Dear Campus Community,
I write with information and reminders for phase 2A of the return to campus plan, which starts on Monday, July 27. I’m also announcing version three of the Return to Campus Guide. I encourage you to review the guide prior to returning to campus.
As you make return plans, please take note of the following information:
COVID-19 Screening. UA Little Rock developed a COVID-19 screening tool for daily use. The tool collects no personally identifiable data and allows you to answer a few questions to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms. Read more about how the screening works, and then utilize the COVID-19 Screening each morning. The information, collected in aggregate, will help assess the overall campus community for COVID-19 symptoms. If you are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, notify your supervisor and do not come to campus.
Facemasks and Social Distancing. Employees, students, and visitors are required to wear a facemask on campus in all indoor settings with limited exceptions (e.g. eating/drinking, a private office when only one person is present, and residential bedrooms.) A COVID-19 kit that contains a digital thermometer, two cloth face masks, personal size hand sanitizer, and a plastic face shield will be available for all employees. Please plan to wear a facemask of your own when you come back to campus until you receive a COVID-19 kit from your supervisor. Let me encourage us to be diligent in our use of facemasks and in social distancing.
Continued Virtual Meetings. Keep yourself and others in mind as you make decisions on where to visit on campus, whether it be classrooms, dining areas, office suites, or other spaces. When possible, limit indoor on-campus travel to the areas needed to do your job. Meetings are encouraged via Blackboard Collaborate, Google Meet or Zoom to promote social distancing.
Dining Services. Campus Dining will remain closed until further notice. Without the usual number of individuals on campus over the summer, Sodexo has temporarily suspended dining services. Dining services will resume as we get closer to the start of the fall term. In the interim, we’re seeking approval for food trucks on campus. Announcements will be shared as these details are finalized.
PPE and Facility Readiness during Phase 2A. Adjustments are needed as we return to campus. Phase 2A enables units to finalize the preparation of facilities for faculty, staff, and students. Phase 2A also enables units to ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) is provisioned and properly configured. As listed in the return to campus guide, supervisors and their designees should use phase 2A to collaborate with Facilities Management and help prepare for additional employees and ultimately students that will soon arrive on campus.
Finally, I want to share a note of thanks for our staff and faculty who worked tirelessly over the summer to perform essential operations, deliver summer courses, and prepare for the fall term. The Coronavirus Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Provost’s Academic COVID-19 Taskforce (PACT), and countless others, met regularly to plan, recommend, and implement measures to prepare our campus for the fall. I want to thank these individuals for their exceptional service to UA Little Rock.
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a number of challenges to our community and our institution. I’m proud of the members of our campus community who have worked diligently to address these challenges. Thank you for your continued support and for being part of the Trojan Family.
Sincerely,
Christina S. Drale
Chancellor