Increasing amounts of positive COVID-19 cases at Boise State and beyond has led the university to update its travel guidelines. Boise State suspended university-sponsored travel for students and faculty through the end of the year with some exceptions.
Throughout the year, policies have changed and updated to keep students and faculty safe on campus. With the updated travel guidelines, Boise State also includes information about how and when to quarantine.
According to Boise State’s travel web page, exceptions to the travel guidelines include:
“Field-work, where COVID precautions are integrated into the principal investigator’s research restart plan and approved by the VP for Research and Economic Development in consultation with the university’s public health officer. Athletic and academic team travel, when travel plans are pre-approved by the university’s public health officer. Other essential travel approved by the appropriate divisional VP and in consultation with the university’s public health officer.”
Photo by Drew Marshall
Cienna Madrid, assistant director of content communications and marketing, wrote in an email that Boise State is committed to keeping students and faculty safe and informed of all guideline changes and updates.
“Our public health team was already advising individuals to follow these guidelines, formalizing them and disseminating them across campus as a proactive way of ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are aware of the steps they must take for their health and the health of the campus community,” Madrid wrote.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traveling increases your risk of contracting COVID-19. It is possible to spread COVID-19 to other people including, family, friends and the community up to 14 days after traveling.
If a student does travel, the CDC recommends wearing a mask at all times, social distance by providing at least six feet of distance from yourself and others, washing your hands often, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and avoid contact with anyone who is sick. Exposure to COVID-19 through airports, bus stations, train stations and rest stops is possible, according to Boise State News.
According to The Department of Community and Environmental Health at Boise State, the travel guidelines will be implemented until COVID-19 no longer poses a risk to the campus and community.
According to Madrid, the travel guidelines are not new but are reiterating the guidelines to students.
“Students, faculty and staff have already agreed to these guidelines when they took the Bronco Pledge for Public Health and agreed to the four main safety guidelines,” Madrid said.
Boise State is taking these travel guidelines seriously.
“Not following the guidelines amounts to a Boise State student code of conduct violation. Failure to comply with stated guidelines and restrictions could result in disciplinary action,” Madrid said.
Beth Manor, senior multidisciplinary studies major, believes it will be hard to accurately determine which students travel and adhere to the university guidelines, versus those who will not.
“I think it would be difficult to enforce a policy like this. Although it does sound good on paper, t’s gonna come down to how many people want to prevent it and how serious individuals will take it,” Manor said. “I think it’s a good policy to have on the books to show that the university is taking it seriously, but I think ultimately it will be very hard to enforce.”
However, Manor is grateful that Boise State is taking the health and safety of students and faculty seriously.
“I continue to feel very confident about the safety measures BSU has put in place. The fact that everyone has been sticking fairly well to those policies is very encouraging. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Manor said.
