Florida Tech Return to Campus Plan: Spring 2022, Exercises of Public Health

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Return to Campus

Spring 2022

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Florida Tech’s Pandemic Response Team, working collaboratively across campus units, developed Return-

to-Learn recommendations to facilitate the university’s safe and efficient return to campus-based living and

learning. Operations across campus—from the student experience to the work environment for faculty and

staff—were evaluated for risk, assessed for opportunities and challenges and modified to ensure the health

and safety of all Panthers. Central to this work was the development of the Florida Tech Safe initiative, an

evaluation of the university’s safety culture, establishment of a safety pledge and implementation of policies

and procedures to mitigate the risk posed by COVID-19. The Florida Tech Safe Plan has been modified and

updated to adapt to the many changes and challenges that the COVID-19 variants have posed as well as

incorporating the information and experience that we have gained over these many months of the pandemic.

OUR PLEDGE:

SAFE STUDENTS–SAFE CAMPUS–SAFE COMMUNITY

We look forward to providing our student body with a traditional campus experience in the spring.

Having the vast majority of the Florida Tech community vaccinated against COVID-19 will be one of the

keys to allowing an increase in activities on campus. Our pledge for safe students, safe campus and safe

community remains. We will continue to carefully monitor public health conditions and maintain regular

communication with health officials.

Although we hope it won’t be necessary, we have the experience and capacity to rapidly pivot to remote

or hybrid instruction if necessary. Florida Tech’s plan aligns with local orders and ordinances of the city of

Melbourne and Brevard County, as well as the state of Florida. It also follows recommendations from the

federal government, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Tech’s Holzer Health

Center.

We are in this together.

COVID-19 POLICIES UPDATE

As we approach the start of the spring semester, we have seen the rise of the Omicron variant that, although highly contagious, has less severe and, in many cases, even mild “cold-like” symptoms. The Pandemic Response Team has recommended that Florida Tech stay the course with in-person instruction and continue to maintain many COVID protocols to mitigate spread while adjusting to this new variant. The decision to return to in-person instruction on Jan. 10 is based on many factors, including the lower health risk of the Omicron variant coupled with the widespread availability of vaccines. The great majority of our faculty and staff are now vaccinated as is a large percentage of our student body who have reported their vaccination status. Being vaccinated is now a conscious choice and although being vaccinated does not guarantee immunity from infection, evidence shows that it does diminish the severity of contracting a severe case of COVID-19. We also know that there is no substitute for an in-person campus experience, and all academic policies will remain in full effect during the academic year. We reached this decision after careful planning and consultation with our health care and operational professionals to ensure that we can return to a healthy campus with appropriate safety precautions while also having the flexibility to implement new guidelines as necessary. As such, we will continue to follow CDC guidelines and our existing rules (modified as appropriate) based on those guidelines and advice from our own medical professionals and public health experts. Strong evidence indicates that most severe illness and hospitalizations are occurring in our unvaccinated population. Although being vaccinated does not guarantee immunity from infection, it does remain the best defense against contracting a severe case of COVID-19. For this this reason, Florida Tech continues to strongly recommend that our students, faculty and staff get vaccinated and receive their boosters. In the Classroom Florida Tech will conduct a full schedule of in-person instruction this spring. There will not be a remote option for courses scheduled to meet in person except for those who receive a special exemption from their college dean. Students in isolation and quarantine will be expected to coordinate with instructors to make up work. Courses will continue to be recorded and made available throughout the semester and will be deleted once the course is completed. Academic Calendar The first day of the spring term is Jan. 10, 2022. The academic calendar will reflect traditional breaks. Guest Policy For the safety of our campus community, public access to the campus will remain restricted, and Florida Tech will continue to require university guests to check in at the Welcome Center or at the Office of Enrollment Management (for campus tours). For safety and security, visitors will be required to display their university-provided visitor pass. Faculty and staff will continue to display their campus-issued ID at all times when on campus. Campus Dining Panther Dining Hall, the Rathskeller and the newly added dining options in the Denius Student Center will be open for our campus community. Restrictions for employees and a to-go only option may be imposed depending on advice from our Pandemic Response Team. Limited seating capacity will remain in effect. Travel Any individual or group participating in university-related travel will need approval and may require a negative COVID-19 test pre- and post-travel or a completed vaccination.

Events Given the effectiveness of our mitigation strategies and the prioritization of in-person interactions, workplace events and meetings are permitted. Attendees must comply with all protocols, and rooms must be booked in advance through Florida Tech’s Event Management System. Florida Tech is committed to the health, safety and welfare of every member of the Panther community. Large university events and student events (more that 50 people) will require approval and will be reviewed on an individual basis. Workplace meetings, organization and club meetings are permitted as long as they adhere to university safety protocols. The holding of events or meetings outside are highly encouraged whenever feasible. Isolation and Quarantine Students will isolate and/or quarantine in their place of residence and will be required to adhere to guidance and protocols provided by the COVID-19 case management team. If you do not adhere to the isolation protocols and procedures, you may be referred to the dean of students and/or removed from campus. Contact tracing will continue, and students will be required to follow quarantine protocols if identified as a close contact unless fully vaccinated. COVID-19 Vaccination Florida Tech expects that everyone who is able to receive the COVID-19 vaccination will be vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and the community. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 prevents severe illness, hospitalization and death and reduces transmission. Boosters are highly encouraged for those who are outside of six months of receiving their Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, and outside of two months of receiving their J&J vaccine. With the new variant, this is more urgent than ever! Any employee who is not fully vaccinated will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test within a 10-day period throughout the spring semester.

WHY GET VACCINATED?

Once you are fully vaccinated, you …

• do not need to quarantine if exposed to someone positive for COVID-19 (if you have no symptoms).
• do not need to quarantine upon returning to the U.S. after travel.
• will enable Florida Tech to open up more and more options!

WHY SHOULD YOU GET BOOSTED?

The CDC states that studies show after getting vaccinated against COVID-19 protection decreases over time and may also be decreased due to changes in circulating variants. The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further increases the importance of vaccination and boosters to protect against COVID-19. Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated. However, preliminary evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the various variants can spread the virus to others. To reduce their risk of becoming infected with a COVID-19 variant and potentially spreading it to others, vaccinated members of our campus community need to continue to adhere to our Florida Tech Safe protocols.

IN THE EVENT YOU HAVE ONE OR MORE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19:

• Stay home.
• Employee: Notify and consult with HR about using PTO or work-from-home arrangements.
• Consult with a health care provider and/or scheduling a COVID-19 test. Occasionally, an employee may not follow protocols exactly as prescribed. It is the duty of all supervisors to be fully versed in our COVID-19 protocols and to contact HR in any instance where an employee notifies them of feeling ill or shares the result of a positive test. Questions We encourage all faculty, staff and students to refamiliarize yourself our Florida Tech Safe website. The curated list of FAQ provides an overview of our protocols and is an excellent resource.

FLORIDATECH.EDU/CORONAVIRUS/QUESTIONS-AND-ANSWERS

If faculty and staff have questions or concerns about COVID-19 protocols related to the workplace, please contact the Office of Human Resources. Students should contact the Office of the Dean of Students. Pandemic Response Team Florida Institute of Technology 150 W. University Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32901- 20220005