Hope, Strength, Resilience

How the CSU Community Responded to the Global Pandemic

Difficulty is often the ground from which some of life’s greatest triumphs bloom. And there’s no mistaking that COVID-19 plagued 2020 with what seemed to be an never-ending barrage of challenges. But the CSU community swiftly responded with compassion and a laser-focused determination to emerge better for having weathered the storm. 

CSU’s Response to COVID-19

March 2: Initial reports of emerging pandemic in the U.S. 

March 3: First meeting of the Pandemic Response Team (PRT) with daily meetings thereafter, including weekends. President Harlan Sands began providing regular updates to Board of Trustees Chairman.

March 5: All CSU personnel recalled from CSU-sponsored travel. 

March 6: PRT begins initial planning. Daily updates provided to campus community. CSU launches coronavirus update website to serve as the single source for all information related to CSU and COVID response.   

March 6-19: Updates provided to Faculty Senate. President of Faculty Senate included in all COVID planning as PRT member since PRT began on March 3. 

March 19: Update to Board of Trustees. Updates at every BOT meeting thereafter. Executive leadership gets regular updates in-between meetings.

March 20: Weekly virtual town hall meetings with President Sands begin. 

March 23: Virtual classes begin.

March 20-August 17: Planning for fall semester begins, including the implementation of the 7 Layers of Protection. PRT meets 3 times per week. Inter-University Council of Ohio Campus Repopulation Work Group meets weekly.

April 1 (approximately): Inter University Council convenes Campus Repopulation Work Group. CSU leads coordination and best practices for safe campus reopening among all Ohio public universities and colleges.

June 1: Research labs restart.

August 8: Early faculty return.

August 17: Early student return.

August 24: Fall semester classes commence on time in hybrid model. Planning for spring semester begins. 

CSU’s 7 Layers of Protection

CSU’s Pandemic Response Team, comprising various university officials, including team lead Forrest Faison, MD, senior vice president for research and innovation, and chief healthcare strategy officer, led an effort to create a blanket of protective services and functions to help ensure the wellbeing of the CSU community called the 7 Layers of Protection. 

1. Online health assessment
   Before arriving on campus, everyone must pass an online health assessment. 
2. Personal Protection
   Masks are required and over 400 hand-sanitizing stations are located throughout the campus. 
3. Environmental controls
   The university nearly doubled housekeeping staff to frequently clean high-volume, high-touch areas and sanitize classrooms between each class. Furniture is spread out to create socially distanced sitting areas. CSU also invested in technology to improve airflow in buildings and remove contaminants from the air.
4. Education and signage
   There’s a dedicated COVID-19 information page on the CSU website and signage on campus encourages proper distancing and sanitizing measures.
5. Contact tracing
   The university hired a team of contact tracers to respond to positive cases on campus.
6. COVID-19 testing
   Cleveland Clinic provides a number of daily rapid response tests for CSU students suspected of having contracted the virus and provides next-day results.
7. Isolation and quarantine
   The top two floors of Fenn Tower were designated as a quarantine zone with CSU offering full support, supplies and food to any student required to isolate.