Fall 2020: Information for Graduate Students

• All students must commit to follow BW campus and public health guidelines, including daily health check-ins. Details have been provided.
• We are providing aggressive cleaning protocols, and we ask you to wear a mask and practice strong personal hygiene discipline, particularly when indoors.
• All students are asked to come to campus with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
  • 3-5 reusable/washable cloth face masks — All students are required to wear masks in all public areas of campus. In addition, all students were provided two (2) washable cloth masks in the first days on campus.
  • Personal digital thermometer (mercury thermometers are not permitted due to safety concerns) — All students are required to complete a daily online check-in with temperature before attending class or visiting dining facilities.
  • Personal use hand sanitizer — All students must have access to their own hand sanitizer in addition to stations available throughout campus.
  • Supplemental surface sanitizing supplies — Students may want to supplement cleaning supplies that are available in classrooms, common areas and recreation areas with personal surface sanitizing products.

Even more important than the physical infrastructure changes and other measures we are taking for your safety is the need for all of us to be willing to adhere to new safety requirements. These include wearing masks while indoors and in the company of others, maintaining social distancing, adhering to guidance on group gatherings and living on campus, and following lab, practice room and athletic protocols.

Our students, faculty and staff are called upon to demonstrate care for each other through these safety measures. We will collectively need to hold each other accountable to enforce safety measures as we make our way through this academic year.

• The BW Be Safe agreement, signed by all students, faculty and staff, is the first way we all agree to demonstrate care for each other. Students were asked to sign this agreement prior to arriving on campus. Faculty and staff signed this agreement by the start of school on August 24.
• Students are able to access health and wellness services and support provided on campus through the Health Center and the Lou Higgins Recreation Center. Access to COVID-19 testing is available at the Health Center, other local providers or hospitals.
• Enhanced cleaning protocols across campus are based on the CDC's "Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces" and require the use of U.S. EPA-approved disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2. The overall disinfection and cleaning of surfaces will still be completed by BW custodial teams on a scheduled basis, with frequently touched surfaces (e.g., door handles, sink handles, drinking fountains, grab bars, hand railings, bathroom stalls) cleaned at least daily or between uses as much as possible.
• Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use disinfectant wipes to wipe down shared desks, lab equipment and other shared objects and surfaces before use.
• Classrooms and some common areas have been provided with our CDC-approved disinfectant and roll towels to facilitate the increased frequency of wiping high touch points during the day.
• In addition, the custodial staff has increased frequency of restroom cleaning to twice daily in residence halls and academic buildings, and three times daily in the student union and recreation center.

The primary goal driving the COVID-19 health safety protocols that have been implemented for fall 2020 is to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for the entire BW community. To achieve that goal, everyone in the BW community must do their part, which means complying with all health safety protocols. Any students, faculty or staff member who undermines the well-being of our community will be subject to a non-compliance resolution process appropriate to their role.

Implementation Phase

The implementation phase of BW's health safety protocols was launched prior to the start of the semester and continued through the first two days of classes. The primary activities in the implementation phase involved learning the health safety protocols, adopting behaviors consistent with the health safety protocols, and giving and receiving corrective feedback to and from others when necessary.

ALL community members are responsible for each other’s well-being and every member of the BW community should feel obligated to offer respectful corrections to others who are not complying with the health safety protocols, regardless of the others' roles or positions at the University. When receiving corrective feedback, one should accept it with appreciation and grace. While education, encouragement and shaping are the main goals of this phase, attempts to prompt compliance with health safety protocols that are met with inappropriate responses may result in formal complaints being submitted to Student Conduct.

Enforcement Phase

The enforcement phase began on the third day of the first week of classes and will continue for the remainder of the semester. In the enforcement phase, demonstration of behaviors consistent with the health safety protocols is expected. Occasional, unintentional instances of non-compliance can be resolved with immediate compliance with the safety strategies when reminded. However, repeated or willful failure to comply or belligerence when asked to comply will result in a report to Student Conduct.

Any member of the BW community can submit a report online at bw.edu/report-violation.

• In more formal settings (e.g., classrooms, recreation center, residence halls, library, etc.), faculty and staff members should submit reports of non-compliance of students. Faculty and staff should submit reports of non-compliance of other BW employees. Reports can be submitted online at bw.edu/report-violation.
• Students can share concerns/submit reports about non-compliance of faculty or staff with any faculty or staff member with whom they feel comfortable. Faculty or staff members receiving such reports should then forward the report to BW's Office of Human Resources at hr@bw.edu. Students may also submit the report online at bw.edu/report-violation.
• Students should file reports of non-compliance of other students with anyone in authority on campus, including RAs, Residence Hall Directors, faculty, staff, Campus Security, etc. Anyone receiving these reports must submit them to Student Conduct at bbeyer@bw.edu. Students may also submit the report online at bw.edu/report-violation.

