Dear colleagues, 

I hope everyone has had a restful weekend.

As all know, we are working towards fall re-opening, welcoming students to our school, continuing our mission. We have a committee, the SAFER committee led by Dean Ira Lazic, tasked with steering our return to campus, working closely with BU overall to make sure that we create the best and safest possible environment for all in the coming months. Meanwhile, under Dean Sullivan’s leadership, we are moving to implement the university-wide Learn from Anywhere (LfA) approach, to welcome students but to also provide them with the opportunity to take courses from anywhere. All of this is moving forward, and moving forward well, despite, of course, the simple fact that none of this is easy, and it all requires a substantial effort from everyone who is leading these efforts and from all of us who are engaged in them. 

A thank you to all who are doing all to make this happen.

As these efforts move forward, I am also aware that the moment is an anxious one, and that we all have abundant worries about the present, the near future, and perhaps even the long-term future. I understand that, and share it. We have been doing everything possible as a school to communicate regularly through SPH Today, and have been hosting weekly Community Conversations to provide a forum for discussion for the past several months. But, I also realize that we can always be better at communicating, making information available. To that end, I thought I would send out here a Q+A, providing answers to frequently asked/heard questions, some communicated (with thanks) through the Faculty Senate. As you will see below, we do not know the answer to some of these questions, but answers will emerge in coming weeks. Hence, we shall be abstracting the Q+As below from this note and create them as a separate document that shall then remain as a ‘living document’, edited regularly, front and center on our Covid-19 resource page. We will also add answers to more questions as we hear them. Please always feel free to reach out to anyone in leadership with questions, or if you prefer, submit questions anonymously to our digital comment box.

Q+A

As an overall comment, note that many of these are based on efforts by BU summarized on the Back2BU website. We, as a school, through the SAFER committee are working on implementing these guidelines, but the website represents a useful, and definitive, repository of resources that we also contribute to, that is central to our collective understanding of testing and safety measures being implemented around the epidemic. Questions grouped by topic are below.

Communication 

Q1. As we plan for fall reopening, what are relevant University and SPH communications that summarize plans for the return to campus?

The University has communicated through several notes through BU Today about the planned return to campus that are relevant and worth reading. In summary:

On May 21st announced the RT-PCR Testing Laboratory 

On June 1st announced the Learn from Anywhere (LfA) dual teaching modality 

On June 9th put out letters announcing fall residential opening 

On June 10th the University launched the Back2BU website with up-to-date details on plans for undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, research and clinical operations, screening, testing and tracing, employees and the workplace and links to other guides and resources 

On June 17th communication to faculty/staff regarding campus public health protocols for the fall 

On June 18th communicated to faculty about fall teaching commitments 

On June 22nd published a back to campus guide 

SPH Deans have communicated roughly daily through SPH Today and through SPH This Week. These communications are all available on the SPH website and provide a comprehensive summary of our approach to restarting in the fall. A summary below.

On February 26th, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the School

On March 3rd, COVID-19 Outbreak and Classroom Teaching

On March 11th, Remote Teaching Starting Monday, March 16

On March 11th, COVID-19, Teaching, and the School

On March 12th, Accessing Remote Student Support Resources

On March 12th, Remote Teaching Updates

On March 13th, First Day of Remote Teaching

On March 14th, COVID-19 and a New Week at the School

On March 16th, Administrative Updates during COVID-19

On March 17th, SPH Resource Page for COVID-19

On March 18th, Ongoing Remote Teaching

On March 19th, What We Can All Do during COVID-19

On March 22nd, A Community in a Time of Physical Distancing

On March 23rd, Reminder, COVID-19: Community Conversations

On March 26th, Remote Teaching Updates: Zoom Sessions, Final Exams, and eTextbooks

On March 30th, Update on SPH Convocation, Grading Policy for Spring 2020

On April 2nd, COVID-19 Info Request and BMC Volunteer Opportunity

On April 2nd, Update on Summer Session, Grading Policy for Spring 2020 and More

On April 6th, Administrative Updates: Zoom Meetings and Parking & Transportation

On April 8th, Update on Remote Teaching, Summer Session, and Course Evaluations

On April 10th, What is the New Normal?

