PLAN FOR

RESTARTING

OPERATIONS__________

BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE

Faculty and Staff

August 4, 2020, 9:00 a.m.

August 6, 2020, 4:00 p.m.

In This Presentation

• Plan for Restarting Operations

• Repopulation of the Campus

• Monitoring

• Containment

• Return to Remote Operations (Shutdown)

• Academic Affairs

• Links and Resources

• Student Affairs

Plan for Restarting Operations

• Plan to safely restart on-campus operations with mix of in-person, hybrid, and online

courses

• Submitted to SUNY on June 23; approved July 1

• Subject to change based on evolving health and safety information, guidance from

State, Governor’s Office

• Prioritizes on-campus instruction where in-person interactions are critical to learning

• Other classes may be offered in a true hybrid format

• Lectures offered online and supplemental in-person instruction in smaller groups

• Many classes that can be effectively delivered 100% online will remain remote to

reduce density

• Includes reduced student housing occupancy and adjustments to dining

Repopulation of the Campus

Repopulation of the Campus:

Social Distancing, PPE

• Please maintain social distancing

• Environmental Health and Safety

Office is completing a walk-

through of all physical spaces and

departments on campus to help

ensure successful repopulation in

current conditions

• Reviewing work stations and

spacing to follow CDC guidance

• Employees are required to adhere to guidance on appropriate health and safety guidelines, including:

• Social distancing

• Face coverings/masks

• Following procedure for social distancing and face covering can reduce the spread of COVID-19

• Cover your nose and mouth with a face covering:

• Inside all buildings, classrooms, labs and facilities: Students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to wear a face covering at all times

• In a public place when not able to maintain social distance of six feet

Repopulation of the Campus:

Social Distancing, PPE

Repopulating the Campus:

Social Distancing, PPE

• Buffalo State will provide each department supervisor with two reusable face coverings for each employee

• If a face covering is not worn, please take a moment to educate your employee on the social distancing and face covering procedures

• Guidance is provided in our procedures for non-compliance

Repopulation of the Campus:

Social Distancing, PPE

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by Environmental Health and Safety Office

• Please use the EH&S request for assessment form:

• Facial coverings/masks

• Campus signage

• Sneeze guards/shields

• Floor markings

• Hand sanitizing stations, bottles, wipes

• Workplace modifications

• Office walk-throughs: Physical space assessments for success in current environment

Repopulation of the Campus:

Social Distancing, PPE

• Please limit the sharing of objects and touching of shared surfaces

• When in contact with shared objects or frequently touched areas

–wear gloves, or

– sanitize or wash hands before and after contact

• It is critical to continue to practice safe behaviors which have allowed us to successfully proceed in NY Forward

• Adhering to guidance will create a safer community, allow us to continue operations and fulfill our obligations

Repopulation of the Campus: Operations

• Operational Activity

– Classrooms, labs, library, shared and large spaces

• Restarting Operations

– Cleaning

– HVAC

– Plumbing

– Mail and general delivery services

Repopulation of the Campus: Operations

• Signage has been posted throughout campus to remind us

to adhere to rules about proper hygiene, social

distancing, use of PPE, cleaning and disinfecting protocols

• Meetings should continue to be conducted remotely

• If face-to-face meetings must occur, then ensure safety

procedures are followed

• Consider posting notices on websites, office doors for

visitors to help manage traffic in offices

Repopulation of the Campus: Operations

• Dining spaces have been evaluated for adherence to social distancing protocols

• Safety reminder stickers have been placed on restroom towel dispensers

• HVAC systems will be outfitted with MERV 13 filters

• Mail delivery has resumed to 10 buildings with most volume; staff from other buildings are asked to continue to pick up mail at Clinton Center

Repopulation of the Campus: Operations

• Face-to-face service workstations are being reviewed, outfitted with sneeze

guards/shields if required

• Markers to identify six feet

• Reconfiguration of spaces to help identify social distance

• Departments have been provided with Virex disinfectant so employees may

wipe down their own office spaces

• Enhanced cleaning and disinfection critical to reducing spread of

COVID-19

• All members of campus community expected to follow guidance to protect their own health and health of others

