Springfield College is a welcoming and vibrant campus community and there is no better way to learn this than to experience our many visit opportunities. Our present circumstances, however, require that we limit visit opportunities by respecting the guidelines established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The protocols outlined below will allow us to continue to provide a healthy and safe environment for our students, faculty, and staff.
(Approved 8/19/2020)
Terminology:
Guests/Visitors
A guest is defined as anyone who is not enrolled at or employed by Springfield College. Throughout this document, the terms “guest” and “visitor” are used interchangeably, save for the sections dealing with Housing and Residence Life. For the purposes of Residence Life, a “visitor” is a currently enrolled Springfield College student who is assigned to/resides in a different residence or is a commuter. A “guest” in Residence Life is defined as anyone who is not enrolled as a Springfield College student and who stays in a campus residence hall room at the invitation of a resident. This definition includes a student's family members and friends.
Clients:
“Clients” are generally outside individuals or organizations who have a relationship with Springfield College and pay or otherwise compensate the College for use of campus resources and facilities.
Guest Speakers/Performers
Guest speakers and performers should be “brought to campus” virtually, via video conferencing, Zoom, or other strategies. (This includes all outside speakers, performers, lecturers, and facilitators which departments of the College enlist in normal operations.) When departments wish to bring speakers/performers to campus, they must secure approval from the appropriate member of the PLT and follow latest recommendations from the Commonwealth regarding indoor and outdoor events.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/safety-standards-and-checklist-indoor-and-outdoor-events
This policy should apply to all guest lecturers engaged by academic programs and individual instructors. Approval will be through the VP of Academic Affairs or designee.
Dining
While plans for on-campus dining for students, faculty and staff continue to evolve, it is our recommendation that, for the Fall Semester 2020, off-campus guests be excluded from the dining hall. Individual exceptions, such as visiting speakers, candidates, donors, and the like, will require approval by the appropriate PLT member or designee. For retail operations, venues should follow the latest health and safety protocols outlined in the Commonwealth website.
Housing and Residence Life
Residence life currently defines “guests” as off-campus individuals visiting a residential student. “Visitors” denote current Springfield College commuters or students who reside in a different residence hall. For the Fall Semester, Residence Life will exclude all guests. Residence Life is developing protocols for visitors according to latest health/safety recommendations.
Campus Recreation
Only current students, faculty and staff will have access to Campus Recreation facilities. Currently, a limited number of alumni, family members of current faculty and staff, and former faculty and staff have access to these facilities. For Fall 2020, these guests will be excluded. Access to Recreation spaces by academic departments engaging in research will be excluded or severely limited and require approval from VPs of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. Many enrolled in these research projects are already classified as “at-risk” for COVID-19-19, and the suspension of access is to ensure their safety as well as the College community’s.
In-Person Meetings with Campus Guests/Visitors
The safety of our campus constituents and our guests must always be the priority. Meetings, not only with current students, faculty, and staff, but also with visitors and guests should be held remotely via telephone, Zoom, or other forms of online meetings. In-person meetings must follow guidelines for mask wearing and proper social distancing. Conference rooms should be reserved via scheduling procedures for said space in cases where staff offices are not spacious enough to adhere to proper social distancing.
Spaces must follow Commonwealth guidelines for social distancing, PPE, air flow and sanitization. Functional areas must communicate current campus safety protocols to visitors and guests and, where possible, engage in a pre-screening questionnaire.
