July 15 COVID-19 Supervisory and Monitoring Structure

This email provides important information about a new COVID-19 supervisory and monitoring structure for all areas of campus, as well as reminders about COVID-19 prevention measures.

NEW INFORMATION

COVID-19 Supervisory and Monitoring Structure

Consistent with the Governor’s Phase 2 Higher Education & Workforce Training COVID-19 Requirements, Puget Sound is implementing a structure of roles to conduct oversight and coordination with respect to COVID-19 protocols. The purpose of this structure is to:

• Enable Puget Sound to effectively manage and supervise COVID-19 prevention and response
• Foster continuous campus-wide healthful operations and behaviors
• Comply with state and health department requirements

COVID-19 Supervisors: Bryan Necessary, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, and Kerstyn Dolack, Occupational Health and Safety Manager, serve as COVID-19 Supervisors for the campus at large. In this role, they collaborate with department heads/chairs and its members to address COVID-19 departmental level responsibilities and oversight.

COVID-19 Leads: Given their familiarity and subject matter expertise regarding their departmental organization and operation, department heads/chairs and program directors will serve as COVID-19 Leads for their areas of responsibility, unless otherwise determined by the provost/area vice presidents. Depending on departmental size, location and work schedules, some departments might determine it prudent to assign more than one Lead. As will be more fully explained later today in correspondence from Bryan Necessary to department heads/chairs, COVID-19 Leads will develop and communicate site-specific COVID-19 Prevention Plans for their departments/programs and will take steps to ensure implementation of and compliance with COVID-19 plans, policies and protocols within their departments. Leads will be supported and advised by the COVID-19 Supervisors.

COVID-19 Coordinators: Departmental COVID-19 Leads will assign a department member(s) to serve as COVID-19 Coordinators and provide them guidance and updated resources received from COVID-19 Supervisors. The Coordinator role will generally be assigned to an administrative assistant, office manager, or other department member close to the work, depending on the particular area of operation. Coordinators will check that COVID-19 signage remains up, floor markings remain in place, hand sanitizer is stocked, social distancing and the wearing of face coverings are evident, and other protocols are in place and being followed as expected within their departmental spaces.

Facilities Services Building Specialist Coordinators: Building Specialist Coordinators will attend training sessions organized by the COVID-19 Supervisors, follow CDC guidelines for cleaning, and monitor signage, hand sanitizer supply, and physical distancing/routing in common areas. They will help disseminate information and updates to building occupants related to COVID-19.

Supervisors of Students: Faculty and staff, along with assigned COVID-19 Coordinators, are responsible for ensuring that students under their supervision are aware of and comply with university and departmental policies and protocols.

All Faculty and Staff: Each faculty and staff member is expected to be familiar with and comply with University of Puget Sound COVID-19 health and safety policies and protocols and to support compliance by others.
 

REMINDERS

Return to Work on Campus Plan: We continue to operate under the COVID-19 Work on Campus Plan, which was updated and communicated to faculty and staff via email message on June 23, 2020. The plan will continue to evolve over the summer and as we launch the fall semester. Each faculty and staff member is responsible for being familiar with this plan.

Coronavirus Website: Please also be familiar with the University Response to Novel Coronavirus site where you will find frequently asked questions, as well as communications to and resources for the campus community.

Face Coverings: On July 7, 2020, we informed students, faculty and staff about the new statewide requirement to wear face coverings in any indoor public setting or when outdoors and unable to maintain six feet of physical distance from others.

Details about this requirement can be found online. Students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to wear face coverings unless qualifying for exemption under the Department of Health order.

If you have questions or accommodation requests, please contact Kenni Simons in Human Resources at krsimons@pugetsound.edu or extension 3296.

On behalf of the Emergency Response Group, thank you for supporting efforts to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our campus community. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.