Faculty FAQ | Fall 2020 Faculty FAQ | Fall 2020 Preparing to Return Testing In-Person and Hybrid Courses Classroom Environment Students Needing to Quarantine or Isolate Remote Teaching Switching to an All-Remote Semester Travel Policies Advising Students Visitors on Campus Meeting Spaces Access to Library and Dining Budgetary Questions Physical Environment in the Department/Program Non-Traditional Classroom Spaces COLLEGE RESOURCES Trinity Fall 2020 Reopening Site Trinity College Fall 2020 Reopening FAQ COVID-19 Dashboard Preparing to Return Am I required to sign the Community Commitment Contract? All faculty and staff who will be coming to campus, even occasionally this fall, whether teaching in person or remotely, are expected to sign the Community Commitment Contract. The Contract is an acknowledgement that risks exist, and that all of us are expected to do our part to mitigate them. It is not intended to be a legal waiver of college responsibility. What additional PPE will be supplied by the College? All faculty, who are not working remotely, will receive 2 face masks, 1 sanitizer liquid spray bottle, 2 microfiber cloths and a flyer outlining cleaning expectations. Faculty who would like a face shield for teaching, which may be worn on top of a face mask, may contact Kathy Mallinson who is managing distribution. Will the College provide additional masks for faculty and students? The College will have a supply of masks on campus for use by faculty, staff, and students if needed; however, the College expects that students and employees will also have their own masks. Masks will be available in classrooms, in case of emergency, if any student arrives in the classroom without a mask. What are the most important things I can do to contribute to health and safety on campus and make this semester successful? You should wear your mask and follow all cleaning protocols. If you see anyone who isn't wearing a mask, you should remind them to do so. Engaging closely with students during this challenging time will also be essential. Students want to connect with you and their peers; their interactions with faculty this year will be more important than ever. Testing and Contact Tracing How often will I be tested for COVID-19? Employees working regularly on campus will be tested each week, and regular weekly testing will continue for the first weeks of the semester. If the prevalence of infections on campus remains low, we may adjust the testing cadence to once every other week for employees. Please note this testing is for asymptomatic employees. If employees are experiencing symptoms that may be related to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to seek a COVID-19 diagnostic test as soon as possible and not come to campus. If employees develop symptoms at work, they must immediately leave campus without coming into contact with supervisors or coworkers, then notify their supervisors once they arrive at a safe off-campus location. If I am teaching or working remotely, do I need to get tested to come to campus? Employees who are working remotely, and wish to access campus facilities or otherwise attend meetings on campus, do not need to participate in regular on-campus weekly testing; but they must obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test result 5-7 days before coming to campus. Employees who are working remotely may come to campus to be tested, then leave campus and return after receiving a negative test result, or they may obtain a test closer to their home and come to campus after receiving a negative test result. Trinity will cover the cost of testing performed on campus by The Broad Institute. If employees receive a test elsewhere, they will incur a cost. What happens if a student skips their scheduled test? COVID-19 testing protocols and procedures are extremely important. There is a process in place to track students to ensure they remain current for every scheduled test. If a student misses a test date, they will be contacted promptly. If the student remains noncompliant, the guiding principles below will be followed by the appropriate staff. The Office of Student and Community Life will review the record of all behaviors deemed to be unsafe based on these guiding principles: • Minor Violation: Student behavior that is reasonably interpreted as a mistake will result in a written warning (admonition). • Multiple Minor Violations: Students who incur multiple minor violations will be placed on temporary censure and receive notice about possible removal from campus, and their parents/ guardians will be notified. • Extreme Violations with Total Disregard for the Safety of Others: Students who commit extreme violations with total disregard for the safety of others (the number of people potentially impacted will be a factor in this assessment) will be subject to immediate removal from campus and may face disciplinary action resulting in suspension or expulsion from the College. What happens if a student tests positive for COVID-19? Will I be told? Trinity has a contact tracing program in place, coordinated by Martha O’Brien. You will not be provided with details due to FERPA requirements. However, the student and anyone at risk of exposure will be contacted. You will receive a generic email notifying you of an excused absence for health reasons, which may or may not be related to COVID-19. What process will we follow if a faculty member tests positive for COVID-19? If a professor tests positive through the Broad program, the Director of the Health Center or designee will contact them during normal hours of operation 8am to 8pm to share the result and instruct them to initiate a 10 day isolation period at home as well as to complete contact tracing for on-campus community exposures. If teaching a remote course and the professor is asymptomatic or is experiencing only minor symptoms, the class may continue remotely. For professors offering an in-person/hybrid course, if the professor is asymptomatic or is experiencing only minor symptoms, the class should be converted to a hybrid course. Professors who test positive for COVID-19 may return to campus once 10 days have passed since the date of a first positive test, all symptoms have subsided, and they have been cleared by the health center employee liaison nurse. Otherwise, if the professor is experiencing significant symptoms and is unable to complete their teaching responsibilities, the professor should communicate with their department chair who will work with the Dean of Faculty’s Office to find an appropriate substitute to complete the course. It could be useful, although it is not required, for each department to have an internal plan for handling this contingency. In-Person and Hybrid Courses Can I enroll additional students (above the assigned enrollment cap) into my ‘in-person’ course? If your in-person class is full, no additional students may be added to the course. The assigned classroom has been audited for a specific number of students and designed to fit your course. Thus, for health and safety reasons the course cap may not be exceeded. What do I do if I need help with technology in the classroom? As in previous semesters, for help with classroom technology the faculty member should call Classroom Support, x4000. How are classrooms being equipped to teach in a hybrid format? There are 3 different hybrid configurations, depending on the classroom. • One webcam, pointed at the instructor and (partial) whiteboard. • Two webcams, one pointed at the instructor and the other at students. • Vendor-installed, PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom)-cameras and additional microphones. When would I be expected to convert an in-person course into a hybrid course, and how would I go about doing so? While faculty may not add additional students to the in-person section of a course, individual faculty are able to add a remote section to the in-person course in order to accommodate students. To do so, the faculty member should write the Registrar, as well as the department/program’s chair and associate dean, with the request to add the remote section along with the enrollment cap information for the new section. Otherwise, in the case that a student is required to quarantine or isolate for any portion of the semester, the faculty member may choose to convert their course to the hybrid model so that the student may continue remotely. Individual faculty may change the model of their course from in- person to remote, or in-person to hybrid, at any point in the semester. Classroom Environment What cleaning supplies will be provided in the classroom so that both students and faculty can clean their desk/work area? Hand sanitizers will be at entrances to all buildings, classrooms, and dining halls. Disposable wipes or cleaning solution will be in all bathrooms, classrooms, and other shared facilities (e.g., copy machines, coffee stations) for wiping down surfaces. How often will classrooms be cleaned? Classrooms are scheduled to be cleaned 3 times per day. What will be done to ensure that the ventilation in my classroom is meeting CDC standards? HVAC evaluations have been completed for all classroom spaces, using principles and guidelines from ASHRAE and the CDC. The assessment focused on filtration and ventilation with points awarded for the type of filters, assigning portable air filters to spaces, operable windows, occupancy reductions, building exhaust, and fresh air intake. All assigned classroom spaces have achieved a sufficient rating for course use according to this review; however, as a further precaution, portable air scrubbers will be installed in every classroom space. Can I reconfigure the seating in my classroom to better support the pedagogy of my course? No.