- Prospective Students (Admissions/Athletics)
- Stitzer Welcome Center reopened on July 7, 2020
- Group size determined by Commonwealth’s guidelines
- Communication via website and visit confirmation materials to specifically address campus safety protocol including face masks and social distancing of at least 6’
- Guests to complete pre-screening questionnaire as part of pre-visit registration process
- Admissions Staff and Student Ambassadors to be trained on safe practices to protect them and visitors
- Collaboration with Campus Partners including FACS and Public Safety to ensure safety of staff and visitors pertaining to social distancing, cleaning protocol and access to campus facilities
- Alumni
- Continue existing use of teleconferencing/online interactions and meetings
- Designate conference room in Alumni House for necessary in-person meetings
- Donors
- Continue existing use of teleconferencing/online interactions and meetings
- Designate conference room(s) in Marsh Memorial for any necessary in-person meetings (Vice President’s Office; Helen D. Blake Conference Room)
- Families/Guests of Students
- Continue or expand existing use of teleconferencing/online interactions and meetings
- Designate conference rooms in Marsh Memorial, Campus Union, and, Campus Recreation for any necessary in-person meetings
- Academic Affairs Conference Room and Helen D. Blake Conference Room for Academic Affairs
- Student Affairs Conference Room for Conduct and Care meetings
- CU 349 and 311/International Conference Room for International Center and other Student Affairs offices
- Business Office, Financial Aid, and other student services offered in Administration Building should work out reservations with Human Resources
- Families/Guests of Faculty and Staff
- Continue or expand existing use of teleconferencing/online interactions and meetings
- Designate Human Resources Conference Room and Academic Affairs Conference Room for any necessary in-person meetings
- Non-Discrimination Initiatives and Title IX
- Student Affairs Conference Room (to be coordinated with reservations for Student Affairs)
- External Clients
- Continue or expand existing use of teleconferencing/online interactions and meetings
- Designate 500 Alden Street Conference Room for necessary in-person meetings
Conferences and Special Events
- Events should be considered case-by-case and presented to PLT for approval
- Risk Assessment (e.g., indoor v. outdoor)
- Outdoor events to be considered first with consideration of ALL Commonwealth guidelines.
- REOPENING STANDARDS FOR BUSINESSES and OTHER ENTITIES PROVIDING YOUTH and ADULT AMATEUR SPORTS ACTIVITIES – Phase III, Step 1
- Once indoor events are approved, determine standard setups to optimize cleaning in between events and provide proper distancing
- Practices at other institutions/ACCED-I
- Sanitizing high touch areas - Maintain record of cleaning
- Work with General Counsel to add COVID-19-19 Pandemic language (liability & cancellation) to all contracts
- Assumption of Risk Waiver (work with GC and share examples in Google drive)
- Develop a pre-event checklist and provide to client prior to arrival
East Campus
- Outdoor program opportunities should be considered for non-tuition revenue generation. East Campus can administer outdoor based programs for area colleges, social agencies, and private organizations while mitigating the risks involved with COVID-19-19. While many of the programs that typically schedule for early fall are likely not going to do so this year.
- Per Outdoor Recreation facility standards set by Commonwealth of MA proper sanitation of high use areas must be maintained.
- Management of groups will need to be conducted in a way to reduce the congregation of people in a single area.
- Pre-program paperwork and orientation will be completed electronically and orientation will be conducted virtually.
- Group sizes will be limited in accordance with industry and Commonwealth guidelines.
- Arrival of group participants will occur into the picnic grove in preset time schedules to stagger the start and finish times, reducing large gatherings. All groups will enter through the picnic grove then disperse out onto the course with their assigned facilitator.
- Face coverings are required for all parts of East Campus
- Use of facilities inside the Pueblo will not be permitted with the exception of an emergency. All visitors will use Outdoor Bathroom facilities.
- Equipment Management will be required for sanitation after each program. A holding space will be created to separate used equipment from available equipment. East Campus staff will carry with them hand sanitizer for frequent use while out on the challenge course.
- All SC staff facilitating programs will need to meet the College’s standards of health prior to working with any outside groups.
- Some areas of East Campus will not be available to outside use due to the academic schedule. Proper scheduling and signage will be conducted to eliminate untimely use of restricted areas.
- Contracts and waivers will include appropriate language to address COVID-19 risks.
- Additional PPE available at EC for staff/guests as well as proper cleaning supplies to support facility use.
Human Resources/Hiring
- Recommendation: Continue or expand use of Zoom and other means for virtual meetings/recruitment/talks/forum sessions. Exceptions for on-campus visits require PLT approval.
- PLT should work with Facilities, Harvest Table, and Follet to ensure consistent safer practices in hiring/contracting and training are followed across campus.
