Fall 2021 COVID information

Student Information for Fall 2021 COVID Protocols
Welcome, students! New Mexico Highlands University is committed to providing a safe and healthy fall 2021 semester. In order to accomplish this, Highlands has passed an “Administrative Mandate on Campus COVID Protocols for Fall 2021.” We know you may have more questions about this policy, and this information is here to help you. If you need further assistance, please contact the Emergency Operations Center at eoc@nmhu.edu.

Highlands will be closely monitoring the situation and may revise this guidance as needed.

Vaccinations 

• Vaccination is required for all students who will be using campus facilities, including residence halls, or an NMHU center unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
• Students who are completely online, and not attending any classes in person are not required to test or vaccinate. If an online student wishes to use campus facilities or face-to-face campus services, they will need to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within the past two weeks.
• If a student chooses not to be vaccinated or has an approved exemption, they will have to show proof of a negative COVID test every two weeks.
• NMHU will assist students with vaccination, testing, and uploading their proof of vaccination. Please contact vax@nmhu.edu for assistance.
• The NMHU Student Health Center is open on campus in the Stu Clark Building. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 505-454-3218. Services are free and confidential for all NMHU students.

Providing proof of vaccination or negative test

• NMHU will provide information on how to provide vaccination documentation to the University by August 18. Students should provide proof of vaccination as soon as possible. If they do not provide proof of vaccination by August 20, provide the proof as soon as available.
• If students do not upload proof of vaccination, they will be required to submit a negative COVID test every two weeks.
• Students not currently fully vaccinated and those who will not be fully vaccinated by the August 20th target date WILL NOT be dismissed from school or unable to attend face-to-face classes between August 20 and when they attain full vaccination. Instead, they will be required to be tested and provide a negative COVID test every two weeks until fully vaccinated.
• These tests will be available on main campus for students through Student Health Center and are currently free, whether there or elsewhere. NMHU will help provide a list of testing site resources for both main campus and center students. Testing locations can be found at https://cv.nmhealth.org/public-health-screening-and-testing/.
• Unvaccinated students are expected to begin the vaccination process once arriving on campus or beginning classes at one of our centers. Vaccination clinics will be provided at main campus within the first two weeks of classes. A list of vaccination site resources will be available to main campus and center students.
• Falsification of vaccination records may be grounds for dismissal from NMHU.
• Upload your proof of vaccination here. If this link does not work for you, log on to the MyNMHU Portal and click on Self-Service Banner. A link will appear on your page.

Mask guidelines

• Masking is required in all indoor spaces unless eating or alone in a private space.
• If you are living in the residence halls and are alone with your roommates, you do not need to wear a mask.
• If you are living in the residence halls and are having visitors to your room, you must wear a mask.
• Masking is not required outdoors on campus, but is recommended for individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated or otherwise at high-risk. Please socially distance when outdoors on campus.

Social distancing

• Practicing proper social distancing of six feet is recommended and encouraged for all NMHU students, whether indoors or outdoors.

 Campus services

• Campus offices will be open with appropriate COVID-safe practices in place.
• The Dining Hall will remain open for COVID-safe dining or grab-and-go meals.
• The Purple Brew and C-Store will be open with COVID-safe practices in place.
• The Archuleta Fitness Center, the Outdoor Recreation Center, and the SUB Game Room will be open for students by appointment. Contact https://www.nmhu.edu/fitness-center/ or https://www.nmhu.edu/outdoor-recreation-center/.
• The NMHU Student Health Center is open on campus in the Stu Clark Building. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 505-454-3218. Services are free and confidential for all NMHU students.
• ARMAS and the Writing Center will be open with COVID-safe practices in place.
• Donnelly Library will be open with COVID-safe practices in place.

 Classes

• NMHU will be holding a full range of both online and face-to-face classes.
• For face-to-face classes, masks are required at all times in the classroom.
• If in a face-to-face class, please socially distance. Some classes have been moved to larger rooms to promote social distancing or, in some cases, moved online. Please check Banner for the most recent information on your classes. If the class has a room number listed, it is a face-to-face class. Online classes are marked as “synchronous” (required times to be on Zoom in most cases) or “asynchronous” (no scheduled meetings).
• The add deadline for academic classes is Monday, August 23.
• Faculty will be available for consultation and office hours outside of scheduled classes, even if teaching remotely.

