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UL SYSTEM FALL 2020 GUIDELINES ItisourdesiretoreturntocampusFall2020andthiscanonlyhappenwiththesafetyofourstudents,faculty,andstaffasourtoppriority.ThefollowingisaframeworkdesignedtoprovidetheUniversitiesofLouisianaapathtoreturntocampuslifefollowingtheheightoftheCOVID-19pandemic.Thecontentsofthisdocumentshouldbeconsideredascampusesdevelop,refine,andimplementplansforthefall2020semester.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES Allplanningconducted,decisionsmade,andactionstakenbyULSysteminstitutions,collectivelyandindividually,shalladheretothefollowinghierarchyofprinciples:

1. Thehealthandsafetyofstudents,faculty,staff,andourcommunitiesareparamount.2. Thecontinuityoflearningandresearchmustbemaintained,adaptingtofulfillPrinciple1as

appropriateandnecessary.3. Thefinancialhealthandviabilityoftheenterprisemustbeprotectedandaredependent

uponthefulfillmentofPrinciples1and2.4. Thesocial,emotional,andeconomicwelfareofourcommunitiesmustbeconsideredand

aredependentuponthefulfillmentofPrinciples1,2,and3.

PHASED APPROACH Universities’plansshouldincludephasedprotocolsforeachofthefollowingareasguidedbyscienceandrecommendationsbytheCDCandotherpublichealthofficials.Througheachphase,considerationsshouldbemadeforvulnerableindividualsandthosewhoshareahomewithamemberofthevulnerablepopulation:PhasesaredefinedbytheWhiteHouseguidelinesasdefinedanddeclaredbytheOfficeoftheGovernor.

PHASE 1

Teleworkfornon-essential₁employeesshouldbestronglyencouragedifnotmandated.Ifemployeesneedtoreturntoworkitshouldbedoneinphaseswithappropriatesocialdistancing

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protocolsandcommonareasshouldbeclosed.In-personclassesandlabsshouldberestrictedto10orfewerincludinginstructors,withstrictadherencetosocialdistancingguidelines.Students,faculty,andstaffshallwearmasksintheclassroom₂.Students,faculty,staff,andcampusvisitorsshallcomplywithposteduniversityregulationsincommonareasandothersharedspacesoncampus.

Specialaccommodationsshallbeimplementedforstudents,faculty,andstaffwhoaremembersofavulnerablepopulationorarerequiredtoroutinelybeinthepresenceofamemberofavulnerablepopulation.PHASE 2

Teleworkshouldremainanoptionfornon-essentialemployees.Ifemployeesneedtoreturntoworkitshouldbedoneinphaseswithappropriatesocialdistancingprotocolsandcommonareasshouldbeclosed.In-personclassesandlabsshouldberestrictedto50percentofthefiremarshal’smaxoccupancy,withstrictadherencetosocialdistancingguidelines.Students,faculty,andstaffshallwearmasksintheclassroom₂.Students,faculty,staff,andcampusvisitorsshallcomplywithposteduniversityregulationsincommonareasandothersharedspacesoncampus.

Specialaccommodationsshallbeimplementedforstudents,faculty,andstaffwhoaremembersofavulnerablepopulationorarerequiredtoroutinelybeinthepresenceofamemberofavulnerablepopulation.PHASE 3

Universityoperationsshouldbenearpre-pandemicoperationswithdistancingandoccupancyprovisionsinplacebasedontherecommendationsoftheCDC,theLouisianaDepartmentofHealthandotherpublichealthofficials.Students,faculty,andstaffshallwearmasksintheclassroom₂.Students,faculty,staff,andcampusvisitorsshallcomplywithposteduniversityregulationsincommonareasandothersharedspacesoncampus.

TheuniversityshouldremainflexibleshouldaneedarisetoreturntoPhase1,Phase2,orStayatHome.Specialaccommodationsshallbeimplementedforstudents,faculty,andstaffwhoaremembersofavulnerablepopulationorarerequiredtoroutinelybeinthepresenceofamemberofavulnerablepopulation.

