As the national situation with Coronavirus continues, Chapman University has adopted an updated policy regarding all faculty and staff travel. In setting and revising these policies, Chapman is following the California Public Health Department’s Guidance for Universities. Full policy below.
As the landscape changes quickly, please stay focused on the facts that are relevant to our region. The growing number of cases in the United States is causing a great deal of anxiety and concern, but as of today, Orange County is still categorized as low risk. Here are the facts as we know them today:
- Risk of infection to public in Orange County is believed to be low
- At this time, there is no recommendation to cancel business or social events
- We do have travel restrictions in place, including additional guidelines outlined below, in compliance with the Centers for Disease Controls guidance and our own efforts to reduce risk
- We are working with students, faculty and staff on self-isolation for those that could have been exposed to Coronavirus
- We have increased prevention measures across campus and assembled a response team
- All residents should practice good health hygiene which includes washing your hands, staying home if you are sick, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve (not hands).
Please stay current by checking the Coronavirus website, where all information is now being posted: https://news.chapman.edu/coronavirus/
There are schools such as University of Washington that are moving their classes online because they have active cases of Coronavirus they are managing. Chapman is not in that situation, nor is Orange County. While we have assembled a comprehensive response team and are actively preparing to manage an escalation in our region, we are currently at low risk. With that, we are not approving preventative work-from-home requests, nor preemptively moving classes online. We are working closely with the Orange County Health Care Agency to understand the local situation and respond quickly, if needed.
As a member of the campus community, I’m asking you to stay informed and to follow the recommended preventative measures.
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Blue indicates updates to previously posted policy.
Please note: due to the rapidly changing coronavirus environment and changes in CDC recommendations, this policy will be in effect until April 30th but may be updated as necessary.
Updated Policy as of March 9, 2020:
Attendance at conferences, visiting other universities, or other work-related travel inside the US:
As the landscape continues to change within the U.S., the CDC has recommended limiting travel for particular at-risk groups. Based on the current information, faculty and staff are allowed to travel to domestic conferences as of March 9, 2020. However, travelers should follow CDC guidelines for persons at risk. Additionally, travelers should review the local state/county health agency websites of their travel destination for any warnings/restrictions related to domestic travel in that state/county. Based on these recommendations, should cancellation of a business-related trip become individually preferred, medically necessary, or institutionally required, the university will reimburse the employee for any lost deposits or cancellation fees.
Attendance at conferences, visiting other universities, or other work-related travel outside the US:
- Chapman University is now extending its travel prohibition to Level 2 countries as well as Level 3 countries.
- Work-related travel to Warning Level 2 and 3 Countries is prohibited.
- Faculty and staff must arrange their travel so that they don’t have connections or layovers in Level 2 or 3 countries.
- Travel to Level 1countries is allowed, but again faculty and staff must arrange their travel so that they don’t have connections or layovers in Level 2 or 3 countries.
Below are the Watch Levels as described on the CDC website:
- Warning Level 3 (Red): Avoid all non-essential travelto this destination. The outbreak is of high risk to travelers and no precautions are available to protect against the identified increased risk.
- Alert Level 2 (Yellow): Practice enhanced precautionsfor this destination. The Travel Health Notice describes additional precautions added and defines a specific at-risk population.
- Watch Level 1 (Green): Practice usual precautions for this destination, as described in the Travel Health Notice and/or on the destination page. This includes being up-to-date on all recommended vaccines and practicing appropriate mosquito avoidance.
If you:
- Are currently in a Level 2or 3 country, or
- Have a connection or layover in a Level 2 or 3 country, or
- Travel to a Level 1country that was upgraded to a Level 2 or 3 country during your visit
- At any time, in the US or abroad, come in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, or later find out that you came in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus
Then you:
- Mustwork from home for 14 days after returning to the United States and practice social distancing.
o If you are a faculty member scheduled to teach classes within 14 days after your return, you are required to coordinate with your Dean’s Office to reschedule classes, to use technology to provide the course lecturers from the faculty member’s home to students, or other accommodation.
o If you are a staff member, you are required to coordinate your work with your respective supervisor and the Office of Human Resources.
- If you are sick with fever, cough, or have trouble breathing, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible and avoid contact with others. The CDC recommends that you call ahead to the medical facility before seeking medical care.
Personal Travel Not Related to Work
Chapman University cannot restrict or regulate your personal travel that is not related to work. However, for any purely personal travel (vacations, weddings, honeymoons, funerals, or other), we strongly encourage you to adopt these travel precautions.
Notwithstanding, if your personal travel takes you into a Level 2 or 3 country (as a destination or as a connection or layover), upon your return to work and for the wellbeing of our campus community, Chapman University will apply the above policy for all faculty and staff. This means that you will be required to observe the 14-day self-isolation consistent with the above rules, as applicable. We understand that you may have made plans to travel and booked your trip prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and that you may have family in these countries. Please note that if you travel to a Level 3 risk country, and are a national of the respective countries, it is not likely you will be let back into the United States. For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, you will likely be expected to quarantine for 14 days upon your return. Whether you are under mandatory quarantine or self-quarantine, you will not be allowed back onto the campus until after the quarantine ends.
Effective March 9, 2020, Chapman University requires mandatory self-disclosure of personal travel to Level 2 or 3 countries.
- If you are a faculty member, please report your personal travel to Level 2 or 3 countries to your Dean, who will coordinate with the Provost Office.
- If you are a staff member, please report your personal travel to Level 2 or 3 countries to your supervisor, who will coordinate with the Office of Human Resources.
No matter where you travel, always know the status of your visa, and always have some emergency contacts. And, while there, you should also consult the website of the country you are visiting to see what policies are in place. It is emphasized that you should evaluate your trip each day and look for any updates from the local authorities and from the World Health Organization and CDC.
Chapman University does not reimburse for personal trip cancellations.
Compensation during the 14-day Self-Isolation
- Consistent with the above, Chapman University will leverage remote work or telecommuting wherever possible. This includes, but is not limited to, course instruction and administrative duties. If you are working remotely, you will be compensated as if you are physically present on campus. In short, you will experience no pay disruptions.
- If remote work or telecommuting is not a viable option, you may elect an unpaid leave of absence orutilize accrued sick time and/or accrued vacation time.
o If you do not have sufficient accrued sick time or vacation time, we will make a limited, one-time exception to our sick and vacation policy and allow you to borrow future sick and vacation time, not to exceed more than 14 days (consistent with the HHS quarantine guidelines).
o This one-time exception to our sick and vacation policy will not be precedent setting. Borrowing future time is only available due to the unprecedented nature of the coronavirus outbreak.
o As a condition of borrowing future sick and vacation time, you will be required to sign a form allowing Payroll to withhold any borrowed balance from your final paycheck should you separate your employment with a negative balance due.
- Should you test positive for coronavirus, or should a qualifying family member test positive (thereby requiring you to care for the family member), you may qualify for a leave of absence under California Kin Care (for family) and/or the CFRA/FMLA (for self or family). Should this occur, your point of contact will be Tim Frenchcampbell in the Office of Human Resources.
NOTICE: this policy is in effect until April 30th subject to ongoing review and may be revised or revoked, in whole or in part and as needed, at the sole discretion of the President.
