COVID-19

GATE COVID-19 Directives 2023

Families are required to follow COVID-19 policies. For students and families who do not follow COVID-19 directives will be dismissed immediately from the GATE program and a parent/guardian will be required to pick up their student within one hour of expulsion. Any GATE participant that is dismissed from any program at any time will not receive any tuition or fee reimbursement.  

If your student should become ill during the program day, the parent or documented “authorized pick-up” adult will be notified to pick-up the GATE student immediately. The student will be quarantined and supervised until the “authorized pick-up” adult or parent arrives. Dismissed students must be picked up by an adult within one hour of being notified. If your student is not picked up in the allotted amount of time, MSU Public Safety or EMT’s will be contacted and will be asked to retrieve your student. 

To slow the spread of COVID-19, Michigan State University is directing everyone to take personal responsibility to protect their own health and safety, as well as the health and safety of MSU faculty, staff, students, visitors and all public contacts. We strongly recommend that your student limit their exposure to others for at least four days prior to the start of the program to reduce the transmission rates. 

Self-Monitoring 

Symptoms may appear after exposure to the virus. Using whichever tools and processes are made available by the university, pay attention for the appearance of possible flu-like symptoms, including: 

  • Fever or chills 
  • Cough 
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 
  • Fatigue 
  • Muscle or body aches 
  • Headache 
  • New loss of taste or smell 
  • Sore throat 
  • Congestion or runny nose 
  • Nausea or vomiting 
  • Diarrhea 

This list may not include all possible symptoms. Public health officials, including the CDC, will continue to update the list as they learn more about COVID-19. If you begin exhibiting symptoms, stay home and contact your personal health care provider. 

Face Coverings 

Face coverings are a crucial public health measure and help protect others by reducing exposure if someone is infected with COVID-19. Wearing a face covering, whether you feel ill or have been diagnosed with COVID-19, is critical to maintaining everyone’s health and safety. 

KN95 face coverings are recommended and may be worn by any faculty, staff, and students and will be provided by GATE on a daily basis as requested. 

Personal Hygiene 

Practice good personal hygiene, including washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, blowing your nose, coughing and before eating. If soap and water is not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. Students may be asked to wash their hands or use sanitizer throughout the day to help protect the spread of germs. At the end of particular classes, students may also be asked to assist in sanitizing equipment, keyboards, lab equipment, or other class materials. 

Exposure to COVID-19 

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. If you test positive for COVID-19, you should isolate yourself, whether you are vaccinated or not. Isolation space for on-campus students is not being provided. 

Close contacts who have been fully vaccinated and have been free of COVID-19 symptoms since their exposure will be asked to monitor for symptoms for at least five days. 

Close contacts will be asked to quarantine for five days after their last contact with an infected person. Quarantine requires that a person stays home, checks their temperature twice a day, and monitors for symptoms consistent with COVID-19. They should contact the MSU COVID-19 Triage Line if symptoms consistent with COVID-19 develop. 

You may have your child tested using the State of Michigan Coronavirus Testing Hotline. Call (888) 535-6136 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and press 1 to be connected to an operator who can help you find a nearby location and schedule an appointment. Or, visit Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest to find locations near you. There are many locations where you can get tested at no cost. 

What happens if a faculty member/instructor becomes ill? 

When an instructor becomes ill, the GATE will attempt to provide coverage for the class instruction and student learning. If we are unable to find a comparable instructor students will be placed in a class held at the same time as the course effected.  Class will not be canceled unless no reasonable accommodations can be made. Change in the class schedule does not constitute a refund.  Our priority is always two-fold – to provide the highest quality instruction and learning experience for the students and to maintain support for any employee to regain their health to be able to return to work when they are healthy and able to resume their responsibilities. 

Adherence to Public Health Guidance and Cooperation with Public Health Authorities 

For the protection of the entire community, MSU expects all faculty, staff, and students to follow all applicable state and public health guidance and cooperate with public health authorities, including, but not limited to, participating in contact tracing efforts.  

Guidance to Mitigate Spread  

Guidance for MSU Youth Programs Operating at Non-university Sites  
MSU youth programs operating off-campus at non-university sites are advised to follow the COVID-19 guidelines and policies of the site at which the program is facilitated.  

Procedures and Guidance for Preventing and Responding to COVID-19 Cases  

MSU offers guidance and FAQs for various scenarios related to COVID-19 exposure.  Please be advised this guidance may be adjusted without notice and all families will be required to adhere to those policies immediately. 

Prior to the start of a program, MSU youth program leaders, especially those who are hosting off-campus programs, are encouraged to connect with the local health department for the county in which the program is facilitated to align their program with any local restrictions and guidelines that may apply in addition to University guidance.  

Should the status of the pandemic shift and concerns for health and safety reach a critical threshold, MSU youth programs may need to postpone activities or move to remote operations. MSU youth program leaders are encouraged to review the University’s weekly COVID-19 announcements. In the event that a development in the status of the pandemic calls for MSU youth program leaders to postpone in-person events or adjust the modality of their programs, the Director of the Youth Programs: Registration, Safety Assurance, and Education Program will announce updated guidance. If programs should have to transition to a virtual format, families may not receive advanced notification. All families and students will be expected to continue their GATE programming online for the remainder of the program. The GATE program will not issue any refunds or fee reimbursements for modality adjustments. 

What do I do if I (or someone in my household) am feeling ill or test positive for COVID-19? 

If you are feeling ill or have tested positive for COVID-19, you should self-isolate and avoid close contact with all others.

Upon testing positive for COVID-19, participants will not be allowed to continue in the program until they have a negative result.

No part of GATE tuition is eligible for refund for students who leave the program early for any reason.