Preparing the campus to reopen

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We asked the staff at New College’s Physical Plant to outline how the campus is being thoroughly prepared for the fall 2020 reopening in August.
The team: Associate Director Curtis Davis, Facilities Planning Coordinator Itza Frisco, Custodial Coordinator Sheila Foley, Maintenance Coordinator Seni Ok, and Director of Facilities and Construction Alan Burr, provided their input on how they and their staff members have been taking care of the facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March (and how the protocol will continue).
Note: This list is not all-inclusive but provides a fairly comprehensive picture of the measures being taken.
Preventative Measures:

  • Following the recommendation of various consultants, the staff has changed the types of HVAC filters in campus buildings.
  • Staff members have shifted their work hours to limit unnecessary exposure (a combination of remote work/actual days worked by various units).
  • Outside custodial contractors have been brought in to provide additional cleaning.
  • Plexiglass has been scheduled to be installed, per the building occupants’ requests.
  • Additional sanitizing wipes have been requested, to be strategically placed in key areas.
  • Wall-hung sanitizing stations will be installed, pending arrival from suppliers.
  • Facilities staff is working with campus stakeholders to install appropriate COVID-19 signage as reminders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
  • Door hangers will be installed to ensure that the activities of facilities staff members are known to residents (to limit exposure and/or surprises).

Investigating:

  • Facilities staff is consulting with various vendors regarding ultraviolet lighting and bipolar ionization technologies for buildings.
  • The custodial staff is applying an antimicrobial barrier spray to surfaces daily (note: a quarterly spray is being tested that could prove to be even more effective).
  • Indoor air quality of various high-occupancy buildings has been investigated (no issues have been reported so far).

Proactive Measures:

  • Vendors have been secured to disinfect areas on campus that require professional-level sanitation.
  • Facilities/Housing has developed protocols for reports of positive tests for COVID-19.
  • Facilities/Housing has identified specific areas to be used for the quarantining of students.