October 14, 2020 Minutes

The October meeting took place from 3:00pm – 4:30pm on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, via Zoom.

Zoom Webinar Recording (you must be logged into your WFU email to view)

Dr. Cecil Price, Director, Student Health Services 

  • PUBLIC HEALTH
    • Implementation of public health measures
      • Physical distancing
      • Wearing masks
      • Frequent use of hand sanitizer/hand washing
      • Support for compliance
      • Encouraging the reporting of symptoms
      • Frequent disinfection of campus
    • Testing (Students)
      • Pre-arrival testing
      • Weekly testing (random -asymptomatic students)
      • Rapid testing for students w. Symptoms (20 minute results)
    • Isolation/quarantine (Students)
      • Support for these students
        • Wellbeing Office, Office of Dean of Students, Residence Life, Support staff at the Best Western, University Counseling Center, Chaplains Office, Student Health nurses, University Advancement, Office of Parent Engagement, COVID Compliance Office, Athletics
    • Results
      • Total student cases, asymptomatic cases, positive cases, rate of influenza-like illnesses are all low
      • On-campus academic & social activities have continued 
      • Wake has been safer than other places in NC

Kriss Dinkins, COVID-10 Coordinator

  • COVID-19 COMPLIANCE
    • All members to respect the health & safety of others & comply with all regulations
    • 7 Deputy COVID-19 Coordinators assist with the goal of supporting a healthy & safe environment for our community
    • RESPONSIBILITIES:
      • COVID complaints/concerns are reported via:
        • Online form, LiveSafe app, phone calls to University Police, compliance hotline, email
      • University Police, Winston Salem Police Department & Compliance liaisons address reports
      • Weekly COVID-19 testing
      • Daily wellness screenings
      • Reporting of positive SHS test results
      • Quarantine & isolation compliance
      • Cloth face coverings
      • COVID-19 education
      • Influenza vaccination
      • Show Humanitate walkabouts
      • Student ambassadors & consultants

Matt Clifford, Assistant Vice President, Campus Life & Dean, Residence Life & Housing

  • LIVING ON CAMPUS DURING COVID-19 
    • Residential Arrangements
      • De-densifying residential halls = reduce density overall on campus
      • Considerations have been given to building load and room types
      • Additional focus on student-to-bathroom ratios
    • Quarantine & Isolation Housing
      • Best Western Plus & Hawthorne Inn
      • Partnership/collaborative spirit – hospitality services, dining, University Police, Wellbeing, University Advancement, Residence Life & Housing
      • Isolation – students who have tested positive/waiting for results
      • Quarantine – students who are monitoring for symptoms after exposure
      • Caring for students
        • Transportation, food delivery, outside time, wellbeing support, care packages

Laura Giovanelli, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of English & Associate Dean of Learning Spaces, Office of the Dean of the College

  • COVID-19 COLLEGE LEARNING SPACES
    • Summer 2020 – COVID-19 Learning Spaces Project
      • Built prototype learning spaces to get a baseline for capacities
      • Drafted a classroom modification rubric following health guidance
      • Hand-measured largered college classrooms & adjusted capacities
      • Systematically tagged, moved, & stored excess classroom furniture
      • Ordered, printed, & installed signage
      • Installed disinfectant materials in classrooms
      • Adjusted capacities in EMS/DeaconSpace
      • Solicited campus partners to find more potential classroom spaces not usually scheduled by the college
      • Wrote policies & procedures addressing building access, scheduling, classroom protocols, and space use and prioritizing all to support best public health guidance
      • Re-homed the existing fall schedule once faculty decided their modality
    • Pre-COVID-19 & NOW
Pre-COVID-19 NOW
97 classrooms w. capacities over 21 students 11 classrooms w. Capacities over 21 students
Most classes in-person ~50% of undergraduate classes online
Avg. 23sq-ft per student in classrooms 40 to 75 sq-ft per student in classrooms 
Federated, highly-individual department course scheduling and classroom assignment. More centralized, iterative scheduling and classroom assignment process between departments, the College, and the Office of the University Registrar.