 Daily symptoms screening

• Beginning August 16, 2021, all students will be sent a daily screening at their NMHU e-mail account. The daily screening can also be accessed through the portal at my.nmhu.edu.
• Fill out the screening honestly and completely. If the screening indicates that you are not to come to campus that day, follow those directions and contact eoc@nmhu.edu for further information.
• Any faculty or staff member can ask you if you completed the daily screening. If you have not, you will be asked to complete the screening or leave campus for that day.

 COVID reporting requirements

• Any student who tests positive for COVID-19 must immediately inform the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at eoc@nmhu.edu. NMHU follows all CDC, New Mexico Department of Health, and OSHA protocols for positive cases.
• If you test positive for COVID, you may need to move to an isolation room on campus. The EOC will provide you with all necessary information and support. Meals will be provided to any student in an isolation room.

 Centers

• The landlords of the NMHU centers may impose additional COVID restrictions, which will be implemented and communicated to center students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Mental health and campus support

• The NMHU Student Health Center is open on campus in the Stu Clark Building. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 505-454-3218. Services are free and confidential for all NMHU students.
• Students have access to 24-hour Services NM Crisis and Access Line 1-855-NMCRISIS (662-7474).
• Other campus supports include the Office of the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@nmhu.edu and the Students Relations Coordinator at studenthelp@nmhu.edu.

 

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Administrative Mandate on Campus COVID Protocols for Fall 2021

Effective: August 13, 2021

Vaccination Requirement
All NMHU faculty, staff, administrators, and students who will be on Highlands’ campus or property, including the NMHU centers, must provide proof of full vaccination no later than August 20, 2021.

Exemptions for vaccination may be permitted for those who cannot receive the vaccination for qualifying disability/medical conditions or religious convictions. The process for requesting an exemption will be provided soon.

The process NMHU will use to verify vaccinations will be provided to all faculty, staff, administrators, and students on or before August 18. After August 20, unvaccinated faculty, staff, administrators, and students must submit an updated COVID test every two weeks to the university with the test having been conducted in the past seven days. Exempted individuals will still need to provide evidence every two weeks that they have tested negative for COVID-19. Any expense as a result of the COVID-19 testing required under this exemption will be the responsibility of the employee or student seeking the exemption; the state of New Mexico has contracted with a test provider that currently will provide tests free of charge and this service may be used.

Mask Guidelines
Effective immediately, NMHU requires that all individuals on campus or at one of the NMHU centers, including vaccinated individuals, wear a mask indoors unless eating, working alone in an office, or otherwise alone in a private space. Student athletes shall follow all NCAA and RMAC requirements.

This masking mandate is effective immediately.

Social Distancing in The Classroom and On Campus
NMHU is committed to offering a variety of face-to-face classes in the fall semester in a safe fashion. In addition to the new masking requirement, NMHU encourages all faculty and students to practice physical distancing. To promote social distancing, NMHU will be examining any classes with greater than 50% enrollment of their cap and may be spacing out or blocking off the seating in those rooms or moving those classes to a larger room.

On all campus and center spaces, faculty, staff, administrators, and students are encouraged to practice appropriate social distancing.

Daily Symptoms Screening
Effective August 16, 2021, all faculty, staff, administrators, and students will be required to complete a daily symptoms screening if they are planning to come to campus or other NMHU facilities. The screening will be delivered through e-mail and the NMHU portal.

If you are not cleared to come to campus through the screening, do not come to campus. For employees who do not pass the screening, contact your supervisor. For students living on campus, please remain in your room and contact the Emergency Operations Center at EOC@nmhu.edu.

To protect the campus community, any faculty, staff, administrator, or student experiencing symptoms should stay at home and, if appropriate, be tested for COVID.

