Austin College, Grayson College, and GoGetTested Team Up
on COVID Testing to Keep Each Campus Safe
Local college students return to campus; no-charge PCR testing makes it work
How can schools keep students and faculty safe while holding classes on campus? PCR testing is key, say Austin College and Grayson College officials — so they’re working with GoGetTested.com to help keep each campus safe.
Students, faculty, staff, and members of the Texoma community can visit GoGetTested.com to make an appointment in about a minute, and can visit an on-campus test site to get tested usually in less than five minutes after arriving on site. Results come back to individuals in 40 hours — and often much sooner.
“Even with all of the safety protocols we follow, our ability to reduce virus transmission by identifying those who are positive for COVID was hampered by the lack of reliable, timely testing,” said Austin College President Steven P. O’Day, J.D. “Now, however, GoGetTested has made PCR testing, the most sensitive and accurate test, easy to obtain. We have seized this opportunity by establishing an on-campus testing site.”
Both colleges use Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, tests for students, faculty, and staff. At Austin College, the campus community’s morning begins with a required Health Screen every day using the Austin College Mobile App, reporting any symptoms and/or contact with a test-positive case of COVID-19. At Grayson College, the GoGetTested.com testing center helps to support the college’s daily screening and check-in processes.
“We’re very pleased with GoGetTested’s accuracy, reliability and portability,” said Austin College Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Lynn Z. Womble, Ph.D. “We were notified on a Thursday of the partnership, and the mobile center was on campus and ready to test the following Monday. We appreciate that the staff is multilingual. The entire process has just been so smooth – they’ve been a delight to work with.”
In addition to testing students, faculty, and staff, the GoGetTested site is open to the general public. In fact, the colleges intentionally put testing centers on the edge of campus to make it easy for the local community to visit. Just register at gogettested.com, and select your site and time.
The Austin College testing location is in the parking lot west of Wright Campus Center, 1301 E. Brockett in Sherman. Austin College testing site hours of operation are:
- Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday: CLOSED
The public is welcome on weekdays between 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., but waits may be longer due to Austin College campus testing.
The Grayson College testing location is in the parking lot next to the baseball field at 6101 Grayson Dr. in Denison. Grayson College testing site hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Closed on Saturday and Sunday.
The testing at both colleges is free of charge and open to the public.
About GoGetTested
GoGetTested, a unique public and private consortium, is the world’s most complete and advanced Covid19 test-and-response operating system. GoGetTested provides testing to symptomatic and asymptomatic people alike. It has no exposure qualifying requirements, and delivers lab results more quickly and accurately than other systems can.
The consortium—which includes Precision Primary Care startup Wellhealth, PE-backed Lab HealthTrackRx, event-management company Victory Marketing, inventory and warehouse management company Lead Commerce, and Silicon Valley-based healthcare fintech startup Wellpay— is able to test tens of thousands of people per day. There is no charge to individuals, and test results are delivered via text and email. Visit us at GoGetTested.com.
About Austin College
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and more than 100 expert faculty members allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under its original name and charter.
About Grayson College
Grayson College is in the heart of Grayson County and provides a vital link for higher education. GC’s central location makes it easy for high school graduates to obtain an affordable education right here at home, or for adults to begin or continue a college-bound track and/or meet professional licensing requirements.