University Communication to Faculty, Staff, Campus Laboratory School
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Campus Laboratory School
This email contains an important update regarding Carlow’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols.
As you are aware, Allegheny County continues to remain in a high-risk category this week due to the number of positive COVID-19 cases, with an average of over 200 daily. Therefore, your actions in commitment to the common good remain critically important for overall campus health and safety. At this time, we will continue to follow our current mask guidance, which states that regardless of vaccination status, you are required to wear a mask indoors.
Vaccination Reporting – ACTION REQUIRED
To ensure the continued safety of our community, earlier this summer Carlow requested that all employees and students complete a survey indicating their vaccination status. As we continue to document and understand the vaccination rate in our Carlow community, we are requiring both students and employees to report their vaccination status.
Accordingly, all employees should complete this form by Wednesday, September 8. Note that there is an area on the form that requires a photocopy of your vaccination card.
All information will be gathered in aggregate form to guide University policy, prevention, and mitigation decisions. In addition, this information will be submitted to Human Resources, and confidentiality will be maintained according to all compliance and privacy requirements
Update on Testing for those Unvaccinated
Carlow University is empowering all employees to make the vaccination decision that is best for them. Those unable or choosing not to be vaccinated carry a greater risk to themselves and the community for contraction and spread of the COVID-19 virus. We expect that all employees will act with concern and regard for the campus community. We further expect unvaccinated employees to seek reasonable means to ensure they have not contracted, or are carrying, the COVID-19 virus.
Carlow University will be implementing random COVID-19 testing for those employees on campus who are not vaccinated – or those who have not completed the form above by September 8.
Carlow is currently working to arrange reasonable testing mechanisms that are cost effective, in the event that you are unable to identify such mechanisms on your own. We expect all employees to take responsibility for submitting their vaccination status, monitoring their individual health, and remaining off campus if they have symptoms or reason to believe they have been exposed to, or contracted, the COVID-19 virus. Please contact Human Resources at hroffice@carlow.edu if you have questions, need access to testing, or would like to schedule a time to discuss this in more detail.
Thank you for your commitment to the common good and for working with the University to ensure the safety of the campus community.
Sincerely,
Bridgette N. Cofield, JD, SPHR
Vice President – Human Resources & Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer
Office: 412-578-8897
Fax: 412-578-2071
bncofield@carlow.edu