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Dear USD Campus Community:
We continue to exchange best practices with peer institutions and consult with local health officials in order to bring the very best health and safety measures to our campus as we prepare for our fall semester.
Here are the latest developments:
Ventilation Upgrades
Facilities Management has consulted with an independent third-party engineering firm (MA Engineers) to implement industry best practices with regard to our building ventilation systems. Across the campus, we have extended HVAC operating hours and maximized the introduction of fresh, outside air into the HVAC systems. More significantly, all university buildings with mechanical ventilation systems have been upgraded with MERV-13 filtration, in accordance with recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). As result of these upgrades, 98 percent of classrooms across the entire campus have MERV-13 filtration. There are only two classrooms on the entire campus that do not have MERV-13 filtration; however, those rooms do have windows that open to the outside and, as an additional precaution, we’ve also installed portable air purifiers with HEPA filters in both classrooms.
Common areas without mechanical ventilation systems have been equipped with portable, stand-alone air purifiers with HEPA filtration. While there are no independent studies completed at this time on impacts of the COVID-19 Delta variant, our recent classroom indoor air quality test results exceeded OSHA and ASHRAE air-quality standards.
Cleaning Protocols
We continue to use CDC-recommended and EPA-registered disinfectants in all of our cleaning protocols across campus. Our primary cleaning products are the same as those used in many hospitals, nursing homes, and medical offices, and are effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Custodial "Strike Teams" have methodically deep-cleaned all campus buildings and residence halls, all of which have continued to receive ongoing cleaning without interruption. Cleaning frequency has been increased across campus, specifically in classrooms, restrooms, and other high-traffic areas. Frequently touched surfaces (door handles, push bars, elevator buttons, etc.,) are also cleaned and disinfected with much greater frequency.
COVID-19 Contact Tracing Protocols for the Fall Semester
Our contact tracing protocols can be reviewed here. These protocols are based on current CDC, state and county guidelines. As the pandemic prevalence changes in our community, these guidelines may change.
COVID-19 Vaccination Progress
As we shared in a previous communication, our Torero family is accomplishing a high rate of vaccination. We continue to have very positive momentum from employees, with 94 percent of full-time employees being vaccinated. Student vaccination rates are also strong and that data will be published on Monday. Recent communications to students have accelerated student response, and we expect the percentage of students being vaccinated to continue to increase in the coming weeks.
Daily Self Screening
If you are feeling ill or are symptomatic, stay home and consult your healthcare provider. Employees should not report to work and students should not attend classes if they are sick. If you begin to feel ill while on campus, employees should advise their supervisor, go home and consult their healthcare provider. Students can seek support at the Student Health Center.
It remains a best practice to wash your hands vigorously with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and often throughout the day.
As a reminder, face coverings are required to be worn while inside all university buildings and while riding on USD trams.
Those who test positive for COVID-19 should notify covidsupport@sandiego.edu. Employees should also notify their supervisor.
Signage
We have COVID-19-related health and safety signage available for downloading and printing for use in areas that may not be covered by traditional print and electronic health and safety signage. You can access the signage here.
We will continue to provide updates as we near the beginning of the semester or as health and safety measures evolve. Additional health and safety details and FAQs are available on the Onward USD website. We ask that you remain flexible as you have over the past months.
Sincerely,
The COVID-19 Action Team
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