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COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)

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COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
As Massachusetts Higher Education Institutions continue to bring staff, faculty, students, and other members of the public back
to their campuses, completion of this plan will demonstrate alignment with the considerations of the Massachusetts Higher
Education COVID-19 Working Group. The plan will also demonstrate a self-certification that institutions have adopted the
COVID-19 workplace safety rules and requirements instituted under the Governor’s Reopening Orders for Phase II and Phase III.
Control plans do not need to be submitted for approval, but it is recommended that they be posted on the institution’s website
and must be immediately available for review in the case of an inspection or outbreak. If a plan is identical across all or multiple
campuses, only one plan need be completed. If campuses require different approaches due to the nature of activities, building
types, or other reasons, a separate plan should be completed for that campus or campuses. Plans should be disseminated to all
applicable campuses.
Institution name:
Adopted measures to provide that all persons, including faculty, staff and students, remain six feet apart
to the greatest extent possible, both inside and outside campus buildings
Established protocols to ensure that faculty, staff and students can practice adequate social distancing
Posted signage for safe social distancing in all places where faculty, staff and students are likely to gather
Required face coverings or masks for all faculty, staff and students (except where unsafe due to medical
condition or disability) while inside and if social distancing of at least 6 feet cannot be reliably maintained
while outdoors
Implemented additional procedures. Please describe them here:
Provided hand washing capabilities throughout the campus
Taken measures to encourage frequent hand washing or sanitizing by faculty, staff and students and
provided adequate supplies to do so
Provided for regular sanitization of high touch areas, such as desks, equipment, screens, doorknobs,
and restrooms throughout the campus
Single Campus
Multiple Campuses
Campus name(s)/description(s):
Plan applies to:
Campus address(es):
Primary point(s) of contact for campus(es) (President or designee):
please provide the following information
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
HIGHER ED INSTITUTION INFORMATION |
SOCIAL DISTANCING |
H YG I E N E P R OTO C O L S |
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
Revised December 11, 2020
Page 1 of 7
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609
President Laurie Leshin
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Please see attached
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Provided training for faculty, staff and students regarding the importance of social distancing, face
covering, hand-washing, symptom monitoring, testing, isolation, quarantine, and all other detection and
response protocols, and regularly share information through multiple channels to reinforce the message
Encouraged faculty, staff and students who are feeling ill or displaying COVID19-like symptoms to stay home
or in their residence hall
Established a plan to accommodate the needs of
students, staff and faculty who are at higher risk if they are
exposed to COVID-19, or who care for
household members who are at higher risk
Ensured that no gatherings will occur on campus that exceed the limits in the latest Commonwealth advisory,
except for the purposes of instruction, provided that six feet distancing can always be maintained
Ensured that campus amenities and services will adhere to all sector-specific safety protocols, available on the
Commonwealth’s
Reopening Plan website, applicable to the
amenity or service. Examples include:
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
GENERAL OPERATIONS |
As Massachusetts Higher Education Institutions continue to bring staff, faculty, students, and other members of the public back
to their campuses, completion of this plan will demonstrate alignment with the considerations of the Massachusetts Higher
Education COVID-19 Working Group. The plan will also demonstrate a self-certification that institutions have adopted the
COVID-19 workplace safety rules and requirements instituted under the Governor’s Reopening Orders for Phase II and Phase III.
Control plans do not need to be submitted for approval, but it is recommended that they be posted on the institution’s website
and must be immediately available for review in the case of an inspection or outbreak. If a plan is identical across all or multiple
campuses, only one plan need be completed. If campuses require different approaches due to the nature of activities, building
types, or other reasons, a separate plan should be completed for that campus or campuses. Plans should be disseminated to all
applicable campuses.
COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
Office spaces: Must follow latest office space guidance
Dining Services and Facilities: To the extent feasible, must follow social distancing, hygiene protocols,
and staffing guidance in the latest restaurant guidance and must work in cooperation with local public
health officials to develop and execute site-specific protocols consistent with applicable CDC guidance
for cleaning, disinfecting, and closing areas occupied by a person presumed or confirmed to have
COVID-19.
Athletic Centers, gyms and fitness centers: Must follow the latest fitness center and health club guidance
Campus shops and bookstores: Must follow the latest retail guidance
Performance venues: Must follow the latest performance venue guidance
Events: Must follow the latest indoor and outdoor events guidance
Implemented additional procedures. Please describe them here:
Implemented additional procedures. Please describe them here:
H YG I E N E P R OTO C O L S |
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
Revised December 11, 2020
Page 2 of 7
Please see attached
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Please see attached
Established consistent communication to all students, staff, faculty, and the surrounding community regarding
Phase III plans
Installed signage and other visual indicators throughout all campus buildings and outdoor areas to improve
awareness of and compliance with Phase III requirements
Established a plan for when and how to adjust operations in response to an outbreak on campus or other public
health concerns, including communicating the need to pause or discontinue in-person programming and activities
to all students, staff and faculty
Established clear communication and escalation points with the Local Board of Health, Massachusetts
Department of Public Health, and other state and local agencies as needed
Developed protocols for delivery of emotional and mental health services, including both individual and group
counseling
Implemented additional procedures. Please describe them here:
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify
that you have:
COMMUNICATION & SUPPORT |
As Massachusetts Higher Education Institutions continue to bring staff, faculty, students, and other members of the public back
to their campuses, completion of this plan will demonstrate alignment with the considerations of the Massachusetts Higher
Education COVID-19 Working Group. The plan will also demonstrate a self-certification that institutions have adopted the
COVID-19 workplace safety rules and requirements instituted under the Governor’s Reopening Orders for Phase II and Phase III.
