email : Webview : Return to Campus, Guidance for UC Santa Barbara Staff

To: The Campus Community

From:
Pierre Wiltzius, Executive Dean of the College of Letters and Science
Co-Chair, Return to Campus Working Group

Garry Mac Pherson, Vice Chancellor, Administrative Services
Co-Chair, Return to Campus Working Group

Return to Campus, Guidance for UC Santa Barbara Staff

January 28, 2022

On January 31, 2022, UC Santa Barbara will resume in-person classroom instruction. As stated in recent messages from both Chancellor Yang and the campus medical experts on the COVID-19 Response Team, the decision to return to in-person instruction was made following extensive campus, community and UC systemwide consultation, taking into consideration all California and Santa Barbara County public health guidance as well as UC policies and protocols.

Our campus medical experts highlighted key factors allowing us to resume more campus activities, including the campus’s high vaccination rate, mandatory masking policies, and our robust testing program (providing fast results at no charge to staff, faculty, and students). Prior to the start of Fall Quarter, campus buildings were evaluated extensively by Facilities Management and by outside experts to ensure that HVAC systems, ventilation systems, and windows are operating as designed, and to further maximize building ventilation and air filtration levels to the extent possible. We have no evidence of COVID-19 transmission in our classrooms, and the few positive cases reported in the workplace have been rare and quickly addressed.

The Return to Campus Working Group, made up of staff, faculty, and student representatives, was instrumental in developing the Fall Quarter flexible work arrangement guidelines for staff. The Working Group will continue to meet during Winter Quarter to advise on staffing issues as we resume campus activities.

Remote/Hybrid work agreements remain in place. We encourage supervisors to reach out to their employees to discuss plans to resume campus activities.
The University has extended through June 30, 2022 the period to use COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave. This program grants emergency paid leave for employees who need additional time for childcare due to daycare closures, as well as for required quarantines or isolations due to COVID exposures or infection.
Eligible staff and faculty must obtain a vaccine booster by February 4, 2022.
Staff and faculty are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the campus's testing program (at no charge) before returning to campus and to test regularly throughout the quarter.
The University’s partnership with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to provide COVID-19 booster shots for our community at Embarcadero Hall in Isla Vista has been extended through the month of February. Appointments can be made through MyTurn.
Regular updates and our dashboard of current COVID-19 cases are available on our campus COVID-19 information pages. Questions can be directed to our COVID-19 Call Center at ucsb-covid19@ucsb.edu or by telephone at (805) 893-3113, weekdays 9am - 4pm.

We recognize the pandemic impacts us collectively and as individuals, each with unique and deeply personal experiences. As we respond to the challenges of COVID-19 and continue our efforts to re-establish our campus community, we ask everyone to continue to be flexible and accommodating.

The many unexpected changes and disruptions amidst the continuing uncertainty of this pandemic have undoubtedly been challenging for staff, faculty, and students. We are deeply grateful for the flexibility, resiliency and dedication that our campus community has shown in confronting these obstacles in furtherance of teaching, learning, and groundbreaking research.

UC Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA | 93106 United States

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