Opinion | Chapman’s new testing strategy has a fatal flaw

Angelina Hicks, Politics Editor

Chapman University recently upped its COVID-19 testing policy from monthly to weekly for students living in on-campus housing and students who regularly access campus. As a resident at Chapman Grand Apartments, I’m happy testing is weekly. It’s important for Chapman to have a sense of active COVID-19 cases amongst its student body, which can change rapidly. Other universities, like University of California, Irvine, have implemented weekly testing for on-campus students since March, and Chapman has only finally caught up.

Getting tested often is important, and students in housing can access tests for free through Chapman’s Student Health Center. What’s more, undergraduate students off campus can utilize two free tests per month through the health center. However, despite the increased emphasis and enforcement of weekly testing, the accessibility is strangely low and difficult.

For example, the Chapman Grand and Panther Village apartments are both approximately 10-minute drives from the Orange campus, which is adjacent to the building that Chapman uses to administer COVID-19 tests. For students like myself who don’t have a car, the only way to access the testing center is either by a ride from a friend or Chapman’s shuttle service. I do not recommend the former. Last semester, I went with my roommate to get tested, and she tested positive and I tested negative. That ride home was less than enjoyable.

So, I’m left utilizing the university’s shuttle service. Due to the campus closure, the shuttle service is limited, but there is usually at least one shuttle running on a continuous loop from Schmid Gate to Chapman Grand and Panther Village during the day, all week. To take the shuttle, students are required to fill out a daily COVID-19 screening survey, which asks if you’ve been recently exposed to COVID-19 or experienced any symptoms. At the shuttle stop, everyone is required to show the driver the “CLEAR” email Chapman sends after taking the survey before you step on. Sounds easy, right?

Well, there’s an Achilles’ heel to this system.

If you don’t get tested within a seven-day period, you are deemed “Out of Compliance” with Chapman’s testing requirement, and they stop sending you the daily screening survey that allows access to campus facilities until you complete a COVID-19 test. Additionally, they will revoke building access if you don’t get tested by a specified date.

Remember when I said taking the shuttle is easy? It’s a little harder when Chapman stops sending you the ticket to get on.

After winter break, I did not return to Chapman Grand until the second week of January. Since I did not get tested during the first week of January, I was deemed out of compliance. I woke up to an email stating that if I didn’t get tested by the next day, I wouldn’t receive any more daily screening surveys and I would lose my residence hall access – something that can only be restored after a COVID-19 test. I planned to get tested immediately, and after an explanation to the shuttle driver, she thankfully let me on so I could go get tested.

Chapman started sending me the screening survey again the next day. But what if the shuttle driver didn’t let me on? I wouldn’t have blamed her for not breaking the rules, especially when she was just doing her job. I didn’t have anyone else to drive me that day. I would’ve had to call an Uber and risk catching COVID-19 or lose my building access entirely.

Requiring weekly testing is a step in the right direction. But should we really get our shelter taken away if we are unable to make the trip to campus to get tested? Everyone should be getting tested regularly, but things happen, and this scenario presents a huge issue. That daily survey — sent out at 12:30 a.m. — is the only way for some students to get to campus and get tested. When that gets taken away, it could lead to a lot more issues than just being out of compliance with Chapman’s COVID-19 testing policy.