Control plans do not need to be submitted for approval, but it is recommended that they be posted on the institution’s website
and must be immediately available for review in the case of an inspection or outbreak. If a plan is identical across all or multiple
campuses, only one plan need be completed. If campuses require different approaches due to the nature of activities, building
types, or other reasons, a separate plan should be completed for that campus or campuses. Plans should be disseminated to all
applicable campuses.
COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
Established and maintained cleaning protocols specific to the campus
Taken measures to ensure that when an individual on campus is diagnosed with
COVID-19, cleaning and disinfecting is performed
Prepared to disinfect all common and high touch surfaces at appropriate intervals
Implemented additional procedures. Please describe them here:
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that
you have:
CLEANING & DISINFECTING |
Revised December 11, 2020
Page 3 of 7
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Please see attached
Please see attached
In order to demonstrate acceptance of the Higher Education Testing Group’s report and recommendations
(“Developing an Integrated COVID-19 Testing Strategy: Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education in
Massachusetts”), by January 1, 2021, an institution with students residing on campus should adopt and post online
comprehensive protocols for arrival and surveillance testing that align with the report. Concerning surveillance
testing, while experience has shown that there is no single protocol for testing frequency that
works in every environment, the report indicates that populations most at risk shall be tested every 2 to 7 days,
with the outer limit being 12 days under the most favorable circumstances. Testing protocols and plans should
be established in coordination with local public health officials and should be regularly updated to ensure
compliance with current CDC and DPH requirements and guidelines and to reflect evolving testing technologies
and methods.
Established a plan for ensuring that students, staff and faculty who arrive on campus from another country or a
state not designated as a lower-risk state by the Department of Public Health provide documentation of a
negative COVID test result on a sample taken no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival, and are informed of
campus policies and the latest Commonwealth travel order regarding travel restrictions, testing, and self-
quarantine requirements
Designated residential facilities space for residential students to immediately quarantine if they arrive on campus
from another country or a state not designated as a lower-risk state by DPH and do not have documentation of a
negative COVID test result on a sample taken no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival
Developed a plan to ensure that results and full demographic data (name, date of birth, full address, gender, race,
ethnicity, primary language, occupation and disability status) on students, staff and faculty tested by the
institution for COVID-19 are reported electronically to the MA Department of Public Heath as required. (If
testing is conducted by a healthcare facility or laboratory, results will be reported electronically to DPH by the
facility or laboratory.)
Developed a plan for coordinating with students, staff and faculty who are diagnosed with COVID-19, or have been
in close contact with someone who has, to ensure that they have adequate space and support to isolate or
quarantine
Developed a plan to work with DPH-designated contact tracers following the identification of any case or close
contact. (DPH-designated contact tracers conduct contact tracing in Massachusetts, and include local Boards of
Health, both in the municipality where the campus is based and the municipality where the case or close contacts
reside, if different than where the campus is may be involved, as well as the Community Tracing Collaborative.
Local Board of Health officials will decide whether to conduct contact tracing or assign to the Community Tracing
Collaborative.)
DETECTION & RESPONSE |
As Massachusetts Higher Education Institutions continue to bring staff, faculty, students, and other members of the public back
to their campuses, completion of this plan will demonstrate alignment with the considerations of the Massachusetts Higher
Education COVID-19 Working Group. The plan will also demonstrate a self-certification that institutions have adopted the
COVID-19 workplace safety rules and requirements instituted under the Governor’s Reopening Orders for Phase II and Phase III.
Control plans do not need to be submitted for approval, but it is recommended that they be posted on the institution’s website
and must be immediately available for review in the case of an inspection or outbreak. If a plan is identical across all or multiple
campuses, only one plan need be completed. If campuses require different approaches due to the nature of activities, building
types, or other reasons, a separate plan should be completed for that campus or campuses. Plans should be disseminated to all
applicable campuses.
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
Revised December 11, 2020
Page 4 of 7
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Designated residential facilities space to immediately isolate students who reside on campus and test positive for
COVID-19, and to separately quarantine students who have had close contact with them
Established protocols to ensure that students in isolation or quarantine have appropriate support and services
Established specific detection and response protocols for periods when school is not in session, including the
following:
All students living in campus housing who plan to leave campus during any period in which school is not in session
should first receive a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered by the college within 72 hours of their
planned departure. To the extent possible, residential colleges should also offer COVID-19 tests to students
living off campus who plan to return home, within 72 hours of their planned departure.