Student Non-Compliance Resolution Process

Students making their first appearance with Student Conduct for non-compliance with health safety protocols will be placed on probation and issued a sanction commensurate with the magnitude of their infraction and degree of acceptance of responsibility for their non-compliance. These sanctions may include a written warning or loss of specific privileges. Students will also be warned that if another report of non-compliance is submitted about them, they will face suspension for the remainder of the semester. Given the risks to the health and well-being of the student and the BW community, parents/guardians and coaches (if applicable) will be informed of the student’s probation (including warning of suspension).

Students should be aware that they are obligated to follow the University’s health safety protocols while they are both on and off campus. For those students who live in near-campus housing, the Berea Police are working cooperatively with the University and will inform BW about students who they have cited for any offenses (e.g., underage consumption of alcohol, noise violations, etc.). Failure to wear masks or to maintain physical distancing may also be indicated in police reports, which will initiate the Student Conduct process for all students involved and for all students whose names are listed on the lease. Finally, any student in near-campus housing who disregards or responds inappropriately to requests for safety compliance by Julie Candela, BW community liaison, will receive a referral to Student Conduct.

It is clear from the experiences at other universities across the country that the greatest threat to the well-being of campus communities is non-compliance with safety protocols at large events (involving more than 10 guests), most often held at off-campus residences or other off-campus locations. Therefore, during the coronavirus pandemic, the following actions will result in a referral to Student Conduct:

Organizing and/or hosting, either individually or with others, an event, party or other gathering, or attending such an event, where the attendees are not required to, or willfully fail or refuse to, adhere to the requirements of the BW Be Safe Pledge or of state or local public health laws, regulations or orders, including but not limited to the requirements to maintain appropriate physical distancing (6 feet based on current public health guidance) and wear an appropriate face mask. This applies to events that are organized and/or held on or off campus.

Employee Non-Compliance Resolution Process

Upon receipt of a complaint regarding employee non-compliance with BW’s health safety protocols, BW's Director of Human Resources will forward the complaint to the appropriate supervisor of the employee. A written warning and possible additional sanctions will be issued commensurate with the magnitude of the infraction and degree of acceptance of responsibility for the non-compliance. If the employee continues to exhibit non-compliance with the health safety protocols, more severe sanctions will be imposed, up to and including termination.

• BW will ensure your progress toward your degree with continuous review and adjustments of Graduate School and unit-level policies and procedures as feasible to support you.
• You will receive professional development and support services tailored to the specific challenges that COVID-19 poses to your career preparation.

All graduate students are expected to wear masks in all indoor campus buildings, as well as outdoors where physical distancing is not possible. Students should request their peers to follow this policy.

For in-person class sessions, students who do not comply with the mask requirement will be asked to leave class. The missed class will be counted as an unexcused absence and the student will be required to make up the work on her/his own.

Students who are unable to wear masks for health reasons are asked to attend the sessions remotely or request an alternate option for completing the course work. Requests for a remote learning alternative should be emailed to the program director/department chairperson with detailed rationale for the request. The program director/chairperson will make a determination and communicate the assessment to the student and the Dean of Graduate Studies & Research.

MBA students can consume course material in a seated, synchronous or online mode with the option to choose from session to session.

All MAEd courses are online with some exceptions in the MAEd Math/Science Teaching Programs.

All on-campus or off-campus practicum, clinical and internship experiences follow BW program-specific guidelines along with site-specific guidelines. Clinical rotations for both the nursing program and the physician assistant program are continuing to take place with our health care partners under their safety protocols. Speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate students are conducting faculty-supervised speech clinic services via telemedicine delivery.

Additional Details

• For in-person courses, we will practice physical distancing in classrooms and academic technology support.
• You may be scheduled for staggered in-person attendance for some courses to keep the overall density low in classrooms and keep everyone as safe as possible.
• We will emphasize in-person delivery of labs and studio courses.
• You will have flexibility through the use of academic technology to participate remotely as needed to ensure campus safety or when your personal circumstances require it.
• You will set a mix of in-person and virtual office hours with your professors and instructors.
• You can take advantage of in-person and virtual advising opportunities.

Program Contacts

ABSN: Dr. Betty Napoleon, bnapoleo@bw.edu
LHE: Dr. Ken Schneck, kschneck@bw.edu
MAcc: Dr. Linda Chase, LiChase@bw.edu
All MBA programs: Dr. Susan Kuznik, SKuznik@bw.edu
All MAEd programs: Dr. Debra Janas Hecker, djanas@bw.edu
MPH: Dr. Emilia Lombardi, elombard@bw.edu
PA: Dr. Jared Pennington, jpenning@bw.edu
SLP: Dr. Colleen Visconti, cviscont@bw.edu

BW continues to offer limited graduate student housing in Hamilton C and D and Grand Manor Apartments until they reach capacity. All units are single occupancy unless two students request to be together.

Campus Updates

View the latest information on:

• Plan for a safe and healthy campus
• BW daily health check-in
• Testing, screening and contact tracing
• Sustaining a healthy and safe campus

Remember to check your BW email and revisit this page often for updates.