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July 31, 2020
Dear Spelman Community,
As you are aware, after careful thought and consideration, the College announced that all instruction for fall 2020 will be virtual and students will not return to campus. This decision was rooted in a deep concern for the health and safety of our entire community as we have continued to witness surges in COVID-19 cases.
You likely recall that the College also announced that it would begin to invite faculty and staff back to campus on Monday, August 3, 2020. However, as we continue to monitor the status of the pandemic, we believe it best to continue operating with the
lowest-density population on campus. This means that in many ways, we will continue under our current mode of operation. We anticipate that:
1) employees currently teleworking will continue to telework, and
2)
essential personnel such as employees in Public Safety and Facilities Management & Services will continue reporting to campus on a daily basis
We are aware that some employees have begun to come back to campus to assume duties which cannot be accomplished remotely (i.e. research, etc.). The College supports these employees; however, we must require that while on campus employees strictly adhere to mandatory masking, physical distancing and hand hygiene protocols.
Employees Working on Campus /Occasional Campus Entry
New Campus Entry ProtocolsWe would like to take this opportunity to thank those who are working on campus. The work that you do is invaluable. You play a vital role in the functioning of our campus and its continued success.
In efforts to maintain the health and safety of our community, we have established new protocols,
which you will experience upon campus entry.
1) To begin August 10, 2020 only employees who have taken the COVID-19 test and produced initial evidence of a negative test result will be cleared for entry to campus. Employees cleared to enter campus (based on the baseline negative test result) will receive an authorization letter via
email from the Manager of Benefits Services. Each employee should print a copy of the communication and present it to the Public Safety Officer at the security gate. If you had a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) based nasal swab test taken at a credible facility other than Morehouse School of Medicine, please submit your test results to the Manager of Benefits Services at dmack9@spelman.edu prior to coming to campus. 2) You may be asked to show your Spelman identification card at the security gate and provide your location. As there will be a limited presence on campus, this will provide a good sense of who is on campus and their location in case of emergency.
Additionally, to begin in mid-August, all individuals accessing campus, including employees, contractors, and those conducting official campus business will be required to complete a daily COVID-19 symptom check.
This is a requirement regardless of the anticipated amount of time on campus. The symptom check will require individuals to assess their health on the day they need to access campus by answering “yes” or “no” to the symptom-related questions. An announcement with additional information, the effective date for this requirement and instructions are forthcoming.
On another note, as you enter your space, you may notice that the temperature may be less than ideal. As much of our building space has been unoccupied, we have been mindful of the opportunity to conserve both energy and money. This means that the temperature controls in the buildings are currently set at conservative levels. Optimally, Facilities Management & Services will need to be made aware of your arrival (specific office/room location) at least 24 hours in advance, so that we can prepare your space.
Please log into the AIM portal to indicate that you will be in your space and indicate the request for temperature adjustment or any additional facilities related requests.
Employees Primarily Teleworking
To those who are primarily teleworking, congratulations on a job well done! We have grown together while physically apart. Divisional collaborations have been fostered, technology maximized and communication has improved all in the middle of an unprecedented crisis preventing face to face interaction. You have risen to the occasion! As we recognize that teleworking is new to many of us, Human Resources is here to provide support. In the coming weeks, training opportunities/workshops will be provided regarding the telework experience.
The opportunity to waive the monthly parking fee has also been extended through December 2020. If you waive the monthly parking fee, you will be required to park in the deck upon entrance to campus and pay the $3 daily fee. If you wish to suspend your automatic parking deductions starting with August 1 through December 31, please send an email to payroll@spelman.edu. It is anticipated that the parking deductions will automatically resume in January 2021.
The College is preparing some FAQs specifically geared towards questions that our employees may have during these times related to on-campus work and teleworking. This information is forthcoming.
We wish to thank you for all of your hard work, dedication, patience and flexibility! We continue to wish you and your family good health and safety
during these challenging times.
Dawn Alston
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs
Bernadette Cohen
Director, Office of Human Resources
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