While you might have been anxiously awaiting your return to campus, Cal Poly’s Administration and Finance department was working tirelessly in preparation to create a safer university for all of those who returned this fall. New COVID-19 restrictions may be inevitable at this point, but that does not mean Cal Poly cannot take extra measures in order to slow the spread and continue this new normal of living in a pandemic. Allow us to put your mind somewhat at ease and lay out some of the many new protocols, procedures and resources A&F has committed to implementing this year to create a safer campus.
- All students, faculty, and staff were provided with their own PPE, personal protection equipment, as they came onto campus. To make this happen Cal Poly purchased over 50,000 face coverings, 20,163 face shields, 35,280 bottles of hand sanitizer, and more.
- For the purpose of keeping all areas on campus safe and clean, 900 cases of gloves, 3,500 packages of wipes, and 18,000 gallons of disinfectants were ordered. Yes, you read correctly, 18,000 gallons of disinfectants. To put that number into perspective, 18,000 gallons could probably fill your average sized backyard swimming pool!
- Hand Sanitizer is always reach with the 3,000 hand sanitizer dispensers and 1,400 floor stands purchased and placed all around campus.
- For more clarity and cohesion, 4,000 floor graphics, 50 signs, and 250 plexiglass barriers were installed to facilitate physical distancing on campus.
- Though this resource might not be as visible, 800 MERV-13 filters have been installed and over 600 HVAC assessments have been conducted. Both of these improvements work to optimize campus ventilation systems.
- Although some students may think that the only place to study and do homework will be at their own personal desk, six new outdoor spaces have been created around campus to accommodate for 800 students to comfortably sit. 800 seats may not sound like a lot, but it actually equates to two-and-a-half floors of the Kennedy Library! 30 new Wi-Fi hotspots have also been added to compliment these new outdoor seating arrangements.
- Aside from physical resources, about 100 new protocols have carefully been looked over for the fall. If you check out the Fall Work Plan, you will see that the Human Resources department has provided plans for many different aspects of work for Cal Poly’s employees. This includes different staffing options, specific procedures if an employee feels sick during the workday, and various types of training, and guidelines for how to be safe with just about every different workplace scenario.
Although students, faculty, and staff may be unsure about what this school year will look like for them, they can be sure that A&F will provide them with all the resources, materials, plans, and policies they will need in order to have the safest school year given the current circumstances. The health and wellbeing of every mustang is something that we do not take lightly!