Working on Campus
These guidelines have been created to outline the required safety procedures for staff and faculty working in-person on Swarthmore’s campus during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In developing these guidelines, the Workforce Planning Group adhered to the principles President Val Smith established for the College’s approach to navigating the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic:
- We will hold paramount the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff members.
- We will continue to deliver to our students the highly engaged, intellectually enriching educational experience that is foundational to all that we as a College do.
- We will make decisions about College finances and operations with empathy, compassion, and humanity and work to maintain operational continuity and retain employees to the greatest extent possible.
It is imperative that you read and understand the requirements outlined in this guide. You should also familiarize yourself with the information on the College’s COVID-19 website. This information is intended to help to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading on our campus and support the health and safety of our campus community. Adherence to these guidelines is required.
The College has outlined these phases for working on campus, based on essential functions needed to support College activities. Departmental planning should align with expectations for operations during each phase, which may impact the number of employees on campus and gathering sizes.
Resources
The Workforce Planning Group consists of members from divisions and offices across campus, including Human Resources, Auxiliary Services, the Provost’s Office, the Office of the General Counsel, Finance, Institutional Research, and the President’s Office. In preparing this guide, we reviewed a multitude of COVID-19 resources as well as information from peer institutions. This guide was directly informed by resources from public health organizations and Pennsylvania state government, including the following sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance
- Pennsylvania Reopening guidance
- Process to Reopen guidance from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Order [pdf] of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Directing Public Health Safety Measures for Businesses Permitted to Maintain In-person Operations
- Pennsylvania Preliminary Guidance [pdf] for Resuming In-Person Instruction at Postsecondary Education Institutions and Adult Education Programs
- American College Health Association (ACHA) guidance
Guidelines
- Sick or Symptomatic Employees and Testing
- Staffing Options
- Expectations for On-Campus Work
- Meetings, Classrooms, Labs, and other Operations
- Staff Wellness and Work Life Resources
- Protocols for Managers and Department Heads