Faculty/Staff COVID-19 Updates on Returning to Campus

Dear Emerson Faculty and Staff,

These past few months have not been easy. It’s been hard working from home; juggling childcare; sharing space with parents, aunts, cousins, or roommates while working to complete your job remotely; dealing with the uncertainty of the fall semester, and the many unknowns that we all are facing every day. Living in a global pandemic is stressful and difficult! We are in this together and I know together we can make this a successful semester. I encourage you to read Empathy Starts with Curiosity from the Harvard Business Review to deeply understand what your family, friends, and colleagues are going through and experiencing.

Welcome Back to Campus Video

Please watch this day-in-the-life video to see how things on campus have changed and what our colleagues returning to work on campus can expect.

Arriving at and Departing from Campus Building

In an effort to avoid congestion during start and end of class times, please plan to arrive and leave all campus buildings any time between 15 and 30 minutes after the hour. This will leave the hallways and elevators free for the student body to move around and reduce congestion and contact.

Travel During COVID-19

This semester, we are asking those working on campus to restrict their travel and remain in Massachusetts. Building on the Massachusetts COVID-19 Travel Order, Emerson has established COVID Out-of-State Travel Guidance for all staff and faculty regarding personal and professional travel.

Weekly Testing for Faculty/Staff

All employees who will be on campus can opt in to ongoing weekly testing. If you would like to opt in, please fill out the survey if you have not already done so: Opt-In COVID-19 Weekly Testing. We will be uploading your assigned weekly testing day/time, based on your survey response, into the Emerson app. You’ll then be able to see your assigned test times and change them yourself as needed to suit your schedule. You’ll also receive email reminders prior to your appointments. Get prepared by downloading the Emerson app now, and expect an email within 24-48 hours with more information.

Please note that all testing for Emerson takes place at the old Tufts University Medical School Bookstore on the corner of Kneeland Street and Harrison Avenue. The entrance is on Kneeland Street.

Test Result Email

Individual test results are communicated via email and come from CareEvolve with instructions on how to access and view your results. Please remember results can take up to 48 hours.

Dashboard

We launched the Emerson College Community COVID-19 Dashboard on Monday, August 24. The dashboard will provide a snapshot of our community’s COVID-19 testing data from Tufts Medical Center/the Broad Institute, and will be updated weekly throughout the fall term.

Navigating Campus Safely: New Floorplan Finder on the One Emerson Knowledge Center

Emerson has created a new resource for faculty and students to review maps and floorplans of their classrooms and College buildings, before classes start and throughout the semester. The new resource, called Navigating Campus Safely, will help our community members determine the appropriate ways to enter Emerson spaces, get familiar with how these spaces are reconfigured, and learn the new “rules” that apply in order to maintain social distancing. It is available now on the One Emerson Knowledge Center, and will be available soon on the Emerson app. This resource will be updated periodically.

Remote Workers Visiting Campus

In an effort to sustain a low-density campus environment, we have strongly encouraged those of us working remotely and teaching only online not to come to campus. We recognize, however, that from time to time, limited access will be required. In an effort to protect each of us and the entire Emerson community, and to continue to maintain manageable density levels and to limit the potential for virus transmission on campus, we are implementing a procedure to request and approve access to campus for those who were not scheduled to be here.

As part of these procedures, we will allow for more emergent needs for access to be expedited quickly, so that important work, materials, or essential visits will not be unduly impeded. Anyone needing access, please consider off hours, predominantly evenings and weekends, when making requests to access the campus. Our goal, as stated, is to maintain a safe and healthy environment. We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these procedures and our overall safety planning for the fall semester.

The request process, for those working remotely with critical needs to access campus, include the following essential components:

• Contact your manager or department chair to work out details and seek approval;
• Complete and submit the Remote Workers Request to Visit Campus Form;
• Allow up to 48 hours for approval and access to be turned on;
• Be advised that in some circumstances, COVID-19-negative test results will be required prior to accessing campus.

The Remote Workers Request to Visit Campus Form will be posted to the Return to Work Guide shortly.

Thank you for your continued support as we open our campus.

Be well,
Erik Muurisepp
AVP, Campus Life
COVID-19 Lead