All students should be informed of the risks associated with going home without first receiving a negative
COVID-19 test result.
Residential students who test positive should immediately isolate in campus housing designated and supported
for that purpose. Contact tracing for all students who test positive should begin immediately so that students
who were in close contact can be provided appropriate quarantine housing and instructions.
Students who previously tested positive for COVID-19 and are isolating in campus housing should remain in
place until completing the 10-day isolation period, as prescribed by DPH guidance.
DETECTION & RESPONSE |
As Massachusetts Higher Education Institutions continue to bring staff, faculty, students, and other members of the public back
to their campuses, completion of this plan will demonstrate alignment with the considerations of the Massachusetts Higher
Education COVID-19 Working Group. The plan will also demonstrate a self-certification that institutions have adopted the
COVID-19 workplace safety rules and requirements instituted under the Governor’s Reopening Orders for Phase II and Phase III.
Control plans do not need to be submitted for approval, but it is recommended that they be posted on the institution’s website
and must be immediately available for review in the case of an inspection or outbreak. If a plan is identical across all or multiple
campuses, only one plan need be completed. If campuses require different approaches due to the nature of activities, building
types, or other reasons, a separate plan should be completed for that campus or campuses. Plans should be disseminated to all
applicable campuses.
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
Revised December 11, 2020
Page 5 of 7
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Established specific detection and response protocols for periods when school is not in session, including the
following (continued):
Students who are quarantined in campus housing due to close contact with someone who tested positive for
COVID-19 should remain in place until completing 10 days of quarantine, as prescribed by DPH guidance.
Quarantined students may leave campus housing on day 8 if they have not had any symptoms and they
receive a negative result from a diagnostic test (molecular or antigen) administered on or after day 5 of the
quarantine period. Students who are released from quarantine prior to completing the full 14 days must
continue to monitor themselves for symptoms for the remainder of the 14-day period. If an individual has
experienced ANY symptoms during the quarantine period, even if they have had a negative COVID-19 test,
or if the individual indicates they are unwilling or unable to conduct active monitoring of symptoms, they
must remain in quarantine through the entire 14-day period.
Institutions should continue to provide essential services to students isolating or quarantining on their
campuses during any period in which school is not in session.
Students returning to a residential campus after any period in which school is not in session should be tested
for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to their planned return. Colleges should administer COVID-19 tests
immediately to any returning student who returns to campus and has not been tested within 72 hours.
Testing of returning students should apply to all students, whether they live on or off campus. Students who
test positive should immediately isolate for at least 10 days, as prescribed by DPH guidance.
result.
DETECTION & RESPONSE |
As Massachusetts Higher Education Institutions continue to bring staff, faculty, students, and other members of the public back
to their campuses, completion of this plan will demonstrate alignment with the considerations of the Massachusetts Higher
Education COVID-19 Working Group. The plan will also demonstrate a self-certification that institutions have adopted the
COVID-19 workplace safety rules and requirements instituted under the Governor’s Reopening Orders for Phase II and Phase III.
Control plans do not need to be submitted for approval, but it is recommended that they be posted on the institution’s website
and must be immediately available for review in the case of an inspection or outbreak. If a plan is identical across all or multiple
campuses, only one plan need be completed. If campuses require different approaches due to the nature of activities, building
types, or other reasons, a separate plan should be completed for that campus or campuses. Plans should be disseminated to all
applicable campuses.
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
Revised December 11, 2020
Students returning to campus from another country or a state not designated as a lower-risk state by the
Department of Public Health must quarantine for 10 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that
has been administered within 72-hours prior to their arrival in Massachusetts. Students returning without a
negative test result must remain in quarantine for 10 days after arrival or until they obtain a negative test
result.
Page 6 of 7
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Implemented additional procedures. Please describe them here:
DETECTION & RESPONSE |
As Massachusetts Higher Education Institutions continue to bring staff, faculty, students, and other members of the public back
to their campuses, completion of this plan will demonstrate alignment with the considerations of the Massachusetts Higher
Education COVID-19 Working Group. The plan will also demonstrate a self-certification that institutions have adopted the
COVID-19 workplace safety rules and requirements instituted under the Governor’s Reopening Orders for Phase II and Phase III.
Control plans do not need to be submitted for approval, but it is recommended that they be posted on the institution’s website
and must be immediately available for review in the case of an inspection or outbreak. If a plan is identical across all or multiple
campuses, only one plan need be completed. If campuses require different approaches due to the nature of activities, building
types, or other reasons, a separate plan should be completed for that campus or campuses. Plans should be disseminated to all
applicable campuses.
check the applicable boxes (or indicate "N/A" if not applicable) to certify that you have:
COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
A
DDITIONAL D
ET
AILS
|
Revised December 11, 2020
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Please see attached
Last Updated: December 17, 2020
Supplement to WPI’s COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
Introduction
WPI has carefully planned to safely resume on-campus operations. At every stage, our planning has
been informed and guided by science and public health data.
