College of Alameda Return to Campus Update
Dear College of Alameda Community,
I hope this message finds you healthy and hopeful regarding the new year, 2022. It has been great to see employees on campus this week as we look forward to the start of the Spring 2022 semester. While we look forward to the start of the spring term, I am aware of and sensitive to employee and student concerns related to COVID-19 in general and the Omicron variant in particular. Please know that providing our students with the education and support services that they need in a safe and responsible manner remains our highest priority. To those ends, much work and care has been undertaken.
Currently, our enrollment for Spring is down in comparison to last year. Faculty, administrators, and staff across the college are working collaboratively to address our enrollment challenges. I believe that with continued hard work, perseverance, and creativity, we will achieve a measure of success and improvement. Special thanks to everyone for your work and commitment to effective enrollment management and student-focused support.
As more faculty and students return to campus next week and beyond, I would like to provide a few updates regarding campus safety measures, as well as reminders of District policies.
IN-PERSON HOURS OF OPERATION:
For the Spring 2022 semester, CoA will be providing both virtual and in-person classes and support and administrative services. In general, in-person services will be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. However, the number of days may increase depending on demand/needs. A summary of the in-person hours of operation by unit is provided below:
Academic Administrative Offices – Monday – Thursday (8:00am – 5:00pm)
ACCESO/Puente – Tuesday & Wednesday (8:00am – 4:30pm)
Library – Tuesdays (10:00am – 1:00pm) and Wednesday (1:00pm – 4:00pm)
Learning Center – Monday – Friday (10:00am – 7:00pm)
Student Services – Tuesday & Wednesday (8:00am – 4:30pm)
Cashier’s Office – Tuesday & Wednesday (10:00am – 4:00pm)
Business Office & Mailroom – Tuesday & Wednesday (9:00am – 4:00pm) and Thursday (9:00am – 1:00pm)
Information Technology – Monday & Thursday (10:00am – 2:00pm) and Tuesday & Wednesday (8:00am – 4:30pm)
CAMPUS:
CoA re-opened after winter break on Monday, January 3, 2022, with several staff and administrators returning to campus the week of January 10th in preparation for the Spring semester, which begins on the 24th. Those who arrive on-site are expected to check in daily with BrightStar staff members to show proof of their daily health screening and vaccination status (BrightStar is the District vendor providing screening services for the campus). The BrightStar checkpoints will be at the following locations :
COA Main Campus (Primary Location: Info Booth; Secondary Location: H Building)
Aviation
860 Atlantic (Lobby; times vary according to class schedule)
Specific operational details will be provided in a subsequent email. Feel free to contact your Dean or manager with any questions.
Signage has been deployed throughout the College to direct people to check-in locations. BrightStar will also be coordinating with Marina Security to assist with ensuring that those who arrive on campus go through a screening checkpoint before entering our buildings. Please make sure that you have (510) 466-7236 on your phone, which is the number for campus/District Public Safety. You can call it 24/7 for emergencies, safety/security issues and concerns, as well as call it to request a safety escort if you need one.
As part of our collective efforts to keep everyone as safe as possible, please adhere to the following guidelines:
Before arriving on campus, please perform the daily health screening using the Company Nurse website and be prepared to show your device’s green screen to the screeners posted at campus locations or your manager.
If you have not already done so, please also upload your proof of COVID-19 vaccination to the Company Nurse website prior to returning to campus.
For those who have an approved medical, disability, or religious exemption, please note that you are required to submit weekly negative COVID-19 test results. The test results must be uploaded to Company Nurse by Friday of each week. At College of Alameda, testing is available every Tuesday from 8:00a.m. to noon in the F Building. Dates and times for testing at the other Peralta colleges is available at: https://safe.peralta.edu/covid-19-vaccine
All persons are required to always wear a mask over both their nose and mouth while on Peralta property unless you are alone in an office with the door closed, eating, and/or drinking. Masks and PPE are available to you upon request made to your supervisor.
Instructions on how to use the Company Nurse website (as well as information and resources regarding the safe return to campus) can be found at the Safe Peralta website.
VACCINATION POLICY:
Students accessing in-person courses (including hybrid) and face-to-face services (for example, the library, counseling, tutoring, etc.) are required to upload proof of full vaccination (unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption on file with the District). After much consideration and discussion, we have determined that students who are only taking online classes will not be required to upload vaccination proof unless they seek to receive in-person services on campus.
The District now accepts alternative vaccines approved by the World Health Organization for compliance with the District's vaccination policy. The list of those vaccines are available by clicking on this WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) link.
The Office of Human Resources has reached out to employees to confirm that everyone is adhering to the vaccination policy. Non-compliance will be handled appropriately and those who have been granted exemptions have been notified and apprised of the guidelines that they need to follow.
AIR CIRCULATION/HVAC:
The District has completed its assessment of the office/work spaces at CoA. I am pleased to report that all of our spaces to be used by students and employees have sufficient air flow or have been supplemented with air purifiers (which is critical in minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission). The final reports are available for viewing on the Safe Peralta web pages, with a direct link to the reports found here: https://explore.peralta.edu/generalservices/ventilation-summaries.
OTHER RESOURCES:
The Safe Peralta links below provide information pertaining to possible exposure notification and prevention program. Employees are encouraged to consult these to better understand the measures in place to manage the College and District’s COVID response:
PCCD Guidelines for Staff in The Event of a Suspected or Confirmed Student COVID-19 Exposure
PCCD Guidelines for Employees in the Event of a Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Case or Flu
PCCD COVID-19 Prevention Program Policy
In closing, the circumstances related to COVID-19 are constantly changing. We are being vigilant and thoughtful in our assessment of the situation, and we appreciate your support and partnership in our efforts to contend with the pandemic, serve our students, and keep everyone as safe as we can. I will keep you apprised of any material changes. Thank you for your understanding, support, and patience.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions and I will do my best to answer them. I hope to see you tomorrow for the Flex Campus Leadership Presentations!
Take care and be safe.
Warmest regards,
Nate
Nathaniel Jones III, Ph.D., MBA
President
College of Alameda
410-952-3652 (cell)