Fiat a Safe & Healthy Campus Reopening
As we announced last week, Alfred University will be distributing regular email updates on our plan to reopen our campus. In our initial Reopening Campus Fall 2020 email last Tuesday, we noted New York State’s promulgation of guidelines that institutions of higher education must follow to reopen.
Yesterday, Alfred University submitted its reopening plan to the New York State Department of Health. We feel confident that New York State will approve our plan and that we will be welcoming students back to campus for beginning of the Fall semester on August 24.
To view the New York State guidelines for higher education, visit the New York Forward website for Phase Four industries and click on Higher Education/View Summary Guidelines.
Also yesterday, we announced that Alfred University will begin the process of bringing faculty and staff back to campus next week. Since late March, all but essential employees have been working from home.
Facilities and maintenance crews—with the primary responsibility of preparing our campus for the safe return of other staff and faculty and, ultimately, students—will begin returning to campus next week. These workers will deep clean and disinfect academic and administrative buildings and assess all building systems, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. In addition, they will install hand sanitizing stations and post signage and graphics across campus promoting required safety measures, including social distancing, pedestrian traffic flow patterns, and access points for all buildings.
In the ensuing weeks throughout the summer, other staff needed to support our reopening plan will return as well. All employees will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to returning to campus, with daily screenings to follow. Prior to returning, all employees also will be asked to review an electronic educational document regarding the promotion of safety on our campus. A schedule for the continued, phased-in return of staff required to prepare for students’ arrival in August will be announced in mid-July.
The last several weeks have presented us with unprecedented challenges. Our reopening plan is comprehensive and places the highest priority on protecting the health and well-being of all members of the Alfred University and our local community. Please remember to look for regular updates on our progress as we implement our plan, along with other important details about what you can do to help us create the safest possible environment for our students, staff, faculty, and local community members.
All the best to you and your families for the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend.
Fiat a safe and healthy campus reopening!
Mark