Health and Safety Protocols

• Entry to buildings will be regulated and monitored.
• Community members on campus must be cleared in CoVerified in order to enter most buildings on campus.

All unvaccinated individuals on campus are strongly encouraged to wear protective facial coverings when on campus. Facial coverings are also required for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, when in classrooms and lab settings.

Masks are not required when outdoors on campus.

In order to ensure the proper fit and usage of protective facial masks and coverings, all students, faculty and staff will be responsible for the provision of their own facial coverings or masks.

Regis will have a supply of facial coverings in case of emergency located at the Regis College Police Department and Health Services. Masks should be made of cloth or be of the three-ply disposable nature.

Single use, disposable face masks will be available at the following campus locations in the event a student or employee forgets, loses, or otherwise does not have a mask while on campus. These masks are not part of a regular distribution system or for individuals to get a new mask every day.

• Regis College Police Department
• Health Services
• Center for Student Services
• Library
• Undergraduate Student Affairs office
• Academic Affairs office (College Hall 315)
• Center for Student Engagement
• ITS help desk
• Center for Inclusive Excellence

Plexiglass barriers have been installed in many common areas of the campus, increasing the physical barrier between staff and students. This will be seen in the library, athletic center, Center for Student Services, Dining Hall, Post Office and other spaces on campus where it is possible to do so.

This barrier decreases the risk of virus transmission and is safer for all in the campus community.

Ongoing cleaning and disinfecting protocols have been enhanced, with an increase in the availability of disinfecting sprays and disposable towels, as well as sanitizing stations in campus buildings. Physical Plant staff has been responsive to the increased need for disinfecting and sanitizing the community on an ongoing basis.

The number of sanitizer stations have increased outside of restroom facilities.

Overview

Regis College strongly discourages all non-essential out-of-state travel for students, faculty, and staff. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that “travel can increase your chance of spreading and getting COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.” In addition, the state of Massachusetts instituted a travel order effective August 1, 2020 to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This order remains in effect.

Voluntary Travel

Please keep in mind everything we are doing to “Protect the Pride.” It is for the safety and health of our community that we discourage faculty, staff, and student non-exempt personal travel to high-risk areas as determined by the governor’s travel order. This includes weekend travel and travel during scheduled holidays and days off.

We understand that some travel during the pandemic may be unavoidable (e.g., family emergency). If you must travel to a high-risk state or outside of the United States, you will need to comply with the Massachusetts Travel Order, the Regis Travel Guidance, and understand the COVID-19 travel guidelines of your destination. You must follow the quarantine and testing guidelines and complete the required Massachusetts Travel Form.

Note: Student travel that results in absence from classes and/or clinical must be coordinated with your school and faculty to ensure that you aware of and adhering to the program’s absence policy.

COVID-19 Testing

Per guidance from the Department of Public Health, travelers in the Regis Testing Protocol must provide a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to arrival in Massachusetts and submitted into CoVerified or sent to health.services@regiscollege.edu If not obtained before entry to Massachusetts, a test may be obtained at the Regis College Testing Center, by appointment only. However, all such arriving travelers must immediately begin a 10-day quarantine until a negative test result has been received. Residential students who travel out of state may obtain their travel test on campus, but must make arrangements to quarantine off campus until they receive a negative test result.

Note: Any individual in the Regis Testing Protocol who engages in travel outside of Massachusetts that results in their absence from the weekly Testing Protocol will be responsible for the costs associated with securing an off-site approved COVID-19 return test. Individuals must provide a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test result from no more than 72-hours prior to arrival on campus. This test result should be provided to Health Services at health.services@regiscollege.edu or submitted into CoVerified.

In certain circumstances, Regis may implement consequences for community members who fail to comply with this Travel Guidance.

All residential lounge spaces and spaces throughout campus academic, athletic and administration buildings will have renewed occupancy limits, clearly posted, varying dependent upon the size of the space.

The practice of wearing protective face coverings will be the norm in any shared space.

If community spread of COVID-19 occurs in the Regis College community, the Health Services team will receive guidance and direction from the Weston Board of Health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on the rapid closure of the campus.

• Students living within a three-hour radius must vacate the campus that day.
• Students living over a three-hour radius, but within driving distance are expected to vacate the campus within one day (24 hours).
• Students who live outside of those parameters will enter a quarantine phase and remain in this mode until they can vacate the campus.
• All classes will be put on hold for a specified number of days to ensure students can return to their homes of origin safely.
• Nonessential staff and faculty will be asked to vacate the campus and work remotely.

Upon completion and approval of Department of Public Health required attestation, the Regis College Health Services (RCHS) will return to regular hours and regular staff with flexibility to decrease or increase as needed.

• There will be no walk-in appointments available. Students/patients will be seen by appointment only. All patients will be triaged over the phone prior to entering Health Services. RCHS will collaborate with local urgent care facilities and Newton Wellesley Hospital for after-hours/weekend care.
• All Health Services staff will be screened for COVID-19 and have their temperature taken prior to entering Health Services and this information will be recorded in a log by a trained staff member.
• Two days prior to a patient’s appointment, they will be called and screened for signs/symptoms of COVID-19. This will be repeated two days after their appointment. Patients with scheduled appointments will be screened for COVID-19 and have their temperature taken prior to entering Health Services. This information will be recorded in the patient’s chart.
• There will be no aerosol-producing procedures performed (nebulizer treatments, peak flow measures, etc.).
• Social distancing of six feet will be enforced, except during patient treatment, all Health Services staff will be in appropriate PPE based on job function.
• All potentially shared contact surfaces will be disinfected at regular intervals including, but not limited to exam rooms, phlebotomy area, office spaces, all door handles, light switches, etc. All magazines and pamphlets will be removed.
• Any instructional materials will be contained within a sheath that can be disinfected.

Physical alterations will be made to the Campus Safety vehicles, offices, and dispatch areas.

Physical barriers will be placed in each police cruiser to separate the front from the rear seats in order to provide safe escorts/transportation. A physical barrier in the form of a plexiglass shield has been installed at the dispatch desk to provide separation between the dispatcher and a front desk officer. A physical barrier will be placed on the table in the Interview Room to provide separation between a person being interviewed and officer. Social distancing spaces will be marked on the floor in the hallway leading to the police station. Only one person will be allowed in the lobby at a time. All extra seating capacity has been removed, allowing for no seating in that area. All residence hall security desks will have physical barriers/sanitizers to allow for distancing and sanitized workspaces.

All police cruisers will be sanitized following each escort/transport. All escorts/transports in police vehicles will be required to ride in the rear seat of the cruiser. No passengers will be allowed in the front seat. Officers will not enter occupied rooms or offices unless necessary.

Parking passes will be accessed through an online application process. There will be no in-person applications for parking passes. Residential students will be issued their passes upon residence hall check-in. An equally safe procedure will be developed for commuter students, faculty, and staff upon their return to campus.