By CSC College Relations
CHADRON – With the Fall 2020 semester approaching, the Chadron State College administration is reminding students and employees that keeping the campus community healthy and safe from the spread of COVID-19 will require everyone working together.
The college recently created a face-covering policy and health response protocol, while following guidelines developed by the Nebraska State College System. To help students and employees comply with the policy, nearly 5,000 masks featuring the college’s logo will be distributed to students and employees prior to the fall semester beginning. In June, CSC also distributed two cloth masks to employees and student workers through a program in Human Resources.
“The health and safety of students and employees remains our top priority,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management, Marketing, and Student Services Jon Hansen, who is leading the college’s COVID-19 Implementation Team. “If we continue to encourage the CSC community to wear masks, wash hands, and practice social distancing, we will be doing simple things to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in Chadron. Our goal of keeping campus safe requires all of us working together to protect the nest.”
The college’s face covering policy states students and employees should wear a face covering for all face-to-face interactions, including in classrooms, meeting rooms, and hallways. Face coverings aren’t required in private spaces, outdoors, during athletic practices or in gyms, or public spaces while eating and drinking. In all instances where a face covering isn’t required, Hansen said all individuals on campus should be practicing social distancing.
In a letter to campus last week, President Randy Rhine urged students and employees to conduct regular health screenings at home before coming to campus. Students and employees are encouraged to take the Test Nebraska health assessment, if they have not already done so.
The COVID-19 Implementation Team and the Vice President for Academic Affairs’ Faculty Listening Group are both addressing COVID-19 issues concerning education and employment by following the Nebraska State College System guidelines. The NSCS guidelines draw guidance from a variety of places, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Panhandle Public Health District, and the Nebraska Governor.
The COVID-19 Implementation Team’s plan includes utilizing guidance from the Panhandle Public Health District, procedures for ill or potentially ill students and employees, and reconfiguration and reassignment of classroom spaces.