Frequently Asked Questions

No COVID-19 testing is required prior to Fall 2023 Welcome Week and move-in. However, we strongly encourage you to take a test prior to arriving on campus. Cases are on the rise, and we want to protect the campus community as much as we can to ensure a smooth start to the semester.

For students wishing to update their COVID-19 vaccination status, please provide documentation to the Point n Click app.

Students who live within driving distance of campus will have the option to return home or isolate in place with masking and appropriate mitigation measures to keep their roommates safe.

Students can request an exemption via the Dean of Students if they have health concerns for members of their household or are unable to safely isolate at home. In the event that an infected person has a roommate who's considered high risk by CDC guidelines, and reasonable effort to return home is not possible or safe, isolation housing will be provided.

An individual is placed in isolation when they test positive for COVID-19.

• Individuals will remain in isolation for a minimum of five days from their positive test date or symptom onset.
• They must be fever-free with improving symptoms for at least 24 hours. A negative antigen test is no longer required prior to being removed from isolation.
• Individuals who are released from isolation on day five are advised to use a mask for the next five days.

Isolation-in-place is for individual students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and need to isolate in their room according to university guidance. This change in protocol will allow the university to prioritize isolation housing for residential students most in need, such as those with medical conditions that place them at higher risk from COVID-19; those who experience more serious presentations of COVID-19; those who cannot travel home to isolate; or those whose living arrangements may make it difficult to isolate (such as students living in doubles as opposed to suites with individual bedrooms).

We are at times isolating residential students who live in shared room spaces and consider them a family unit. We know the roommate(s) of a COVID-positive individual has likely been exposed for several days prior to testing positive. We may isolate COVID-positive roommates together, noting that the CDC says, “The goal of isolation is to avoid infecting people who are not already infected. If multiple people in a household have confirmed COVID-19, it’s fine for them to isolate together.”

During a surge, our focus will be on those students who are experiencing severe symptoms and may be particularly vulnerable due to other health factors. If we are isolating in place, it means we have limited university-provided isolation housing. If you have an existing medical condition that you think puts you at risk, you should consult with the Wellness Center. 

If in isolation, you may use the common areas in your suite or in the residence halls. You'll be required to mask in the bathroom, limit unmasked bathroom time to under 15 minutes, and be respectful to use the bathroom when there are fewer people.

You'll be provided with an N95 mask to obtain meals from the cafeteria.

We will continue to monitor the local community guidelines through the fall to determine if changes in our testing approach are necessary. If so, these will be communicated to the PLNU community via the Wellness Center. Symptomatic and exposure testing will remain available through the PLNU Wellness Center.

PLNU is not currently requiring a COVID-19 vaccination for the fall 2023 semester.

Individual academic programs may have additional or different immunization requirements due to the nature of the program or the requirements of external partners. This includes, but is not limited to, internship, clinical/field experiences, or PLNU programs offered at partner sites. All students participating in such programs will be required to meet all applicable requirements. External partners may restrict a student’s access to its facilities and/or activities if immunization requirements are not satisfactorily met. If necessary, students may request accommodations through PLNU's Educational Access Center (“EAC”).

Individuals with questions regarding vaccinations should contact the PLNU Wellness Center at covid19wellness@pointloma.edu.

If you've already been vaccinated, please remember to submit your vaccine records to the Wellness Center through the Point n Click app.