How we teach, interact with one another and conduct daily life on campus will change.

• VCU will offer in-person, in-person blended learning and exclusively online course offerings. On-campus courses may be smaller because of physical distancing requirements and some classes may require groups of students to alternate in-person attendance. In addition, more online courses will be available.
• VCU instructional spaces will be adjusted to promote 36 square feet of personal space for each individual.
• VCU common areas (VCU Libraries, Student Commons, Larrick Center, Cary Street Gym, etc.) will require physical distancing.
• VCU will provide resources to students to support your learning, health, safety and well-being.
• VCU will provide resources to faculty to support the blended learning experience, online learning and best practices.
• GRTC will enhance daily cleaning, install sanitizer dispensers on all vehicles, redistribute buses to high-ridership local routes, require cloth face coverings or masks, among other changes.
• VCU will provide a temporary physical distancing shuttle, beginning in August.
• No large extracurricular or group gatherings will be hosted on campus. 

How we teach, interact with one another and conduct our daily life on campus will change.

• Face coverings or masks are required in all common areas. Face coverings or masks do not need to be worn in an individual office with a closed door and at least 6 feet from a common space. 
• All faculty and staff will wipe down personal workspaces using sanitizing spray at the beginning and end of each workday. Shared equipment and appliances must be wiped down before and after use.
• Cleaning supplies will be available in numerous locations.
• Meetings should be conducted virtually as often as possible; a virtual option should always be made available. For meetings that cannot be conducted virtually, conference rooms must allow for 36 square feet per participants, no more than 50 percent capacity. Rooms, tables and chairs must be wiped down with disinfectant by meeting participants after usage.
• Occupancy of break rooms and use of coffee makers, microwaves, etc. must be limited (or eliminated) to promote appropriate physical distancing and sanitization. Usage of shared refrigerators is discouraged. Employees will only be permitted to eat or socialize together if at least 6 feet apart.  
• Hallways, pathways, queuing areas and restrooms may have signage indicating protocols for physical distancing compliance.
• Elevators generally may be shared with only one other person.
• Plexiglass shields will be installed in welcome centers, direct customer service centers and other high-contact areas.
• High-touch items such as magazines, common pens, etc. will be removed.

Tent: VCU has installed a tent with seating for students, faculty and staff to use for eating and studying. The tent — open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — is located along the west side of Shafer Court Dining Center and Shafer Street Playhouse.

Hibbs Hall classroom spaces: VCU has also dedicated some classroom space in Hibbs Hall for eating and studying. The classrooms and hours of operation Monday through Friday (unless otherwise noted) are listed below:

• Room 262: 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
• Room 264: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday
• Room 429: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Room 440: 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Room 441: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday

Stations with disinfectant wipes will be provided in both the tents and the classrooms. Individuals should clean up after themselves, disinfect shared surfaces before and after use, and not move the furniture that has been positioned to maintain physical distancing.

Two courses in Talent@VCU are designed to "reboard" employees to a new VCU environment.

1. Employee training: completion prior to return to campus, no later than Aug. 17 and is for all employees, including managers and those employees continuing to telework. Topics covered include health and safety protocols, shared accountability for health and safety, physical distancing, correct usage of facial covering, additional guidelines for meetings and class sizes, accommodation process, self care and well-being. Employees will sign an attestation indicating training completion and personal compliance with safety protocols.
2. Manager training: completion prior to return to campus, no later than July 1 and is for all managers. Topics covered include guidelines for transitioning work teams back to campus, equitably applying telework, handling conversations with employees, resources for psychological readiness and well-being, leadership best practices during difficult situations. Managers will sign an attestation indicating training completion and compliance with safety protocols.

Plans related to faculty will include a phased return of faculty members to campuses as well as changes to course formats and instructional spaces. A number of resources to support faculty in their endeavors to teach, design, build and assess courses will be offered. As a reminder, in order to comply with safety measures, all courses with an enrollment of 50 or more students on the Monroe Park and MCV Campuses will be taught in a remote/online format.

Major details include:

• Phased return of faculty to VCU campuses. 
• Determining modality (in-person, hybrid or online course) based on faculty requests and course needs assessment. 
• Determining instructional space assignment and room capacity.
• Courses completed in Learning Management System (LMS). 
• Sample syllabi statements that address safety measures, protocols and expectations in learning settings (e.g., physical distancing, wearing of face coverings or masks).

Faculty

Major supports proposed to help faculty prepare to teach, design, build and assess include:

• Teaching Online@VCU: online teaching for new and returning faculty members (12-15 hours coursework)
• Designing Online@VCU: faculty training course (12-15 hours of coursework)
• Flexible Design Program: department-level online course design and building in LMS (12-15 hours consulting and preparation)
• Faculty workshops:
  • Creating an Accessible Virtual Classroom workshop (45 minutes)
  • Video streaming and capture training
  • Online assessment and exams
• VCU Course Quality Rubric: will be available to all faculty for use as self-review of hybrid and online courses

Managers

• Confirm training completion for all returning employees.
• Support ongoing compliance with safety protocols including health monitoring, reporting, facial coverings and physical distancing.
• Be prepared to address non-compliance with safety protocols with disciplinary action.
• Work with return to campus coordinators to obtain supply kits and additional cleaning supplies, as needed.
• Provide flexibility to employees and work with the ADA/504 coordinator to develop ADA accommodations.
• Manage employees who continue to telework, ensuring sufficient work and use of leave when necessary, regular check ins and review of employee reports/outcomes.
• Support continued employee well-being.
• Complete training for managers prior to a return to campus.

