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The health and safety of our community is our top priority as we adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we must all recognize that this is a shared responsibility as members of the Barnard community.

Barnard's Public Health Response team provides expertise and sustained focus on health and safety and support faculty, staff, and students in partnership with other areas within the College and university.

For more information on Covid-related processes, please visit Barnard's Covid documentation website.

The Feel Well, Do Well: Summer Health & Safety plan requires:

• Testing. Testing plan to isolate infections via both symptomatic and asymptomatic testing, as well as to monitor for potential spread.
• Face masks/coverings. Well-fitting masks of the highest grade possible (surgical masks, N95, KN95) must be worn indoors except if alone. Masks are provided if needed.
• Good hygiene. Emphasis on handwashing. Hand sanitizer will also be made available throughout campus facilities.
• Maintaining physical distancing. All members of the campus community will comply with the College's requirements and CDC guidelines around distancing wherever possible.
• Staying in if you feel ill. Faculty, staff, and students who feel sick are to stay home, even if their symptoms are inconsistent with common COVID-19 symptoms.
• Proof of COVID-19 and Booster vaccinations. Beginning in Fall 2021, all members of the Barnard community are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination(primary COVID-19 vaccine series), unless they have an approved exemption. All members of the Barnard community are also required to have a booster vaccination as soon as they are eligible.
• Flu shots. All members of the campus community must fulfill the College’s flu vaccination requirements.
• Community pledge. Community members must continue to adhere to community expectations established through a community pledge that emphasizes the responsibility of every member of the community in helping to maintain a safe campus environment by complying with all federal, state and local requirements and Barnard COVID-19 policies.

Hygiene and Cleaning

Hygiene is an important layer of safety and it is important for all members of the community to wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer, and to exhibit good habits related to cleaning.

• Faculty and staff should use the SUPPLY FORM to request any cleaning supplies for offices or other areas.
• Facilities clean public bathrooms and common bathrooms in the residence halls and high-touch spaces such as lobbies, elevators, and door handles three times per day. All other spaces are cleaned once per day. Cleaning includes disinfection as well as new procedures and products related to COVID-19.
• Facilities does not clean the interiors of offices, and will not enter office suites, unless specifically directed and authorized. Additionally, facilities do not clean residential bedrooms and en suite bathrooms.
• Hand sanitizer stations have been deployed across campus.

Masking

Masks are required on campus indoors, except if in a space alone. Masking is not required outdoors for those who are vaccinated though some outdoor large gatherings may require masking for all. The College will provide face masks to all students, staff and faculty on an as-needed basis. Faculty and staff should use the supply form to request any PPE for their work on campus. Community members should avoid cloth masks and wear well-fitting masks of the highest grade possible (surgical masks, N95, KN95). 

Ventilation

Improvements have been made to the College’s ventilation systems. It is important to note that ventilation upgrades are not a stand-alone means to assure safety, but are one of the layers that work to reduce risk.

• The College hired an outside engineering consultant, CFS Facilities Management, who reviewed and assessed the air handling systems and opportunities for upgrade. 
• Improvements and upgrades include increasing the proportion of outside air delivered to the space and increasing filtration effectiveness. In some locations, additional stand-alone filtration units or ultraviolet lights have been placed.
• Windows in many locations have been made operable where they previously had been sealed shut, with the accompanying installation of proper window guards.
• Staff/faculty should contact Facilities at facilities@barnard.edu with specific questions and concerns related to ventilation.

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Mission

The Barnard Health Ambassadors (BHAs) cultivate community and educate peers, promoting a healthy campus experience for all. The three pillars of the program include: 

1. Community
2. Health
3. Awareness/Promotion

Who are the BHAs?

The Barnard Health Ambassadors are undergraduate students who serve as visible public health ambassadors available on campus to encourage our Barnard community to engage in healthy behaviors related to COVID-19 and provide health and safety resources, such as masks and hand sanitizer.

It’s important—by following the Barnard Community Pledge, we’re all doing our part to reduce the risk of transmission for ourselves and others. This commitment reflects the extraordinary degree to which we’re dependent on each other to remain healthy individually and as a community.

For more information, contact BHA@barnard.edu. 

What are the goals of the BHAs?

• To follow the COVID-19 reopening plan and regulations created by the College.
• To use peer to peer influence to encourage others to practice healthy behaviors, such as physical distancing as needed, wearing face masks/coverings, and regularly washing your hands and using hand sanitizer.
• To provide the campus community with public health resources, education, and representatives to answer COVID-19 related questions.

What are the responsibilities of an ambassador?

• Serve as a public health resource and provide information that supports the Barnard College COVID-19 campus plan.
• Act as a role model for healthy behaviors and practices on campus to limit the spread of COVID-19.
• Barnard Community encourages campus and government regulations. Encourage the use of face masks and coverings, physical distancing as needed, and proper hand hygiene.

• Provide supplies such as hand sanitizer, masks, and other wellness-related supplies to those who need them.

• Create health and wellness related programming and social media posts.