STAFF RESOURCES

There will be no athletic or student activities on campus, or sponsored off-campus by the University, until further notice.

Campus events may occur in both virtual and in-person formats, and must follow the appropriate SRU event guidelines. To plan an in-person event, hosts must follow the SRU Guidelines for In-Person Events during COVID-19. Virtual events should follow the SRU Virtual Events Scheduling Guidelines. More information for all events, both virtual and in-person, can be found on CORE.

Campus events include, but are not limited to, on-campus or off-campus meetings, performances, celebrations, carnivals, rallies, demonstrations, social gatherings, lectures, forums, speaker presentations and conferences.

SRU has developed and implemented a fall reopening plan in accordance with measures establish by the commonwealth based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reduced occupancies will be established in classrooms, the library and residence and dining halls. Additional mitigation strategies include installation of physical barriers, posting of signage and placement of floor markings to assist the campus community in achieving appropriate social distance of at least 6 feet.

All students, employees and visitors to campus are required to wear masks or other appropriate face coverings. The University is providing all students and employees with one cloth SRU-branded, reusable face mask. Additional masks will also be available.

Enhanced sanitation is being provided and extensive efforts towards upgrading and making technology available to faculty and students continue on an on-going basis, including:

• Cleaning and disinfection measures throughout campus have been increased to meet appropriate CDC guidelines.
• Classrooms are being upgraded with technology (audio and video) to allow for concurrent in-person and remote learning wherever possible.
• Physical barriers are installed where possible.
• Hand sanitizing stations are installed in classrooms and in other common areas; and cleaning and disinfecting products are available for use by individuals.
• Signage is posted throughout campus reminding everyone of social distancing and face masks requirements.

The University will continue to provide in-person service through its offices and departments. During this time however, some offices and departments will operate with staggered or reduced staff capacities in order to promote proper social distancing for all employees.

Faculty office hours and student advising will be conducted remotely via Zoom or similar technologies. Noninstructional meetings between faculty, staff and students will be conducted remotely as well.

As conditions and subsequent guidance in response to those conditions change, we will continue to provide updates to the campus community and will post changes to the University’s COVID-19 resource pages.

Custodial Services has increased all cleaning and sanitation efforts throughout campus in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Custodial Services will provide sanitizer and disinfecting spray in all office suite common areas to aid employees in maintaining properly cleaned work spaces. Additional supplies may be obtained by calling 724.738.6666 or 724.738.2538

Custodial staff will prioritize cleaning and disinfection as follows:

• Addressing issues of safety hazards within University buildings.
• High-touch surfaces (door handles, light switches, countertops, etc.).
• Restrooms.
• Entrances and elevators.
• Hallways and stairwells.
• Laboratories and conference areas.

Administration has been closely monitoring the continued spread of COVID-19 (aka the novel coronavirus) around the world. University health and student affairs officials have been in constant contact with Butler County health and emergency management officials as well as monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other state and federal agencies.

Faculty and staff are asked to notify their supervisor of their absence if they are unable to work.

Employees should also notify Human Resources at sru-humanresources@sru.edu if the absence is related to employees and/or family members of employees who have acute respiratory illness symptoms.

Due to privacy issues, this information will not be shared other than in situations where it is believed other employees may also need to self-quarantine.

Monitor your health and that of your household members for symptoms and make sensible decisions with regard to self-quarantine. Depending on the situation, leave may be requested or you may be permitted to temporarily work remotely, provided your job responsibilities or work assignments can be performed remotely for business continuity purposes.

Yes, with the following exceptions:

• You are alone in your personal office space, which is not shared with any other individual.
• You are eating or drinking.
• You are in a shared work space without anyone present and everyone else in your work area is in a private office.
• The mask/face covering creates a safety hazard or poses additional risk, i.e., impedes vision or proper use of other required personal protective equipment such as safety glasses or goggles; can become caught in machinery or equipment; or could contribute to heat-related illnesses. Discomfort is not considered a heat-related illness.

Employees who cannot wear a mask due to an underlying medical condition that places them at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, should submit a Request of Flexible Work Arrangement form to Human Resources for possible alternate arrangements.

Yes, everyone on campus must wear a mask/face covering when they are inside a University building. Individuals visiting campus must provide their own mask/face covering.

No, unless you cannot consistently maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet from other individuals.

Yes, it is highly recommended that you maintain 6 feet or more from other individuals even if you are wearing a mask/face covering.

Yes, face coverings are required to be worn when inside campus buildings whether physical barriers, i.e., plexiglass or other partitions, are present or not. No face covering is required if you are working alone, either in a shared space or in a private office.

SRU is providing all employees with one SRU-branded cloth mask. Those masks have been issued to all campus offices for dispersal.

Yes, the SGA Bookstore is selling both SRU logoed face masks and gaiters.

Yes. However, complimentary masks will be available at the following locations:

• Academic Records and Registration, 107 Old Main.
• Smith Student Center Information Desk.
• Bailey Library Circulation Desk.

Face shields are considered an acceptable alternative to face masks. A mask is not required to be worn with a face shield.