• In effect until further notice, subject to change as additional guidance becomes available

Repopulation of the Campus:

Cleaning and Disinfecting

Repopulation of the Campus:

Cleaning and Disinfecting

Detailed plan includes:

• Continuation of routine cleaning

• Disinfection of frequently touched surfaces

• Cleaning and disinfection for re-occupancy of

buildings

• Cleaning and disinfection following a suspected or

confirmed case of COVID-19

• Hand sanitizer dispensers placed within campus

facilities

Repopulation of the Campus:

Cleaning and Disinfecting

Administrative Spaces

Building occupants encouraged to frequently disinfect high touch surfaces in their own workspaces:

• Shared telephones

• Shared desktops

• Shared computers

• Service counters

• Light switches

• Break area refrigerator and microwave handles

• Door handles and push bars

• Copy machine controls

• Shared tools and equipment

Academic Spaces

Faculty and students encouraged to disinfect their own learning spaces and high touch surfaces in the room before and after using the space:

• Chairs

• Instructor consoles

• Computers

• Doorknobs and handles

• Shared tools and equipment

• Safety-based return-to-work plans

• Employees covered

• Review office density

• Consistent with operational needs, consider:

– Staggering shifts

– Rotating schedules

• Contingency plan for continuation of operations

• Guidance for while at work

• Keeping yourself and others safe in the workplace

• Continue to provide service to your customers as operations restart

• Guidance on your website

• Post information on your office door

• Close contact log

Repopulation of the Campus:

Human Resource Management

• Each employee must:

• Watch 12-minute New York State training, COVID-19 Response: Return to Work

• Complete Return to Work Plan/Authorization Form

• Complete daily health screening questionnaire prior to reporting

• Employees continuing to work remotely must:

• Update Alternate Work Location-Flexible Work Schedule form

• Employees with concerns about returning to campus will be assisted by the Human Resource Management Office

Repopulation of the Campus:

Human Resource Management

Monitoring

Monitoring

• Testing responsibility

• Students

• Employees

• Early warning signs

• Tracing

• Weigel Health Center

• Testing and screening

Monitoring: Employee Screening

Employees returning to the workplace:

• Are required to complete the screening questionnaire

daily and submit it to their supervisors weekly

• Additional guidance in the plan for restarting

operations

• Must be free of symptoms potentially related to COVID-19

• Any employee who is sick should stay home and charge

the appropriate leave accruals

Monitoring:

Employees Who Are Symptomatic

• Employees will report to their supervisors and

Human Resource Management if they are

symptomatic

• Next Steps

• Based on guidance from your physician

• Last day on campus?

• Were social distancing procedures followed?

• Who may have been a close contact?

• Were you wearing a mask?

Monitoring:

Employees Who Are Symptomatic

• Process is in place for notification to Facilities Office for cleaning protocols

• Symptomatic employees will coordinate testing with their health care providers and/or ECDOH

• If employee is unable to do either, college has identified Community Health Center as vendor to conduct testing

Monitoring:

Employees Who Are Symptomatic

• Employees with symptoms will:

• Contact personal physician for guidance and testing

requirements

• Notify supervisor and Human Resource Management

• HRM will:

• Contact campus tracer administrator

• Determine appropriate accruals based on physician

guidance

• Notify Facilities Office for cleaning protocols

Monitoring:

Employees Who Test Positive for COVID-19

• Positive Case:

• Contact your physician for guidance

• Notify Human Resource Management and your supervisor

• HRM will contact campus tracer administrator to begin tracing

• Close contact log will be requested

• HRM will report to required entities

• Positive case will be added to the Buffalo State COVID-19 Case Dashboard

• Employees are eligible for quarantine leave under time and attendance rules

• Accruals will be reviewed with the employee at the time of leave

Containment

Containment

• Isolation

• Quarantine

• Students confirmed

or suspected to have

COVID-19

• Hygiene, cleaning

and disinfection

• Communication

Return to Remote Operations

(Shutdown)

• Triggers include, but are not limited to:

