COVID-19 Health and Safety Policy

Archived
Yes
Effective Date
Category
Academic Vice President and Provost
Senior Leadership Group

Purpose/Rationale:

The Health and Safety of Evergreen’s Campus is a shared responsibility, and requires that everyone do their part to maintain a campus environment that offers a healthy learning and working environment for all students, faculty, and staff.  The COVID-19 is a public health hazard. A COVID-19 Health and Safety Policy and adherence to the Evergreen’s COVID-19 Campus Safety Plan reduces the risk of spread of the virus, contributes to a healthier learning and work environment, and is key to Evergreen’s ability to continue operations. 

This policy is based on Governor Inslee’s Safe Start requirements, the regulatory directive of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, guidance from public health agencies, and strategies designed to reduce the potential transmission of COVID-19 on the Evergreen Campus and within the Evergreen community. The policy will be updated as regulations, public health guidance, and circumstances on campus and within the Evergreen community change.

This policy applies to:

All faculty, staff, students, visitors, guests, vendors, contractors, and any other individuals approved to live, work, teach, study and conduct activities on Evergreen owned, leased, or occupied facilities and grounds or other locations where college sponsored learning activities, official business, programs and activities are conducted. (collectively referred to herein as “community members” and “members of the Evergreen community”).  

Policy:

Community members on college owned, leased, or occupied property (referred to herein as “on campus”) and/or engaged in or conducting college sponsored learning activities,  official business, or other programs or activities off campus (collectively referred to herein as “college work and activities) must follow the college’s COVID-19 Campus Safety Plan, as well as any area, site, or activity specific safety plans.

Community members are responsible for becoming familiar with, and following, this policy. Community members are also responsible for periodically reading the information and updates provided by the College to remain aware of the current guidance on continued preparedness, action, and response to COVID-19, and ways to prevent its spread.

In addition to complying with the policy, college leaders, supervisors, and employees are responsible for promoting the understanding of this policy and taking appropriate steps to help ensure compliance with it.

Before coming onto campus to participate in college work or activities, individuals must complete the online COVID-19 Health Verification form on my.evergreen.edu before coming to campus each day.

Individuals who fail the applicable health verification, answer yes to any of the questions on the COVID-19 Health Verification form, or refuse to answer the screening questions are not authorized to be on campus or participate in any in person college work and activities.

All community members authorized to be on campus are responsible for:

  • Completing required COVID-19 Health and Safety Training relating to the activities they will be conducting.
  • Wearing an approved face covering in public.
  • Maintaining a minimum physical distance of six feet between other people.
  • Completing a health verification every day you intend to come to campus, before arriving.
  • Washing hands frequently for at least 20 seconds; to the extent possible, avoid touching your face to prevent the potential transfer of the virus from surfaces.
  • Staying home if you are or become sick. Self-isolate for 14 days if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been in close contact with anyone who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Report using the health verification form if you have been on campus within the last 72 hours and become sick.
  • Reducing and minimizing their contacts and engaging in behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19. Examples of such behaviors include, but are not limited to, covering any cough or sneeze, refraining from shaking hands, ensuring the authorized number of passengers at a time on an elevator, adhering to one-way entrance, exit, and pathways designations, and limiting unnecessary convening of groups.
  • Complying with all College travel restrictions because travel can unnecessarily increase the risk of exposure to and infection of COVID-19.
  1. Accommodations:
  • Reasonable accommodations will be made for community members with health conditions or a disability that prevents them from wearing a face-covering. Employees may request an accommodation by contacting Human Resource Services. Students may request an accommodation by contacting Access Services.  An accommodation may involve working on campus in isolation or being given an alternative work or learning assignment that can be conducted remotely. In order to safeguard the health and safety of Evergreen community members, reduce the spread of COVID-19, and maintain the ability of the College to operate, there will be no accommodation that involves working in proximity to others without an approved face covering.
  • Those who do not have internet access off-campus may contact their supervisor by phone or other means before coming to campus to request that the form be completed for them by proxy.
  1.  Compliance:
  • Every member of the Evergreen community is responsible for abiding by this policy, and the COVID-19 Campus Safety Plan, and encourage others to do so as well.
  • Violations of this policy by students should be reported to faculty, residence directors, or the College’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Team (COVID@evergreen.edu) as appropriate and may be referred to Student Conduct. Among other things, non-compliance could result in exclusion from in-person College activities and/or discipline, as appropriate.
  • Violations of the policy by staff or faculty should be referred to the appropriate supervisor/dean, or the College’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Team (COVID@evergreen.edu) if the supervisor/dean is not known. Non-compliance could result in exclusion from in-person College activities and/or discipline, as appropriate.
  • Other individuals who are out of compliance may be cited and criminally trespassed.