Return to campus coordinators, HR professionals and building managers

• Each school and unit's HR professional will be asked to complete a staffing plan that identifies the status of each staff member relative to the return to campus (e.g., designated, return to campus (in-person work), continue effective telework, hybrid telework). Staffing plans will be approved by the Incident Command Team to coordinate the availability of health and safety supplies for those returning to campus. 
• Return to campus coordinators will work with their deans/department heads/vice presidents, building managers and the staffing plan to coordinate the application of safety and health protocols and availability of supplies for those returning to campus.
• Return to campus coordinators will assist with supply kit distribution, supply inventory and facility signage and readiness.
• Refer to the Return to Campus Implementation Plan webpage for more information.

Managers should demonstrate flexibility in developing return to campus staffing plans, particularly for those caring for others, or who have concerns about returning to campus. Management options include:

• Continued telework if this has been a successful arrangement
• Alternative schedules to limit contact with other employees
• Usage of leave if there is no/limited work that can be performed remotely. Employees may request up to 30 days of leave without pay if leave balances are exhausted.

Faculty will work with their department/unit on their return to campus plan.

Manager training covers liberal and equitable distribution of telework and task assignments to support employees, as well as best practices for managing remote employees.

Appeals to return to campus staffing decisions: 

• Employees are asked to acknowledge their understanding of the manager's rationale for the return-to-campus request, and the safety and health protocols that have been implemented.
• If an employee does not agree with the manager’s decision to return to campus, they may appeal to their manager and vice president. A final decision will be made by the vice president.

Employees may request ADA workplace accommodations through the university ADA/504 Coordinator. Employees should discuss with their manager and their HR professional any other alternative work arrangements.

We encourage you and your manager to think flexibly about how your work is best performed, how the job is structured, how the work of the team is organized, and what kind of changes may be made to support you and your colleagues at this time, while maintaining effective departmental operations.  

In general, options currently available include:

• FFCRA and personal leave for either initial positioning of your children for learning success (first couple of weeks of the school year), or daily support of your children’s learning
• Schedule changes to days worked, including, as applicable, evening and weekend work
• Schedule changes to hours worked, for example, working from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and then from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Restructured jobs to support telework or weekend hours
• Reorganized team operations and work schedules
• Reduced schedule (i.e. reducing from 40 to 32 hours/week)

A full listing of existing options and what they look like when applied may be found on the HR return to campus page under “resources for working parents at VCU.” Your HR professional is positioned to assist in these conversations, if needed. As a reminder, an FAQ list covering topics like virus exposure, quarantine information, and caring for someone with COVID-19 is found on the HR COVID-19 page.

As a premier public research university, we are fortunate to have resources and expertise right here at VCU, including our nationally-ranked School of Education. We encourage you to review the #SOESupportsYou Campaign, where SOE faculty share advice and strategies on how to achieve success with your child’s virtual learning during this time. 

Students and employees returning to the VCU campus and surrounding community from destinations abroad with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Levels 2 and 3 Travel Health Notices or from areas in the U.S. experiencing high levels of COVID-19 should take precautions consistent with the CDC’s guidance to protect others from getting sick. 

In addition, for 14 days after traveling, these individuals should stay home as much as possible, avoid being around people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and consider getting tested for COVID-19.  

Students residing in VCU residence halls should contact University Student Health Services and refer to the Residential Life and Housing website for additional self-quarantine and isolation requirements.

Payroll deductions/prepaid permits

Beginning on July 25, 2020, VCU payroll deductions and payment for prepaid permits will resume for employee subscribers. The first deduction will be seen in the August 14 paycheck. Expiration dates for prepaid permits were extended by the length of time for which subscribers may have paid, as of March 31, 2020. Prepaying subscribers can view the new expiration date for your permit by accessing the parking portal at https://vcu.t2hosted.com/Account/Portal.

In the event your teleworking arrangements extend beyond July 25, you have the option to cancel your parking permit, purchase a temporary parking option, or continue with payments/deductions to reserve your parking assignment. Learn more about these options at https://parking.vcu.edu/parking/faculty-and-staff/options-and-rates/.

Riding GRTC: Students and employees can continue to utilize GRTC for essential travel. GRTC has taken additional safety measures to help ensure the well-being of drivers and passengers during COVID-19. Some of their most recent safety efforts include: implementing enhanced daily bus cleaning procedures, installing sanitizer dispensers on all vehicles, redistributing buses from low-ridership routes to high-ridership local routes to help promote physical distancing, disinfecting high-traffic areas periodically with Steriphene aerosol disinfectant and encouraging more frequent staff testing. GRTC also requires all passengers to wear face masks or nose and mouth coverings while riding. Passengers without masks may be asked to exit the bus. You can learn more about how GRTC is responding to COVID-19 at ridegrtc.com/news-initiatives/news-updates/grtc-and-covid-19-coronavirus.

Temporary physical distancing shuttle coming in August: In addition to GRTC, starting in August 2020 for the fall semester, VCU Parking and Transportation will operate a temporary physical distancing shuttle to support VCU community members with increased safety concerns. The shuttle will travel to Cabell Library, One Capitol Square and McGuire Hall, and physical distancing measures in addition to face mask requirements will be enforced. Additional information regarding this shuttle will be released later this summer.

The Global Education Office has prepared a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help international students prepare to start or continue their studies in the U.S. for spring 2021. This is a living document and will be updated as needed. Please be sure to check the FAQs regularly.

There are hundreds of details involved in each of these measures and considerations. Your input is very helpful as we move forward. Climatext, a real-time data collection tool developed by VCU Information Technology and the Division for Inclusive Excellence, is part of the university’s proactive monitoring and response plan to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Climatext provides quick feedback to uncover trends and gain insights that the university can incorporate into decisions. In this new climate, tools like this help ensure we get the input we need in time to use it. Learn more about climate surveys and continue to share your ideas.