Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

American College Health Association Releases New Guidelines on Preparing for COVID-19

  • 03/05/20

SILVER SPRINGS, MD – The American College Health Association (ACHA) announces the release of its new guidelines, Preparing for COVID-19. Prepared by the ACHA COVID-19 Task Force, these guidelines are designed to help college health and well-being health professionals and campus administrators prepare for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and related issues on their campuses.

COVID-19 is a concern for college and university officials not only because of students, staff, faculty, and visitors traveling to and from areas affected by the outbreak, but also due to the potential for rapid transmission in a congregate setting within campus environments.

These guidelines provide recommendations for the student health service (SHS), the campus itself, and members of the campus community.

"As our nation and our campus communities prepare for the COVID-19 virus, ACHA is grateful to our dedicated volunteers that developed this excellent resource," says Devin Jopp, Ed.D., chief executive officer of ACHA. "We believe this new set of guidelines will help guide our collective actions and help better position the higher education community as we confront this virus head on."

"The ACHA COVID-19 Task Force has been hard at work fielding concerns from the college health community, posting resources and updates, and rapidly responding to new developments related to COVID-19," says task force chair Jean Chin, M.D., M.B.A., FACP, FACHA. "Our hope is that these guidelines, paired with existing campus resources and coordination with local and state health agencies, will assist schools nationwide in preparing for COVID-19 and its implications for campus communities."

The new guidelines, Preparing for COVID-19, can be downloaded at www.acha.org/documents/resources/guidelines/ACHA_Preparing_for_COVID-19_March-3-2020.pdf. An extensive list of additional ACHA resources and updates regarding the COVID-19 outbreak can also be found at www.acha.org/COVID-19. 

About ACHA 
The American College Health Association (ACHA), founded in 1920, is a national nonprofit association serving as the nation's principal leadership organization for advancing the health of college students and campus communities through advocacy, education and research. ACHA represents a diverse membership that provides and supports the delivery of health care, prevention, and wellness services for the nation's 20 million college students. ACHA advocates for student health by integrating the critical role of college health into the mission of higher education. For more information about the association visit www.acha.org.

Featured

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.