Guidance to Return to Campus from Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) (issued July 2020)

How Platt College Has Met Guidance from CDHE

1. Align policies to maintain a 65% reduction in interpersonal interactions compared to pre-COVID

1. Limited on campus classes, orientations and information sessions and applicant testing remain online

2. Cap classrooms at 50% capacity up to 50 individuals

2. Capped classes on campus to 15 people

3. Work in close consultation with public health and state and local orders

3. Shared plan with CDHE, ACCSC, ACEN, CBON, Board of Directors and other Communities of Interest

4. Determine structure for informed decision-making with a single point of contact

4. Informed decision-making lies with Dr. Julie Basler, President

5. Designate an administrator to be responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns

5. Appropriate Administrators: (Student concerns = Associate Dean Jen Jones, Employee concerns = Immediate Supervisor, HR concerns = Robert Craver, CFO)

6. Require all faculty, staff, and students to participate in COVID-19 awareness training

6. Training completion required prior to safe return to campus, and then continued quarterly for new students, and annually in December for all existing students and employees until a vaccine is found or COVID 19 cases are eliminated as determined by governor’s phased plan. (Training points must include: monitoring for presence of COVID-19 symptoms, staying home or leaving and notifying appropriate administrator if symptoms develop, the proper usage and wearing of face masks, and where to find information on COVID-19 local cases.

7. Conduct meetings electronically, even when working on campus with face-to-face meetings under 10 employees with social distancing enforced

7. Conduct all campus meetings on Zoom regardless of location of employees.  Additionally, student/faculty or student/staff meetings that are scheduled are through Zoom.  A drop in student can be seen, but social distancing needs to be followed

8. Allow employees (faculty and staff) over the age of 65 OR at risk to work remote.  (At risk is defined by the CDHE from the CDC as: chronic kidney disease, COPD, immunocompromised state from organ transplant, obesity BMI over 30, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and Type II diabetes.)

8.  At risk employees have been contacted to discuss options for remote work.  If an employee has not been contacted and feels they may be considered for the high risk category, they are encouraged to reach out to one of the members of the mitigation committee to discuss options. 

9. Ensure gatherings are in compliance with physical distancing and other requirements contained in public health orders.

9. Three categories in CO: Stay at Home, Safer at Home, and Protect Our Neighbors

Currently under Safer at Home, (indoor venues are allowed 50 people with social distancing)

Platt College will not hold public gatherings with the exception of graduations if able to meet requirements and if it's approved. 

10. Consider phased return of employees to no more than 30% of the workforce at a time, staggering every 2-4 weeks for full return.  Also, shifts need to be stagger after phased-in return to reduce the number of people in the workplace at the same time.

10. At Platt College, this means 7 employees will be staggered for a full return. 

Basler, R. Craver, G. Craver, Al-Adayleh, Vigil, Hettich, Huddy, Yarber, Porter, Dolph, B. Jones, Spoerling, Cullerton, Finken, J. Jones, Calderon, Little, Bradshaw, Thomas, Tugume, Neu

Total = 21 with (9 upstairs, 12 downstairs)

11. Encourage single occupancy in offices and work rooms

11. Each office will have one occupant.  Faculty in downstairs cubicles will work from home unless teaching in the classroom upstairs in the building.  All work rooms (i.e. mail room) will be limited to one person at a time. 

12. Post entry requirements for buildings with easy to interpret graphics 

12. Face masks requirement, physical distancing, elevator and bathroom etiquette, hand washing signage has been posted.

13. Require self-assessment (i.e. symptom tracker) for faculty, staff, and students coming to campus

13. A self-assessment symptom tracker has been created and is in usage

14. Procure sufficient disinfectant products and cleaning supplies so employees and/or students can frequently clean their own spaces with EPA approved products

14. Products have been provided in all work and classroom areas currently in use.

15. Require cloth face coverings.

15. Employees and students are aware that they must provide their own mask.  If they do not have a mask, one will be provided for them by the College.

16. Ensure that janitorial and facilities staff is provided with PPE and guidelines for clearning and disnfecting per CDC recommendations. 

16. A list of EPA approved cleaning supplies have been provided to the cleaning company.  A meeting was held to ensure that CDC guidelines were being followed, and a certificate was issued by the facilities cleaning crew regarding EPA deep cleaning of the building. 

17. Reduce the risk of infection by avoiding having students go home for Thanksgiving and return to campus.

17. Platt College has revised our fall quarter to being on September 14 and end on November 25, 2020. 

18. Provide hand sanitizers at all entrances with high traffic areas.

18. Hand santizing stations have been placed at all major entrances in the building.

19. Remove high-touch areas (pens, magazines) and appliances.  Eliminate reusable kitchen items.

19. Employees are asked to use cooler bags for their lunches, brew their coffee at home or in their own offices, and avoid the usage of the microwave.  High-touch areas and reuable kitchen items have been eliminated.

20. Ensure ventilation systems in the building operates proprerly with an increase circulation of outdoor air.  

20. Ventilation was checked and verified as operating properly and safely in the building, including checks for proper ventilation during COVID closure.

21. Maintain social distancing and remove and/or reduce the number of chairs and/or desks to allow for social distancing.

21. Social distancing signs are in place and chairs have been removed out of classrooms and labs in use

22. Place plexiglass or other barriers where people must face each other or are unable to be 6 feet apart.  Consider installing plexiglass barriers at high-visited areas such as reception desks and check-in points.

