A Message from Dana Elm, Interim Dean of Administration | Updates to Mitigation Strategies at NVCC

9/1/2022: Management of COVID

Greetings to all and welcome back to the start of another exciting semester! The hallways and classrooms are buzzing with energy, which is so awesome to witness.

In April 2022, upon the advice of the Department of Public Health and guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the CSCU system shifted its approach to managing COVID by lifting some precautions. The most significant changes were making mask wearing optional, dropping social distancing requirements, and lifting the mandate on vaccinations and testing of unvaccinated employees and students.

This semester will function much the same, with one significant change. With the approach now shifted from pandemic emergency response to routine disease prevention, the COVID Coordinator will no longer be tracking cases or providing individualized guidance on what to do if a person is exposed to a positive case or tests positive for COVID. Current CDC guidance can be found at the following links:

• If you were exposed: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html


• If you are sick or test positive: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html#when-to-isolate

In short, here are the following guidelines:

• If you are sick or test positive, you should isolate for 5 days from the date of symptoms or the positive test (this is day 0, counting begins the following day) and wear a mask for a full 10 days from symptoms or test.


• If you have been exposed, you should start to wear a mask immediately, and watch for symptoms. If asymptomatic, test on day 6 from exposure. Quarantine is no longer required if there are no symptoms. If symptoms develop, get tested and isolate as directed by a medical professional. If you remain symptom-free after 10 days or do not test positive, the mask is no longer necessary.

Faculty and supervisors should share this information as needed. If conditions change that lead to new guidance, updates will be provided.

Precaution and prevention reign supreme. You should continue to use good hand hygiene, stay home if you have COVID symptoms until you can test or symptoms improve, and wear a mask, particularly when you are traveling or in large groups or Read more

A Message from Dana Elm, Interim Dean of Administration | Updates to Mitigation Strategies at NVCC

President Cheng issued a statement today informing us that the CSCU system is transitioning from pandemic emergency response to routine disease prevention. This means that many of the mitigation strategies in place over the past two years will be eliminated or relaxed. Here is what you can expect to stay the same or change.

Protocols referenced in the COVID Safety Plan that will not change:

• All positive cases will continue to be reported to the COVID Coordinator, who will continue to assess potential for close contacts, inform those affected, provide isolation and quarantine guidance, and authorize return to campus and clinical dates based on the latest CDC guidance.
• Everyone should continue to monitor for symptoms of COVID. If symptomatic, get tested and stay home until symptoms resolve.
• Social distancing in classrooms will remain the same through the Spring 2022 semester.
• Disinfection stations will remain in their current locations.

Protocols that will change:

• Starting April 4, masks will be optional for all.
• Starting April 4, social distancing and proof of vaccination or a negative test result will no longer be required for attendees and performers at events. Capacities for event venues will revert to pre-pandemic numbers.
• Testing for the next three weeks is optional for employees and students in the weekly testing program. During Spring Break, testing will only be held on Monday, March 14. Testing days for the weeks of March 21 and March 28 will continue to be on Monday (8 am – 12 pm) and Thursday (2 pm – 6pm).

Throughout the pandemic, we have based our protocols on the evolving guidance from the CDC and CT DPH. Current local and state conditions support moving in this direction. If we need to, we will quickly respond by reverting to the protective strategies that we know worked to prevent transmission. NVCC COVID Communications will continue to be the source of information should any updates be needed.

Mask and Rapid Test Availability. For the those who choose to wear one, face masks will be available for students and employees. Masks can be obtained at the Information Center in Kinney Hall (5^th floor) and in Academic Division Offices. Keep in mind that N95 masks are considered to be respirators, and some may find it difficult to breath when wearing one correctly. If you have concerns or questions about your ability to wear a mask of this style, please see your medical provider. Use of an N95 mask for protection against the virus at NVCC is considered to be voluntary under 29 CFR1910.134.

The COVID Coordinator has a supply of rapid tests, which will be available upon request for anyone who thinks they may have been exposed. To arrange for pick up, please email Patti DaSilva (pdasilva@nv.edu) or Dana Elm (delm@nv.edu). Pick up location is Kinney Hall, room K706. If you are not feeling well, please call to arrange pick up under special conditions.

