JAMESTOWN BUSINESS COLLEGE
Fall 2020 Reopening Plan
Jamestown Business College Fall 2020 Reopening Plan
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc around our world, both in terms of health and financial consequences. Currently, there are 3.6 million cases worldwide and 250,000 attributed deaths. In the United States, there have been 1.2 million confirmed cases and nearly 70,000 deaths. As a country, we may have passed the “peak” of the daily growth of confirmed infections. In New York State, the curve appears to have been greatly flattened and our community continues to be resilient in the face of this difficult challenge. Our community has just surpassed 100 cases of COVID-19, and by all accounts, we have been fortunate to have low prevalence of the disease within our community.
As we work toward reopening the college, there are four guiding principles that will be used to develop JBC’s fall reopening plan. All of the decisions that have been made regarding reopening are aligned with these four priorities:
1. Protect the health, safety and well-being of every member of our community.
2. Base our decisions on health guidance from authoritative scientific sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York State Department of Health, and the Chautauqua County Health Department.
3. Continue carrying out our academic mission as best as possible given the circumstances.
4. Take actions that are consistent with our JBC values of responsibility, integrity, and community.
For the fall term, Jamestown Business College is anticipating about 270 students. The student body is divided over three different locations: Jamestown, Dunkirk, and Salamanca. The college also runs both day and evening schedules at all locations. Because of the location and schedules, the population at any given campus is usually no more 60-75 students. These already low numbers will be further be reduced to ensure compliance with social distancing protocols.
Jamestown Business College is a commuter college; therefore, there are no residence halls or dining facilities. The college also does not have athletics. All of these factors contribute to the college being able to enact a very controlled and safe reopening. The college had implemented safety precautions and maximum capacity guidelines for high traffic areas such as the office area and student lounges on campus.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE JBC COMMUNITY UPON REOPENING
1. Entering and Exiting the Building
Entrance and exit from classrooms will be managed to prevent crowding around doorways at the beginning and end of classes. Staggered schedules will be implemented to avoid bottlenecks at key entry and exit points to buildings containing multiple classes that generally begin and end at the same time.
2. Temperature Checks
Each JBC Community member is asked to check their temperature before leaving their home to come to JBC. If a temperature is above 100.4, the JBC community member should work or take their classes from home. JBC community members will have their temperature checked with a no touch thermometer when they arrive to JBC. If the temperature is above 100.4, the JBC community member will be sent home for the day. Students will also be expected to use hand sanitizer upon entering the building.
3. Mandatory Screening
Upon entering the building, each individual will go through a screening process. Per Reopening New York Higher Education Guidelines, employees are to be screened on a daily basis, and students are to be screened periodically. Because of our small size, Jamestown Business College has elected to screen every individual who enters the building every day. This will include students even though they are not required to be screened on a daily basis. The registrar will keep a log of student screenings; these screenings will also be conducted in a private location. The Dean and/or President will review results of the screenings daily and check that all documentation is accurate.
Individuals will be asked the following questions:
a. Have you or anyone in your household had any of the following symptoms in the last 14 days: sore throat, cough, chills, body aches for unknown reasons, shortness of breath for unknown reasons, loss of smell, loss of taste, fever at or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit?
b. Have you tested positive for COVID-19?
c. To the best of your knowledge, have you been in close proximity to any individual who tested positive for COVID-19?
d. Have you or anyone in your household traveled in the past 21 days?
Any individual who answers yes to any of the above questions will be immediately sent home for the next 14 days. Arrangements can be made for testing, and a negative test will allow the individual to return to campus prior to the 14-day requirement. Any positive tests will be reported to the state and local health departments immediately following confirmation. The screening process will be done in person during the remainder of the summer term while the college is still remote. In the fall, the screening process will be completed online via an electronic survey.
4. Contact Tracing
Because the college has elected to screen every single individual who enters the building, contract tracing will be a simplified process. Every individual who signed in on days that the individual who tested positive will be notified of the positive test. Becuase the college is reducing density, this will at maximum be between 30-45 individuals. The college has an emergency notification system, DialMyCalls, that can be utilized for notification. In addition, the college has the phone numbers and addresses of every student and employee.
