Message to the College on Coronavirus — Some On-Campus Classes Resuming

Central Piedmont has worked hard to keep employees and students updated and safe during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For the first time since early March, the college is bringing some students back to campus for in-person classes. As we resume selected in-person classes, keeping everyone as healthy and safe as possible remains our top priority.

In this first phase of returning students to campus, some health careers and some commercial driver’s license (CDL) students will have the opportunity to resume and complete their spring semester classes that were suspended in March. Some of the health careers classes have resumed already, others will start back on May 11 and 18. The CDL classes could begin as soon as May 18. This will ensure these students stay on track leading up to the Fall 2020 semester.

These classes will require just few buildings to be open — Belk/Health Careers on Central Campus, Levine I and III on Levine Campus, and the CDL program facility at Merancas Campus. Student Affairs also plans to have few staff members available in Central High and Levine I at limited times to serve current students. The college plans to bring some construction technologies students back to Harper Campus in June.

Again, this is the first phase in bringing employees and students back to campus. The vast majority of employees and students will continue to work remotely for several more weeks. Supervisors will inform their team members of their phase-in date. As the college works to bring more employees and students back to campus throughout late-spring and summer, if you do not feel comfortable returning to campus at that time, please notify your supervisor and/or Human Resources. If you are in a high-risk category with an underlying health condition or have any other questions or concerns, please contact your supervisor and/or Human Resources. The goal is to provide as much flexibility and keep everyone as safe as possible.

Coming back to campus will mean we all must focus on being safe by taking the necessary precautions. If you feel poorly at all or come in contact with someone believed to have COVID-19, please stay at home. Do not come to campus. If, within two weeks of your return to campus, you have had a cough, shortness of breath, or two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of smell or taste, you might have COVID-19, and you should consult a doctor immediately. Please notify Human Resources.

Please keep these important safety precautions in mind as you return to campus in the coming weeks.

• Employees and students will need to wear a face covering during this first phase, in places on campus where social distancing is hard to maintain. Such places include classrooms, labs, restrooms, hallways, stairways, elevators, Student Services areas, campus bookstores, and in-person meetings. If you don’t have a face covering, the college will provide one when you first return to campus. Face coverings must cover your nose and mouth completely and can include masks, homemade masks, and bandanas. The need for face coverings will be re-evaluated as we enter future phases of returning people to campus.
• Students and employees will have to attest on an online form that they are healthy with no COVID-19 symptoms and have not traveled recently to pandemic hotspots outside Mecklenburg County.
• To practice social distancing, departments will be asked to use staggered scheduling so all team members aren’t in the office the on same days.
• The college asks that no more than two persons at a time use an elevator and that they stand as far apart as possible. Please use the stairs if you are able.
• Please maintain at least six feet between yourself and others on stairways, in hallways, in parking decks and lots, and other campus spaces.
• Access to some common areas such as lounge spaces, as well as vending machines, could be limited for a while.
• Meetings should be by phone/Webex whenever possible.
• In-person meetings should include no more than 10 people. Such meetings should be held in rooms large enough to allow at least six-feet of space between persons.
• We encourage you to wipe down your keyboard and other high-touch surfaces in your workspace with disinfecting wipes or other cleaning products every morning when you first arrive.
• You should continue washing your hands regularly and frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching your face as best you can.

The college will do its part by having classrooms and labs, restrooms, stairway handrails, elevators, door handles, other frequent touch points, and common areas deep cleaned every evening.

We are excited to resume some on-campus, in-person classes. We want to do all we can to help students stay on track and complete their programs of study. By everyone working together — wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, washing our hands, staying home if we feel ill, and keeping our campus spaces clean — we can make the resumption of on-campus classes a success while keeping everyone safe.

Please keep in mind that this is an ever-evolving situation. These directives could change as new developments occur and as we move toward bringing more people back to campus at some point during the summer semester. Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to support our students and our community.

Visit coronavirus information for all of Central Piedmont's updates on the pandemic.