Feel Well, Do Well: Health & Safety

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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.

The Feel Well, Do Well 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. As of Monday, October 10th, masking indoors at Barnard will be highly recommended and optional, except in any health services areas (Primary Care Health Service and Furman Counseling Center), as well as in CARDS.
• Good hygiene. Emphasis on handwashing. Hand sanitizer will also be made available throughout campus facilities.
• 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.
• 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 source their own supplies, with consultation from PHRT as necessary. 
• 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

As of Monday, October 10th, masking indoors at Barnard will be highly recommended and optional, except in any health services areas (Primary Care Health Service and Furman Counseling Center), as well as in CARDS. Additionally, masking continues to be required on days 6–10 of someone’s COVID-19 illness, regardless of symptoms, and for those who have an approved vaccine exemption. Faculty have the option to require masking in their classrooms and teaching spaces.
 
Masking remains an important strategy to avoid infections. We request that those on campus respect individual decisions about whether a person chooses to mask or not.
The College will provide face masks to all students, staff and faculty on an as-needed basis. 

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.