COVID-19 prevention in learning spaces

People across the University of Washington have been hard at work preparing for how we can be safely together on our campuses in autumn quarter. Protecting the health of our community is a responsibility we all share. No one can predict with absolute certainty the course the pandemic will take, and we will continue to follow public health guidance in our decision-making process as we prepare for returning to in-person instruction.

View the Learning Spaces COVID-19 Prevention Operational Guidelines for the Seattle campus below. Additional guidelines for building operations can be found at the Facilities website.

Table of contents

Roles and responsibilities

• UW Custodial Services
• Building Coordinators
• Instructional Support Staff
• Instructors
• Students

Space specific guidelines

• Lecture, case study and active learning classrooms
• Laboratories
• Informal learning spaces

Notification and response to confirmed COVID-19 cases

Change log

Roles and Responsibilities

UW Custodial Services

• 1. UW Custodial Services will clean learning spaces daily and will disinfect high-touch points in these spaces such as chairs, desks/tables, doors, door handles, light switches, podiums and other points that a human might touch on a daily basis.
  2. UW Custodial Services will follow the UW Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S) COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection Protocol.
  3. Cleaning procedures for other spaces are listed in the Building Readiness Guidelines.

Building Coordinators

• 1. Building coordinators who are sick or experiencing even mild symptoms of illness must stay home. If symptoms of illness are experienced by an individual while at the University, they must leave the campus as described in Section B of the University of Washington COVID-19 Prevention Plan for the Workplace.
  2. Report positive test results to the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team in the UW Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S) at covidehc@uw.edu, regardless of your vaccination status. Also stay home and do not go to work or class. See the EH&S isolation and quarantine page for more information.
  3. Report if you have been in close contact with a person with COVID-19 to EH&S at covidehc@uw.edu regardless of your vaccination status. If you are not fully vaccinated or if you have COVID-19 symptoms stay home and do not go to work or class. See the EH&S isolation and quarantine page for more information.
  4. Self-monitor daily for symptoms and stay home if you are sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms.
  5. Face coverings are required to be worn indoors when other people are present and in all public and common areas, regardless of vaccination status. More information is on the Face Covering Requirements webpage.
  6. Ensure hand sanitizer is available in common areas of buildings and handwashing supplies are available in building restrooms.
  7. Place University COVID-19 prevention posters at entrances and in common areas of buildings.
  8. Make sure space users are aware of their responsibilities for cleaning or disinfection of shared surfaces in various spaces used for instruction, as described in the COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection Protocol. Consider posting this protocol for reference in instructional spaces.
  9. Follow EH&S protocols for restricting and cleaning and/or disinfecting spaces in response to a COVID-19 positive person spending time in a building. Help disseminate EH&S notifications to space users when a COVID-19 positive person has spent time in a building.
  10. Attend training and coordinating sessions organized by UW Facilities.
  11. Establish and monitor adherence to access control, building operations, egress routes and emergency procedures as they relate to the University plan.

Instructional support staff

• 1. Instructional support staff who are sick or experiencing even mild symptoms of illness must stay home. If symptoms of illness are experienced by an individual while at the University, they must leave the campus as described in Section B of the University of Washington COVID-19 Prevention Plan for the Workplace.
  2. Report positive test results to COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu.
  3. If you have been in close contact with a person with COVID-19 stay home if not fully vaccinated or symptomatic. Report close contact to COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu.
  4. Use Safe and Clean Storefront and Stay Healthy, Huskies to obtain appropriate signage for instructional and hallway spaces. This includes posters encouraging handwashing and good hand hygiene.
  5. Follow manufacturer’s instructions when using chemicals in the workplace and acquire and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed when maintaining instructional spaces.
  6. Face coverings are required to be worn indoors when other people are present and in all public and common areas, regardless of vaccination status. More information is on the Face Covering Requirements webpage.
  7. Practice good hand hygiene after cleaning or working in a classroom.
     • Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
     • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (≥60%) if soap and water are not available.
  8. Ensure that a copy of COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection Protocol is posted in each classroom.
  9. Where possible, create separate ingress/egress points in classrooms help mitigate crowding. One-way signage is available at the Safe and Clean Storefront.
  10. In buildings with access to digital signage, ensure COVID-19 specific information is integrated into the slide deck as appropriate.

