Updated: May 31, 2022

Purpose and Guiding Principles

University of Puget Sound is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all members of our campus community. To foster a safe work environment for faculty and staff members and students on campus, Puget Sound is utilizing a COVID-19 Work on Campus Plan.

This plan will continue to be revised with updates communicated to all faculty and staff members in response to public health conditions in Washington State and guidance from Washington State and Pierce County public health officials. 

The COVID-19 Work on Campus Plan provides institutional and operational guidance to facilitate careful and deliberate work on campus. Underpinning this plan are key principles that will continue to guide Puget Sound’s COVID-19 response, including:

  • the health, safety, and welfare of faculty, staff, students, and visitors;
  • mitigation of COVID-19 risks by following the governor’s orders, guidance from L&I, state and local health departments, and consulting guidelines offered by higher education professional associations; and
  • our commitment to maintain academic and research excellence, manage university operations, and support students who are learning and living on campus.

 

Safety in the Workplace

The university has established expectations that help reduce COVID-19 risks on campus. All faculty and staff members working on campus are expected to comply with the following practices and other university guidance:

Testing
  • Voluntary asymptomatic testing will be available this summer via rapid antigen test kits or PCR send-in test kits (LetsGetChecked kits), both of which are available for pickup on campus at Security Services, Wheelock Student Center (outside of CHWS), and Facilities Services.
  • If you develop symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you can use a campus-provided test kit (see above), utilize free testing options provided in the broader Tacoma-Pierce County region, contact the MultiCare Respiratory Clinic on campus at 3215 N. 13th St. at 253.792.6931, or access other testing options that may be available to you. For faculty and staff on the university’s health plan, look for a message coming soon from Human Resources reminding you of testing options.
Limit Exposure to Others
  • Those who are working on campus are encouraged to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and wash hands frequently.
Stay Home If You Are Sick
  • If you are already on campus and learn that you have been exposed to COVID-19, please contact contacttracing@pugetsound.edu for guidance. Do not come to campus if you feel ill, and leave campus immediately if you begin to feel ill.
  • Please notify your supervisor or department/program area head and contacttracing@pugetsound.edu if you are diagnosed with COVID-19, so that operational adjustments can be made, contact tracing can be completed and we can accurately reflect the presence of COVID-19 in our community on the COVID-19 dashboard.
Masks
  • Wearing a face covering is one of the most vital COVID-19 prevention measures. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors are encouraged to wear a mask or face covering while indoors, but are not required to do so. We recommend that people wear one of the following types of masks: KN95, N95 or similar mask, or three-ply surgical/medical-grade mask (their own or provided by the university). Masks may be obtained by contacting the Facilities Services Help Desk at 253.879.3713. Mask pickup is available Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Wash Your Hands Often

Consistent with CDC guidance to minimize the spread of COVID-19, faculty and staff members should frequently wash their hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This especially is true after a faculty or staff member is in a public place; after touching frequently used items or surfaces; or after nose-blowing, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol should be used. The university has provided hand-sanitizer dispensers throughout campus.

Cleaning

Facilities Services staff members will clean public spaces, such as building lobbies, restrooms, door handles, handrails, and elevator buttons, consistent with recommended cleaning standards, which are subject to change. The university will maintain hand-sanitizer stations at major building locations. If there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 reported to the university, Facilities Services will coordinate cleaning and disinfecting of the affected individual’s workspace. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to use disinfectant between uses of shared spaces throughout the day and to keep workspaces free of clutter, excess personal items, and other unnecessary items to allow for maximum cleaning of all surfaces.

Vehicle Van Use

There are COVID-19 protocols for university-owned Facilities Services vans. Procedures include limiting vehicle occupancy, wearing masks or face coverings, and use of cleaning supplies. Protocols are managed by Facilities Services.

 

If you have questions about any of the issues covered in the COVID-19 Work on Campus Plan, please contact your supervisor or department head, human resources (hr@pugetsound.edu), or Puget Sound’s COVID-19 site supervisors:

Bob Kief
Associate Vice President for Facilities Services
Direct: 253.879.2820 | Fax: 253.879.3537
bkief@pugetsound.edu

 

Puget Sound Resources

External Resources