August 20, 2020 Update: COVID-19
Message from President Akande to Faculty & Staff
Dear Faculty and Staff:
With the start of the fall semester right around the corner, the health and safety of our entire community remains our focus. The participation of you, our valued faculty and staff, in our efforts is essential. This email provides important information about the Community Health Pledge for employees as well as details about COVID-19 testing and health monitoring for faculty and staff routinely working on our Burlington campus.
I recognize that this message contains a lot of information about a complex set of issues. Thank you for taking the time to read it carefully. If you have any questions about the Health Pledge or employee testing, please contact employeehealth@champlain.edu. Please do not contact the Student Health Center regarding the health pledge and testing for faculty and staff.
Health Pledge
Today we published the Champlain Community Health Pledge for faculty and staff that describes the College’s expectations of you—and our expectations of one another—as we work together to establish and maintain the health of our campus community and our Burlington home this fall. Please read the Health Pledge carefully and understand what is required to be part of on-campus work at Champlain during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You will receive a follow-up email with instructions on how to electronically sign the Health Pledge. Agreeing to the public health practices described in the Health Pledge is a requirement for all faculty and staff who plan to work on campus in any way this semester.
Faculty & Staff Testing
Testing is required for faculty and staff who will routinely work on campus each week. Faculty and staff should self-identify as being part of the testing pool based on their planned work schedule. It is our expectation that faculty and staff participating in testing will be tested weekly until Thanksgiving break. Your work schedule will define whether you participate in testing and you should not come to campus each week just for testing. Aggregate test results will be posted on the COVID-19 Update Site and updated daily.
Please understand that the College is not offering testing for employees outside of the routine weekly testing program. If you become ill, are exposed to someone with COVID-19 symptoms or are returning from a quarantine-required county and wish to be tested to end your quarantine, please be in touch with your physician to be referred for community testing. We are not conducting testing for symptomatic employees, regardless of participation in the weekly testing program.
Testing for employees will begin Wednesday, August 26 and will be available weekly on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30 AM–4:30 PM for the coming month. For those individuals seeking the most minimal contact with others, we have reserved the hour of 8:30–9:30 AM for employees only. The testing tent is located behind Perry Hall. All employees approved for on-campus work should be tested within their first week on campus.
In addition to the Community Health Pledge, you will receive an email with a link to the Consent to Test form which must be completed by faculty and staff participating in testing prior to your first test. If you are not participating in weekly testing, you do not need to complete the Consent to Test.
Health Monitoring
Faculty and staff who will be on campus for any reason must monitor their symptoms and complete a Daily Health Screening before arriving on campus using this form. (Later this month, we will launch the CoVerified app for the Daily Health Screening.) Employees must be free of all COVID-19 symptoms to work on campus and must refrain from visiting campus when ill.
Any employee who becomes ill or is exposed to someone with a known COVID-19 infection should contact their primary care physician and their manager. If you are scheduled to be on campus, you should complete the Daily Health Screening and indicate your symptoms or exposure. You will be contacted by the Champlain Medical Team to discuss your case. Do not come to campus if you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19.
We know that it has been a challenging summer for many. We hope that the start of the semester brings renewed energy and excitement whether you’re returning to work on campus or continuing to support our students virtually.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Ola. Akande, Ph.D.