COVID Reporting Requirements
Any faculty, staff, student, or administrator who tests positive for COVID-19 must immediately inform the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at eoc@nmhu.edu. NMHU follows all CDC, New Mexico Department of Health, and OSHA protocols for positive cases.

Centers
The landlords of the NMHU centers may impose additional COVID restrictions, which will be implemented and communicated to center students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Initiating Reasonable Working Accommodations for Health-related Matters
The position of the university is a safe return to campus for the fall semester. Faculty and staff wishing to request reasonable accommodations for COVID health or safety-related reasons have the following options through Human Resources (HR). Any dean or supervisor receiving such a request must refer the staff or faculty member to HR.

1. Conduct business from the campus of record while adhering to the new NMHU COVID policies.

2. Apply for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA):  FMLA protects an employee’s job for medical reasons as specified by a certified health care provider and may be used either continuous or intermittently based on one’s situation as applicable for up to 480 hours per year.

3. Enter into a dialogue with HR on the reasonable accommodation process to understand the conditions, concerns, and background surrounding the request.  NMHU may require medical documentation or correspondence from your health care provider regarding the health factors put forward to grant the accommodation.  HR will evaluate and examine the options available based on the interactive dialogue with you and your dean or supervisor to determine if an accommodation is possible and does not place undue hardship on the university in the process.  The ADA Reasonable Accommodation process is not a one-stop process as it involves discussion, documentation, and a collaborative approach to address the request. A combination of FMLA and a reasonable accommodation is permitted, if applicable.

COVID Training
All new students, faculty, staff, administrators, and contractors should take the Covid-19 trainings offered through Brightspace for the upcoming fall semester.

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Campus  and Center protocols

Main Campus   Rio Rancho/Albuquerque  Santa Fe  Farmington

Consistent with the governor’s decision to completely open the state July 1, New Mexico Highlands University will return to pre-COVID working conditions during the summer with the anticipation of resuming on-location classes and offices for the fall semester. New Mexico Highlands University will no longer require daily check in screenings for faculty, staff, and students working on campus.

To ensure a seamless transition and ease the burden on support units like ITS and Facilities Services, Highlands’ Emergency Operations Center developed a timeline for reopening buildings and facilities. Staffing of buildings should be determined before reopening the building by the appropriate executive. From a safety and security perspective, a staffing plan should be in place in order to prevent vandalism and other issues that could arise.

The EOC recommends that executives work with their deans, directors, and coordinators to work out a staffing plan that will best support the services provided in each building before the building is reopened. The EOC team can work with these groups before reopening buildings in order to troubleshoot building, technology, security, and safety concerns.

Highlands University is following the current CDC guidelines for vaccinated people (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html) and for unvaccinated people (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html).

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Reopening timeline for the main campus in Las Vegas, NM:

Week 1, July 5: Felix Martinez, Student Center, Stu Clark, Engineering, Levra Field House, IT Services

Week 2, July 12: Rodgers, Communications, Purchasing, Kennedy Lounge

Week 3, July 19: Library, Ivan Hilton, Lora Shields, Wilson Complex, McCaffery Trolley Building, and centers pursuant to landlord guidelines

Week 4, July 26: Douglas, Sininger, and Burris halls, Sanchez Teacher Education Building, Tyrone Champ Music Building

Week 5, August 1: Remaining academic buildings, Ilfeld Auditorium, Natatorium
Already opened: Hewett Hall, Facilities, Outdoor Recreation, Archuleta Fitness Center
Please keep in mind we are basing our reopening plans on current COVID conditions, which might change if conditions warrant. While Highlands University is not requiring proof of vaccination to work or study on campus, we strongly encourage vaccinations for everyone.

New Mexico Highlands University is anticipating a full reopening for the fall with appropriate COVID-safe measures in place.

Dining: The Purple Grill Fall 2021 Hours of Operation

Soft Fall Semester 2021 Reopening

Fall Semester 2021 Reopening (Bookstore will reopen on August 9, 2021)

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Rio Rancho and Albuquerque Return Plan

7/12-7/30: ABQ and RIO open by appointment. Center staff work from home or hybrid. Computer lab at RIO is available for ABQ and RIO students by appointment.

