September 10, 2021
Dear Campus Community,
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As the new academic year approaches and we are nearing the return to in-person instruction, we know many community members have expressed concerns about ventilation and air circulation in our classrooms. Our Facilities Management colleagues have worked tirelessly over the past 15 months to ensure that HVAC systems, ventilation systems, and windows are operating as designed, and to further maximize building ventilation and air filtration levels.
Comprehensive inspections were part of the process of approving Worksite Safety Plans and building reopening plans, consistent with all CDC and public health recommendations, as well as building codes and parameters and guidelines related to air and water distribution systems provided by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers. We have continued to review building conditions as our understanding of COVID-19 transmission has evolved. Here is some background about our past and ongoing efforts to minimize risk in our classrooms and instructional spaces.
Since the pandemic started, we have:
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- Completed a comprehensive inspection and made any necessary repairs on the over 100 major air handling systems that provide fresh air to our instructional spaces. Maintenance has been performed and modifications have been made as necessary to ensure that ventilation is optimized for all spaces in use during the upcoming academic quarter. Part of this effort was performed with the assistance of an outside engineering contractor, both to manage the scale of this task and to provide outside expertise to ensure we would be operating at or beyond industry standards
- Walked and/or inspected all office, departmental, and classroom spaces and air handling systems on campus, including the over 300 individual classrooms in all 44 buildings on campus where instruction will take place this quarter.
- In the 280+ classrooms with mechanically supplied ventilation, of which 98 are General Assignment classrooms, we performed maintenance as needed to ensure the forced air systems are in fact functioning as intended. All of these classrooms with central ventilation systems will be set to maximize outdoor air intake in order to most rapidly dilute potentially infectious aerosols and to minimize their recirculation. Although this mode of operation is less energy-efficient and may make your classroom temperature less optimal, it is an important tool in maximizing ventilation to minimize risk.
- Identified approximately 20 fall quarter instructional spaces, none of which are General Assignment classrooms, that do not use forced-air ventilation. We have individually inspected each of these instructional spaces to identify room-specific solutions for increasing ventilation to an adequate level for mitigating transmission risk.
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- Compiling a comprehensive list of instructional spaces, including those controlled by schools, colleges, and departments. The list includes information on room size, occupancy, ventilation information, and any additional steps needed to maximize ventilation by users.
- Linking classroom schedules to air-handling systems to ensure ventilation systems are running continuously, beginning an hour before rooms are scheduled to be occupied, and running for at least an hour after instruction ends.
- Transmission risk assessments in both General and non-General Assignment classrooms with mechanically-supplied ventilation. This assessment includes consensus and open-source ventilation/risk models developed and vetted by established experts in aerosol transmission of infectious diseases. We are very encouraged by the results. For example, we have completed an assessment of all 98 General Assignment classrooms; all pose low risk of transmission with the outside air set to maximum. Opening windows where feasible (outside temperature and noise conditions permitting) is generally encouraged, although not necessary in mechanically ventilated rooms.
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Prior to the start of instruction:
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- For rooms without forced air ventilation, we will implement simple interventions to assure excellent ventilation. In many cases, opening windows will suffice. For some specifically identified rooms, the addition of a HEPA filter and CO2 monitor will be used as an additional layer of safety.
- Completion of transmission risk assessments in non-General Assignment classrooms with mechanically-supplied ventilation.
- Special instructions for improving ventilation in specifically identified classrooms with or without mechanical ventilation will be provided to instructors.
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Any suspected ventilation issues in specific classrooms (e.g. stuck windows, perceived lack of airflow, or uncomfortable temperature) should be reported to workrequests.ucsb.edu. Facilities Management will make every effort to expedite any needed repairs to ventilation-related issues.
Most of us feel some combination of excitement and nervousness as we return to in-person instruction. As the quarter begins, we will continue to monitor and assess classroom ventilation, and will make adjustments as necessary in this ever-changing environment. While HVAC systems cannot completely eliminate any risk of spreading COVID-19, they are an important tool in reducing risk. The combination of vaccination, masking, and testing provides the most important line of defense against COVID-19, and our efforts to ensure that classrooms will further reduce risk add additional layers of protection. Each of us plays an essential role in keeping ourselves and each other safe, so please continue to be vigilant and do your part!
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Sincerely,
Garry Mac Pherson
Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services
Scott Grafton, M.D.
Campus COVID-19 Mitigation Program Manager and Professor of Psychology & Brain Sciences
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