Our plans are guided by two core principles:
1. Prioritizing the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and surrounding
community in every decision we make.
2. Ensuring that the teaching, learning, and research of our students and faculty will
continue at the highest levels of excellence.
Our plans align with Governor Baker’s four-phased approach
to gradually reopen Massachusetts, and
with sector-specific guidance for higher education including Safe on Campus: A Framework for
Reopening Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, and guidance in the Safe on Campus:
Considerations and Checklists to Guide Massachusetts Colleges and Universities in Planning for a Safe
Semester on Campus.
Our plans reflect thousands of hours of collective work of WPI’s Coronavirus Emergency Response Team
(“CERT”). President Leshin created the CERT in January 2020 – more than six weeks before a
state of
emergency was declared in Massachusetts on March 10, 2020. CERT is comprised of a team
representing every operational aspect of our community. The CERT has met more than 60 times since
January 2020 and will continue its work in the coming year as needed to monitor key public health
metrics, manage COVID-related campus operations and advise the President and senior leadership.
Throughout the pandemic, we have engaged with public officials and a broad range of business and
higher education leaders. President Leshin serves as a member of Governor Baker’s
Reopening Advisory
Board (“RAB”) which advises the administration on strategies to reopen the economy in phases based
on health and safety metrics. As the higher education representative on the RAB, President Leshin was
instrumental in developing
Safe on Campus: A Framework for Reopening Colleges and Universities which
she presented to the RAB on May 22, 2020 on behalf of all of the higher education institutions in
Massachusetts. President Leshin also serves as chair of the Board of the
Association of Independent
Colleges & Universities in Massachusetts, an association of all private colleges and universities in
Massachusetts. President Leshin also chairs the Massachusetts Higher Education Working Group, an
advisory group comprised of a group of presidents from public and private colleges and universities
throughout the Commonwealth. She also serves on the Higher Education Testing Group, an advisory
group comprised of leaders in science and medicine. The Testing Group’s report,
Developing an
Integrated COVID-19 Testing Strategy: Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education in
Massachusetts, is the definitive work on coronavirus testing in the context of higher education.
Supplement to WPI’s COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
December 2020
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Our plans are contingent upon public health data, high-frequency viral testing, enhanced cleaning and
ventilation, symptom attestation, correct and consistent use of face coverings, handwashing, and full
cooperation with contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine procedures.
In this extremely dynamic environment, we are also guided by WPI’s Medical Advisory Board
(“MAB”),
an advisory group created by President Leshin to provide expertise, scientific and medical insight, and
advice as the university manages the health challenges associated with COVID-19. The MAB has regular
meetings via Zoom and is called upon to answer questions and advise WPI’s President and senior
leadership.
We are constantly monitoring public health data and adjusting our plans based on new information.
WPI’s public announcements, plans, and FAQs are regularly updated and made available on the
We Are
WPI website. Questions can be directed to wearewpi@wpi.edu.
Supplement to WPI’s COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
Required Social Distancing and Use of Face Coverings
WPI has implemented procedures to promote social distancing and use of face coverings:
• All students, faculty, and staff are required to participate in an online training and to
acknowledge the #WPITogether Pledge
, which includes information on the importance of social
distancing, wearing face coverings, and following signage and directions on campus for safe
social distancing. Expectations for students are also detailed in the
COVID-19 addendum to the
Student Code of Conduct and the COVID-19 addendum to the Housing and Dining Service
Contract, and posted on the We Are WPI website.
• Massachusetts requires face coverings. The Health and Safety
section of the We Are WPI
website describes WPI’s requirements for wearing face coverings and physical distancing on
campus. Students, faculty, and staff can request a disability accommodation to WPI’s
requirement for cloth face coverings through the Office of Accessibility Services (students) or
Talent & Inclusion (faculty and staff).
• While our focus will be on “catching people doing good,” there are mechanisms for enforcing
our COVID requirements and expectations. An employee’s failure to comply with WPI’s face
covering or social distancing requirements is considered an employment issue that is handled by
Talent & Inclusion. A student’s failure to comply with these requirements is considered a Code
of Conduct issue that is handled by the Dean of Students.
• Students living in WPI residence halls were provided a kit that included cloth face coverings for
their personal use. Students and employees are also advised to bring their own cloth face
coverings to campus. WPI provides respirators, masks, and other personal protective
equipment to certain employees, as dictated by their job responsibilities.
Supplement to WPI’s COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
December 2020
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• WPI has limited the occupancy of designated areas on campus and modified workspaces,
learning spaces, and residence halls by installing signage, floor markings, and marking off or
removing seating to help everyone practice social distancing.
• A review of the types of signage WPI has posted throughout campus is available under the
Campus Operations & Facilities
section of the We Are WPI website. An example of signage
posted in University buildings is available here.
Hygiene Protocols
WPI has implemented procedures to promote personal hygiene on campus:
• All students, faculty, and staff are required to participate in online trainings and to acknowledge
their agreement to the #WPITogether Pledge
.
• Handwashing facilities and hand sanitizer are available in restrooms, at building entrances,
classrooms, and throughout public areas on campus.
