As previously shared, West Virginia University is requiring all students and employees who will be on campus this spring to undergo COVID-19 testing as part of the return-to-campus process.
WVU will require COVID-19 testing for all students who will be taking in-person courses and/or using on-campus resources (e.g., libraries, dining facilities, transportation, etc.) during the spring semester. Testing for those on the Morgantown campus must be completed by Saturday, Jan 16. Further, students must receive a negative test result before classes start on Jan. 19, or they will not be allowed into the classroom for instruction.
Beginning today (Wednesday, Dec. 16), students, faculty and staff who are required to be tested will receive an email to their WVU account from CovidTesting@mail.wvu.edu with instructions to register for testing. Participants will sign up for their preferred testing date/time at myhousing.wvu.edu.
Testing information and requirements for WVU Tech and Potomac State College will be announced separately.
Student testing will begin on Monday, Jan. 11. Testing for students will be available at the WVU Student Recreation Center and the Mountainlair. Note: Resident assistants on campus are encouraged to test on Sunday, Jan. 10, prior to the general residence hall return process commencing on Monday, Jan. 11.
Beginning tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 17), residential students will receive an email from reslife@mail.wvu.edu with directions on how to register for a time slot to return/move-in to their residence hall space before the spring semester. The residence hall return/move-in process will begin on Monday, Jan. 11, and continue through Saturday, Jan. 16. Residential students may wish to wait until they schedule their time slot for returning/moving into their residence hall before registering for COVID-19 testing.
Students taking classes exclusively online will not be required to undergo testing. However, the University strongly recommends any student returning to Morgantown — regardless of their course schedule — be tested to assist in preventing community and campus spread of COVID-19.
Testing also will be required for employees working on campus this spring in a full-time or hybrid capacity. WVU Extension agents in the field will not be required to test, but they are welcome to travel to a campus testing site if they choose.
Faculty and staff will have access to preliminary COVID-19 testing on Friday, Jan. 8, and Saturday, Jan. 9, at the Mountainlair. Faculty and staff also will be able to test through Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Mountainlair and the WVU Student Recreation Center.
Most students and employees will receive a nasal live-virus, anterior swab reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, which is less invasive and takes less than five minutes to complete. However, because they will be tested frequently throughout the semester as part of sample testing, resident assistants, residence hall coordinators and students living in residence halls may receive a rapid antigen diagnostic test instead of the standard RT-PCR test. Antigen tests typically provide same-day results. As such, antigen tests also may be used with individuals who are symptomatic.
The timeline for the availability of COVID-19 test results may vary depending on the type of test assigned. Students and employees should continue to follow WVU’s safety protocols while awaiting their results.
Residential students may leave their residence hall room but should wear a mask/face covering as mandated and stay physically distant as much as possible. Similarly, students living off campus should minimize leaving their apartments or houses, wear a mask/face covering and maintain physical distancing pending the return of their test results.
In addition to the on-campus testing options for employees only, WVU will accept certain COVID-19 test results from other West Virginia State-supported community testing sites as part of return-to-campus testing. The University will only accept live-virus RT-PCR test results dated after Monday, Jan. 4, and on or before Saturday, Jan. 9, from other West Virginia State-supported testing centers. Rapid antigen diagnostic test results and results from out-of-state testing centers will not be accepted. Employees who wish to provide COVID-19 test results that meet these requirements must deliver a printed copy of their results to the Mountainlair testing site on Friday, Jan. 8, or Saturday, Jan. 9, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
If you have special circumstances (e.g., travel) that prevent you from completing testing during the times available to you, contact WVU Shared Services at sharedservices@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-6006.
Visit the Return to Campus website for more information. Contact WVU Shared Services with any questions.
* For students, failure to take a COVID-19 test by Jan. 16 will result in a $250 fee being added to the student's account. The student also will be referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for follow-up. Employees who fail to take a COVID-19 test by Jan. 16 will be subject to employee disciplinary actions until they take the test. These actions include, but are not limited to, being placed on administrative leave without pay and/or being placed on administrative leave while using the employee’s annual leave.
** Testing information will be kept confidential.