22. Plexiglass has been installed for the library and the reception desk.  These are two areas in which employees do work behind closed office doors.  Distancing has all been created for faculty in shared offices. 

23. Consider having one-way directional flow of people in and out of building with signage that promotes physical distancing. 

23. Footprints adhered to the floor have been put into place in different colors to enter and exit counter clockwise in the building with social distancing signage. 

24. Consider posting maximum room capacity on each classroom door.

24. Classroom and/or lab maximum capacity has been posted on each door. 

25. Have mitigation requirements that apply to visitors.

25. A section in the plan outlines visitors on campus. 

26. Prioritize in-person instruction for courses with academic outcomes that cannot be measured or achieved virtually, such as labs and sim

26. Classes that will meet face-to-face have been prioritized to those courses which makes it difficult for student learning outcomes to be achieved in nursing school. 

27. Implement a hybrid mode of instruction and plan for a future closure if a resurgence occurs.

27. All courses that can be taught online or in a hybrid format are being taught that way provided student learning outcomes are met.  A resurgence plan is posted and in place. 

28. Expand simulation experiences to create clinical scenarios to practice technical, diagnostic and exam skills.

28. Simulation experiences are leveled and used to meet simulation outcomes both virtually and in-person where applicable. 

29. Continue to train faculty and staff with online methodologies and help students with access to technology.

29. Faculty have received recent updated training and students have access to IT Coordinator Mark Finken.

30. Review absenteeism and report unusual changes to an administrator even if subjective.  If unusual changes patterns occur, report to local health officials.

30. The mitigation committee is responsible for monitoring unusual absenteeism policies with employees and students.  Dr. Ricker is responsible for reporting unusual patterns of absenteeism with local health officials. 

31. Have students used assigned seats for the quarter and make it easier to report absences.

31. Faculty have been asked to assign seats for the quarter for in-person courses.

32. Develop specialized plans for students who are at increased risk in clinicals.

32. Associate Dean Jen Jones has developed a clinical plan with each facility that requires students to conduct clinicals while avoiding high risk COVID areas and students are provided with PPE.

33. Encourage faculty-student communication regarding health status and any change in their ability to complete coursework

33. Updated Policy 02:05:00 for student attendance during COVID-19

34. Identify resources for students with learning disabilities and ADA needs for remote learning

34. ADA Coordinator D. Dolph will work with students to ensure the best accommodates are made within reason to help students 

35. Follow public health orders regarding individuals at high risk with a plan

35. A plan is in place for students to work with Associate Dean Jen Jones and employees to work with Robert Craver, CFO.

36. Consider how much self-disclosure is expected of staff regarding being at risk and their sense of safety in an in-person classroom

36. As suggested by the CDHE, students, faculty, and staff should report to Associate Dean Jen Jones for students and Robert Craver for employees if they have symptoms or a positive test, with FERPA protocol in place.

37. Ensure that student code of conduct reflects COVID-19 standards

37. Policy 02:26:00 student code of conduct has been revised to include COVID-19; Report an Incident of Non Compliance with COVID-19 Protocols has been implemented for students and employees

38. Consider ways to communicate with high risk retention students and create a platform for students to use virtual student services

38. Student Services is working with high risk retention students and in createing services that are virtual yet effective

39. Establish a basic needs liaison to coordinate basic needs (i.e food)

39. Angela Yarber is the liaison that helps with student needs and helps to coordinate and distribute the "sunshine fund" which is a voluntary employee funded gift card funding for food and basic needs.

40. Build communities online using social media platforms as critical parts of campus experiences

40. Patrick Huddy, Admissions and Marketing Coordinator, oversees social media connections for students, employees, and alumni.

41. Develop a crisis plan which includes communication on resurgence and telehealth resources for students in crisis

41. [email protected] provides 24/7 mental crisis help during COVID and everyday for our students.  Additionally, D. Dolph student services coordinator provides and posts resources for students in crisis.

42. Create a communication plan that protects the community, campus community from COVID-19 transmission and adhering to campus directives.

42. Platt College's Return to Campus plan outlines the institution's plan and protects the community and college community.

43. Encourage individuals to minimize non-essential travel and to limit mass transit.

43. Requirements While on Campus outlines safety protocols for non-essential travel and mass transit usage.

44. Consider participating with community response efforts

44. Platt College executive team members serve on community response efforts (in nursing and with the CDHE)

45. If possible, conduct daily health checks OR have individuals conduct self-checks to determine if they need to enter the building or to be quarantined.

45. Platt College put into place a five question process to enter the building:

• COVID-19 Screening Protocol
  • How to Return to Campus and Enter Daily
  • Self-Reporting

46. Require individuals who have recently had a close contact with a person with COVID-19 to stay home and quarantine

46. The section below guides individuals on what to do if they an exposure to COVID-19 has occurred.

• COVID-19 Screening Protocol
  • How to Return to Campus and Enter Daily
  • Self-Reporting

47. Advise use of the state's symptom tracker to help public spread

47. The state's symptom tracker is included in the College's screening protocol.

48. Testing and confirming cases of COVID-19 including working in close collaboration with health officials

48. Dr. Fran Ricker, Dean of Nursing, serves as the liaision to report confirmed bases using FERPA guideslines to health officials.  The College is prepared to implement a short-term building closure if warranted.

49. To help mitigate stresses, consider a virtual community

49. The College has used a buddy system for weekly check ins for employees, and checking in with different cohorts throughout the program with emails and handwritten letters.

50. Provide immediate relief from distress caused by COVID-19

50. Immediate and confidential relief is available through the [email protected] platform.