This communication was sent campuswide May 28, 2020. 

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

On Monday, June 1, Weber State University will move to the low risk stage of our COVID-19 recovery operations. This change is consistent with the governor’s Utah Leads Together plan and Weber State University Phased Guidelines for Pandemic Recovery.

During this low risk stage, you will see more offices and operations on campus open. This will occur in a gradual fashion over an extended period of time.

What does this mean for you?

All summer session 2020 classes will continue to be conducted online.

Testing centers and computer labs on campus will remain closed through the end of summer session 2020. Testing centers will provide online support for administering summer course exams.

All employees who can work remotely will be asked to continue to do so until instructed otherwise by their supervisors. While many employees will continue to work from home, access to facilities has been eased, allowing people to access their offices or work spaces as needed.

Employees and students in CDC-defined “High Risk Populations” should continue to follow high risk stage guidelines.

The university has established protocols for reopening facilities during the low risk stage. Our approach to reopening facilities during the yellow phase will take into account the university’s capacity, resources and priorities. All offices or departments must submit reopening protocols and have them reviewed and approved prior to employees returning to campus. Supervisors of offices with three or fewer employees who do not directly interact with the public may fill out this survey in lieu of the reopening protocols.

• When on campus, employees should follow all recommended public health guidelines (monitoring symptoms, practicing social distancing of at least six feet, wearing protective face coverings, not congregating in groups larger than 50, cleaning their personal spaces, etc.)
• Individuals exhibiting symptoms should stay home. If you test positive for COVID-19, please contact WSU Public Safety or email COVID19@weber.edu. See Appendix D of the Phased Guidelines for Pandemic Recovery regarding additional protocols for how to handle suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases.
• Most campus buildings will remain locked and require key/prox card to access. As buildings become fully staffed, these facilities may be unlocked during normal business hours or as they reopen to the public. 
• University-related travel (domestic and international) should not occur through at least June 30. Exceptions to this restriction must be done with an abundance of caution and be approved by the dean or vice president and the Executive Committee of the WSU COVID-19 Task Force. Individuals traveling back from countries and regions of the United States with high COVID-19 transmission rates may be asked to self isolate for 14 days after their return.
• We continue to encourage you, when considering your personal travel choices, to follow travel advisories issued by your local and state authorities. If you choose to travel, you may be restricted from returning to work depending upon the specifics of your circumstances.
• WSU’s  Keeping Connected site will continue to provide up-to-date information on available student resources.
• For guidance regarding how the low risk stage will inform specific areas of campus or operations (e.g. housing, dining services, shuttle buses, restrooms, common spaces, etc. ), please see the Phased Guidelines for Pandemic Recovery. 

As announced by the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) Wednesday afternoon, all Utah colleges and universities are developing plans for on-campus instruction for fall semester 2020 as conditions permit. The university, in concert with guidance from USHE and the governor’s office, expects to have more clarity about these plans in early June.

The university will approach recovery efforts in a deliberate, incremental process. By easing restrictions in small steps, the university will have time to assess the impact of lifting specific restrictions, and be able to return to previous guidelines if changes lead to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in our community or among our campus populations.

For additional details regarding the recovery process and what to expect, please visit weber.edu/coronavirus. Specific questions or concerns may be emailed to covid19@weber.edu.

Thank you for your ongoing vigilance and patience. We all have a role to play in helping slow the spread of COVID-19 and keeping our communities safe, as we begin slowly to return to campus in the coming weeks and months.

 

Dane LeBlanc

Director of Public Safety

 

Additional Resources: PDF version of Weber State University Phased Guidelines for Pandemic Recovery