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Dear USD Campus Community:
As we approach the beginning of the academic year, we want to provide important updates regarding COVID-19 vaccination and health and safety protocols.
Importance of COVID-19 Vaccination and Face Coverings
We continue to consult with peer institutions and health officials to adopt and implement health and safety measures that mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection within our Torero community.
Health officials shared with us that both local and national trends indicate that individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 are significantly less likely to contract COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals. If infected, vaccinated individuals also have much lower hospitalization rates and even lower mortality rates than those who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine. As such, two of our best defenses against the virus are to be vaccinated and to wear face coverings while inside our buildings.
COVID-19 Vaccination Process
As you know from previous communications, we have strong momentum in COVID-19 vaccination rates at USD both among employees and students. Click here to review our vaccination progress. If you have not responded to our requests to submit your vaccination form, please do so immediately. Employees must fill out the USD Employee Vaccine Form to verify proof of vaccination or request a medical or religious exemption. Students who have been vaccinated must submit proof through the My Wellness portal. A non-participation waiver for medical or religious reasons is also available through the Student Health Center website.
Caring for Yourself or Ill Family Members
If you develop symptoms associated with COVID-19, test positive for COVID-19, or are exposed to someone who tested positive and you are not vaccinated, contact covidsupport@sandiego.edu for quarantine or isolation protocols. Someone will also work with you to explain options available to you for time off due to COVID-19 related illness.
In addition to your own self-care related to COVID-19 exposure, employees may need to care for a family member impacted by COVID-19. If you need to care for a family member who must isolate or quarantine, please contact the Human Resources department so that we can support you and explore available options given your role and individual circumstances.
Human Resources will discuss your situation, listen to your concerns, and work with your manager about responding to your needs. The university will work to balance the needs of the employee, the students and the department and will explore situations on a case-by-case basis to allow for flexibility in addressing different circumstances.
We recognize that faculty may have additional questions related to teaching and engaging with students in the classroom, and we encourage them to refer to the faculty FAQs on the Onward USD website for more details. Faculty are encouraged to reach out to their respective deans with further questions.
If employees are unable to work due to caring for an ill or quarantined family member, employees can utilize supplemental COVID-19 sick time (SB95), accrued sick or vacation time, and/or file for California Paid Family Leave if an extended leave is needed.
Health and Safety Protocols for Guest Lecturers and Panelists
For the fall semester, guest lecturers and panelists will be required to provide proof of vaccination in advance of coming to campus. Proof of vaccination will be managed at the individual school and college level. Those unable to provide proof of vaccination may not present in person but may present via Zoom. These guests will also be required to follow our face covering protocols while inside buildings.
As a point of clarification, there is no requirement to wear a face covering inside buildings when you are alone in your office or in your on-campus housing. Face coverings are required inside buildings including common open office areas such as cubicles. For more details on face covering requirements, click here.
Ventilation and Testing
We have received questions about the quality of our ventilation systems throughout our campus buildings. As a reminder, Facilities Management has extended HVAC operating hours to maximize the introduction of fresh, outside air into the HVAC systems. 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). Ninety-eight percent of classrooms across the entire campus have MERV-13 filtration. The two classrooms without MERV-13 filtration have windows that open to the outside and are equipped with portable air purifiers with HEPA filters. Common areas without mechanical ventilation systems have been equipped with portable air purifiers with HEPA filtration.
Throughout the fall semester, weekly random ventilation testing will be conducted in our classrooms by University Mechanical to ensure heightened air change. Our recent classroom tests show positive results for the number of air changes per hour. Additional details on this testing can be viewed here.
COVID-19 Testing Process
We have partnered with Point Loma Nazarene University to conduct quick and effective saliva-based COVID-19 testing. Based on current CDC recommendations, we will require those individuals who are not vaccinated to be tested regularly. Those students and employees on campus who are not vaccinated will receive a letter from the university indicating that they need to be tested weekly for COVID-19. Upon receiving the letter, employees and students will be directed to download the Quickbase app to register. Those being tested will pick up their COVID-19 test kit outside of One Stop at the University Center, room 126. It is important not to eat or drink anything for 30 minutes prior to testing. Results will be available within 48 hours via the Quickbase app. Click here to review a video on the testing process.
On-Campus Housing Demand
We are managing the demand for campus housing at USD, which is high due to a slightly larger incoming class of first-year students, the arrival of students who deferred last year due to COVID-19, more returning students needing housing, and a complicated housing market in San Diego. We expect to house first-year students in our traditional first-year housing areas (Camino/Founders, Maher Hall, Valley A and Valley B), as well as a portion of the Valley Apartments (San Buenaventura). Students will be housed in single and double rooms.
Additional details on our COVID-19 health and safety efforts can be found on our Onward USD website.
Sincerely,
The COVID-19 Action Team
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