Instructors

• 1. Instructors who are sick or experiencing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home. If symptoms of illness are experienced by an individual while at the University, the individual must leave the campus as described in University of Washington COVID-19 Prevention Plan for the Workplace. Notify your academic unit of your absence from campus.
  2. Report positive test results to the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu.
  3. If you have been in close contact with a person with COVID-19 stay home if not fully vaccinated or symptomatic. Report close contact to the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu.
  4. Face coverings are required to be worn indoors when other people are present and in all public and common areas, regardless of vaccination status. More information is on the Face Covering Requirements webpage.
  5. Practice good hand hygiene before and after spending time in a classroom and encourage classroom occupants to also practice good hand hygiene
     • Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
     • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (≥60%) if soap and water are not available.
  6. Instructors are encouraged, but not required, to bring extra supplies with them in case students ask to wipe down their spaces. For additional information, refer to the EH&S cleaning and disinfection protocol.
     • Students on the Seattle campus also may access supplies in centralized locations of instructional buildings and vending machines across campus.
     • Instructors who use shared equipment should bring disinfecting supplies with them to wipe down high touch surfaces as needed. Seattle general classroom supplies may not always be available.
     • Instructors on the Seattle campus should use 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes on shared audio-visual equipment.
     • Many units are procuring supplies for their spaces, and for their personnel to use as needed in general classrooms. Supplies are available on the storefront.
  7. Where one-way signage is posted, assist in maintaining applicable ingress/egress protocols when students enter and leave the classroom.

Students

• 1. Students who are sick or experiencing even mild symptoms of illness must stay wherever they are living – residence hall room, apartment or family home – and away from others and common areas. If symptoms of illness are experienced while on campus, students should leave campus and return to their residence.
  2. Report positive test results to the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu.
  3. If you have been in close contact with a person with COVID-19 stay home if not fully vaccinated or symptomatic. Report close contact to the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu.
  4. Determine whether you are experiencing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 before coming to campus.
  5. Face coverings are required to be worn indoors when other people are present and in all public and common areas, regardless of vaccination status. More information is on the Face Covering Requirements webpage.
  6. Practice good hand hygiene before entering and after exiting an instructional space.
     1. Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
     2. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (≥60%) if soap and water are not available.
  7. Consider bringing your own disinfection wipes to instructional spaces if you wish to wipe down your space surfaces. Students on the Seattle campus may access supplies in centralized locations of instructional buildings and vending machines across campus.
  8. Where signage is posted, follow ingress/egress procedures to mitigate crowding in spaces.
  9. Eat and drink in appropriate places and follow COVID-19 safety practices while eating and drinking.

Space specific guidelines

 Lecture, case study and active learning classrooms

• 1. Depending on space size and entry points, establish traffic flow and designated ingress/egress points, and post appropriate signage.
  2. Do not eat or permit eating during classroom sessions or active meetings. Eat and drink in appropriate places and follow COVID-19 safety practices while eating and drinking.
  3. All space users should practice good hand hygiene. Wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer before entering and after leaving classroom spaces.
  4. Instructors should have departmental supplies available for spot cleaning (described above), as needed.

Laboratories

• 1. Establish traffic flow and designate ingress/egress points where needed, and post appropriate signage.
  2. Plan for the safe use of shared spaces between laboratories.
  3. Follow normal chemical and waste disposal guidelines.
  4. Additional PPE (e.g., procedure masks and face shields) may be needed to support close interactions between students due to the nature of experiments or shared equipment. Follow the risk level matrix and/or consult with EH&S to select the appropriate PPE.
  5. Develop and implement cleaning and periodic disinfection protocols for shared equipment. Space users are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting shared surfaces in labs.

Informal learning spaces

• 1. Depending on space size and entry points, establish traffic flow and designate entrance/exits to limit crowding, where possible. Post appropriate signage.
  2. Do not eat or permit eating during classroom sessions or active meetings. Eat and drink in appropriate places and follow COVID-19 safety practices while eating and drinking.
  3. All space users should practice good hand hygiene. Wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer before entering and after leaving learning spaces.
  4. Instructors should have departmental supplies available for spot cleaning (described above), as needed.

Notification and response to confirmed COVID-19 cases