• The Campus Operations & Facilities
section of the We Are WPI website provides an overview of
WPI’s cleaning and disinfecting protocols, including high-touch surfaces and high-traffic areas.
The WPI Facilities team cleans and disinfects all campus buildings and restrooms frequently – at
least daily if the building is in use – with hospital-grade disinfectants and a fogging machine (as
needed). WPI Facilities cleans and disinfects frequently-touched surfaces and high-traffic areas.
Classrooms are disinfected with a fogging machine each night.
• Cleaning supplies are provided in classrooms and throughout public areas of campus.
o Students, faculty, and staff must clean their personal spaces in offices and classrooms
upon arrival and departure.
o Students living in residence halls
will be required to clean and disinfect their personal
spaces.
o Individuals utilizing the Sports & Recreation Center must clean their equipment.
Equipment in the Sports & Recreation Center is cleaned by employees between
reservations.
General Operations
WPI has implemented additional procedures on campus regarding course delivery, employee remote
work, and dissemination of important information:
• WPI shares information on its We Are WPI website, email communications
, WPI publications,
and social media posts.
Supplement to WPI’s COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
December 2020
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• All students, faculty, staff, and visitors are required to complete a daily self-assessment of their
symptoms prior to coming to campus or leaving their residence halls. WPI’s symptom checker is
located on the WPI mobile app to facilitate these daily self-assessments for students and
employees. The platform advises students, faculty, and staff who have COVID-19-like
symptoms, positive test results, or who are close contacts to stay home and not come to
campus; they are subsequently contacted by WPI’s COVID Health Team to discuss our
symptoms.
• WPI’s #TechFlex
flexible academic course delivery helps to de-densify the campus and aims to
minimize the risk of infection for students, faculty and staff.
o There are three different categories of course delivery
Online – fully online with no face-to-face meetings on campus.
Hybrid – blended experience of face-to-face meetings and online classes.
In-Person – required on-campus component, such as a lab.
o Students can also seek disability accommodations by contacting the Office of
Accessibility Services.
• The Employees & Workplace
section of the We Are WPI website includes information on remote
work. Employees who can effectively work remotely should do so. Remote work arrangements
can be discussed with a supervisor and employees who are at higher risk for COVID-19 or who
live with someone at higher risk of COVID-19 are encouraged to seek accommodations from
their supervisor or Talent & Inclusion.
• WPI is following the relevant guidance from Massachusetts on reopening, including the
protocols and best practices for Reopening Higher Education and the
sector-specific safety
standards for services on WPI’s campus including standards for office spaces, laboratories,
libraries, dining services (restaurants), fitness centers, indoor and outdoor events, bookstores
(retail), theaters and performance venues, and pools.
o For purposes of instruction and instructional programming, WPI has limited the
capacity of classrooms, labs, study spaces, and instructional event spaces to ensure that
six feet of distancing can be maintained. More information is available in the Academics
section of the We Are WPI website.
o Offices on campus have reopened according to WPI’s Pathways
schedule and in
accordance with the Return to Campus Guidance. The reopening of Pathway 4 offices
has been delayed. Department heads are required to submit reopening plans that
comply with the Massachusetts sector-specific safety standards for offices. All
Department reopening plans are approved by a committee with representatives from
the divisions of Environmental Health & Safety, Talent & Inclusion, Academic Affairs and
Facilities.
o Research labs on campus have reopened pursuant to WPI’s
Research Lab Reopening
Guidelines. Labs submitted reopening plans that complied with the Massachusetts
Supplement to WPI’s COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
December 2020
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sector-specific safety standards for laboratories. All Laboratory Reopening and Social
Distancing Plans were approved by the department head, Environmental Health &
Safety, and the Research Approval Committee (Vice Provost for Research, Associate
Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and Chair of the
Committee on Graduate Studies & Research). The plans received final approval from the
CERT leadership. WPI’s Research Lab Reopening Guidelines govern the use of labs for
human subjects research and by external research partners, with additional forms
required for those circumstances. Starting in A-Term 2020, access to labs became part
of the Departments’ reopening plans, and any lab access approvals and monitoring of
lab occupancy became the responsibility of the relevant department heads.
o Dining on campus is handled through our partner, Chartwells
. Chartwells is following
the state’s safety standards for restaurants and working in cooperation with the
Worcester Division of Public Health. For example, as advised by the Worcester Division
of Public Health, Chartwells and WPI have developed protocols for shutting down and
deep cleaning dining facilities and for the use of off-campus food preparation sites and
pop-up distribution sites for meals on campus, if needed. Updates on dining are
available on the We Are WPI website under
Dining on Campus.
o Information on Athletics, Dining, and Events, and Visitors & Vendors
is available on the
We Are WPI website.
• Expectations for students regarding gatherings at on and off-campus residences are described in
the COVID-19 addendum to the Student Code of Conduct and the
COVID-19 addendum to the
Housing and Dining Service Contract.
