Dear Barnard Colleagues:
As we approach the end of the semester and prepare for Spring 2021, we are writing to remind you about Barnard’s health and safety requirements and to inform you of what to expect when accessing campus starting in January.
Pandemic Response Team
As introduced in President Beilock’s December 10 message, Barnard has assembled a new Pandemic Response Team (PRT). Reporting into the Office of the President and under the leadership of Liz Evans, Director of Strategic Pandemic Response, this group of dedicated administrators manage and implement the College’s comprehensive approach to testing, contact tracing, and isolation and quarantine. Working in partnership with campus partners such as HR, Public Safety, Student Primary Care Health Services, Residential Life & Housing, and others, the PRT serves as a resource for all faculty, students, and staff. You can expect to receive future updates about College policies and procedures from the PRT.
Updates to Testing Requirements Starting in January
With the start of the new year and in preparation for residential operations, the College has updated the requirements of the testing program for all students, faculty, and staff. As in the fall, only PCR tests fulfill the College’s requirements and all required testing can be done at Barnard. This flowchart summarizes the details below.
1A. Entry Tests (for faculty and staff who have been away from the campus during the Winter Break):
- Faculty and staff who will be away from campus during either the week of 12/21 or the week of 12/28 fall into this category.
- Repeating the entry test procedure from the Fall, faculty and staff who have been away from campus must complete an entry test no earlier than 14 days from their first day back on campus. If those entry tests are from December, faculty and staff must test at Barnard on their first day back on campus in January (they can continue working on campus while waiting for those results).
- Otherwise, faculty and staff must stay away from campus until they have the negative results from their entry test.
- Entry tests may be done outside of Barnard and uploaded via the CoVerified app. Instructions can be found in the CoVerified Information & FAQ document.
1B. “Reset” Tests (for faculty and staff who have regularly been on campus during the Winter Break):
- Faculty and staff who will be on campus during both weeks of 12/21 and 12/28 fall into this category.
- These faculty and staff must have negative results of a test taken at Barnard between January 2 and January 14, but they may continue working on campus as they wait for their results.
- Non-Barnard tests cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
- These tests can be scheduled via the CoVerified app (preferred) or the scheduling form (for those who don’t have access to the app).
- These tests reset the clock for the regular testing that is required of all faculty & staff members.
2A. Regular testing for faculty and staff who plan on accessing campus during the Spring semester without regular in-person interactions with students:
- People who plan on accessing campus during the Spring must continue testing within 30 days of their entry/reset test.
- The CoVerified app will automatically restrict users who are not in compliance with this requirement, affecting their ability to access campus.
- These tests must happen in the Barnard testing center.
- The option to increase testing up to once per week is available. Faculty and staff should email covidtesting@barnard.edu if they are interested in increasing their testing.
2B. Regular testing for faculty and staff who will have regular in-person interactions with students and/or regularly work in residence halls:
- Faculty and staff who will regularly have in-person interactions with students, as well as those who regularly work in residence halls, must test weekly.
- The CoVerified app will automatically restrict users who are not in compliance with this requirement, affecting their ability to access campus.
- These tests must happen in the Barnard testing center.
- If this applies to you, please email coverified@barnard.edu to identify yourself. The PRT will be working with HR to make sure that all faculty and staff who qualify for this are noted in CoVerified accordingly.
Barnard’s policy implements the CDC recommendation that people who test positive should not test for the following three months, as long as they do not develop symptoms again. If this applies to you and you haven’t already been in contact with the College’s testing or contact tracing programs, please email covidtesting@barnard.edu to inform them of your situation so that they can make necessary adjustments to your CoVerified account.
Further details about the College’s testing program can be found in the On-Campus Testing Information & Scheduling for Faculty and Staff document. As always, please feel free to contact covidtesting@barnard.edu with any questions.
Health and Safety Reminders
We all need to be vigilant and continue to comply with the safety rules in order to maintain the health and safety of our community. We are all experiencing a bit of pandemic fatigue, but please continue to be cautious and follow the information below.
- Entry to Campus: Entry to the Barnard campus requires participating in a daily self-screening attestation at Barnard. For access to the Barnard Campus, Barnard faculty and staff will be required to complete a daily self-screening using the app CoVerified. A “green screen” must be displayed on your smartphone for permission to enter campus. Note: Faculty can no longer access the Barnard campus using Columbia’s ReopenCU app. Review the Health and Safety webpage for health and safety protocols to access campus.
- ID: Individuals should carry their ID with them at all times. Some card readers internal to the campus, such as in the tunnels, will remain active and will require swipe to pass through.
- Entry & Exit Log: For faculty and students accessing labs and other campus spaces, please remember to sign in and sign out daily using the “Barnard College Lab & Studio Access” google form.
- Face Masks/Coverings: Masks must be worn at all times in public settings (public spaces, meeting rooms, hallways, stairwells, elevators, classrooms, restrooms, etc.), including in situations where staff/faculty are physically distanced from others. You must wear your mask properly, taking care to cover your mouth and nose. Face coverings/masks must be cleaned or replaced after use or when damaged or soiled, may not be shared, and should be properly stored or discarded. The exception to this rule is where individuals are alone behind a closed door in a space that is dedicated to them, such as an office. Even in that situation, masks are still recommended unless eating or drinking. As we have previously communicated, the College will provide face masks to all students, staff and faculty on an as-needed basis. Supplies can be requested through the supply request form.
- Maintaining Physical Distancing: All members of the campus community must comply with the New York State requirement to maintain at least 6 feet of distance wherever possible. Individuals should avoid gathering in groups and should stay out of crowded places. Please respect occupancy limits, which will be posted for many spaces.
- Handwashing: Please continue to practice handwashing. Hygiene guidance for laboratories is of particular importance. When you are in your lab or in the building, wash your hands with soap or disinfect with alcohol according to the cleaning guideline. See here for cleaning guidelines. In addition, objects in the lab should not be shared. If an object in a lab must be shared, anyone in contact with a shared object or frequently touched space should wear gloves, or sanitize or wash hands before and after contact.
- Logs for Cleaning: For some spaces, such as studios and labs, procedures have been established to maintain logs that document cleaning. This process should be continued. Each lab or studio space or other classroom space needs to have a sheet in which date, time, and scope of cleaning can be recorded. We ask that everyone spray down bench tops and high touch surfaces (door handles, light switches, fume hood sashes, etc) with 70% ethanol both first thing when they come in and last thing before they leave and that these should be logged when completed. Supplies can be requested through the supply request form.
- Staying Away if You Feel Sick: Faculty and staff who feel sick are to stay home, even if their symptoms are inconsistent with common COVID-19 symptoms.
We thank you always for your care for yourself and our community.
With best wishes,
Reshmi Mukherjee, Vice Provost, Academic Research and Centers
Roger Mosier, Vice President for Operations
Cynthia Yang ’02, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Head of Barnard Pandemic Response