The Knox Together Pledge—developed by a committee of students, faculty and staff—outlines how we will all be expected to take care of ourselves and others. Drawing on the spirit and tradition of the Knox Honor Code, the goal of this Pledge is that every member of the Knox community understand their individual obligations, the interconnections among us, and our responsibilities to others. Most of us are not medical professionals, but we all have a critical role to play in promoting the health and safety of our community. It is up to each of us conscientiously to do our part.
Incorporated within and linked to this Pledge are the COVID-19 Knox College Health and Wellness Policies. These policies are policies of the College by which every student, faculty and staff member is expected to abide. Failure to comply “may result in” a violation of student conduct policy. Violations by faculty or staff will be addressed through traditional disciplinary processes.
These are living documents so expect them to be revised throughout the academic year as our understanding of the virus deepens, best practices change, and therapeutic measures become available. Changes made to the document will be announced to the Knox community, and each community member is expected to remain apprised of these changes as they occur.
The Knox Together Pledge
As we come together on campus, we do so in unique circumstances. To meet together requires that we adapt to an ever-evolving and challenging situation. Knox’s culture of shared responsibility and care for our community will be more important than ever this fall. We have an obligation to protect one another to the very best of our ability. This is an opportunity for each of us to commit ourselves to the well-being of every member of our community, for each of us to become the best version of ourselves, and for the Knox College community to join together in solidarity, charity, humility, and good faith to shape a lasting legacy for our campus.
In that spirit, we commit ourselves to the following:
To protect ourselves and others through prevention
- I commit to staying informed of and complying with all College policies. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Wearing a mask on campus at all times, except when in my individual residence hall room, in my own private office, or when out of doors and able to maintain at least six feet (about two arm lengths) of physical distance. 1
- Practicing physical distancing by maintaining at least six feet between myself and others whenever possible.
- Adhering to guidelines for gatherings, events, visitors, and the use of space on campus.
- Participating in testing, contact tracing, and quarantine when asked.
- Given the evolving nature of the situation surrounding COVID-19, I commit to flexibility and adaptability, recognizing the limitations of advance planning and the need to adapt as unanticipated circumstances make changes necessary.
- I commit to holding my fellow community members accountable.
- I acknowledge that life on campus will look different. I recognize that the only way to protect our community is to follow the College's public health guidelines, including when off campus. I am willing to make sacrifices for the sake of being #KnoxTogether, recognizing that failure to abide by policies could result in having to close the campus and move to remote classes only.
To communicate honestly and in a timely manner
- I commit to staying current with communication channels such as email and campus signage in order to be fully informed and to that end, I expect clear and timely communication regarding guidelines and policies.
- I commit to monitoring my own health, participating fully and honestly in daily symptom tracking, staying home if I feel ill or after exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and reporting any concerns to an appropriate health care professional right away.
- I commit to communicating any actions I take that could increase the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
To support one another
- I acknowledge that our campus community is filled with people from different backgrounds, ages, demographics, health needs, financial resources, family needs, and risk factors that shape their feelings, perspectives, and fears, which are exacerbated by the current crisis. Moreover, COVID-19 has been shown to disparately impact marginalized communities. Given this, I commit to remembering that our campus community is home to people with complex stories and different needs, and I pledge to be supportive in the midst of these differences.
- I acknowledge that we all make mistakes. I commit to admitting when I am wrong, and to doing the next thing right.
- I commit to contributing to a community of trust, charitably assuming that others are well-intentioned, and I commit to fostering a spirit of trust by living a life of integrity and goodwill.
#KnoxTogether
We do this together so that we can be together.
Click here to register your acknowledgment of this pledge and the Knox College policies you are agreeing to uphold. (To complete the acknowledgment, sign into Google forms using the same email address and password used to access my.knox.edu.)
1Students who are unable to wear a mask or face covering due to a documented health issue should contact Disability Support Services for guidance. Employees who are unable to wear a mask due to a documented health issue should complete a Face Covering Accommodation Form.
