Hands-on/experiential delivery models

Departments that require hands-on experiences for students must work with the SKC Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) and Tribal Health Department to identify methods to maintain important education experiences for students: 

• Laboratories, simulations, and studios may require additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and will implement processes to allow for the reduction of risk in collaborative work and instruction.
• Field courses will implement strategies to reduce the risk of travel to field sites that may include taking multiple vehicles or requiring PPE.
• Activities courses will follow the college’s social distancing guidelines for classroom/gym activities and outdoor courses.

Office hours

Instructional faculty will hold regular virtual office hours during the fall quarter and may hold in-person office hours if they are able to do so in compliance with social distancing requirements. Course Syllabus must specify office hours as well as whether the faculty member will have face to face or virtual office hours.

Syllabi

Faculty will include in the syllabus plans for how the quarter will proceed if there is a transition to remote delivery and will be familiar with setting up virtual meetings via the LMS, Google Meet, or other remote delivery methods supported by SKC. Faculty will also specify in their syllabus that students should communicate with their instructors regarding changes in their ability to complete coursework and academic responsibilities.

Student attendance and absences

Faculty attendance policies need to acknowledge and support students who become ill, without creating barriers or requiring unnecessary visits to a physician for documentation of illness. Success Coaches are a resource that can assist faculty to engage students who are missing classes.

Switching to a remote delivery

Every instructor should be ready to switch to remote delivery if required by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council, state, or federal authorities.

Faculty will ensure that students know how to access and use the tools and technologies that will allow for an easier transition to remote learning if necessary.

Academic Advising Services

Faculty Advisors will observe the following guidelines:

• Academic advisors will be available and respond to student requests within 24 hours.
• All New Student Orientation sessions will be offered via distance methods. 
• Subsequent to participating in an orientation session, each student will have a virtual appointment with their advisor to discuss the courses they can select and register online. While Google Meet is the recommended communication method, phone appointments are also available if preferred by the student.
• If an in-person meeting is necessary, advisors will use offices or alternative locations where social distancing can be maintained.
• Contact information for specific advising areas will be posted on the Admissions Webpage of the SKC Website.

Considerations for students

SKC students will be asked to evaluate their individual health status and refrain from attending class or other on-campus activities if they are sick. Students are encouraged to seek appropriate medical attention if they are not feeling well. Medical attention can be sought at the SKC Clinic in the Vanderburg Building.

SKC students who are absent due to illness will be given opportunities to access course materials online. If a student wishes to seek reasonable Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations, they should contact the ADA Coordinator (silas_perez@skc.edu) to initiate a review.

Considerations for faculty

SKC Faculty will be asked to evaluate their individual health status and refrain from coming to campus and to seek appropriate medical attention if they are sick. Medical attention can be sought at the SKC Clinic in the Vanderburg Building.

SKC faculty will be encouraged to teach in-person and to combine mixtures of methods in their course structure. If faculty have concerns about their teaching assignment because of a medical condition that puts them at greater risk, they should contact Human Resources to discuss options. Faculty who have concerns about their work assignment should request a review by Human Resources.

Face shields and face masks will be available for instructional faculty to wear in classrooms, labs, and studios. These devices will be provided by the SKC Building Maintenance Department upon request. Requests are to be submitted in writing through email (for inventory purposes) to (audrey_plouffe@skc.edu and covidsupport@skc.edu.

Faculty members who become ill with COVID-19 may need to transition their courses to an online environment. If the Faculty member is unable to teach from home, a qualified substitute will be found to provide instruction. This will be done with the least amount of disruption to student learning.

If a faculty wishes to seek reasonable ADA accommodations related to returning to the classroom, they should contact the Human Resources Department to initiate a review. The SKC Office of Human Resources will work with instructional faculty and department heads to determine any appropriate accommodation(s).