On April 14th, Update on Submitting Grades and Grading Policy for Spring 2020

On April 6th, COVID-19, the Challenges—and Opportunities—Ahead

On April 17th, FAQs to Guide Us in our Approach to Administration and Finance

On April 17th, Learning in Uncertainty

On April 17th, Updated SPH Research Funding Opportunities and Information

On April 22nd, An Update on Diversity & Inclusion

On April 24th, Preparing for Fall, a New World for Education

On April 28th, Update on Spring Grades, Summer and Fall Teaching, and New Resources

On April 29th, Updated COVID-19 Research Funding Opportunities

On May 2nd, Supporting Our Students

On May 5th, Gratitude to All Our Staff, and a Note about Zoom Protocol

On May 6th, COVID-19 Support Resource Guide

On May 6th, Update on Credit/No Credit Grading Option, Summer and Fall Teaching

On May 7th, COVID-19 Project Development Workshop Series

On May 10th, USAID Funding Announcement

On May 13th, COVID-19, on Our Evolving Operational Planning

On May 14th, Update on SPH Research

On May 18th, Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Brief Survey for Staff, Faculty, and Students

On May 18th, Update on Fall Teaching

On May 19th, Complex Truths, Difficult Decisions

On May 20th, Working Group on Employees’ Return to the Workplace

On May 21st, Ahead of the Long Weekend, a Thanks, and an Opportunity for Feedback

On May 27th, Some Reflections, Learning from School Survey

On May 29th, A Message from Dean Galea to Continuing Students

On May 29th, Moving On: What I’ve Learned

On May 31st, When the World Is on Fire

On June 1st, SAFER Working Group Update on our Safe Return to Campus

On June 1st, Planning for Return to Campus Teaching in the Fall

On June 3rd, Entering the Summer Season

On June 7th, A Day of Reflection and Mourning, a Pulse Survey

On June 8th, Learn from Anywhere (LfA) at SPH: Weekly Update

On June 8th, SAFER Working Group: Weekly Update

On June 9th, Reflecting on the Events of the Past Two Weeks

On June 12th, Looking Ahead: Our 2025-2030 Strategy Map

On June 15th, SAFER Working Group: Weekly Update

On June 16th, Learn from Anywhere (LfA) at SPH: Weekly Update

On June 17th, Pulse Survey on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice: A Summary

On June 22nd, SPH45, Public Health. Now is the Time

On June 22nd, SAFER Working Group: Weekly Update

On June 24th, Learn from Anywhere (LfA) at SPH: Weekly Update

Q2. What announcements from the University summarize the reemergence of BU research?

The following announcements have taken place relative to BU research.

On March 10,  COVID-19 Planning Information for Labs 

On March 16, Minimizing Lab Activity: Charles River Campus | Medical Campus 

On March 21, Preparing for Cessation of On-Campus Research 

On March 23,  Labs Shift to Critical Maintenance Only 

On May 6,  Planning for Resumption of On-campus Research 

On May 15,  Timeline for Return to Campus 

On May 20,  Ordering PPE & Cleaning Supplies (see PPE Allowance FAQ below) 

Testing and Contact Tracing 

Q3. People in close contact with someone who is infected with a virus are at higher risk of becoming infected themselves, and of potentially further infecting others. What is the University doing to prevent this?

The University will be engaging in extensive testing, contact tracing, and isolation of any who test positive. This is the subject of an extensive university-wide effort and much information is available about this at the Back2BU website, specifically here.   But, to summarize, everyone who comes to campus will be tested routinely, for most in our community that will be weekly. We will also all have an app with daily symptom attestation. Anyone who tests positive will have follow-up tests, and will have immediate contact tracing, and isolation as appropriate. This puts BU at the cutting edge of pandemic control anywhere, either in the Commonwealth, or nationally.

In terms of how much this will become an issue, perhaps a review of the pandemic details at the moment would help. There were, in June, about 200 new daily cases, with this number dropping and projections that this will drop to <50 over the next couple of months. That is out of a population of 800,000. The University community is ~45,000 people (faculty/staff/students). At that rate one could expect ~1 case/day, which is well within the scope of the University’s contact tracing capacity. Of course this can change given the epidemic’s status, and if this changes, plans will change, but at the moment the university’s plans are a reasoned approach to epidemic control that is well in line with state-of-the-science public health principles.

