July 20, 2020: Re-entry Plan Update

At COA, we’re committed to protecting and supporting our people in the face of the evolving COVID-19 situation.

Re-entry Plan

In the Re-entry Plan, you’ll find information on how the college has aligned our guidelines and practices with the Governor’s Office recent decision to remain in Safer at Home Phase 2 for three more weeks and statewide requirement for face coverings.

The Re-entry Plan reflects our best knowledge at the time of writing and will be continually updated to incorporate new learnings as they surface. Please make sure you electronically sign the form in Docusign™ acknowledging your receipt of the most recent plan.

COA is committed to supporting employees and their families during the COVID-19 emergency. The information below provides details on requesting the special “State of Emergency” leave.

This paid special leave is available to full-time, part-time and temporary employees and may only be used for the following reasons, all of which relate to COVID-19:

• When the employee is unable to work because the employee has childcare or eldercare needs due to COVID-related facility closings.
• When the employee is unable to telework because their position duties cannot be performed remotely, and reasonable alternate remote work is not feasible or productive.
• When the employee is sick due to symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or is caring for a dependent with such symptoms.

Important Notes

Mandatory employees (those employees who are directed by their supervisors to report to work) who are determined to be “high risk” for experiencing greater complications with COVID-19 (i.e., over 65 years of age; have underlying health conditions, including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes; or a compromised immune system) or who are providing care to someone at “high risk” are strongly encouraged to telework, if feasible or use the “State of Emergency” leave.
 
For part-time employees with irregular schedules, paid “State of Emergency” leave will be based upon the employee’s average hours per week over the course of a month. In no case shall paid “State of Emergency” leave exceed 40 hours per week.
 
Non-mandatory employees (those employees who have not been directed by their supervisor to report to work) who are unable to telework who have not been authorized by their supervisors to report to work will receive paid “State of Emergency” leave up to the maximum hours allowed if they cannot telework because their position duties cannot be performed remotely, and reasonable alternate remote work is not feasible or productive.
 
Non-mandatory employees who were on other pre-approved leave, choose not to work, or are unavailable for reasons other than provided for in this special “State of Emergency” leave must use available and applicable leave types such as regular sick leave, vacation leave, bonus leave, compensatory time, etc.)
 
All other medically-related absences must utilize regular leaves, if previously approved.

Requesting Special “State of Emergency” Leave

• The employee should complete the “State of Emergency” Leave Request form found in DocuSign and submit it to their immediate supervisor.
• The request form will be reviewed by the employee’s immediate supervisor who shall be responsible for determining whether to grant the leave.
• The 96-hour allotment of “State of Emergency” leave will need to be used in one block during the time from March 16 through 31, 2020.

Determining Whether to Grant Special “State of Emergency” Leave

• In making the determination as to whether to grant the leave, supervisors must take into account the operational needs of the college with special consideration given to the critical importance of maintaining the continuity of the college.
• Supervisors are responsible for determining whether their staff are performing essential functions.
• When a supervisor denies a request to use this leave, the supervisor should inform the employee of the basis for the denial and inform Human Resources of the employee’s name, job title, and reason for denial.

Questions

If supervisors have questions regarding the application of this “State of Emergency” leave, they should contact the Human Resources Office.

More information will be shared on the federal emergency expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and a new federal paid sick leave law.

Online Instruction Begins March 23

Beginning Monday, March 23, COA classes will resume through online course delivery methods only. In the following recommendations outlined by the North Carolina Community College System on March 18, face-to-face instruction of classes that cannot be delivered online are considered suspended until further notice. To accommodate the critical need for public safety and public health services in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the following exceptions are allowed:

• Basic Law Enforcement Training
• Fire Training
• Emergency Medical and Rescue Training
• Nursing (RN, LPN, CNA)
• Other training specifically requested by public safety and public health response agencies, including the military

This also includes healthcare clinicals related to the above (either at a clinical site, if permitted by the site, or through simulation).

If face-to-face instruction is offered, the following conditions will be met:

• Students and faculty follow appropriate social distancing and safety measures
• Students are willing to participate and not penalized if they opt to delay instruction
• Students are provided appropriate personal protective equipment, if applicable
• Students in the programs listed above have been contacted regarding these recommendations

Travel Restrictions

Effective Monday, March 16, all non-essential, college-related travel is canceled for COA employees and students through April 30. This includes all previously scheduled trips, conferences and meetings.

In an effort to practice social distancing policies as recommended, meetings that are not vital to be held in person will be conducted through an online format or by phone. Meetings scheduled after April 30 will be evaluated in the coming weeks.

College Events

All events on campus, college related or external, will be canceled or postponed through April 30. Events that have been canceled will be communicated to the COA community and the general public. Events that are set to occur after April 30 will be evaluated in the coming weeks.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

COA is following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for cleaning and disinfecting of all campus locations. For further information, visit the CDC website.

It is important to remember that COA will remain open, however the college’s leadership team is in communication daily to discuss the best decisions for the health and well-being of our community college students and employees. Minimizing the amount of people at our campus locations will help to mitigate the spread of this virus. Also, as we have stated in previous communications to our COA community, if you are sick, please stay home.