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A Message from Terrence Cheng, President, CSCU | CSCU COVID Protocol Changes Effective April 4, 2022

Today marks two years since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. I want to thank all of you for all you have done to support our students and institutions over the last two years and your continued efforts to ensure we have a safe and vibrant spring semester.

Several weeks ago, as I reviewed plans for the balance of the semester with campus leaders, we thought we would have to stay the course with our virus mitigation strategies. I am pleased to say that the state is turning the corner on the virus, and we therefore can relax our pandemic response, including ending the mask mandate effective Monday, April 4, 2022 for all 17 CSCU institutions and system office.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the state Department of Public Health (DPH) have issued updated guidance and mandates which have lifted restrictions on public activities. In particular, the CDC’s new metrics related to the virus have deemed that all of Connecticut is at low risk of spreading of virus. Given these changes in guidance and through conversations with DPH, campus leaders, and COVID Coordinators, our consensus is that we are ready to relax our current protocols. Furthermore, although we had an agreement with the bargaining units on COVID mitigation strategies for the fall semester we did not execute an agreement this spring to continue those strategies.  

Our campuses will now shift from pandemic emergency response to routine disease prevention.  Campus leaders and their teams will continue to monitor state and federal guidance and the community virus conditions. They will be prepared to reinstate mitigation strategies as needed to respond to upticks in cases if and when they occur this spring and in future semesters.  

On April 4, the COVID reopen plans that were developed in June 2020 will expire. Effective that day, the mask mandate will come to an end. The campuses will shift to a “mask-optional” protocol. No employee has the authority to mandate the use of masks by others. However, mask wearing remains an effective prevention strategy against the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases, and we fully support and expect all employees and students to respect those who choose to continue wearing masks. Our COVID Coordinators will continue to make masks available for employees and students who want them.

In addition, we will remove physical distancing restrictions in areas such as lounges, cafeterias, conference rooms, and other non-academic setting. However, in most instances, current classroom arrangements will remain as set for the remainder of the semester. Campus leaders are encouraged to plan for more in-person activities including commencements and other special events this spring as well as a full schedule of in-person courses, meetings, convenings, etc. for the summer and fall.

Lastly, we will end weekly testing of employees and students and individual case contact tracing. We have made provisions to continue PCR testing on campus for any employee or student who wants access to testing through April 1. In addition, COVID Coordinators will have antigen tests available for those who are concerned about their potential exposure to the virus and would like access to a rapid test. 

We expect employees and students to continue to self-monitor their health and stay home whenever they have COVID-like symptoms and follow current CDC guidance on quarantine and isolation.  Employees and students who test positive should continue to follow the campus process for no Read more

A message from Terrence Cheng, President, CSCU | An Update on Masking

Dear CSCU Community,

This afternoon, Governor Lamont announced his plan beginning February 28, 2022, to allow local school districts to drop their mask requirements. This will naturally lead to questions about plans for our CSCU institutions. At this time, we will keep our masking rules in place. However, as the omicron surge subsides and case counts decrease, I expect that, in close consultation with our partners in public health, our system and institutional leaders will consider changes to our requirements in coming weeks.

Because of your diligence and adherence to guidelines, our campuses have remained safe and welcoming learning environments. I am fully confident they will remain that way as we navigate this next phase of the pandemic.

I will continue to share information with you as it is available.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

A message from Terrence Cheng, President, CSCU | Return for Spring 22 Semester

 Dear CSCU Community,

Over the past several weeks, campus leaders and COVID coordinators have worked tirelessly to develop plans for the safe return to campus operations this spring. Working closely with state and local public health officials, we have come up with a plan that returns us to in-person learning as scheduled while prioritizing health and safety of students, employees, and all on our campuses.

