Category: Alerts

NOTE: The 2019 Security and Fire Safety Report has been revised and is now available HERE. Crime statistics in the category of ‘Arson’ were amended for Clemson University’s main campus to reflect one incident that occurred in a residential facility during the 2018 calendar year.

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Clemson University’s 2019 Security and Fire Safety Report is now available.

Clemson is committed to assisting all members of the University community in providing for their own safety and security. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the 2019 Security and Fire Safety Report, you can stop by the Clemson University Police Department at 124 Ravenel Center Place, Seneca, South Carolina 29678, or you can request a copy be mailed to you by calling 864-656-2222.

The website and booklet contain information such as: crime prevention, fire safety, University police law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures and other matters of importance related to security and safety on campus. They also contain information about crime statistics for the three previous calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Clemson University; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.

This information is required by law and is provided by the Clemson University Police Department.

Notification mandated by the Clery Act
Issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, that mandates timely notices to the campus community. The Clery Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has reported a mumps outbreak at the College of Charleston (CofC). Clemson students currently taking classes on CofC’s campus have been contacted by Student Health Services about submitting proof of immunity, and Clemson University faculty and staff working in the Charleston area have also been contacted about determining immunity.

While there have been no reported positive cases at Clemson, campus officials are taking this opportunity to remind all faculty and staff to determine immunity to measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Employees who have been vaccinated should locate medical records as soon as possible, as potentially exposed employees unable to produce proof of immunity during a campus outbreak could be subject to an extensive absence from work.

Employees are considered to be protected from MMR with written documentation showing at least one of the following:

• You received two doses of the MMR vaccine.
• A laboratory confirmed you had MMR at some point in your life.
• A laboratory confirmed you are immune to MMR.
• You were born before 1957.

Faculty and staff who have not been immunized should receive the MMR vaccine immediately. Faculty and staff are encouraged to contact their primary care physicians, local urgent care facilities or local pharmacies for MMR vaccinations, which are covered fully by the South Carolina state health plan for benefits-eligible employees.

• Receiving your MMR vaccine at a pharmacy: Check with your pharmacist to confirm that the pharmacy provides MMR vaccines. Your MMR vaccine and administration fee will be paid in full under the SC state health plan.
• Receiving your MMR vaccine at a doctor’s office: If you receive the vaccine in a participating network doctor’s office, the MMR vaccine and administration fee will be paid in full under the SC state health plan; any associated office visit charges will be processed according to your regular plan coverage rules.

Immunization clinics and resources are available for employees on the main campus through the Joseph F. Sullivan Center.

Issued by University Relations

Gov. Henry McMaster has lifted evacuation orders for residents in all evacuated South Carolina counties effective immediately, including Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown and Horry. Clemson University employees in those counties should refer to their respective county government office on the SCEMD website or their supervisor’s guidance on when to report back to work.

Clemson University classes and all university sponsored activities in the Charleston area will reopen under a normal operating schedule on Monday, Sept. 9. If you are deemed an “essential” employee to maintain vital operations, you should have been contacted by your supervisor regarding your work schedule.

Returning residents from the counties listed above are encouraged to exercise patience and expect lengthy travel times, blocked roadways or detours back to evacuated areas. While weather conditions have improved in these counties, be cautious of fallen trees, downed power lines and standing water in or around roadways. Power outages continue to affect coastal areas as well.

Employees with a work location impacted by Hurricane Dorian

The Office of Human Resources awaits instruction from the governor’s office regarding forgiven time. All leave-eligible, hourly personnel should not submit paid leave accruals in Kronos until advised how the closure will affect compensable hours. All leave-eligible, salaried personnel may submit an emergency closing time-off request as a placeholder to account for missed time until additional guidance is provided.

Clemson University classes and all university sponsored activities in the Charleston area have been cancelled and all university facilities in eight South Carolina counties will be closed beginning Monday, Sept. 2. Gov. Henry McMaster ordered the closures due to projected impact from Hurricane Dorian. Closures will remain until further notice from the governor. The affected counties are Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry and Jasper.

Classes and offices in the Upstate are not affected by the order. University officials continue to monitor weather conditions and potential impact as Hurricane Dorian approaches. The path and timing of the storm is still uncertain at this point. Gov. McMaster has declared a State of Emergency for the State of South Carolina in order to maximize available resources if needed.

Students
Students who attend classes in Charleston or from Charleston-based faculty should contact their faculty for guidance in making up the classes.

Employees
Clemson personnel with a work location in an affected county should not report to work tomorrow unless they have been deemed “essential” to maintain vital operations. Check with your supervisor for instructions.

Things to know
-Lane reversal will go into effect to westbound on Interstate 26 (from Charleston to Columbia, beginning at the I-26 and I-526 interchange) beginning at noon on Monday, Sept. 2

-Lane reversal will go into effect to create three westbound lanes on US 278 from Hilton Head Island at the intersection of Spanish Wells Drive and Moss Creek Village Drive (an approximate two-mile stretch) beginning at noon on Monday, Sept. 2

-Shelters will be opening on an as-needed basis. Check with your county and the visit the South Carolina Emergency Management Division webpage for details and more information.

-Follow local officials’ guidance.

Issued by University Relations

Did you know a vaccination is your easiest path to providing immunity to measles, a highly contagious viral disease?

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) officials are working with administrators from Clemson University to educate students, faculty and staff on how to take appropriate preventive measures related to health and wellness. DHEC recently shared reports of more than 1,100 cases of measles across 30 states so far in 2019. Ninety percent of those cases involved unvaccinated persons. While zero cases have yet to be confirmed in the state of South Carolina so far in 2019, DHEC has seen a global increase of more than 300 percent over the same time frame from 2018.

DHEC may require proof of immunity from individuals who have been exposed to someone with measles. This is a good time to verify with your medical care provider that you are immune and your vaccination records are up to date. Please take the time to read the university’s measles update for more information and frequently asked questions.

STUDENTS

All students enrolled at Clemson, with the exception of those enrolled in online courses only, are required to show proof of two MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccines unless approved for an exemption (e.g. medical or religious reasons). The university’s average immunity level among students exceeded 99 percent in the most recent academic year.

Individuals who have not yet submitted proof of immunity may be subject to penalty. Immunization clinics and resources are available at Redfern Health Center on the main campus. Read more on our Student Health Services immunization home page.

FACULTY AND STAFF 

Faculty and staff are not currently required to show proof of immunity outside of a few, select departments. If measles were to appear on campus, potentially exposed employees unable to produce proof of immunity could be subject to quarantine by order of DHEC. Please note immunization clinics and resources are available for employees on the main campus through the Joseph F. Sullivan Center. If your department or building is interested in a mobile clinic, please contact the Sullivan Center. Individual appointments can be made by calling 864-656-3076.

Individuals who carry the state health plan as their primary insurance can receive an MMR vaccine, per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from network pharmacies and health care providers at no cost.

• Receiving your MMR vaccine at a pharmacy:Check with your pharmacist to confirm that the pharmacy provides MMR vaccines. Your MMR vaccine and administration fee will be paid in full.
• Receiving your MMR vaccine at a doctor’s office:If you receive the vaccine in a participating network doctor’s office, the MMR vaccine and administration fee will be paid in full; any associated office visit charges will be processed according to your regular plan coverage rules.

Issued by University Relations