People should not wear cloth face coverings while engaged in activities that may result in the cloth face covering become wet. Maintaining physical distance from others when in the water is recommended. Face coverings/masks must be worn when not in the water and individuals should maintain a 6-foot distance from others while in the pool area.

When exercising indoors, i.e., ARC, Morrow Field House, Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, Patterson Hall, etc., masks or face coverings are required. When exercising outdoors, masks are not required unless you are unable to maintain a 6-foot distance from others.

Yes, a mask is required the entire time you are visiting a dining hall, i.e., waiting in line, checking in or out with the cashier, placing your order, obtaining your food, and exiting the dining hall. All campus dining locations will be “carryout only” during the fall semester.

Yes, if you cannot consistently maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others. The exception to this is if the mask or face covering impedes your vision, interferes with your use of assigned PPE, or if wearing a mask would result in a work hazard. If any of these issues occur, please discuss with your supervisor/manager.

All requests for additional disposable masks, face shields, clear masks or other PPE should be made to emergencymanagement@sru.edu.

Ask the individual if they have or need a face covering. If they don’t have a mask/face covering refer them to the following locations to obtain one:

• Smith Student Center Information Desk.
• Bailey Library Circulation Desk.
• Academic Records and Registration, 107 Old Main.

Students in classrooms: If a student refuses to wear a mask after being offered one for their use, advise the student that accommodations can be made for virtual class instruction and ask that they leave the classroom. Following the encounter, contact the Office of the Provost for additional guidance.

All others: If an individual refuses to wear a mask after being offered one, advise them that the SRU Policy on Wearing Face Coverings and Masks requires all individuals to wear one and inform them if they refuse, they will have to leave the building. Following the encounter, contact Environmental Health and Safety or Human Resources for additional guidance.

If the individual becomes loud or aggressive in any way, or you feel threatened, do not put yourself at risk by continuing to engage with them; notify University Police at 724.738.3333.

Yes, complimentary disposable masks will be available upon request at the following locations:

• Smith Student Center Information Desk.
• Bailey Library Circulation Desk.
• Academic Records and Registration, 107 Old Main.

Masks may also be purchased at the SGA Bookstore.

All requests for additional disposable masks, face shields, clear masks or other PPE should be made through area supervisors. Supervisors will then forward the request to emergencymanagement@sru.edu.

Yes.

If alone in a vehicle, no. If driving with others, yes.

It is the responsibility of each member of the campus community to comply with the University’s mask requirement. This requirement will be enforced by supervisors and by units providing services to students and guests.

Individuals not involved in the direct conversation regarding wearing asks/face coverings should not confront those who are not wearing/refusing to wear face coverings, take enforcement matters into their own hands, or put themselves in a dangerous situation.

• Observations of non-compliance by employees, visitors or vendors should be made to Paul Novak, COVID-19 coordinator, at emergencymanagement@sru.edu.
• Student non-compliance within the residence halls should be reported to Brian Graham, associate director for residential conduct, at brian.graham@sru.edu or via an SRU Public Incident Report.
• Student non-compliance outside of the residence halls, but still on campus, should be reported to the Office of Student Conduct via an SRU Public Incident Report.

Stay at home and inform your supervisor and Human Resources immediately. Human Resources can provide information about leave that is available to you in your circumstance. In order to return to work, 10 days must have passed since the onset of symptoms, you must be fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine, and your symptoms must have improved.

If you are sick, you should stay at home. If you do not have sufficient paid leave time to use, the University is allowing a more liberal use of leave during this period. That means you may request use of other paid time or use anticipated time – leave to be earned during the calendar year – or request leave without pay. In some situations, request for leave donations may be available. Email Human Resources at sru-humanresources@sru.edufor more information.

Yes, if your job responsibilities are compatible with working remotely and with the approval of your supervisor. For non-instructional staff, you must complete the PASSHE Emergency Remote Work and Telecommuting forms which can be found on the Human Resources webpage. However, you may not be able to effectively work while at home due to caregiving responsibilities. In this case, you may request annual or leave without pay.

If you do not have sufficient paid leave time to use, the University is allowing a more liberal use of leave during this period. That means you may request use of other paid time or use anticipated time – leave to be earned during the calendar year – or request leave without pay. In some cases, you may be eligible for leave through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

For employees who are currently working or working remotely, FFCRA provides up to 10 days of paid sick leave and up to 10 work weeks of paid and two work weeks of unpaid expanded family and medical leave for eligible employees based on the type of qualifying event. This additional leave may be at a reduced rate of pay. These provisions will apply from April 1 through Dec. 31. More information about FFCRA is available on Pennsylvania’s State System for Higher Education website. Employee FAQs with respect to FFCRA are also available on the PASSHE website.

If you have questions, or wish to request paid leave under FFCRA, please submit your request to COVID19LeaveRequest@passhe.edu.

The State System will be removing the requirement to use excess carryover leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees will not lose excess leave or have it converted to sick leave. While you may still see an end date on these leave quotas, they will continue to be extended. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the State System will reinstate the policy with at least a 60-day notice.