5. Protective Face Coverings
New York State has mandated that any time individuals come within six feet of another person who does not reside in the same residence acceptable face coverings must be worn. In order to reopen its facilities, everyone at JBC must follow this mandatory policy. When a social distance of at least 6 feet cannot be maintained, face coverings must be worn. When a student arrives to a classroom, takes their seat, and is at least 6 feet away from all JBC community members, the mask may be removed. If you are moving about the college and have the potential to be less than six feet away from someone, a mask must be worn. Masks must also be worn in all common areas, including the student lounges and picnic area. Students without face coverings, or those who do not comply with the rules around face coverings, will not be able to participate in on-campus classroom activities. We recognize that lecturing with a face covering is not an ideal experience for either the instructor or class; however, it is important to do so due to the opportunity for droplets to spread infection even in a pre-symptomatic phase. The college will have a limited supply of face shields available for instructors to wear within the classroom. If you forget a face covering, JBC will have disposable masks available for the day.
6. Hygiene, Cleaning, and Sanitation Protocols
JBC will adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and maintain logs that include the date, time, and scope of cleaning and disinfection. The director of maintenance will identify cleaning and disinfection frequency for each facility type and assign responsibility.
Routine cleaning procedures in all spaces including daily cleaning of high contact touch points, chairs, tables, knobs, A/V remotes. Floor cleaning and trash removal: Custodial service will dust mop and spot mop and remove trash daily. Classrooms will be cleaned and sanitized after every class. The college has purchased a fogger that allows for quick and easy sanitizing.
JBC will support healthy hygiene behaviors by providing (where feasible) adequate supplies, including soap, hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, and no touch/foot pedal trash cans. Instructors and students will be asked to wipe down their spaces to help prevent infection. The college will also ensure regular cleaning of and disinfection of restrooms.
In the event that an individual is confirmed to have COVID-19, the college will immediately move courses online, and hire a local company to come in and provide a deep cleaning and disinfecting of the entire college. The available companies for cleaning are Nationwide Commercial Cleaning Professionals, Service Master Clean, and ServPro. In addition, state and local health departments will be notified of the positive test.
7. Reduced Class Sizes and Fixed Seating
The college will have fixed seating by measuring and marking seats that are six feet apart from one another. The college has already evaluated each classroom and set a maximum number or students allowed per room. The number coincides with our ability to seat students six feet apart. In many cases, room capacities have been reduced below 50 % to accommodate the required social distance. Excess tables and seats have been removed from the classrooms, and signage had been added so that students and instructors are aware of the fixed seating guidelines.
8. Dual Delivery
During the summer, all courses are continuing with remote delivery. The following plans will be effective for fall 2020.
For the fall term only, if a student feels more comfortable or is a part of the vulnerable population, due to the Coronavirus, they will be permitted to take their courses remotely. All classes, with limited exceptions, will be delivered in dual mode. Dual mode requires classes to be available both on campus and via remote delivery simultaneously. All sessions will be streamed solely for access by those in the class, and students will be required to stream the class during the scheduled class time. They will also participate in the class via mobile applications such as Acadly and Poll Everywhere. As students are required to be streaming the class during the regular class times, these sessions will not be recorded. The process of equipping the classrooms with this capability is underway and will be ready for the fall term.
9. Student Schedules
The college will be adopting a blended learning model for the fall. In many cases, JBC students attend classes 2 or 3 days a week. During the fall term, in order to maintain social distancing, students may only attend 1-2 days a week to accommodate the reduced building and classroom capacity. The President and Dean will build the schedule and advise students of the days they may come to campus for their courses.
On the days that students do not come to campus, streaming capabilities of the class will be provided.
10. Computer Lab Use
Students must call the front desk to schedule computer lab time. All social distancing and density measures will be applied to computer labs.