Employee Health and Safety Protocols on Campus

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History: Issued July 27, 2020

Amended: August 8, 2022
Applicability: This Policy applies to the Faculty and Staff of Claremont McKenna College.
Related Policies: COVID-19 Policies  
Responsible Official: Vice President of Human Relations and Chief Diversity Officer

Please visit the CMCReturns web page.

Policy Statement

In consultation with health practitioners, and in following state and local requirements, the College has adopted a number of health and safety protocols on campus to help prevent the spread and transmission of COVID-19.

Contact

This policy is subject to review and update from time to time, as conditions and requirements change. For additional information or questions regarding this process, please contact Facilities at (909) 621-8112 or Dana Nagengast, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources at hr@cmc.edu. or 909-607-1236.

Regulations

Face Coverings

• Masking is currently not required, but is strongly encouraged in indoor as well as crowded outdoor settings.
• For the fall 2022 semester, masks can be required in classrooms and academic spaces if designated by the instructor in charge. 
• The College must comply with any health officer orders issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Currently, the County has not re-imposed a mask mandate. Any updates from the county about masking will be shared with you.
• Staff can request that others wear masks in their indoor office settings.
• Human Resources will provide N95, KN95, and surgical masks to individual departments, to the Bauer Mail Room, to Story House, and upon request. Students should bring a supply of masks to campus, and can contact the Dean of Students if they need assistance obtaining masks.

Physical Distancing

• Physical distancing remains a voluntary health measure that is always good to keep in mind, when practicable to do so.

Testing

• Surveillance testing optional; diagnostic testing required if symptomatic
• Student Health Services to provide saliva tests at multiple sites (including at CMC)
• HHB to provide limited testing for CMC students/employees with a confirmed exposure who are symptomatic

In alignment with the consortium and in an effort to centralize our processes and resources, testing of CMC students, faculty, and staff will now be provided through TCCS Student Health Services (SHS). SHS partners with Shield T3 to offer PCR saliva tests, and these will be administered at multiple test sites across the colleges, including at CMC (anticipated to be in the breezeway at the Hub, near the Amazon lockers). Members of the Claremont Colleges community may test at any site they choose, and no appointments are required. Moreover, because the lab samples are processed at an onsite laboratory, the turnover time to receive results should be shorter by virtue of not being subject to large influxes of samples from other sources. SHS will also manage student requests for medical vaccine exemptions. We will provide much more information about this new testing process very soon.

Hamilton Health Box remains on campus to continue to provide the excellent, personalized service to which CMC students, faculty, and staff have grown accustomed since the outset of the pandemic. In addition to supporting members of the CMC community who test positive through SHS, HHB will continue to be available to answer your questions, provide information about quarantine and isolation requirements, and perform testing for those who wish to end isolation early. Moreover, for our symptomatic community members who have also had a confirmed exposure to a positive case, HHB can perform a rapid Cue diagnostic test. These testing hours will be announced closer to the start of the semester.

• Unless public health conditions warrant or require it, we generally anticipate that mandatory surveillance testing will not be required, except:
  • Students will be required to test at an SHS testing location within 72 hours of arrival in Claremont for the fall semester and should anticipate similar required testing immediately following major breaks (e.g. Fall Break, Thanksgiving Recess, Winter Break).
  • Any student who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the preceding 90 days must share those results with HHB and will be exempt from this testing requirement. The Dean of Students office (DOS) will support any student who learns they are positive before coming to campus to adjust their arrival date.
  • We strongly encourage faculty and staff to help protect the health of our campus community by likewise testing during the first two weeks of classes and following major breaks.
• Throughout the semester, all students, faculty, and staff will be strongly encouraged, but not required, to test regularly, and can access surveillance tests at any of the SHS testing locations on the campuses.
• Any student, faculty, or staff member who is symptomatic must test with SHS or, if symptomatic and with a known exposure to a positive case, with HHB.

In order to access testing on campus, everyone must complete their consent forms annually.

• Consent forms for testing through HHB can be completed in hard copy at the clinic at the time of testing.
• For students, consent forms for SHS testing have already been completed through the student portal.
• For employees, all SHS consent forms will soon be in your Workday inbox to complete; because there is a lag time of at least several hours between completing the forms and being able to access a test through SHS, you should take care of the paperwork as soon as possible - well before you seek testing.

Personal Health and Hygiene

All employees, students and visitors are encouraged to practice frequent and proper handwashing or use a hand sanitizer when handwashing is not available. For your convenience, hand sanitizer stations have been added across campus and near the entrances to buildings to provide greater access.

If you develop COVID-like symptoms do not report to work or come onto campus. You should reach out to HHB to schedule a diagnostic testing appointment as soon as possible. If you take a home antigen test and test positive, please advise HHB immediately, and do not return to campus until you have been cleared by HHB. If you test negative, we encourage you to reach out to HHB regardless, as they can offer you a diagnostic test that is more sensitive and better at detecting the virus in symptomatic people than the antigen tests.

 Access to Supplies

In addition to enhanced cleaning of high traffic areas, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be provided to every office and dorm room to use as needed. Be sure to wipe down common areas and shared services such as copiers, phones and door handles before and after every use. To place an order for additional supplies, please submit a Facilities work order or contact Facilities at (909) 621-8112.