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The suspension of all classes and the possible closure of residences will be potentially very disruptive for students wishing to attain wishing to complete their programs in a timely manner. Nevertheless, the NLC Pandemic Plan must contain such a scenario as a necessary means to protect members of the campus community.
The decision to close any of NLC’s seven campuses will be made by the President or the President’s designate. At the time of the writing of this plan the Provincial Heath Officer has stated that it will not be likely that schools or post secondary institutions will close. Consequently any order to close any NLC campus will likely originate from the Ministry of Advanced Education. Alternatively the President or the President’s designate may choose to close one or all of the NLC campuses this may occur at a point after the first verified case is discovered in North America and be based upon a combination of the following decision criteria/factors:
World Health Organization declaration of Phase 6-Pandemic period: Increased and sustained transmission in the general North American population,
During the period when classes are suspended, most campus academic, administrative, and support operations will be closed. Minimal utilities will be supplied to buildings, all routine, normal daily housekeeping and maintenance activities will cease until such a time when the re-opening of campus buildings has been announced. Buildings will be secured in a way to prevent re-entry by all but approved essential staff. Non-essential staff that use fob or keyless entry will have their devices de-activated for the duration of the TCC. Essential staff will include the following positions:
Safety and facilities staff, and a small number of other essential employees will be needed to maintain safe, secure, and hazard-free buildings; however, the way in which these essential staff members conduct themselves while on campus will be done in a manner to minimize exposure to others who may be carrying the virus.
It must be emphasized that campus or College wide closures will not be similar to a fire drill where concern for security is not nearly the same as concern for safe and quick evacuation of a facility.
Marketing and Communications
The Marketing and Communications department will provide any media releases and announcements to the public. Staff will be encouraged to refer all inquiries to the Communications Manager to ensure continuity of public information.
A bulletin circulated via email and the College website advising employees of the situation must be created. Employees will be encouraged to check both their email and the website daily for updates of the situation and when they are able to return to work.
Health and Safety Advisor, Facilities Departments
The Facilities departments will provide the Campus Administrators with the necessary assistance in performing a complete shutdown of their campuses. In the event that a campus is shut down in an effort to quarantine or halt the spread of infectious disease then the Regional Facilities Department will deactivate keyless entry devices until the closure status is lifted.
Janitorial staff will be required to perform a full wash and clean without cosmetic (waxing or shampooing) cleaning of areas to be closed prior to the shutdown of non occupied spaces. Facilities staff will post signage advising the area is closed and ensure that all classrooms, labs, offices and storage areas are locked. .
The HSEA will provide liaison service with PEP, Ministry of Health and the Northern Health Authority if and when required. The HSEA will also provide updates to the Emergency Messaging System user groups as necessary.
Information and Technology Staff
IT staff will be able to monitor and manage the College IT infrastructure remotely from their homes. Should there be a need to do so, servers and workstations can be restarted manually by a staff member from the essential services list.
International Education Coordinator
The International Ed. Coordinator will ensure the any medical, common sustenance or other physical needs of International Students are addressed prior to facility closure. Emergency contacts for International Ed. Students will be established prior to facility closure and provided to International Ed. Students for use in the event of personal emergency or illness. It is advised that “flu buddies” be utilized where possible.
Campus Administrators
The Campus Administrators will be responsible for providing direction to the facilities departments and support staff regarding:
It will be necessary for Campus Administrators to consult with the Human Resources Department if workers are instructed to stay away from work and they have no remaining vacation time available to them.
If Campus Administrators are absent from work because of illness or other reasons then the responsibility for ensuring proper exposure control will fall to the Administrator’s designate or the Vice President of Finance and Administration (VP Admin).
Campus Administrators will be required to report excessive staff absences (25% or more) to the HR Dept.
Deans and Program Chairs
The Deans or the Program Chairs will be responsible for aid instructional staff in clearing their classes and providing direction on working from home. Deans must ensure that all staff under their direction are informed of how to access updates regarding the campus and facilities re-opening.
Senior Administration
The Senior Administration Staff will be responsible for liaison with MAvEd and other senior ministry staff. Additional funds or monies to maintain essential services will be the responsibility of the VP Admin. In the event that one of the excluded administration staff becomes ill it will be the responsibility of the Senior Administration staff to assign tasks to the remaining staff until the ill person can resume their normal duties.
Pandemic Planning - Normal Operations
Pandemic Plan - Closures Pending
Instructions for Coping with H1N1
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