Q4. How soon will these testing and contact tracing protocols be launched? 

The projected timeline involves assessing the feasibility of these protocols, finalizing testing protocols, building the necessary infrastructure, validating testing, launching a pilot, and ultimately effectuating the testing program by having it go live. To that end, feasibility was assessed in May of 2020. Toward the end of May, finalizing testing protocols being and all should be completed by the end of June. Toward the end of June until mid-August, the necessary infrastructure will be built, with testing validation occurring between early to mid-July, and the BUMC Pilot ramp up between mid -July to mid-August. Subsequently, the Testing Program is scheduled to go live in mid -August. Many more details are at the Back2BU website, specifically here

Creating a Safe Workplace to Return to for All 

Q5. What steps has the University/SPH undertaken to make the workplace safe to return to?  

Our goal is to make SPH the safest workplace possible. To that end, we have undertaken a number of steps to render the workplace safe to return to. Specifically, the following measures are being undertaken: 

  1. Increasing cleaning and disinfection in work areas and common areas. 
  2. Producing and providing disinfectant to use in work areas wherever possible.
  3. Working with BUMC Facilities to ensure all air filters are reviewed/changed to maximum protection/high efficiency, implementing filter change frequency.
  4. Working with BUMC Facilities to ensure fans are working and air flow is acceptable. BUMC Facilities is ensuring that all the offices, common spaces, and classrooms meet ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 61.1-2019 and that ventilation is acceptable indoor air quality. BUMC Facilities is assessing feasibility of UV lights or extra HEPA filters in the return air plenums.
  5. Controlling access to our facilities and implementing symptom screenings at some locations.
  6. Enforcing physical distancing and adding barriers and other precautions where necessary. Outfitting all SPH buildings by implementing signs and visual cues that ensure a distance of six feet is preserved. Signage has been put in hallways that indicate one-way or two-way traffic. Visual cues have been placed in front of elevators, denoting a maximum occupancy of one. Seating in common areas (at least six feet distance) is adjusted, placing reminders to all to maintain appropriate distancing.
  7. Requiring personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings and gloves, in some areas for all individuals entering our premises (in Talbot, Fuller, Crosstown, etc.).
  8. Regulating visitor and service delivery personnel access on premises.
  9. Hosting all large gatherings or meetings through Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Implementing guidelines that focus on using video-conferencing and minimizing large gatherings.
  10. Regulating use of common areas, such as conference rooms, kitchens, and break areas. Barriers and/or PPE requirements are put in place where separation is not possible. Sneeze guards will be installed in reception areas (e.g. the Talbot 2c area).
  11. Community members are expected to bring their own PPE, but SPH will provide masks free of charge where a community member does not have one with them. 
  12. Evaluating staffing needs on premises and establishing proper protocols to ensure continuity of operations while regulating procedures for a combination of on-premises and off-premises work (e.g. staggered reporting, dividing workforce into teams and establishing which workdays they report to work vs. which workdays they work remotely).
  13. Keeping an inventory of available/vacant office space, in combination with a schedule of who is on-premises, to allow for proper de-densification and inherent proper physical distancing of employees while at work

Q6. With regards to HVAC, who is addressing related issues and what is being done?

SPH has solicited the assistance of Campus Operations Planning, BUMC Facilities and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), who are in the process of: 

  1. Continuing to inspect all our HVAC systems, ensuring they operate efficiently, particularly given that some of the systems are older and we expect them to operate at full capacity. To that end, EH&S has engaged in further inspection of belts, motors, and filters, as well as inlet and outlet dampers. 
  2. Further examining filtration levels and whether enhanced filtration is possible given existing systems. 
  3. Establishing whether the amount of outside air and number of air changes can be increased through use of automatic and manual controls, while also preserving system integrity.

Q7. When do we expect these actions to be finalized?

By the end of July, BUMC Facilities and EH&S will have completed their full evaluations/enhancements where applicable.  

Human Resources: Workplace Adjustments/Reasonable Accommodations 

Q8. What processes are put in place for those who have concerns with returning to the workplace on campus due to a disability, or them falling in the “high risk” categories, as described by the CDC?