Classroom operations

1. Common understanding for Faculty/Instructors personal safety in classrooms
   • Instructors “own” the classroom they are using for instruction
   • When possible do not share technology/materials (dry erase equipment, etc)
   • Either sanitize or Instruct the students to sanitize their personal space in the classroom (when they arrive and when they leave)
   • Desks and chairs to remain 6 ft. apart, no small group activities that force students within 6 ft. of each other
   • Sanitize common touch technology devices prior to using
   • Use face shield or mask at all times while teaching
   • Students must be masked/face covered at all times in the classroom (this will be enforced. If a student refuses, they must leave class. If they refuse, please call SKC Security)
2. Protocols implemented to mitigate health risks for the safety of students, Faculty and Instructors
   Based on your class size, students and dynamics, you will want to engage students either individually as they enter the classroom or collectively to go through the following steps. Students may be more responsive and compliant if the following are not conducted where their answers are public in the event that they need to leave the space. However, each Faculty/Instructor has their own unique relationship with the students in their classes and can implement the protocol in the best way possible. It is not an option to choose not to implement the protocol:
   1. When entering a classroom to teach, or one on one prior to entering the classroom, ask students the following questions:
      1. Do you feel ill at all with flu like symptoms? Fever, sore throat, cough?
      2. Do you have a loss of taste or smell?
      3. Are you a direct contact to a COVID positive person or have you been in close contact with a person in quarantine?
   2. IF you are comfortable and there is a thermometer easily accessible take the students temperatures. A temperature greater than 100.4 requires they return home and seek medical attention.
   3. If anyone says yes to any of the above questions or has a temperature greater than 100.4 they need to be told to leave the classroom and seek medical attention.
3. What to do if a student has to leave the classroom because they answered yes to the questions
   Faculty/Instructors will need to work with students who cannot attend classes due to the health survey, or illness by providing opportunities for them to make up classwork, attend the class virtually or other accommodations that the Faculty/Instructor and student agree upon.
4. How to obtain sanitization materials.
   Faculty/Instructors can request Personal Protective Equipment (disposable masks, face shields, gloves, thermometers) through Kissflow. Classroom materials for sanitization will be in each classroom.

Research operations

SKC research activities will be conducted in accordance with levels of operation that will be determined based on a number of factors, including COVID-19 caseloads, guidance from Tribal, national, state, and local health officials, input from SKC administrative leadership, faculty and students, and others.

Disinfectant procedures for confirmed COVID-19 in a research laboratory

Laboratories must follow SKC guidelines for disinfecting facilities in the event that a laboratory member is confirmed to have COVID-19. The following are approved disinfection methods, and one of these two options will be determined in consultation with the principal investigator (PI), department head or director, and SKC Office of Risk and Compliance (ORC) in the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case:

• Option 1: Seven-day shutdown of the laboratory. Entrance into the laboratory is prohibited during the seven-day period unless approved by ORC for short-term, emergency entrance with appropriate personal protective equipment. This option will be the default unless a principal investigator (PI) has coordinated with ORC an acceptable plan for deep cleaning that will not harm equipment, experiments, and neighboring laboratories/spaces.
• Option 2: Deep cleaning of the laboratory. Disinfection of porous items (lab notebooks, cardboard, etc.) sensitive equipment, reagents, and experimental samples may be impacted by this option. If it is determined that ORC-approved deep clean methods could harm neighboring laboratories and spaces, this may not be an option.

Field Research

In consultation with deans, department heads, and directors, Each research PI must outline their adoption of these guidelines before engaging in any field research.

Prior to Travel

• SKC Field crews should follow local, regional, and federal guidelines for quarantines. Quarantines are not currently required following in-state fieldwork but may be imposed if the PI believes warranted.
• SKC PIs will provide appropriate face covering, disinfectants, and other key supplies to field crew. If the research is deemed “essential” per Research Operations guidelines, and social distancing is not possible, appropriate masks must be used for all investigators and participants during those research procedures.
• Before departure, each SKC research team member must fill out a medical screening form. If they answer yes to any of the questions, they should not participate in field research. The form must be signed by the PI and kept on file by the PI.
• Before departure, the SKC field crew supervisor will provide a written contingency plan in case someone becomes symptomatic for COVID-19. This contingency plan will be reviewed with all field researchers prior to departure. A copy of the plan should be given to each research team member, who should then sign to acknowledge the plan. Signed and dated copies must be retained by the PI. There can be no coercion to participate and sign. At a minimum, those plans should include:
  • Identification of nearest clinic to the field location in case of emergency (including address, phone number, and hours operation).
  • If different from above, identification of the nearest clinic to the field location that could perform a COVID-19 test (including address, phone number, and hours operation). Preference should be given to a facility capable of performing COVID-19 testing.
  • A plan for if the clinic refuses to perform COVID-19 testing. This plan must include self-quarantine, informing the PI, and additional guidelines per healthcare professionals.
  • A plan to evacuate field crew in the event that individual(s) test positive for COVID-19.
  • Documentation of basic first aid supplies, including over-the-counter medications for fever (e.g., Tylenol, ibuprofen).
• SKC PIs should be cognizant that not all individuals (including landowners and off-site research centers) will be comfortable with the continuation of fieldwork. PIs are encouraged to share their plans and mitigation strategies with applicable individuals and provide the opportunity for input and questions. PIs should not conduct field research with community members/groups who express that they are uncomfortable with the work.

