Yesterday afternoon, faculty and staff were invited to a drop-in session to ask questions about how to proceed with University operations while we are in a “red alert” level. This was in addition to questions submitted to the COVID-19 Response Team members.
Here is a summary of those questions and answers:
- How can we support students in quarantine?
We will be piloting with the Psychology Department, outreach to advisees and majors for students in quarantine and isolation. If you want to do something such as care packages or zoom dialogues for your students or students in general, please reach out to community@clarkson.edu to express your interest.
- Can we continue to work in our labs?
Faculty, research graduate students and postdocs can continue to work in their labs under the current level following the requirements of masking, distancing, and occupancy.
- Can students who don’t have specialized software use the computer labs?
Students can access the computer labs for use of specialized software only. Students must scan in using the QR codes. Use of the rooms is monitored and if students are gathering in higher than allowable densities or for general use and not for specialized software use, they will be asked to leave.
- Can graduate researchers and postdocs still work in their research labs?
Graduate students and postdocs, as well as faculty and research staff, can continue to work in their research labs provided all occupancy limits as well as distancing and masking rules are followed. Undergraduate research students are discouraged from working in the labs during a “red alert”.
- Can we keep using student workers?
Undergraduate Student workers should not be in labs doing research right now, just grads and post docs and faculty.
Student workers for clerical jobs should be considered carefully. We encourage tasks that can be done remotely to occur in that manner. If students do come in to work, please put private spaces clearly socially distanced from others and the space should not be shared. Please put in a work order for nightly cleaning of those spaces. If the student dorm is in precautionary quarantine they should not come to work.
- Can we go on Academic Field Trips?
Academic field trips need to be put on hold. Students should only be in vehicles with their family unit.
- If I need help with remote teaching, what are my resources?
If you need assistance moving to remote teaching, turn to the Teaching & Learning Corner for technical assistance. Self help resources for using Echo360, Zoom, Moodle and more available from TLC’s web page: https://intranet.clarkson.edu/administrative/tlc/. For more assistance, contact helpdesk@clarkson.edu.
- Can I still teach in the room/space where my class is scheduled even if the room is empty?
Yes. You can use the technology in the classrooms where you normally teach to record/ capture lectures, etc. during your normally scheduled time.
- Is this Red Alert a temporary move to restrict gatherings?
Yes. We will reevaluate at the end of next week (by Friday, February 19) and make further assessments based on contract tracing and further test results over the next weeks.
- If I have been teaching in person and was eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, can I continue to get the first dose / second dose?
Yes. This is intended as a precautionary measure to get students with positive test results contained and that we will return to in-person instruction.
If you are eligible under 1a or 1b of the NYS Vaccination plan and have not scheduled an appointment, please reach out to Kelly Chezum and/or complete the Am I Eligible document and schedule an appointment.
- Are staff still coming in to work?
Yes. Staff should continue to work their normal shifts and routines, including all social distancing and COVID-19 protocols.
- What can we do to help?
WEAR A MASK WITH EVERYONE YOU WORK WITH/ INTERACT WITH OUTSIDE OF YOUR IMMEDIATE HOME FAMILY UNIT AND FOLLOW HYGIENE/SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS. ASK ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY DO THE SAME.
Kelly Chezum
VP for External Relations
Restart/Rebuild Communications Lead
kchezum@clarkson.edu