We have a responsibility to our students to return to teaching in a manner that meets their expectations. This has guided our commitment to the LfA approach for the fall. However, while we are indeed sensitive to our responsibilities to our students, we are also sensitive to the fact that there are members of our community who have underlying conditions that may place them at higher risk and pose additional challenges. We have had extensive conversations with the University about this and, in particular, worked closely with Human Resources to ensure that a process was developed and put in place to allow for workplace adjustments for those members of our faculty who wouldn’t qualify for reasonable accommodations under the ADA. Ultimately, this resulted in HR and OGC working to set up a process, and Provost Morrison announced it on Friday, highlighting the application process for such arrangements. Details on this are here.

Q9. What is a Reasonable Accommodation?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities (unless posing an undue hardship to the employer). In that vein, a reasonable accommodation is a change in the work environment that allows an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job, perform a job’s essential functions, or enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment (29 C.F.R. pt. 1630 app. § 1630.2(o)). This applies at all times, regardless of a pandemic situation or not. 

 An accommodation poses an undue hardship if it results in significant difficulty or expense for the employer, taking into account the nature and cost of the accommodation, the resources available to the employer, and the operation of the employer’s business. If a particular accommodation would result in an undue hardship, an employer is not required to provide it, but still must consider other accommodations that do not pose an undue hardship (42 U.S.C. § 12111(10)). 

Q10. What is a Workplace Adjustment?

A workplace adjustment is a modification provided, based on criteria other than what is described above as falling under the ADA. We have advocated strongly for BU faculty to be eligible for a Workplace Adjustment for the Fall 2020 semester through the COVID-19 Workplace Adjustment Program (a) if they are at serious risk of illness from COVID-19, according to the CDC, (b) if someone in the household is in one of the CDC High Risk Categories, or (c) if pregnant.

Q11. What is a “business need” and a “core duty”?

A business need entails fulfilling requirements of the core duties of the role of our personnel (whether staff or faculty) to be able to provide the services we offer. Much like any school, teaching is a core duty and, therefore, a business need. Falling under the umbrella of Boston University and in line with President Brown’s previous memos, fulfilling our core duty of teaching entails doing so in person, as well as remotely. The first is a key differentiator, ensuring that students receive the teaching experience they expect and frankly that they pay for. Thus, teaching in person is a business need of the school and a core duty of all faculty. This may well change as the pandemic evolves, but it is, at the moment, the standard that the whole university, including SPH, is adopting.

Q12. How are Workplace Adjustment applications processed?

Faculty who are part of the at risk group fill out the online form on the HR website. Everything goes to HR; they collect all the applications. If the condition listed falls strictly under the CDC, but not the ADA, then it’s not a Reasonable Accommodation, but rather a Workplace Adjustment. For anything other than age, EOO/HR may request additional medical information from the applicant. The medical questionnaire that needs to be completed in such a case is the following form. These requests are handled by EOO/HR exclusively. No dean/manager of any school is privy to any medical information submitted by each requestor to EOO/HR. 

Q13. How does HR/EOO safeguard medical information?

The medical forms are to be returned to the confidential/HIPPA protected fax (electronic) line within HR. The fax number is on both pages of the medical form. The only employees reviewing this information are the three members of the HR Leaves team and Mary Ann Philips in EOO. This information is being securely maintained, separate from any other records. 

Q14.  What prevents SPH leadership from discriminating/taking action against faculty filing for a Reasonable Accommodation/Workplace Adjustment?

First, SPH leadership is deeply committed to the well-being of our community. Everything we do is aimed at elevating and advancing faculty and staff, and we have never knowingly acted in any way that harms any faculty member, nor would we ever. Our job is to make the lives of faculty better, and I have reinforced, always, that I see this as my central job and the job of the entire leadership team. Separate from that, under the laws enforced by the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of a disability or request for an accommodation/adjustment. It is also illegal to retaliate against a person because they filed for an accommodation/adjustment, complained about discrimination/retaliation, filed a charge of discrimination/retaliation, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.  The law forbids discrimination in every aspect of employment. No member of the leadership team or anyone is exempt from the laws as described above.

Q15. Can requests for Workplace Adjustments be denied?

