As the university continues to respond to the evolving circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to providing up-to-date information to our community. Below you will find this week’s new and updated answers to frequently asked questions regarding university news, policies and resources.
Please refer to the Fall 2020 Plan website for the full lists of Fall 2020 FAQs, the Georgetown University Community Compact and messages to the community about the fall semester.
General FAQs
Will students living on campus and in the Neighborhoods be required to self-quarantine when they arrive?
On Friday, July 24, 2020, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an order requiring people traveling into Washington, DC, from high-risk states to self-quarantine for 14 days from their arrival in the District. The list of high-risk states is posted on DC’s COVID-19 website, and DC has announced that it will update the list every other Monday. Please check this website to see if you are traveling from a state designated as high-risk by DC. If you are residing on campus or in the Georgetown, Burleith or Foxhall neighborhoods (“Neighborhoods”) and traveling to DC from a high-risk state, you will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days from your arrival. Please refer to the DC quarantine rules here. The University shared additional information about testing and quarantine guidance for students living on campus and off campus.
If you are traveling to DC from an international location, the CDC has advised that you should self-quarantine for 14 days from your arrival. Consequently, if you are residing on campus or in the Neighborhoods and traveling to DC from an international location, you will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days from your arrival. The DC quarantine protocols will apply.
How can faculty and staff access campus buildings?
Beginning on August 17 faculty and staff who have been designated as telework-eligible and have not been approved to work on campus can no longer access buildings through GOCard. If you have been approved to work on campus, you will be required to show your Building Access Badge from the GU360 website to gain entry to university buildings staffed by a public health screener. Please access your Building Access Badge from the GU360 website by going to the GU360 Building Access page. We recommend that you create a bookmark on your iPhone or Android mobile device by following these instructions. Your Building Access Badge must be green to gain access. Red badges will be denied entry.
If you are a faculty or staff member who is working remotely and needs to pick up materials from your office, please follow these instructions for requesting access to your office. Please submit your request at least 48 hours prior to the date you intend to visit campus. If your request is approved, you will receive an email invitation via the new registration system Traction Guest, an enterprise visitor management system.
Are outside visitors allowed on campus?
Beginning on August 19, faculty and staff who have been approved to work on campus can invite visitors, including research participants, to come into university buildings staffed by a public health screener via our new visitor registration system in Traction Guest. Faculty and staff should only invite visitors who need to be on campus for essential University business that cannot be conducted virtually. Faculty and staff who have been approved to work on campus will receive an email from tg-invite@georgetown.edu when their accounts have been activated in Traction Guest and should follow these instructions for registering visitors.
Main Campus Student Life
Is the bookstore open? Can I still purchase textbooks and other materials?
The Main Campus bookstore is closed for the Fall 2020 semester, but you can still purchase course materials, clothing and gifts on the Georgetown Barnes & Noble website. Orders over $49 ship for free, including limited international shipping. If you need to make changes to your order or have questions about your order, you can email the bookstore at sm8198@bncollege.com and they will respond within 12-24 hours. To make returns or exchanges, you can mail your item(s) back to the bookstore, but you will have to pay to ship back the unwanted item(s).
As of August 10, the bookstore has begun processing textbook orders. Orders received will take 24-48 hours before they ship. If you still have rentals from a previous semester and want to return or purchase them, email the bookstore at sm8198@bncollege.com and they will provide instructions on shipping your rentals back for free, as long as you are in the US.
Has a decision been made on Intercollegiate Athletics?
Due to the unprecedented and continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, BIG EAST fall sports and competition will not be conducted for 2020. This affects men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball and field hockey. The fall competition for sports in their non-traditional seasons, which includes baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis will not be held. Consistent with this announcement, men’s rowing and sailing programs will also not compete this fall.The BIG EAST’s plans for the 2020-21 winter and spring sports seasons remain unaffected at this time. Georgetown will continue to work closely with the BIG EAST and the NCAA regarding the status of fall athletics.
The Patriot League Council of Presidents announced a conference-wide decision that student-athletes will not engage in fall sport competition (including both championship and non-championship seasons). This decision will affect Georgetown’s football and women’s rowing programs. Georgetown will continue to work with the Patriot League and University leadership in exploring creative approaches and alternatives to providing future competitive experiences to our fall sport student-athletes, including the possibility of conducting fall sport competition and championships in the second semester. For more information, visit the Fall 2020 Patriot League FAQ page.