This week’s memo began as a rather concise document and has since evolved into a more robust resource of information. You will find updates and reminders along with guidance on gatherings, events, and food. Also included are a few items from last week’s email from the Provost.
As you are aware, Folayemi Wilson has agreed to join us as our inaugural associate dean for Access and Equity. In order to provide office space and administrative support in close proximity, Folayemi’s office will be in 124 (formerly Katie Rountree’s office). Katie and Gwen have moved downstairs to 30 Borland.
Return to Office Guidance
As we prepare for return to working in offices in fall 2021, and keep in mind the task of considering contingency plans to enable a shift should COVID produce conditions that make doing so necessary, we need to revisit the guidance and plans for office occupancy.
Please refer to Return to Office Guidance for more information.
COVID and Contingency Planning
COVID cases around the country are rising due to the number of unvaccinated individuals and the spread of the delta variant. There have been a few recorded cases among the campus community recently and identified and placed in isolation. The university continues to test residence hall students and students can avoid being tested by showing their vaccine card.
The University is currently in green status, which means minor adjustments, such as masking indoors for non-vaccinated individuals with few exceptions, centralized contact tracing, on-demand testing/use of TASC. Moving to yellow status (moderate) or red status (major) would require more sever measures and actions.
The University has determined all units with activities planned between now and the end of the fall semester should develop contingency plans based on the increasing presence of COVID. The recommendation is to develop contingency plans for each event in case of a moderate or major shift. Here are a few examples:
| Moderate | Major | |
| Academic | Hybrid instructional modes | Remote instructional modes |
| Congregation areas/Vehicles | Capacity limits | Restricted |
| Events | Capacity limits | Cancel |
| Visitors | Restricted | Cancel |
| Masking | Everyone must wear a mask indoors | Everyone must wear a mask indoors and outdoors |
| Distancing | Strongly encouraged | Required |
As you develop moderate and major shift contingency plans for events, consider the impact of these shifts on academic, research, events, visitors, and other operations. It might be helpful to think of these contingency plans as a progression of off ramps to think through what would we need to be considered if the University were to shift in August or September due to increased COVID cases or changes in COVID guidance. I imagine we will have more details and guidance next week.
Arts & Architecture Event and Gathering Guidance
Per guidance from Kelly Wolgast, Director, COVID-19 Operations Control Center (COCC), we are to avoid indoor gatherings as much as possible. Any food service should be provided outdoors, with individually packaged meals and individual drinks, and no buffet type service. Serving food at any event when there may be unvaccinated people is a potential health concern as indoor events with food would require unvaccinated people to remove their mask to eat. Removing masks is in contradiction with University guidance for all unvaccinated people to be masked indoors at all times.
See Event Gathering Guidance and Procedure for Outdoor Event Approvals for more information.
Parking Permits Exchanges
Katie Rountree and Gwen Miller will be in the office full time beginning August 9. That week, Aug 9 thru Aug 13 you can stop by room 30 Borland between 10am-1pm to exchange permits. After that week you can stop between 8am-1pm. Remember to bring your old permit as Katie and Gwen cannot make the change without your old permit. You can park in the lot next to Borland or the lot at Stuckeman with your flashers on. If you are ticketed during the exchange, please let them know and they will take care of it.
Return to Workplace/Return to Research Data Base Update
So, the plan you are suggesting, if I am understanding correctly, is to acknowledge neither the university nor the college is keeping track of a database nor seeking or approving requests or to return to buildings—essentially we are back to pre-pandemic access to occupancy of buildings. Please let me know if I have misunderstood.
Unfortunately the Return to Work data base is not accessible to us. So without that data everyone entering the buildings who has been approved to Return to Work would have to contact their appropriate unit and let them know they are in the buildings. We do have the Return to Research list but it does not tell us exactly when people are in the buildings. The contact tracers find out from the COVID positive people who they have been in contact with. I do not think they have ever asked us who else was in the building from our own data base.
Since everyone will be coming back in a matter of weeks, I think keeping track may be an unrealistic expectation. I am just thinking all of the units will get very frustrated if they have to keep up their own database, and unless we remove all card access, we will never know that our data is accurate.
At this point I think we should acknowledge neither the university nor the college is keeping track of a database nor seeking or approving requests to return to buildings—essentially we are back to pre-pandemic access and occupancy of buildings.
A Few Items from the Provost’s Email for Faculty and Instructors (07.16.21)
QUESTION FROM FACULTY
Q: Can I require students to wear a mask in my class?
A: As of June 28, masks are optional for those who are fully vaccinated (two weeks after the second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine), including in classroom, advising, and student services spaces. Unvaccinated individuals must continue to wear masks indoors at all times. If you want someone to wear a mask when interacting with you, you can request that they do so, but cannot require it. It is important to note that those who are working in or visiting designated health care environments must continue to wear masks indoors and maintain distancing regardless of vaccination status.
In individual offices, faculty may post this sign if they wish to request that people entering wear a mask.
KEY REMINDERS FOR FACULTY
- International travel requests must be submitted 30 days in advance of departure date. Detailed information about how to submit an international travel request can be found here.
- Students are being asked to complete a short and anonymous survey about their current COVID-19 vaccination status or plans to get vaccinated before the start of the fall semester.
- Penn State is continuing to encourage students and employees to share their coronavirus vaccination status to help inform the University’s decision-making and its COVID-19 management plan. Employees can provide their vaccination status using SalesForce Health Cloud, a secure online platform.
B. Stephen Carpenter II
Dean | College of Arts + Architecture
arts.psu.edu | #MakingPossibilitiesPossible