Texas State students and staff residing on campus will be required to get a COVID-19 test prior to returning to campus for the spring semester, the university announced in a Jan. 4 email.
With the spring semester set to begin Jan. 19, no information was provided in the email on what steps students and staff will need to take to submit proof of results or what the logistics of the process will be if a student tests positive, outside of the existing expectations which include isolation and a report to the Bobcat Trace application. 
“Additional information will be sent later this week from the Department of Housing and Residential Life to all students living on campus,” the email notes. 
The email, instead, lists the following:

• Students who test positive should isolate for 10 days prior to returning to campus and report to Bobcat Trace,
• Students who are notified they are a close contact to a positive case should complete a 10-day quarantine prior to returning to campus and report to Bobcat Trace,
• If students miss the start of the semester, due to isolation or quarantine, they should contact their instructors to discuss how to manage coursework,
• The university will be randomly testing throughout the semester. Students are expected to participate and should look for the testing notice in their Texas State email inbox. The testing notice will include information on testing locations and instructions for pre-registering for the test.

Previously, in a Dec. 7 email, the university announced it expected the university community to get tested for the virus within a week prior to returning for the spring semester, but no requirement was mentioned.
The University Star is gathering more information on this development and will provide updates as they become available.