Effective Thursday, August 12 at 8am
SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY WILL
REQUIRE ALL PERSONS, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS,
TO WEAR A MASK WHILE INDOORS.
AT THIS TIME, MASKS ARE NOT REQUIRED OUTSIDE.
The pandemic continues to evolve. The numbers in Jefferson County and surrounding areas are increasing. We continue to listen to our faculty, staff, and students, while also taking into consideration, with frustration, the mixed messages from the state capital. We will do what is needed to provide exactly what we have promised our students – a safe, face-to-face, in-person class experience. Equally as important, we will do what we need to do for you, our staff and faculty, to feel safe when you come to work each day.
Faculty:
- If you have been fully vaccinated, you will have the option of wearing a mask OR teaching behind a clear screen. Your vaccination allows you this choice.
- If you have already posted your syllabi, these new updates can be addressed during your first meeting with your students. Students will be notified separately and repeatedly about the mask mandate well ahead of the first day of classes.
- Names of students who do not comply with the mask requirement should be sent to Jake Mellow at jmellow@shepherd.edu.
- Faculty can – and should – enforce the mask policy when meeting with students or other employees in their private offices.
Staff:
- If your office provides customer service, you will need to keep your mask on, even if there is a protective screen in your area.
- Supervisors should hold staff accountable for following the mask mandate, using regular progressive discipline strategies. This is a matter of policy compliance and workplace safety. Compliance with this policy is important for the welfare of the University.
- Staff can and should enforce the mask policy when meeting with students or other employees in their private offices
The requirement to wear a mask while indoors is subject to the following criteria:
- Not required while working alone in a closed office assigned to that employee for work and occupied solely by that employee at the time;
- Not required while working in a laboratory or other setting in which alternative facial protective equipment, which covers the nose and mouth, is utilized;
- Not required for employees or students who are assigned to live on campus, while inside their individual living quarters;
- Not required while in a single-occupancy restroom;
- Not required while eating in a room designated for eating meals and while maintaining reasonable distances from other persons who are also actively eating.
- Not required while exercising outdoors. When exercising at The Wellness Center, please refer to posted signage with their policies for each area of the facility.
FAQs:
- What about eating in our campus dining facilities? Wear your mask at all times except while you are eating.
- How will this requirement be enforced? Students’ names will be sent to the Office of Student Conduct at which time, the coordinator will follow policy for non-compliance. Staff or faculty who are in non-compliance will be addressed by their immediate supervisor, which could lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
- Will students be required to wear masks in the residence halls? Yes, except when in their private room.
- Do I need to wear a mask while exercising at The Wellness Center? The Wellness Center will provide masking requirements specific to their facility and the type of exercise being performed.
- What policies are in place for those who are unvaccinated?
o Those who are not vaccinated will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test not older than 72 hours prior to the first day of class. Please watch for more information about how to register your test results.
o Participate in surveillance testing
o Quarantine if in contact with someone who is COVID positive. Please refer to the temporary HR policy as to how leave must be tracked in the event of required quarantine, isolation, or medical appointments.
As the pandemic continues to evolve, so shall we. Shepherd University will base our decisions on facts to provide a safe environment for you — and our entire campus community.
Holly Morgan Frye
Vice President for Student Affairs and
Director of Community Relations
Chair of Campus Health Task Force
Shepherd University
www.shepherd.edu
304/876-5030