Transportation

• The guideline is to limit vehicle travel to the driver only (no passengers). However, it is acknowledged that this may not be practical and/or may add risk (e.g., on long day trips that would benefit from rotational driving). Accordingly, PIs can pursue mitigation strategies (i.e., larger vehicles, wearing masks, proper disinfecting protocols, etc.).
• Airline travel related to field research must conform with national, state, local, and college travel guidelines.
• Field research that requires boating must abide by social distancing guidelines and follow all other applicable field research guidelines. If social distancing cannot be maintained, PIs can pursue mitigation strategies (i.e., wearing masks, proper disinfecting protocols, etc.).

Van and SKC Vehicle Use Guidelines

During COVID-19 operations at SKC Van and SKC vehicle usage will be restricted for the number of passengers allowed in a vehicle at the same time. Each SKC vehicle is allowed to operate with no greater than 40% of the passenger rating of the SKC vehicle. This ratio includes all persons in the vehicle. Masks must be worn at all times when people are in the vehicle together. Passengers should stagger their location and spread out as much as safely feasible. In vans with multiple benches only one person per bench is allowed, passengers should sit on opposing sides of the vehicle.

It is the responsibility of the SKC employee renting the vehicle to clean and sanitize both prior to and after usage of the vehicle. When possible, the driver should ensure air flow in the vehicle such as cracked open windows or air blowing on non-recirculated vents.

Lodging

Every effort should be made to provide individual living arrangements for field researchers. Understanding this is not always possible, the following guidelines are provided for unique situations where individual living arrangements are not feasible.

• Social distancing should be maintained during lodging, including sleeping arrangements, cooking, eating, and social time. For short intervals when social distancing cannot be maintained, an appropriate face mask should be worn by all individuals.
• Individuals must wash hands often. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Cover all sneezes and coughs with a tissue or with your shirt sleeve. Wear protective gloves (latex, nitrile, or rubber) whenever using furniture, cookware, equipment, or vehicles shared among team members.
• Regularly use disinfectant wipes on all surfaces used by multiple team members. As an alternative (when disinfectant wipes are not available) use a spray bottle with diluted 70% alcohol.

Additional guidelines specific to sleeping arrangements, cooking, and shared bathroom use include:

• Sleeping: Everyone must have their own personal sleep space. For example, if sleeping in tents, the default should be that each individual sleeps on their own. In cases where teams must lodge in a hotel, outpost, or other commercial/state/federal establishment, budget is not an adequate justification to have people sleeping in the same room.
• Cooking: When first entering the kitchen, wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Sanitize cooking surfaces (while wearing rubber or plastic gloves) as part of kitchen cleanup. Wash dishes in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
• Bathrooms: Take all personal items (towels, hand towels, shampoo/conditioner) with you to and from the bathroom, and leave them in your personal space. Do not leave them in common space (including bathroom or kitchen).

To further mitigate risk, PIs may consider temporarily instituting a “pod” concept for their research teams.

• A “pod” is defined as a group of adults who have been living in the same household for the past month or more. To qualify, a pod will certify that they have been following social distancing rules for a minimum of 14 days prior to field research and will continue to follow social distancing rules during research and for 14-days after the field research.
• For short-term research-related endeavors, members of the pod may be hired to work together. The application of the pod concept would be most warranted in situations where field research should not be conducted by only one SKC employee. This concept is particularly relevant for long-distance or overnight field research where there are safety concerns or logistical limitations of an employee working by themselves.
• In cases where a pod would require hiring and/or supervision rules that impact current Conflict of Interest (COI) plans, including nepotism, investigators should work with amending COIs with the Office of Risk and Compliance and/or work with Human Resources to pursue temporary exceptions. Temporary exceptions should only be for short-term events (e.g., several days to a week for mission-critical events, with up to a few events during the summer of 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The justification for a nepotism exception would be that the benefits of this approach would be outweighed by the potential costs and risks of 1) failure to set up an experiment, 2) losing critical research data, or 3) decreasing the safety of an SKC researcher.

Conducting field research

• To allow for contract tracing in case a crew member becomes ill, crews will record the date, time, place of contact, name, and, where possible, contact information for any people they interact with during the field research (i.e., landowner, agency staff member, etc.).
• Each day crew members must self-assess their health and record in a journal their morning and evening temperature, as well as any potential symptoms of COVID-19. This journal must be made available upon request by the PI.
• Shared field gear (nets, shovels, binoculars, etc.) must be disinfected before handing over to someone else.