• Increase in rate of disease transmission such that

Western New York hospitals are at capacity or are

overwhelmed

• Increase in rate of transmission within Buffalo State

community sufficient to prompt operational change

• Student quarantine space in North Wing reaches 70% of

capacity

• Guidance from ECDOH or the WNY Control Room

• Guidance or directive from Governor

Return to Remote Operations: Triggers

• Operational activity • Guidance from ECDOH, CDC and SUNY will be discussed by

Buffalo State Incident Management Team (IMT)

• Student move-out • Express checkout

Return to Remote Operations:

Student Move-Out

Return to Remote Operations:

Communication

• Marketing and Communications Office has centralized COVID-19 related communications, FAQs, resources, protocols

• Site will be updated with appropriate information in the event of change in on-campus operations or campus shutdown

• A positive case would be reported to the Buffalo State COVID-19 Case Dashboard

• Dashboard will note that the college partners with ECDOH on contact tracing efforts

Academic Affairs

Preparation for Fall 2020

• Reviewed fall 2020 forms of instruction• 22 percent of courses are face-to-face or

hybrid

• As of July 31: 6,798 full- and part-time students registered

• Used a new first-year registration process• Professional advisors reached out to students

to discuss fall courses and concerns

• As of August 3: 1,045 incoming students registered

• Offered a variety of self-paced courses and workshops

• Addressed emerging issues

Reminders

• Faculty Responsibilities

• Office hours are expected: Should be virtual to ensure

social distancing

• Advisement appointments are necessary. PINs used for

first-year students, undeclared students, students on

probation.

• Bengal Success Portal: Early Alert will run for from

September 7 to 28

Reminders

Student-Focused Approach

• Reach out to students prior to the start of the semester

• Guiding principles from Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care:

▪ Create safety in classroom: Interact with students in ways that are friendly, respectful, engaging

▪ Promote trustworthiness: Establish, ensure communication is transparent, consistent and that interactions express patience, acceptance, reflective listening

▪ Offer choice: Provide options for students by building in small choices

▪ Increase opportunities for collaboration: Check in with students throughout semester; seek ideas and feedback from students

▪ Empower students: Recognize, build upon student strengths. First person and solution focused strength-based language is preferred.

• Follow current policies when discussing issues related to incompletes and student misconduct

Links and Resources

Links and Resources for Students

• Accessibility Services: x4500

• Students should email sas@buffalostate.edu

• Very limited capacity to proctor exams due to social distancing guidelines

• Faculty will be asked to proactively extend test times for those students who require it

• Students will email their faculty a copy of their accommodation letter

Links and Resources for Students

Academic Commons: x5223

• Advising

▪ Advisement open with limited

staff

▪ Students may chat in real time

(drop-in advising) 9 to 5, Monday -

Friday

▪ Students may email for response

in 12-24 business hours

• EOP Academic Center for Excellence:

x6024

▪ Open for in-person and virtual

academic support to EOP students

Links and Resources for Students

Academic Commons (continued)

• Subject Tutoring: copelala@buffalostate.edu

▪ Appointments through Bengal Success Portal

▪ Walk-in options available

▪ In-person and virtual services

• Writing Center: herbmm@buffalostate.edu

▪ Appointments through Bengal Success Portal

▪ Immediate help offered when tutor is available

▪ Will work with students who need alternate accommodations

• Math Center: demlerel@buffalostate.edu

▪ Appointments through Bengal Success Portal

▪ Walk-in options available

▪ All sessions hosted through Blackboard Collaborate Ultra

▪ Tutors available:o 10:00 to 6:00 Monday through Thursday

o 10:00 to 3:00 Friday

Links and Resources for Students

Butler Library: x3026

• Open with reduced hours

• Only the first floor will be open

• Students may use computer labs

• More information about services is forthcoming

Links and Resources for Faculty and Staff

• Alternate Work Location – Flexible Work Schedule Agreement

• Close Contact Log

• Environmental Health and Safety Office: Request for Assessment

• Plan for Restarting Operations

• Procedure for Social Distancing and Face Covering

• Return to Work Plan/Authorization Form

• Return to the Workplace Website

• Screening Questionnaire

Student Affairs

Message from the Dean of Students

Buffalo State College: Fall 2020 Return to Campus

Questions?