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₁Non-essentialmeansthoseemployeeswhosephysicalpresenceisnotrequiredduringanemergency.Anemployee’sclassificationasessential/non-essentialmayvaryinaccordancewiththetypeofemergencyorthestageofemergencyresponse.**Controlledlaboratoryenvironmentsmaybeexcepted.

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SIX AREAS OF FOCUS Universitiesareextraordinarilycomplexorganizations.Whenapproachingareturntocampus,considerationsmustaddresseachareaofoperation.Theframeworkforplanningidentifiessixareasoffocusandareprovidingcorrespondingdiagramsandnarrativestoguidedecisionmaking.

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STUDENTS

Studentswillhavetobereassuredthattheirrespectivecampusesaremakingtheirhealthandwell-beingapriority.Studentsandparentsalikeneedtoknowwhatprecautionarymeasuresthecampusistakingtoensurethatthecampusissafeforreentry.Post-pandemicsupportservicesshouldbeavailabletostudentsthroughmultipleplatforms(face-to-faceandvirtually)whenappropriatetoincreasetheiravailability.Waysinwhichinternationalstudentscanbesupportedandaccommodatedshouldbeidentified.Campusesshouldassessstudentneedswhenitcomestohardwareandinternetservices;waysinwhichthoseneedscanbeaddressed(hotspots,loanerlaptopprogram)shouldbeidentified.Inregardstoacademics,flexibilityshouldbeprovidedsothattimetodegreeisnotnegativelyimpactedwhilenotdilutingtheintegrityofthedegree.Whenallowancesaremade,datashouldbecollectedandevaluatedtoseeifthereismerittochangingexistingacademicpolicy.

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FACULTY AND STAFF

Ensuringthehealth,safety,andwelfareoffacultyandstaffisofhighestpriority.Withthatinmind,phased-inreturntocampusplans/policiesmustcallforappropriateworkforceconditionsaswellasprovideaccommodationsforthosewhoarenotabletoreturntocampustofulfilltheirduties.Temporaryalternativestoonsiteworkshouldbeprovidedforthosemembersofvulnerablepopulations;HRpoliciesneedtoremainflexibleasweattempttoreinstateresidentialdeliverysystems,alongsideongoingremotedeliveryofinstructionandservice.Toensurethatfacultyandstaffareabletoprovideremoteinstruction,workfromhome,etc.,anassessmentofhardwareandinternetneedsshouldbeconducted.Basedonfindings,solutionsshouldbeprovidedtothosethatrequireassistance.Expectationswhenitcomestoself-monitoringandotherguidelinesspecifictoCOVID-19(i.e.self-distancing,wearingofPPE)shouldbeclearlyconveyedtofacultyandstaff.Itshouldbestronglyencouragedthatmeetingswithinternalandexternalconstituentsbeconductedvirtuallywhenpossiblethroughouttheearlyphases.

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TEACHING AND RESEARCH Whenplanningforandimplementinganewmodeofoperation,flexibilityshouldbeparamountwhilekeepingthecoreacademicmissionattheforefront.Awiderangeofcoursedeliverymodalities(F2F,hybrid,remote,etc.)willneedtobeutilizedtoprovidecontinuousinstructioninlightofCDCrequirements(distancingandoccupancy).Thiswillrequireongoingtraininganddevelopmentforfacultytoensureonlineteachingskillsareattheirbest;assessmentoflearningobjectivesisoptimal;andtechnologyisleveragedaccordingly.Culturesthatsupportinstructionalcreativity,residentialand/orremote,andreflecttheacademicintegrityofprogramofferingswillneedtobesupported.Inaddition,facultywillneedtoprovidestudentswiththeassurancethatthequalityandviabilityoftheircourseworkreflectsacontinuedcommitmenttostudentlearning,success,anddegreecompletion.Inregardstoresearch,policymayneedtobeadjustedtoaddressthedisruptionthathasoccurred(andmostlikelywillcontinue)duetoCOVID-19.Operationalplansforrestartingon-campusresearchandfieldworkmustbeestablishedwithafocusonprotectingthehealthandsafetyoffaculty,staff,andstudents.Strongcommunicationwithpublicandprivatepartnersshouldoccursothatrelationshipsarenotdiminished;theremaybenewpartnershipstoexploreasaresultofwhatislearnedfromthepandemic.