Yes. If an undue burden is posed upon the employer where it becomes too costly or impossible to satisfy business needs, an employer can deny the proposed Workplace Adjustments. That said, SPH is committed to remaining as flexible as possible to accommodate/provide Workplace Adjustments to our faculty with a disability or those who fall under the “at risk” categories (for themselves or family members in the same household) as described by the CDC. 

Q16. If a faculty member is granted an accommodation or Workplace Adjustment, could there be negative consequences for their Annual Faculty Review (AFR), future raises, or other employment-related decisions? 

No. The AFR reflects the merits of one’s performance, conduct, and fulfillment of coverage expectations. Filing for a reasonable accommodation or workplace adjustment (regardless of whether it’s granted or not) will never be counted against a faculty’s performance.  

Protocols for Reporting Illness 

Q17.  What is the protocol for reporting illness when one is sick?

 If one is ill they should report the illness to BU as follows:  

  1. Stay home and do not come to work, call your PCP/local urgent care
  2. Report the illness to BU as noted below:
    • Employees reach out to BU Occupational Health at 617-353-6630
    • Students reach out to Student Health Services at 617-353-3575
    • Researchers/Lab staff reach out to ROHP at 617-358-7647
  3. Employees/students may also report another member being sick, as noted above

Q18. What is the protocol if a community member has been on premises and is reported as being sick?

Occupational Health notifies the BUMC Facilities and EH&S. A full decontamination of the area is done, team members are notified to go for testing, and further testing and contact tracing ensues. Much fuller detail is available on the Back2BU website.

Implementing the LfA Approach at SPH 

Q19. How will the LfA teaching approach be implemented at SPH? 

There are many challenging and complex issues related to implementation that need our collective attention. In order to develop guidelines on each of these issues, we set up a new LfA page on the SPH website to gather ideas, feedback, and concerns. We are also hosting a weekly LfA Teaching Series meeting, open to all faculty and educational staff to discuss implementation steps. The LfA Teaching Series will also be used for trainings on specific pedagogical and technological issues.

The following questions are open questions. As noted by Dean Sullivan in her recent communication, we are actively in the process of developing answers to these, together, through our LfA weekly meetings. Answers to these questions are being summarized on our LfA website, but we will also be updating this Q+A document, as noted above.

Contingencies

  • What are contingencies if faculty or students test positive for COVID-19, PPE?
  • How will a back-up system for faculty teaching be put in place?

In-class versus Remote Option 

  • When/how will students select which option they prefer? 
  • Will students be able to change modality over the course of the semester? 
  • How will we rotate students in and out of the classroom if more want the in-person option than physical distancing protocols will allow (e.g., a suggestion was random allocation where trading is allowed, perhaps with some weighting preferences to promote equity)? Will testing protocols allow for last minute trades? 
  • How will we handle the situation where students do not show up to class as assigned, creating challenges for faculty members if the number of students in class keeps changing? 
  • What if class size is small and all students want to join the class remotely? 

Pedagogy/Support 

  • What will be standards for group work (e.g., with in-class and remote students working together) to minimize confusion among students across multiple courses? 
  • How will exams be administered? 
  • Will there be additional trainings on Zoom (e.g., break-out rooms, polling), Blackboard functionality (e.g., exams), etc? 
  • Will we record classes and post recordings for all students? 

Technology 

  • What technology will be in each classroom? 
  • Will faculty get orientation to technology in the classroom? 
  • Could students get headsets, even if in the classroom to engage in group work, which will help reduce the need for extra breakout space? 

As I noted at the outset, there is a substantial amount of work going on to ensure the school continues to fulfill its mission and operates as the safest workplace possible. The University and the School have made a concerted effort on this front, on multiple domains, and I am heartened that we are headed in the right direction on all, even as this is indeed, without question, a challenging moment. I want to thank everyone who has been working to make the answers to these questions possible, principally the Associate Deans, Chairs, Unit Leads, Chairs of the Faculty, Staff, and Student senates, and all the faculty/staff/students who are taking a challenging moment in stride, working to help us do what we need to do, while keeping each other safe and well.

To all, always, thank you.

We will continue throughout the summer communicating out regularly, principally through SPH Today, and also host open houses hosted by the SAFER/LfA groups to answer any and all questions as answers emerge. Thank you all for being a part of these conversations.

Warmly,

Sandro

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH
Dean, Robert A Knox Professor
sgalea@bu.edu

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