• Beginning January 10, employees at the universities, community colleges and at system office who have not already done so will return to their regular on-ground schedule or approved telework arrangement.
• At the state universities, student move-in will take place as scheduled on January 17 and 18. In-person classes will begin on January 19.
• At the community colleges, in-person classes will begin on January 21.
• Charter Oak’s employee schedules will meet the needs of their rolling start dates.
• The vaccination requirement for students and employees remains in place. Those who have been granted a medical or nonmedical exemption will be required to submit to weekly testing. This includes both unvaccinated residential and commuter students.

We have been successful in navigating the pandemic thus far because all of you have taken the virus seriously and done your part to keep our campuses safe. Because of that, we have seen virtually no spread of the virus in academic settings. It is our top priority to keep it that way.

This semester, masks will continue to be required at all times when indoors on campus. With a more contagious variant in broad circulation, well-fitting, high quality masks – such as N95s, KN95s, or KF94s, not cloth or surgical masks – are more important than ever. Fortunately, high-quality masks are now readily available at brick and mortar retailers and online – and we will have a limited supply for distribution on campuses. I strongly encourage everyone who can to keep yourselves and our community safe with a high-quality mask.

If you have not already done so, please get vaccinated or get a booster. It is simple: people who are vaccinated are far less likely to get seriously ill or die of COVID-19. People who are boosted are far less likely to get sick at all. Vaccines are safe, effective, and readily available. Please protect yourself, your family, and our community by getting vaccinated or boosted.

During my campus visits this past fall, we heard directly from many students as to how important it is for their academics as well as mental and social health to be a part of campus life. We also know, based on our experiences since March 2020, that learning online is simply not a viable option for many. We take the pleas from those students – to do everything in our power to keep our campuses safely open – seriously.

That said, please know that health and safety will always be our top priority. We are taking every precaution by making testing regularly available, and by hosting vaccine and booster clinics on all our campuses. Though we have high vaccination rates on our campuses and across the system, we still encourage all students, faculty, and staff to receive a booster shot to ensure maximum protection in this ever-changing landscape.

The bottom line is that we believe on-ground and in-person instruction i Read more

A Message from Lisa Dresdner, CEO Naugatuck Valley Community College | Remote Services through 1/7/22

Good Afternoon,

With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of students and employees, NVCC’s campuses in Waterbury and Danbury will be conducting all operations remotely the week of January 3, 2022. 

All full- and part-time employees will be expected to telework, provide regularly offered services, and continue significant planned outreach to ensure access to enrollment and support services.  

Those employees who may need to come to campus to gather materials that are essential to their job functions may do so on Monday, January 3 between 8 am and 1 pm. Kinney, Tech, and Founders Halls will be the entry points in Waterbury. Danbury employees should use the main entrance. Employees are also asked to keep these visits to a maximum of thirty minutes. 

Employees are reminded that masks are required to be worn covering mouths and noses and they should not be removed at any time while on campus. We ask that you stay within your own office space, and limit interactions with others while entering and exiting the buildings. Maintenance and Public Safety employees should follow instructions from their supervisors.  

We encourage you to get a vaccine if you have not already done so. If you’ve been vaccinated, but not yet boosted, you should check your eligibility for the booster shot. It is also vital that you stay home if you are experiencing any COVID symptoms.  

Thank you, all, for your patience and flexibility as we navigate the safe return to campus in 2022.  

Warm regards,  

Lisa Dresdner, Ph.D. 
Chief Executive Officer  

A message from Human Resources Shared Services CSCU | Winter Break COVID Testing Schedule

Dear Colleagues:

This is to notify you that the Sema4 COVID testing schedule for the winter break has been revised.  Please find the revised schedule and locations through the week of January 10 here.

All staff who are subject to the testing requirements should continue to test during the winter break. Faculty who are not teaching during the winter break will not be subject to the testing until they return for the spring 2022 semester. If your status changes and you become fully vaccinated, please contact the HR Generalist assigned to your campus. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Human Resources Shared Services

A message from Terrence Cheng, CSCU President | Spring semester vaccine mandate implementation

Dear CSCU Community,

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for helping to make this a safe and exciting fall semester at our 17 institutions. It is wonderful to have students, faculty, staff and administrators on campus and actively engaged in all that keeps our higher education system moving forward. Through the hard work of our campus leadership, particularly our COVID Coordinators, we have been able to return to full operations this fall. As I have had the opportunity to visit campuses, it is clear that everyone is getting more comfortable with our “new normal”.  