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CAMPUS OPERATIONS Thehealthandsafetyofstudents,faculty,staff,andvisitorsareparamountwhenplanningareturntopost-pandemiccampusoperations.Publichealthissuescausedbythevirusmustbeaddressedinamannerthatpermitseasingphysicaldistancingpracticesandtheresumptionofmanyoftheactivitiesandeducationalexperiencesofavibrantcampus.WithinputfromkeystakeholderslikeHR,IT,universitypolice,businessaffairs,athletics,andhousingpartners,thecampusincidentmanagementgroupshouldbethedrivingforcebehindasafety-focusedandmedicallyinformedplantoresumecampusoperations.TheplanshouldincludeaguidetoreturntonormaloperationsandacontingencyplanintheeventofaspikeinCOVID-19casesaftercampusoperationshavefullyresumed.

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EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION Increasedcommunicationisnecessaryintimesofcrisis.Thoughwearebeyondtheheightofthecrisis,therewillstillbeaneedforconsistentcommunicationwithinternalandexternalstakeholders.Notonlywillnewcampusprotocolssuchasdistancingpracticesandgatheringrestrictionsneedtobecommunicatedbutalsomessagesaboutincreasedhygienepracticesandprovisionsforvulnerablepopulationstoensurethecommunityatlargefeelscomfortablewithrestartplans.Internalcommunicationchannels,traditionalmediaandsocialmediaprovidemyriadopportunitiestosharemessagesandinstitutionalstories.Socialmediashouldbeusedbeyonditscapacitytosendmessagesbutalsoforitscapacitytoallowinstitutionstolistentoconstituenciesandensurecommonthemesareaddressedthroughmonitoringandresponse.

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FINANCE AND LEGALInapost-pandemicuniversityenvironment,theinstitution'sfinancialhealthisattheforefrontofanytransitionbacktocampusoperations.DespitethefinancialassistanceprovidedandanticipatedundertheCARESActandthroughotherfederalaidprograms,institutionsarefacedwiththerealpossibilityofcollapsingrevenueifthehealthcrisisisnotresolvedsoon.Withtuitionandstateappropriationsbeingthetwolargestrevenuesources,institutionsmustdevelopmultiyearscenariostoplanforpotentialchangesinenrollmentandstateappropriations.Themostsignificantriskstoinstitutionscomefromcutsinstatefundingandapotentialdropinenrollment.Achangeineitherwillhaveimplicationsoncashflow,bondpayments,debtservice,andtheinstitution'soverallfiscalhealth.Itisvitalthatkeystakeholders—HR,controllers'offices,auxiliaryunits,legalrepresentatives,externaldebtholders,andother—playaroleinshapingtheinstitution'sfinancialfuturepost-COVID19.

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ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION IN PLANNING Thefollowinglistisfarfromexhaustivebutfocusesonkeyareasoutsideofthenormsofuniversityoperationsandprotocolsthatshouldbeconsideredforeachareaandphaseofrestart.

• TemperatureChecks

• COVID-19Testing

• PPE

• Facultyaccommodations

• Outbreakresponse

• Isolationquarters

• Quarantinepractices

• ContactTracing

• CoursemodalityAdjustmentstoexistinginstitutionalpoliciesandpractices

• Employeehandbook

• Facultyhandbook

• Studentcodeofconduct

• Planningteam

• Responseteam

• Refundpolicy

• Fees

UPDATEDJune28,2020