Seattle University Campus Reopening

We have been carefully planning and preparing for reopening over the past few months. There are complex issues involved in our decision-making during this time of increased risk and uncertainty. The health and safety of our campus community has been and continues to be our top priority across all planning areas.

Seattle University’s current planning is based on the reasonable assumption that Seattle and King County will be in Phase 3 of the state of Washington’s Safe Start reopening plan prior to your return. The state approach is driven by data and science and modeled on recommendations of public health officials. Our decisions are being made in alignment with the state’s plan, consistent with federal, state and local public health directives and within the parameters of the higher education guidelines developed in partnership with state officials. Additionally, all university plans are being reviewed by a highly respected team of physicians, including a board-certified infectious disease specialist, to ensure appropriate safety measures and protocols are in place.

As the university puts in place a comprehensive plan to promote the health of all members of the campus community, it is equally imperative that we, as individuals, share in the responsibility to keep ourselves and each other healthy and safe.

Students who plan to live on campus or access campus in any regard are required to follow the protocols detailed at COVID-19 Testing Program for Students.

Posted July 30, 2020

Each day before coming on to campus, students, faculty and staff will be required to complete the university’s short online health screening to certify you are not symptomatic, have no fever and have not had contact with any individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. You will be expected to stay home if you are unable to answer in the affirmative to these questions.

In addition to completing the university’s daily health screening, students, faculty and staff must continuously monitor for symptoms of illness throughout the day and take appropriate steps to isolate yourself from others should you become symptomatic.

Contact tracing and case investigation are very important tools in limiting the spread of COVID-19. Students, faculty and staff will be required to report to Campus Public Safety if they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, have tested positive or have had close contact to a confirmed case or travel from an area with a travel warning.

Enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols will continue to be in place for all campus spaces, as well as response procedures for cleaning and disinfection in case of a positive COVID-19 event. The protocols include frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high touch surfaces and common spaces.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems in our campus buildings are being modified where possible to align with guidance from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) developed specific to COVID-19.

New signage is being designed for campus to inform the community regarding guidelines and practices as they enter the campus, buildings and individual spaces. Signs will also be used to indicate physical distancing where appropriate. Classrooms will have floor indicators to show the proper furniture placement for physical distancing. In addition, signage will be used to indicate “traffic” flow into and inside buildings to minimize congestion.

For those creating signage to promote healthy and safe practices on campus, a catalog of design templates is available at Return to Campus Workplace.

Updated July 29, 2020

Prevention remains the best defense against the spread of COVID-19 with physical distancing of at least six feet between you and others being a primary component. Physical distancing policies and practices will be in place across campus. Classrooms, offices, dining areas and event and gathering spaces are being reconfigured to implement capacity limits and enforce distancing.

All Seattle University faculty, staff, students and visitors are required to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose anywhere on campus, including when outdoors and physical distancing is possible. This policy is effective immediately and applies to the SU campus, SU leased facilities and SU transportation. This includes indoors, outdoors and in SU vehicles. The updated policy recognizes that it is difficult to maintain distance from others even while outdoors on a university campus. Please read the full policy for face covering requirements and exceptions.

Updated Aug 21, 2020

Thorough handwashing remains a primary method to prevent the spread of illness. Soap and water remain the best method to clean hands. We will also make hand sanitizer more widely available throughout campus, including additional hand sanitizing stations.

Find more information about COVID-19 symptoms, testing and treatment at the Student Health Center COVID-19 site or any of the local, state, and national public health resources.

If you have symptoms such as a cough, fever or other respiratory problems, contact your regular healthcare provider in advance. Do not show up at a clinic, urgent care or other health facility without calling first, as providers need to take special measures to protect other patients. Telemedicine may also be available, enabling you to consult a provider from home. Do not go to an emergency room, as emergency room staff need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs. Please also notify Seattle U Public Safety at 206-296-5990 if you are being tested for COVID-19 or have been asked to self-quarantine.

Individuals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms may discontinue home isolation when at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test and have had no subsequent illness.

Faculty and staff who are symptomatic or meet criteria for contact with someone who has COVID-19 should stay home while awaiting testing and results.

The Yobi Apartments, which includes 45 beds in single occupancy rooms, will be set aside for isolation and quarantine cases for students unable to isolate or quarantine in their residence hall.

For students in isolation or quarantine on campus, the university will have a monitoring plan in place to evaluate students daily, in addition to providing them with ongoing support services as needed.

Yes. SU’s COVID-19 Face Covering Policy states: “in order to help ensure the health and safety of the Seattle University campus community and the public, face coverings are required to be worn on campus at Seattle U. . .indoors when other people are present; this includes commons areas, such as classrooms. . . .”  Thus, faculty are required to wear face coverings while teaching in classrooms and labs when students are present.  SU’s policy is consistent with the State of Washington requirements on wearing face coverings.

Yes.  Faculty should hold in-person office hours consistent with the guidance in the "meetings" section of the university's guide to "Returning to the Campus Workplace":

 "Meetings: Convening in groups increases the risk of viral transmission. Where feasible, meetings should be held in whole or part using the extensive range of available collaboration tools (e.g. Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, telephone, etc.). In-person meetings are limited to the restrictions of local, state and federal orders and should not exceed 50 percent of a room’s capacity, assuming individuals can still maintain six feet of separation for physical distancing requirements. Departments should remove or rearrange chairs and tables or add visual cue marks in meeting rooms to support physical distancing practices between attendees. All attendees should wear a mask or face covering while sharing space in a common room. During your time on campus, you are encouraged to communicate with your colleagues and supervisors as needed by email, instant message, telephone or other available technology rather than face-to-face. You can also use a range of available collaboration tools (e.g. Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Jabber, etc.)."