Jan. 20, 2021 – Staff Return to Campus Update

Posted by webcomm on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 in Community Messages.

As we prepare to welcome more students back to campus for the spring semester in the coming days, we want to share some updates and reminders about our plans to continue supporting our community during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent weeks, new infection rates were rising sharply in Nashville and across the U.S. There is hope on the horizon, though, as the nation has entered the staged rollout of available vaccinations.

At Vanderbilt, we remain incredibly proud of the invaluable role our staff played in our successful fall semester. As we begin spring with pride and hope, we also know that this era of unprecedented difficulty is not yet over. Your diligence will be needed more than ever as we continue our work.

Spring Staff Testing Program and Protocols

A key component of our spring plan is our updated spring testing program and quarantine protocols for staff who regularly report to campus or interact in person. Please review the most recent update posted here. This page includes operational information on testing and new guidelines for the quarantine of asymptomatic close contacts.

If you have symptoms: Contact Occupational Health or get a test through your health care provider. If testing off campus, you should submit a positive COVID-19 test result through RedCap to begin contact tracing efforts.

COVID-19 Vaccination Leave Policy

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, we also want to share our COVID-19 vaccination leave policy which allows for time to be taken off to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Spring Return to Campus Acknowledgment Due Jan. 25

All faculty, staff, students and VU-employed postdocs  must complete a  Spring Return to Campus Acknowledgment by Jan. 25.

Please open and review the instructions for logging into Oracle Cloud and accessing and completing the module, and then complete your COVID-19 Return to Campus Acknowledgment.

Remote and In-Person Work Reminders

Finally, we want to share some reminders about remote and in-person work. All staff who have been working remotely should continue to do so unless told otherwise by their supervisor. Thank you again for your remarkable flexibility as we continue to collaborate in new ways.

For staff working on campus: To help protect our community this spring, we must adhere to the safety protocols we developed in the fall. Although some community members are now receiving vaccines, the virus is still spreading. To help protect public health, we cannot loosen our physical distancing, face mask wearing, and sanitation measures. We remain grateful for your vigilance in this shared effort.

As situations develop throughout the semester, we will rely on public health guidance and keep everyone informed. Once again, we applaud you for your adaptability and dedication as we achieve excellence in these challenging times.