Trent Forward
Phased approach to resuming campus physical operations
May 26, 2020
This phased plan will allow Trent University to gradually resume physical operations with attention to health and safety for all members of our campus community, while ensuring high quality teaching, learning and research, and the long-term resilience and vitality of Trent and our local communities.
At each stage we will monitor and assess our effectiveness, learn and adapt for the next phase, and respond to the external conditions. We will engage regularly with public health authorities, our campus and local communities, and the sector, to use evidence-based decision-making, and share and adopt best practices.
There are five key elements that will be addressed within each phase:
- Preparing the campus physical infrastructure
- Cleaning and sanitization routines
- Installation of protective measures and signage
- Adapting and modifying campus spaces to support physical distancing, controlling access, and reducing touchpoints
- Supporting staff, faculty, students, and visitors
- Health and safety education, resources, and policies
- Screening, access control, and consideration of testing and contact tracing
- Personal protective measures, equipment, and training
- Phased return-to-work plans, or continued remote working where necessary
- Isolation and quarantine supports
- Campus and Community Capacity
- Resources to support remote teaching and learning
- Public health and local healthcare services
- Transit and housing
- Effective engagement and communications
- Timely and clear internal and external communications
- Feedback and input mechanisms to monitor, learn and adapt
- Effective and responsive governance processes
- Contingency planning
- Fast and effective response to changing situations and new directives
Each phase will require significant planning and preparation by departments to address the five key elements listed above. The timing and duration of each phase will be dependent upon public health and provincial advice and directives, and our assessment of the readiness of our campus community (i.e. do people feel safe, informed, supported, and prepared). The start date for each phase may be delayed or we will suspend activities and revert to an earlier phase if required, to be responsive to public health/ provincial directives.
Our goal is to bring students back to campus as soon as it is safe to do so, with a focus on those programs where physical access is required to meet academic requirements, and to address accessibility challenges. Success requires that each individual assume personal responsibility in good hygiene and handwashing practices, staying home when sick, maintaining physical distancing, and adhering to policies and procedures that have been designed to protect individuals and the campus as a whole.
Phase 1: Spring
- Access to campus gardens
- Limited research resumes in Trent laboratories
- Trent Health in Motion resumes operations
- Remote work and virtual service delivery continues
- Limited staff return to campus to prepare for phase 2
Phase 2: Summer
- Research access expands
- Nursing labs resume on a limited basis
- Explore potential for smaller graduate classes in person
- Some common spaces reopen with appropriate modifications to support student access to the internet
- Libraries may offer limited inperson services
- Continuation of key campus infrastructure and maintenance projects
- Some staff permitted onsite to prepare campus for phase 3
Phase 3: Fall
- Some students return to class with appropriate physical distancing
- More staff may return to their offices to support students, though many will continue to work remotely
- Support services continue with a mix of inperson and remote delivery
- Some residences may reopen with one student per room
- Limited food service operations may resume as needed
- Community and visitor access remains limited
Throughout the first 3 phases, mass gatherings and non-essential travel remain restricted, though small outdoor gatherings may be permitted according to provincial directives and with physical distancing. A key way to reduce potential for disease transmission and allow us to continue moving forward in our phased re-opening, is to prioritize access to campus for students first and foremost, and the staff and faculty needed to be on-campus to support those students.
Phase 4: To be determined
- Full campus operations resume in a staged way, with ongoing modifications and restrictions as required
- Visitors and community are able to access the campus more freely
- Travel restrictions gradually ease
- Larger gatherings may be permitted