SAFETY INDICATORS FOR CAMPUS OPERATIONS

While we currently plan for campus to be open for Fall 2020, and to have some University staff and a limited number of students and faculty on campus for face-to-face classes, A&M-San Antonio is poised to operate fully remotely, should circumstances necessitate doing so.

On a weekly basis, a sub-committee of the COVID-19 Risk Management Working Group will monitor and provide a recommendation to the president about the level of activity on campus. The monitoring committee includes:

  • Mike O’Brien, Provost
  • Kathy Funk-Baxter, Vice President for Business Affairs
  • Jessica Loudermilk, Chief of Staff & Co-Chair, COVID-19 Risk Management Working Group
  • Rita Sue Arredondo, University Risk & Compliance Coordinator

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE MONITORING COMMITTEE

Guidance and coordination from:

  • The Governor, Chancellor and Regents, as well as local governing authorities (e.g., county and city);
  • Center for Disease Control (CDC), state and local health departments; and
  • Athletic associations and conferences.

Sufficiency of supplies and personnel, including the availability of:

  • COVID-19 testing, associated supply chains and turnaround times (days) for return of test results;
  • Contact tracing, its capacity and effectiveness;
  • Health care workers specific to COVID-19 operations; and
  • Cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfectant, etc.

Metrics to evaluate local and University/agency conditions:

  • University-available capacity for quarantine and isolation for on-campus students;
  • University ability to support off-campus students during quarantine and isolation;
  • Level of spread among faculty and staff necessary to support classes;
  • Level of spread among staff needed to support essential campus functions (maintenance, food service, public safety, etc.);
  • Level of spread among students (general spread versus localized spread);
  • Spread of infection through campus operations (rather than off-campus functions);
  • Local available hospitalization capacity, particularly ICU and ventilator capacity;
  • Infection rate (seven-day rolling average) in local/community testing and University/agency testing; and
  • Local elementary, middle and high school operations.

LEVELS OF CAMPUS ACTIVITY

Each week, the monitoring committee will recommend one of the following levels of campus activity:

  • Precautionary measures in place at the beginning of Fall 2020 semester including face coverings, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning
  • Onsite work for faculty and staff levels above 50 percent, but less than 100 percent.
  • Face-to-face instruction, co-curricular activities, research and athletics may or may not be scaled back depending on need.
  • Residential living continues with precaution.
  • Onsite work locations for faculty and staff would reside between 25 and 50 percent.
  • Face-to-face instruction, co-curricular activities, research and athletics should be limited, but may continue under additional limitations the Institution may implement.
  • Residential living continues with heightened precautions.
  • Onsite work limited to personnel essential to support functions such as maintenance, food service, public safety, residential living, IT, etc.
  • Face-to-face instruction temporarily suspended, and all instruction offered remotely; exceptions may be granted by the President.
  • Co-curricular activities may continue remotely.
  • Research suspended except as needed for animal care and those projects exempted by the VPR.
  • Athletics status to be determined by state, conference and athletic association.
  • Students living in residence hall may be encouraged to return to their permanent residence. Residence hall, food service and computer labs remain open to support students who choose to remain on campus.

updated: August 6, 2020