Cleaning & Disinfecting
WPI has implemented procedures to promote cleaning and disinfecting on campus:
• The Campus Operations & Facilities
section of the We Are WPI website provides an overview of
WPI’s cleaning and disinfecting protocols, including high-touch surfaces and high-traffic areas.
WPI Facilities cleans and disinfects all campus buildings, including restrooms, frequently – at
least daily if the building is in use – sanitizing with hospital-grade disinfectants and using a
fogging machine. WPI Facilities cleans and disinfects frequently-touched surfaces and high-
traffic areas as well. Classrooms are disinfected with a fogging machine each night.
• Facilities and Environmental Health and Safety staff have acquired personal protective
equipment (PPE), cleaning supplies, and other supplies. WPI is carefully tracking the usage of
such supplies to ensure that WPI has adequate amounts on hand.
• If an individual on campus is COVID-19 positive, the Deep Clean team from WPI Environment
Health & Safety is activated to deep clean any area(s) where the individual might have been,
including residence hall rooms and offices, as applicable. The Deep Clean team is also
responsible for deep cleaning any quarantine and isolation spaces used by students who are
quarantining or isolating on campus.
Supplement to WPI’s COVID-19 Higher Education Control Plan
December 2020
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Communication & Support
WPI has implemented procedures to promote communication and support on campus:
• WPI shares information with the WPI community and the public on its We Are WPI
website,
email communications, WPI publications, and social media posts.
A review of the types of signage WPI has posted throughout campus is available under the
Campus Operations & Facilities
section of the We Are WPI website. An example of signage
posted on University buildings is available here.
• WPI publishes a COVID Testing Dashboard
to provide information on the number of COVID-19
cases on campus. The dashboard is updated each business day, Monday through Friday, at 4 pm
to include the previous day’s results as of 11:59 pm.
• WPI’s campus alert levels
include:
o Alert Level White – High Density, In-Person Activities
o Alert Level Green – TechFlex On Campus
o Alert Level Yellow – Stay In Place
o Alert Level Orange – Limited On Campus
o Alert Level Red – Severely Limited
• State, community, and campus data will inform the University’s decision to heighten restrictions
on campus or change our alert level and campus operations. WPI’s decisions will also be
informed by the state’s actions and directives from the local and state public health authorities.
• President Laurie Leshin is a member of Governor Baker’s Reopening Advisory Board
. President
Leshin chairs the state’s Higher Education Working Group, which includes representatives from
other colleges and universities in Massachusetts.
• WPI is in close contact with officials at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Worcester Division of Public Health.
• WPI’s Student Development & Counseling Center
is open and providing remote services to
students. Employees can access counseling and other support services through the Employee
Assistance Program (EAP).
Detection & Response
WPI has implemented procedures to promote detection and response to COVID-19 on campus:
• WPI’s testing program for students, faculty, and staff is based on recommendations in the
Report of the Massachusetts Higher Education Testing Group
.
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7
• A detailed description of our Testing Protocols
is available at the We Are WPI website. WPI’s
testing program includes pre-arrival testing, on-boarding and routine testing, and symptomatic
testing using FDA-approved PCR tests.
• Testing is conducted by Quest Diagnostics and the Broad Institute who are responsible for
reporting results and demographic information to the state, as required by public health
authorities.
• Testing on campus occurs at Harrington (for pre-arrival, on-boarding, and routine testing) or the
Respiratory Care Center or Testing Trailer (for symptomatic testing of students, for testing for
close contacts, for routine testing of some employees).
Pre-Arrival Testing
• In Fall 2020, WPI provided pre-arrival PCR testing for students residing on campus in the
residence halls or fraternity/sorority houses by testing them on campus three or five days prior
to their move-in date, mailing them a test kit from Quest Diagnostics to take a test at home five
days prior to their move-in date, or testing them on campus when they arrived.
o WPI’s pre-arrival testing plans took into account the requirements of the
COVID-19
Travel Order. Detailed information on pre-arrival testing was sent to students by email
and posted on the We Are WPI website.
o Students living on campus or in fraternity/sorority houses received their pre-arrival
testing from WPI and could not move into their on-campus residence unless and until
they received a negative test.
o Students living off campus were advised to comply with the COVID-19 Travel Order
if
they were coming from another country or a non-lower-risk state.
• In Spring 2020, WPI plans to provide pre-arrival PCR testing for students residing on campus in
the residence halls by testing them on campus within five days prior to their move-in date or
mailing them a test kit from Quest Diagnostics to take a test at home within five days prior to
their move-in date.
o This pre-arrival testing is not intended to ensure compliance with the requirements of
the COVID-19 Travel Order
, but rather to ensure that students traveling to WPI to move
into the residence halls do not leave home without a negative test result.
o Only students residing on campus who are arriving from outside the United States will
be permitted to obtain their own pre-arrival PCR test and submit test results to WPI for
compliance with this pre-arrival testing requirement.
o Detailed information on pre-arrival testing will be sent to affected students by email and
is posted on the We Are WPI website
.
