Greetings,

Thank you for your participation in the efforts to get us Back to Campus safely and efficiently. You will find an archive of past digests at our website.

King and Pierce counties are in Phase 2 of Governor Inslee’s Safe Start Plan; UW Seattle Campus is in Phase 2, and the College of Engineering is in Phase 2. Phase 2 does not change significantly from Phase 1, meaning that those working remotely will continue to do so, with the exception of designated critical employees, and applies to the College of Engineering and all related departments. 

Returning to Campus

• EH&S has launched a dedicated phone hotline for UW students, faculty and staff to call with questions or to report on positive test results: 206-616-3344. All messages are logged and retrieved daily with appropriate follow-up provided by EH&S staff.
• On 8/31/2020, IRB approved the Husky Coronavirus Testing powered by the Seattle Flu Testing Team to conduct COVID-19 tests for the UW system. On-site testing will occur in locations including the (now closed) UW Club, ground floor of Odegaard Library and space in the Health Sciences complex (TBD). 
  • Approx. 130 students identified as HFS student leaders and resident advisers will test the program beginning next week. 
• Major public communications are being finalized this week to roll out the UW’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing effort before students arrive at the end of the month, expected on Wednesday, September 9. 
• UW Seattle campus buildings scheduled to host in-person instruction fall quarter has increased from 11 to 58. The significant increase is attributed to additional counts of classroom space by UW Facilities not centrally controlled by the university. 
• EH&S is offering virtual office hours to assist departments with developing and implementing COVID-19 prevention plans. If this date or time doesn’t work with your schedule, contact Karen Crow.
  • Wed., Sept. 9, 2020 from 12 to 1 p.m. 
  • https://washington.zoom.us/j/94218855311 
• On 9/1/2020, EH&S posted UW Public Restroom Guidance for COVID-19 prevention. 

We have received reports of employees not being aware of the required online training or attestations prior to returning to campus. Please ensure this information is shared with all supervisors across your unit to inform relevant staff. 

• EH&S requires this online training for all persons on campus (faculty, staff, and students), even if they have already been working onsite as a critical employee, prior to returning to campus.
• Daily attestations are required for all staff and academic personnel coming to campus. 
  • For staff and student employees/supervisors
  • For academic personnel, including faculty, librarians, medical residents and fellows, postdoctoral scholars, and academic staff

Returning to Work

• UW’s HR department updated child care resources and options for parents impacted by COVID-19, including:
  • parent@uw.edu listserv provides real-time information about resources and programs. Join the list.
  • Komae is a cooperative child care app that enables parents to identify and vet families to share child care and education resources. 
  • The College of Education created a website to connect families with students to provide tutoring. 
  • UW provides back up care programs to support unforeseen needs for child or elder care. 
• Unit/site-specific COVID-19 Prevention Plans are required for University workplaces.
• The UW has convened a Back to the Workplace Task Force reviewing and updating University protocols for how more UW employees can return to in-person work on our campuses.

Returning to Research

• UW has warned 500 medical researchers about suspicious mail after incidents on the East Coast.
• Office of Research’s Guidance for Returning to In-Person Research.

Returning to School

• On 9/1/2020, UW greek system leadership met with public health and UW staff to discuss efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the coming months. 
• The Office of Student Life is developing a checklist for faculty, staff and instructors to address COVID-19 policy enforcement on campus, and which provides step-by-step guidance for safety concerns. 
• The UW has convened a Back to School Task Force reviewing and updating University protocols for campus spaces including residences, classrooms, labs and libraries.

Visit uw.edu/coronavirus for the most up-to-date communications and information for our UW community. 

If you have info for us to share in the digest, or feedback or questions, you can email us at engineeringuw@uw.edu. Please note, the contents of this email do not represent the full breadth of information and resources available. If we missed something, let us know. 

Thanks,

Kristin & Lisa
College of Engineering COVID-19 Response WG