In-person COVID-19 Class – Session Policy

  • No masks = no service
  • Avoid eating & drinking in class
  • Sit in same seats
  • Maintain physical distancing
  • Disinfect tables, desks, etc.
  • Limit use of shared equipment
  • https://ourwayforward.wfu.edu/policies
  • Other modifications
    • Nightly deep cleaning
    • Disinfecting supplies
    • Occupancy signs
    • Marked instructor zones
  • Challenges for Spring 2021
    • Same number and size – potentially more demand for face-to-face classes
    • Similar/worse public health conditions because of weather/flu season
    • Challenges of teaching and learning physically-distanced

Ashley Hawkins Parham, Wellbeing Program Manager

  • WELLBEING SUPPORT DURING COVID-19
    • Thrive remotely, wellbeing coaching, alcohol & other drug support, virtual & in-person office hours, aromatherapy pick up
    • Students in Isolation/Quarantine
      • OPT in wellbeing support outreach
      • Weekly support groups
      • Sun, stretch, & move program
    • COVID-19 Student Ambassadors & Consultants Program
      • 24 undergraduate & graduate students
    • Bystander Training for managing COVID-19 guideline adherence
    • Resilience & COVID-19 Workshop (RA’s, COVID Consultants, IMT, EMR)
    • ResilientWake Live
    • ResilientWake Weekend Challenges (routine, loneliness, joyful movement, election)

Beth Fay, Human Resources

  • BENEFITS UPDATE 
    • FY21 Fringe Budget: $57M
      • Media; 33%, Retirement: 26%, Statutory Benefits 26%
    • Partner w. Fringe Benefit Committee, CapTrust, & Gallagher
    • Benchmark w. Peer institutions (Richmond, Emory, Furman, Vanderbilt, Elon, Duke, UNC, & Davidson)
    • Total rewards: In addition to annual salary, full-time faculty/staff receive benefits valued at 28.4% of their salary
    • Medical Plan: Current t0 2021 there is a 5% increase on the low and high plan
    • Prescription drug plan:
      • Transition from select formulary to premium formulary (OptumRx prescription drug portal available Oct. 19 – Dec. 31)
      • Implement additional utilization management programs
      • Transition from retail pharmacy to home delivery for maintenance mediations 
      • Letters will be mailed to impacted members
      • Behavioral health prescriptions: 12-month advance notice
    • Dental: Premiums $1-$4 increase per month
    • FSA: Health care: $2,750 (up to $550 carry over), Dependent care: $5,00 (IRS has not implemented a carry over)
    • New Member ID Cards
      • BCBS NC and OptumRx will issue new subscriber ID info and cards
      • New ID cards will be mailed in mid-December
      • Update your Dr. and pharmacies beginning January 1, 2020 (Current ID cards will not work past December 31, 2020)
    • Annual Benefits Enrollment Process
  1. Email announcement from Human Resources (Oct. 19-31)
  2. Must complete the open enrollment challenge in Workday
  3. Complete elections in Workday via the Workday mobile app
  4. Verify prescription coverage and/or cost via the OptumRx portal

For Enrollment Assistance: AskHR@wfu.edu / (336)758-4700

SAC COMMITTEE UPDATES:

  • PRO HUMANITATE COMMITTEE – UPDATES
    • Met on September 30th
    • Contacted the Chaplains Office about how we can assist WFU families
    • This holiday season – gift cards/donations to the Chaplains Emergency Fund (Mail to Peggy Beckman, P.O. Box 7204)
      • Deadline: November 20th, 2020
    • Support our Resident Advisors – contact Kim Flowers (flowersk@wfu.edu) if you’d like to write an encouraging note this semester
  • MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE – UPDATES
    • Had first meeting to discuss our roles with SAC
    • Filled vacant position within Group 2 w. Kathleen Stimely 
    • Discussed SAC vacant member position needed by Athletics
  • COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE – UPDATES
    • Met September 3, 2020
    • Goals
      • Continue to increase use of social media as a communication tool 
      • Support the goals and priorities of the full council by raising awareness of events, initiatives, and priorities among all staff
  • FRINGE BENEFITS COMMITTEE – UPDATES
    • Held first meeting – spoke on the traditional calendar year benefits cycle at WFU
  • EVENTS COMMITTEE – UPDATES
    • Held first meeting – spoke on ideas for things potentially end of Spring/Summer 2021
    • Discussed ways to engage and provide spaces for staff to interact outside of business area

ADDITIONAL UPDATES:

  • FACULTY SENATE – UPDATES

Nominations for the Faculty Senate internal ombudsperson candidate can be submitted to Carrie Johnston (johnstc@wfu.edu) by Oct. 21.

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