My college has revised it's covid policies. Thank dog.
These new campus policies are in place for 12 months. After the admins previous lame ass conditions, this surprised me.
My campus has been remote only since March, 2020. Face-to-face classes begin at the end of Sept, 2021. I will continue teaching online until at least Jan, 2022.
1. All face-to-face classes are going to be cut to 50% enrollment. I wish the college hadn't fully enrolled fall classes 2 months ago. Those faculty teaching face-to-face will teach two sections of each classes or a part-time facility member will teach one of the two sections. This will be a logistical nightmare for faculty and students in face-to-face classes.
Thankfully, last spring the college cut the number of face-to-face classes to 50%. Online class enrollment will remain the same.
2. The college must now use the most conservative recommendations by CDC, Oregon Health Authority, Lane County Public Health, and/ OSHA.
3. Mask mandated for everyone regardless of vaccination status.
Faculty will be informed if a student cannot wear a mask because of medical issues. Students must provide medical documentation and receive approval from the campus accommodations office before being allowed on campus without a mask.
Faculty is required to contact Public Safety if a student refuses to comply with the mask mandate. Faculty has the right to take the entire class elsewhere or to cancel class if a student refuses to wear a mask.
4. All staff and students must be vaccinated unless their vaccine exception is approved. Those claiming a philosophical exemption are required to provide proof that they've received a vaccination training certificate from a healthcare provider. (Basically their healthcare provider required them to watch a training video about vaccines.)
Some campus programs do not need to accept any or all exemptions.
Those not vaccinated must test for covid weekly. Vaccinated staff and students may be subject to periodic testing at anytime.
Vaccination or exemption status must be confirmed one week before returning to campus.*
The CDC defines a fully vaccinated campus to be a campus with a 90% or higher vaccination rate. Vaccination stats for our campus will be published weekly in the weekly campus newsletter.
5. Students and staff must complete a health assessment every morning on any day they will be on campus, before coming to campus.
6. Enforce the no food/beverages rule in each classroom. (I have no idea how to lecture for 2 hours without water.)
7. N95 masks must be provided for all student and staff in heath programs. KN95s must be provided to all high-risk students and staff.
8. All high-risk staff must be allowed to work remotely if possible.
9. Faculty must be informed if a student has covid. Faculty cannot inform their students that a fellow student tested positive.
10. Portable HEPA filters will be supplied to staff whom share offices upon request.
11. Staff will be provided with outdoor break rooms. Outdoor break rooms must be covered and heated. (This is a really big deal in my campus building; it's the largest and busiest building on campus.)
12. Face-to-face classes are to be assigned to faculty whom express a desire to teach face-to-face. The college can only assign those whom don't request to face-to-face classes once all interested faculty has been assigned.
13. Faculty aren't required to have face-to-face office hours.
*This is a major change. Previously the college was going to give students 2-4 weeks to confirm their vaccination status or exemption.
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