8/2-8/6: ABQ and RIO open to the public with Center staffing 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staggered four-hour shifts for Center staff. Computer labs open.

8/9-8/13: ABQ and RIO open to the public with Center staffing 8a.m. to 5 p.m. Staggered six-hour shifts for Center staff. Computer labs open.

8/16 through December: ABQ and RIO open to the public with Center staffing 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Full eight-hour shifts for Center staff. Computer labs open.

Exceptions for on-site instruction (classes capped at 10 or less):
RIO: Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
ABQ: Mondays and Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Classrooms
ABQ: Rooms 1, 6, 7 utilized. Desks spaced three feet apart.
RIO: Rooms 123 and 128 utilized. Desks spaced three feet apart.

Masks
Fully vaccinated – mask is optional, not required
Not fully vaccinated – mask is required

Cleaning/Disinfecting
Cleaning and disinfecting will occur by Master Express Cleaning after operation/instruction hours at ABQ and RIO

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Santa Fe Reopening Plan Fall 2021

July 19, 2021 – August 1, 2021:

At least one staff member intends to be present at the Center from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Higher Education Center and Santa Fe Center is open to staff, faculty, visitors, and students.

Students have access to the computer lab, printers, scanners, etc.

Students have access to virtual support and advisement via phone, email, and Zoom.

Hours of virtual support are flexible to accommodate student needs.

August 2, 2021 forward:

At least one staff member intends to be present at the Santa Fe Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days per week, Monday through Friday. During that time, the Center is open to staff, faculty, visitors, and students.

Students will have access to the computer lab, printers, scanners, etc.

Students have access to virtual support and advisement via phone, email, and Zoom.

Hours of virtual support are flexible to include evenings and weekends.

Classroom occupancy will be managed according to percentages allowed by Santa Fe Community College (the Landlord), at this time there are only three classes scheduled for face to face instruction for Fall 2021.

Staff or work study hours will be modified to accommodate after hour courses and have a presence at the Santa Fe Center while classes are in session.

Screening
Santa Fe Community College (the Landlord) does not do screening any longer, however, security personnel will check in visitors to the Center following their most current protocols.

Masks
Masks are required to enter the Santa Fe Higher Education Center and are to be worn while inside the facility.

Cleaning/Disinfecting
Custodial matters are managed by Santa Fe Community College and their current protocols.

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Farmington Center Operations (Fall 2021)

Farmington Center Operations (updated on August 5, 2021)

• At least one staff member intends to be present at the Center from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., five days per week, Monday through Friday.
• During that time, the Center is open to staff, faculty, visitors, and students.
• Students will have access to the computer lab, printers, scanners, etc.
• Students have access to virtual support and advisement via phone, email, and Zoom.
• Hours of virtual support are flexible to include evenings and weekends.
• Classroom occupancy intends to be 75%, though there are only two classes scheduled for Farmington classrooms for Fall 2021.

Screening:

• San Juan College does not mandate screening. Technicians will be available to take temperatures at the few health-screening stations across the campus. Employees, students, and visitors are not required to sign-in.

Masks:

• The current San Juan College guidance on mask wearing on all SJC property:
  • Masks are required at all indoor San Juan College locations when it is not possible to maintain six feet between individuals.

• This indoor mask requirement applies to all classrooms, labs, meeting rooms, college vehicles and other spaces, and to all faculty, staff, students, and visitors to San Juan College campuses, regardless of vaccination status.

• Individuals must wear a mask covering their nose and mouth when inside an SJC building.

• Unvaccinated people must continue to wear masks indoors at all times.

• Vaccinated people may remove their mask indoors if alone in a classroom, office, or cubicle and there is a minimum of six feet of distance from the nearest person.
• Individuals and departments may not establish their own mask mandates for their own workspaces.

Cleaning/Disinfecting:

• Custodial matters are managed by San Juan College and follow the State of New Mexico guidelines for state agencies.

Individuals and departments may not establish their own mask mandates for their own workspaces.

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