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Onboarding Testing
• In Fall 2020, WPI provided onboarding testing for all students and employees.
o The onboarding test for students occurred upon their arrival to campus, whether that
was when they moved into a residence hall on campus (for students living on campus)
or before classes started (for students living off campus). Students were advised to
quarantine in place while awaiting their test results.
o The onboarding test for faculty, staff, and contract workers currently working on
campus occurred in mid-August starting the week of August 10. Employees were
advised to quarantine in place while awaiting their test results.
o Any student, faculty, staff, or contract worker who returned to work on campus after
August 17 or took two weeks off from the testing program was required to complete an
onboarding test prior to their first day on campus.
• In Spring 2020, WPI plans to provide onboarding testing for all students and employees
returning to campus after the winter break.
o All students, regardless of whether they live on campus or off campus, will receive two
onboarding tests. Students will be assigned their onboarding tests based on their arrival
back to WPI and there will be four days between each onboarding test.
o All students regardless of where they live will be advised to comply with the
COVID-19
Travel Order, including the requirement to quarantine in place while awaiting the results
of their first onboarding test.
o Detailed information about onboarding will be sent to students by email and is posted
on the We Are WPI website
.
o The onboarding tests for employees will be required for any employees who are
returning from being off campus for the winter break. All employees onboarding will be
required to test two times during the week they return to campus. Employees will come
to campus for their first test and will go home to work remotely until they receive a
negative test result. Detailed information about onboarding was sent to employees by
email and posted on the We Are WPI website
.
Routine Testing
• In Fall 2020, WPI provided routine testing for all students coming to campus:
o Students tested twice a week included students living on-campus in corridor-style
housing; fraternity/sorority members living in Greek housing; varsity student athletes;
and students with COVID-19 risk factors who wish to be tested twice a week.
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o Students tested once a week included all other students coming to campus, including
seniors from Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science.
o This testing cadence was maintained until the students left campus permanently, either
at the Thanksgiving break or at the end of B-Term on December 11, 2020.
• In Fall 2020, WPI provided routine testing for all faculty, staff, and contract workers coming to
campus:
o Faculty, staff, and contract workers tested twice a week included those who had high
contact with students or who had COVID-19 risk factors and wished to be tested twice a
week. Examples include: Campus Police, Health Services, varsity athletics coaches and
athletic trainers, Residential Services staff, Facilities staff working in the residence halls,
and front-facing Chartwells dining staff.
o Faculty, staff, and contract workers tested once a week included all other employees
coming to campus who had moderate or limited contact with students.
o Changes to the testing cadence following the end of B-Term on December 11, 2020
through January 4, 2021 were sent to employees by email and posted on the
We Are
WPI website.
• In Spring 2020, WPI plans to provide the same routine testing as it did in the fall for students,
faculty, staff, and contract workers.
o Students and employees who are entirely remote for spring 2020 and do not come to
campus will not be required to be tested.
o WPI plans to require all students living in the immediate vicinity of campus who are
taking classes remotely to be subject to routine testing.
o WPI plans to provide routine testing to NCAA varsity student athletes and NCAA-defined
“Tier 1 Personnel” up to three times per week, as required by the NCAA.
o Further information on WPI’s routine testing protocols is available on the
We Are WPI
website.
Symptomatic Testing
• WPI is providing symptomatic testing at our Respiratory Care Center and Testing Trailer for
students with COVID-19-like symptoms, students with a positive result from WPI’s routine
testing, and students identified as close contacts. Students undergoing symptomatic testing will
be advised to bring a “go bag” and will be isolated while awaiting test results.
• Faculty, staff, contract workers, and Massachusetts Academy students with COVID-19-like
symptoms, a positive result from WPI’s routine testing, identified close contacts are advised to
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December 2020
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contact their personal physician about obtaining symptomatic testing. WPI has capacity to
provide symptomatic testing to faculty, staff, and contract workers in limited circumstances,
such as close contacts.
Case Management and Contact Tracing
• WPI’s case management and contact tracing protocols take into account the requirements of
the Higher Education Control Plan, as well as the guidance from
Safe on Campus: Considerations
and Checklists to Guide Massachusetts Colleges and Universities in Planning for a Safe Semester
on Campus, Contact Tracing for Higher Education and Boarding Schools FAQs #1, and Rules of
the Road: Higher Education and Boarding School Settings.
• WPI’s Testing Coordinator, Isolation/Quarantine Coordinator, and Contact Tracing Coordinator
are trained in case management and contact tracing. WPI has also hired and trained EMS
student staff to support contact tracing for students.
• WPI leverages the contact tracing resources of the Worcester Division of Public Health and the
Community Tracing Collaborative to support contact tracing efforts on campus if needed.
• WPI’s case management protocol quickly alerts students, faculty, and staff who test positive.
• WPI’s contact tracing
protocol quickly alerts students, faculty, and staff who may be close
contacts with an individual on campus who has tested positive.
Isolation and Quarantine of Students
• An overview of WPI’s protocols for students is available on the Isolation and Quarantine
section
of the We Are WPI website. WPI’s Isolation/Quarantine Coordinator oversees the
implementation of isolation and quarantine protocols for students.