No. The rules associated with sick leave use, including the rule requiring employees to provide a doctor’s note for any sick absence of three or more consecutive workdays, have been temporarily suspended. This temporary suspension is only in effect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

No.

Yes. Approved LWOP may be used with supervisory approval. However, LWOP must be used in increments equal to at least one full pay period. You may begin LWOP in the middle of a pay period provided the LWOP extends through the end of the next pay period.

Yes. However, LWOP must be used in increments equal to at least one full pay period.

Yes. If you are on LWOP for more than one full pay period, you will receive a bill from the Pennsylvania Employee Benefits Trust Fund or the State System for the required employee contribution/payment.

No, you do not earn leave or seniority credit while on unpaid leave.

Persons who believe they may be eligible for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania can find information and/or learn how to file by visiting the Pennsylvania Office of Unemployment Compensation website.

The Request for Flexible Work Arrangement form is available for employees – who are not faculty – to request flexible workplace arrangements if they have been identified at being higher risk for COVID-19. More information is available on the Human Resources website.

The Flexible Work Arrangement form is only applicable to an employee’s personal medical condition. You may wish to discuss alternative work arrangements with your supervisor including arrangements under the PASSHE Emergency Remote Work and Telecommuting form.

If you have traveled, or plan to travel, to an area where there are high amounts of COVID-19 cases, it is recommended that you stay at home for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. If you travel to any of the states with higher rates of COVID-19 that are listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website, it is recommended that you quarantine for 14 days upon return.

The recommendation applies to those who have traveled to one of the listed states per the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. However, if the individual who is under quarantine develops any signs or symptoms or has a positive test result, their close contacts, including household members, should also quarantine.

Employees who live in another state should continue their work status as appropriate. It is safest to limit all non-life sustaining travel as much as possible both within and outside of the state. Individuals who must commute to and from work should limit additional stops or interactions in states with high numbers of COVID-19 cases. Individuals should consider the level of risk involved in their travel. For example, traveling to one’s office where social distancing, mask wearing and hand hygiene are practiced regularly is a less risky behavior than going to a restaurant or gathering that does not enforce mask wearing or social distancing.

Yes. The Leadership Development Center will continue to offer a variety of virtual learning workshops on technology, leadership and interpersonal development, student success, prevention, wellness and virtual leadership coaching sessions. Workshops will be posted on the University website or you can contact Erin Strain, director of leadership development at erin.strain@sru.edu.

Only employees who must report for key basic services will report. Until further notice all employees must have explicit permission to report to campus for work. If you are expected to report and you show any signs of illness or have been exposed to COVID-19, then inform your manager and stay home.

While there will be no on-campus delivery, Mail Services will be open for mail and package pick-up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the University Union. Campus departments and students can pick-up mail and packages during those times.

Central Receiving will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Central Receiving will contact departments upon receipt of packages to arrange pick up times or delivery to an office on either Tuesdays or Thursdays. The Finance Department is releasing new guidelines that will allow faculty and staff to have Amazon packages shipped to their homes for the foreseeable future in order to reduce the number of packages processed through Central Receiving. For more information, call 724.738.4342.

You should avoid all face-to-face meetings.

With Butler County being moved from “red” to “yellow” as of May 15 by Gov. Tom Wolf, the SRU/SGA Preschool and Child Care Center has resumed regular hours of operation in compliance with CDC, DHS and DOH guidance. Information regarding the process to re-enroll was provided to families that were being served prior to program closure.

As faculty and staff resume activity on campus, student employees are welcome to return to their on-campus positions. SRU adheres to the reopening phased orders issued by the governor’s office, PASSHE guidelines and local health authority expertise. When Butler County is in the green phase, as it currently is, students may return to their on-campus positions as services are needed by immediate supervisors. University telework assignments are highly recommended when available.

Departments will hire based on their needs. Students are encouraged to seek employment opportunities through Handshake. If students have questions regarding the context in which the work can be performed, they should reach out to the contact person on the job posting or contact studentemployment@sru.edu for assistance.

Student employment opportunities need to be posted in Handshake. If you have never used Handshake to post a student position, instructions can be found on the Office of Payroll and Student Employment webpage. If additional assistance is needed, email studentemployment@sru.edu.

The University has made the decision to suspend all business travel for all employees until further notice. The travel suspension involves both international and domestic travel. All travelers should request refunds from airlines, hotels and/or conferences that have already been paid. We understand that travel requests and reimbursements are in several different statuses. The Travel Office will be working with individual travelers to provide appropriate guidance. Please be aware that a set of specific travel FAQs for these circumstances is available here. Please be mindful that decisions regarding future business travel beyond the spring semester will be influenced by the then-current pandemic circumstances. Accordingly, please do not book any future travel without approval of your respective Cabinet leader.

Employees are encouraged to reconsider any personal travel. While these are individual decisions, everyone should be aware of the possibility that exposure at any point during travel could result in having to self-quarantine and that travel warning designations could change at any time.