes, thoughts of self harm), please contact Mental Health and Counseling services. We want students to start off the spring semester on the right path toward positive mental health.
Individual Appts: Students can contact Michelle House, Behavioral Health Therapist, at 304-788-6976/ mahouse@mail.wvu.edu for non-crisis and individual counseling appts (group counseling is also available)
Crisis: Students can call 304-788-6977 or text “WVU” to 741741 and speak with a trained professional, if in crisis.
Talkspace: Talkspace is a free, confidential online therapy service available to all WVU students. Talkspace matches students with a licensed therapist that best suits their needs. Registered users can send text, voice or video messages to their Talkspace therapist —anytime, anywhere— including from the comfort of home – at no cost. Students are also eligible for two 30-minute video sessions per month with their therapist. Students can register for TalkSpace using their MIX email address at talkspace.com/wvu .
Psychiatry Services: Healthy Minds University, operated by WVU Medicine and the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, supplements the Center’s services and serves as an additional counseling resource for students.
Communications
Updates can be found on the Return to Campus website. New information will also be shared in upcoming editions of PSC-ENEWS for employees and for students via MiX email.
COVID-19 and related questions can be submitted or sent via email to returntocampus@mail.wvu.edu. Visit the Return to Campus website for the latest information.