• Students who are diagnosed with COVID-19 are advised by Student Health Services to isolate at
home, at an off-campus residence, or at one of the isolation spaces on-campus. Students will
remain in isolation until cleared by Student Health Services or local public health in accordance
with current WPI protocols, CDC guidelines and Massachusetts DPH guidelines
on home
isolation.
o Isolation at Home – Students who test positive will be allowed to isolate at home if they
live within driving distance of campus and they have adequate space and support to
isolate at home. Students isolating at home will be under the care of their personal
physician and will have full remote access to their classes.
o Isolation at Off-Campus Residence – Students living off-campus who test positive will
isolate in their off-campus residence if they have adequate space and support to isolate
in this location. Students isolating in this manner will be under the care of Student
Health Services, who will check in on students through telehealth, and will have full
remote access to their classes.
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o Isolation in an Isolation Space on Campus – Students living in the residence halls or
fraternity/sorority houses who test positive will isolate in one of the dedicated isolation
spaces on campus. WPI has set aside over 100 beds as student isolation and quarantine
spaces. These spaces have their own kitchen, bathroom, and in-unit laundry. The
Isolation/Quarantine Coordinator is responsible for providing isolated students with
food delivered through Chartwells, medicine, and other necessary resources and
support. Students isolating in this manner will be under the care of Student Health
Services, who will check in on students through telehealth, and will have full remote
access to their classes.
• Students who are considered “close contacts” by local public health authorities will be advised
by Student Health Services to quarantine at home, at an off-campus residence, in their on-
campus residence, or in a dedicated quarantine space on campus. Students will remain in
quarantine until cleared by Student Health Services or local public health in accordance with
current WPI protocols, CDC guidelines and Massachusetts DPH guidelines
on home quarantine.
o Quarantine at Home – Students will be allowed to quarantine at home if they live within
driving distance of campus and they have adequate space and support to quarantine at
home. Students quarantining at home will be under the care of their personal physician
and will have full remote access to their classes.
o Quarantine at Off-Campus Residence – Students living off-campus will quarantine in
their off-campus residence if they have adequate space and support to quarantine in
this location. Students quarantining in this manner will be under the care of Student
Health Services, who will check in on students through telehealth, and will have full
remote access to their classes.
o Quarantine in On-Campus Residence – Students living in the residence halls or
fraternity/sorority houses will quarantine in their on-campus residence or in a dedicated
quarantine space on campus. If a student is quarantining in their on-campus residence,
their roommates or suitemates will also be required to quarantine. The
Isolation/Quarantine Coordinator will ensure that students quarantining on campus
(either in their on-campus residence or in a dedicated quarantine space on campus)
have food, medicine, and other necessary resources and support. Students
quarantining in this manner will be under the care of Student Health Services, who will
check in on student through telehealth, and will have full remote access to their classes.
• WPI has developed plans for regularly cleaning and deep cleaning residences on campus where
students are isolating or quarantining.
Isolation and Quarantine for Employees
• An overview of WPI’s protocols for employees is available on the Employee Toolkit
section of
the We Are WPI website. WPI’s Testing Coordinator will oversee the implementation of
isolation and quarantine protocols for employees.
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• Employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 will be advised to isolate at home and not to
return to campus until they have met WPI’s Return to Work Protocols
and been cleared to
return to work by Reliant Medical in accordance with current WPI protocols, CDC guidelines and
Massachusetts DPH guidelines.
Employees who are considered “close contacts” will be advised to quarantine at home and not
to come to campus until they have met WPI’s Return to Work Protocols
and been cleared to
return to work by Reliant Medical in accordance with current WPI protocols, CDC guidelines and
Massachusetts DPH guidelines.
Travel Quarantine and Compliance with MA Travel Order
• WPI has notified students, faculty, and staff returning to Massachusetts from other states of the
requirements of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Travel Order
.
• WPI has restricted WPI-Sponsored Travel
and permitted only limited exceptions for essential
business or academic travel.
• WPI strongly discourages students’ personal travel off campus.
o WPI advised students to stay on campus during the four-day
break between A- and B-
Terms.
o WPI also provided students the choice to remain on campus (or in their Worcester
housing) for the Thanksgiving holiday
or to return home and stay home.
Detection & Response When WPI Is Not In Session
• WPI advised
all students traveling home to receive a negative test result within 72 hours of their
planned departure to help mitigate the risk of infecting others.
• Students who receive a positive test result from a COVID-19 test or who are identified as a close
contact prior to their planned departure from WPI will be required to comply with WPI’s
isolation and quarantine protocols
, as applicable.
• When WPI is not in session – such as during winter break – WPI will maintain its COVID-19
testing, case management and contact tracing, and student quarantine and isolation protocols.
o Students, faculty, staff, and contract workers with access to campus when WPI is not in
session have been informed about updated testing hours and days
.
o Case management and contact tracing will continue for any positive test results and
close contacts reported.
o WPI is prepared to support students in quarantine and isolation on campus during
breaks where WPI is not in session.
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