You’re trying to log into Canvas on a Saturday afternoon and have no intentions of going on campus, yet still, a white and yellow screen prefaces the Canvas main menu. This screen? Rowan’s daily COVID-19 screening.
Three simple questions are all that the screening asks. Do you plan on visiting Rowan’s campus today? Do you have any coronavirus symptoms? Have you been exposed to anyone with Coronavirus?
It is no test, of course, but many students have other questions that are left unanswered.
Scott Woodside, director of the Wellness Center, answers these burning questions.
According to Woodside, “The daily screening is tied to any central authentication service to ensure as many students and employees complete the daily attestation. Additionally, reminders for those not completing the screening go out early in the morning.”
Woodside also noted that the daily screening is not specific to Canvas, as said, it is “tied to any central authentication,” which includes and is not limited to, Proflink and Banner.
Woodside went on to further explain where the data that has been collected is going stating, “It serves two purposes. One, it reminds all Rowan community members of the importance of monitoring symptoms and not being around others when sick. And second, the Health Metrics team, which meets weekly, reviews the data for trends to help make decisions about the campus.”
The Health Metrics team is, as Woodside mentioned, “… an internal team that meets weekly. It includes key leaders across campus. And our disease experts form Rowan Medicine and CMSRU.”
The data itself, according to Woodside, is “securely on a banner admin site. Only myself [Scott Woodside] and a few others helping with contact tracing have access.”
On Rowan University’s webpage, under “Rowan Today,” students can find a link titled “Vaccination Rates” that leads them to vaccination rates for both, in-person students and residential students.
According to the data, from students taking in-person classes, out of an estimated 18,400 students, 87.1% (about 16,026 students) are vaccinated, 8.6% (about 1,582 students) are exempt from the vaccine, and 4.3% (about 791 students) have not responded. The commuter population comes out to a total of 16,573 students.
Meanwhile, out of the 5,418 residential students, 89.5% (about 4,849 students) are vaccinated, 7.8% (about 423 students) are exempt from the vaccine, and 2.7% (about 146 students) have not responded.
Until further notice, the COVID-19 screening, that students must take daily, isn’t going anywhere.
For more questions and information, the Wellness Center can be reached at (856)-256-4333.
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