As you know, the Board of Regents passed a mandate this fall to require students to attest to their coronavirus vaccination status and, if not vaccinated, to participate in regular testing to mitigate the spread of the virus. We have been rolling out the implementation of this policy this fall semester along with masking and physical distancing requirements, testing for the first time on the college campuses and continued testing at the universities, quarantine and isolation space for residential students who are contacts or infected, “Trusted Messenger” training in collaboration with Department of Public Health (DPH) and Yale for interested employees and students on helping to correct vaccine misinformation, and regular interactions with DPH officials to get information and ask questions related to our campus experiences. 

A message from Terrence Cheng, CSCU President | Fall Semester Reopening Guidelines

Good morning. 

This morning I issued the attached memo to the community college leadership on COVID 19 related expectations for the start of classes.   I wanted to share with you as well and assure you that we will continue to work closely with the state to monitor the pandemic and provide updated guidance if there are changes in state/federal guidelines or additional details about how we are mitigating the virus on our campuses. In addition, institutions may need to adjust practices to address local conditions during the semester working closely with the CSCU system office.  Watch for those messages directly from your campus leadership.  

It remains our hope that, with increasing rates of vaccination, we will be able to relax or eliminate some restrictions for vaccinated individuals during the semester.   As I said in my message to the campus leaders, let’s continue to work in a spirit of patience and cooperation. As a community we will keep each other safe and provide a teaching and learning environment that is transformative.

Best of luck in this new semester!  I look forward to meeting you all this fall as I conduct campus visits and learn more about the great work going on with our students and communities. 

President Terrence Cheng
CT State Colleges and Universities (CSCU)

A message from Jane Gates, CSCU Interim President | Reopening June 1 Guidelines

Community College and System Office Personnel,

Memorial Day and the start of summer is just around the corner and thanks to planning by campus leaders and significant improvements in our state’s public health outlook and widespread vaccinations, we will start repopulating our campuses and system office in June. Throughout the pandemic, CSCU has demonstrated that it is a safe and low risk place to work, and, thanks to our combined efforts, that will continue to be the case. We will keep COVID-19 protocols in place, aligning our plans to those of state facilities, and continue to update you on our plans for fall 2021 as the public health guidance evolves over the summer months.   

First and foremost, if you haven’t yet received a vaccine, they are safe, highly effective, free, and widely available. I received my shots, had no side effects, and now have strong protection against COVID-19 illness. It is easy and convenient. If you have not already done so, now is the time to schedule an appointment.

• Access the CT Vaccine Portal (CT.gov)

CSCU has been meeting regularly with representatives from the Department of Public Health (DPH) and Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to receive feedback on our planning efforts.  Based on that input, effective June 1, all employees will report to the office at least 50% of their workweek (minimum of 2 days a week), observing 6 feet of social distancing, and wearing mask in all public spaces, regardless of vaccine status.     Campus and system office leaders have identified if there are any offices, cubicles or common areas that should not be fully utilized at this time and will work to make alternate arrangements or schedules to accommodate staff this summer.   

Rules to follow:

•   Employees and students who do not feel well should stay home and seek medical attention. Please notify your campus COVID Coordinator if you test positive for the virus. The COVID Coordinator will continue to work closely with the local public health department to monitor positive cases and potential exposures on campus.
• Masks must be worn at all times EXCEPT in your office or cubicle. Masks should always be on hand and worn whenever walking in and out of buildings, moving around common areas, and to and from your work stations.
•  Masks must be worn at all times by employees who work in open office spaces or areas open to public unless they are able to maintain 6 feet of physical distance from others.
• In small meetings or joint offices, employees who are all fully vaccinated can agree, by mutual consent, that wearing masks is optional in those spaces/times. 
• For summer classes, CSCU classrooms will require the wearing of masks and 6 feet of physical distance to the greatest extent possible.