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<Draft> Riverside Military Academy (RMA) Reopening Considerations Fall 2020: Providing a Safe, Secure and Healthy Learning Environment 15 July 2020
Introduction: Greetings from Riverside! I suspect that if you have chosen to read this document, it is because you have completely rational concerns about the health, safety or security of your son(s) as they return to Riverside. As a parent, we know you have dozens of questions regarding the considerations, policies and procedures RMA has wrestled with over the past several months. Each week, members of our senior staff and I participate in no less than 4-5 national, regional and local webinars hosted by federal, state, local, and accrediting governing bodies. As you might imagine, often their guidance conflicts, and 100% routinely change their guidance as conditions and knowledge about this novel CORONA virus continue to evolve. RMA is working to finalize its revised opening day for the Fall 2020 academic semester. Concurrent with the changing guidance and information that I noted above, the information below is the most up-todate description of our opening plans. However, these plans are likely to change between now and your son’s arrival to campus. RMA remains totally committed to providing face-to-face on-campus instruction and experiences so long as we can provide a safe, secure and healthy learning environment that remains within governmental restrictions. OUR ACTION PLAN: Pre-arrival: A detailed set of pre-arrival and Registration Day instructions are available under the Parent Resources Tile. Please read it thoroughly, as it contains the requirements necessary to enroll at RMA. Below are some additional considerations that are not included in that document. -
Parents/guardians should check the Parent Resource tile and their E-mail daily for updates on RMA’s reopening. We will highlight changes as they occur. Practice multiple-hour sessions of proper mask wearing by your cadet at home to acclimate him for the first two weeks of campus life. Discuss the severity of the CORONA virus threat with your son and the importance of abiding by RMA protocols regarding the wearing of protective devices, the respecting of others’ personal protective gear and the seriousness of “horse play” regarding the spreading of the virus. RMA Cadet Code of Conduct regulations are being updated to include making it a Class I serious offense to fail to follow health protocols/wearing of protective gear when required; the interference in the use of another’s protective gear, or deliberate attempt to
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spread infection(s) upon another individual. As with all Class I offenses, such actions may result in the suspension or permanent expulsion of a cadet from the campus without refund. Rearrange travel plans from a now cancelled Labor Day extended open weekend to an extended weekend to be determined. Keep in mind that all dates on the published calendar are subject to change in light of the pandemic—all in order to provide flexibility that allows RMA to ensure accreditation requirements for academic contact time are met. Depending upon pandemic conditions, plan for the possibility that cadets may not return from Thanksgiving break until after the New Year. Consider the personal purchase of a comfortable clear plastic face shield that cadets may optionally wear. If optionally worn, the shield must extend below the chin and at no time may it be worn in lieu of periods when facial covering/masks are required. Purchase packing list items as soon as possible. Isolate your cadet now from outsiders or potential locations of SARS-CoV-2 infection to reduce risk of COVID-19 disease and thus being turned away from registration if he tests positive upon arrival on registration day. Strongly consider that your cadet obtain a COVID-19 test from your doctor or local health department. If your cadet tests positive, please contact us immediately for further instruction. Identify, whether to the infirmary or the Commandant’s office, any special concerns you have concerning your cadet’s emotional/mental-health state as it relates to this pandemic. Our pandemic educational efforts will, in part, be geared to developing individual resilience in the presence of physical, social and emotional challenges. RMA Staff & Faculty participated in COVID testing on 7 & 8 July, and testing will be repeated prior to opening. Faculty and Staff will receive COVID-19 identification/prevention education and training.
Arrival day: Again, the Registration Day instructions are available under Parent Resources. Please pay exceptionally close attention to the contents contained therein, and particular note to arrival times. Your cadet will NOT be allowed to begin the registration process early nor late. Due to strict COVID-19 testing requirements and throughput of our testing process/protocols, cadet arrivals can only be accepted within your assigned time, lest we create a long waiting line due to those who arrive late or early. You will be asked by Campus Security to move out of the waiting queue if you arrive early or late. Below are some excerpts from the Registration Instructions that I have included as a part of our re-opening plan.
Upon arrival, the cadet will be asked to remain in his arrival vehicle with his parent(s)/guardian(s) and all vehicle occupants will be asked to wear facial coverings throughout the registration process unless eating/drinking. Cadets only will then be invited out of their vehicles to take two COVID-19 FDA approved tests, both using nasal swabs. The first test is the Sofia SARS Antigen Fluorescent Immunoassay (FIA) that uses advanced immunofluorescence-based lateral flow technology in a sandwich design for
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DRAFT ONLY qualitative detection of nucleocapsid protein from SARS-CoV-2. This test will produce a positive/negative result within the hour. The second test will be sent off to an independent laboratory for analysis and take 3-5 business days for results. NOTE: After the test samples are taken, the cadet will return to his vehicle and await the rapid-test result.* ** *** * If the rapid test is positive, the cadet will be directed to return home, if at all possible, for recovery. The cadet may return only after receiving two negative COVID-19 tests, which must be provided in advance to RMA. The cadet will also be tested upon return to campus. ** If the rapid test reveals a negative result for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cadet will be allowed out of the vehicle to begin the matriculation process. *** If the rapid test is negative AND the concurrent 3-5 day test shows positive, the cadet will be immediately moved to our COVID-19 isolation wing for care OR required to return to his home if within a 90-mile radius of RMA campus. Ongoing Operations for at least the first six weeks: Cleaning, Disinfecting, Personal Hygiene
Commercial disinfecting of campus spaces has been contracted and will occur routinely in all occupied spaces. Water fountains are being disabled for drinking by mouth, but two new installations enable students to fill personal water bottles. Dozens of hand sanitizing stations were procured for placement in each classroom, restroom, hallways, and common areas such as dining and gyms. Disinfection protocols are established for weight/training rooms and band/instrument use. Installation of an outdoor handwashing station was approved for the West Portal cadet pick-up area.
Social Distancing
Hundreds of individual classroom desks have been installed as replacements for RMA traditional table-style desks. This allows for more social distancing within classrooms. Hallways and stairwells have been made into one-way corridors to reduce face-to-face contacts and traffic jams. Dozens of commercial-grade plexiglass splash/cough/sneeze guards
Facial Coverings
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Thousands of disposable masks have been secured for the campus. For the first two weeks (or until RMA feels confident that the virus is not active on the campus), cadets, faculty and staff are expected to wear facial coverings at all times in
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The infirmary reception area has been renovated to reduce person-to-person contact and increase medical privacy. A cadet COVID-19 isolation wing, separate from the infirmary, has been established to isolate/quarantine cadets who test positive for COVID-19. The infirmary will be used as in the past for treatment/isolation of other infectious diseases or injuries. Cadets placed in the isolation wing will receive their meals, treatment and instruction in their individual (one to a room) barracks room until cleared for return to the Corps.
Maintaining a Safe, Secure and Healthy Campus
All boarding cadets and day cadets will be restricted to campus for six weeks and at least three weeks respectively. During this period, academic classes will be provided six days per week. If testing so informs us that it is necessary, day cadets may be required to extend their restriction to campus for up to three additional weeks for the protection of the health of all cadets on campus. Enhanced COVID-19 education will be provided to all cadets. Cadets who test “negative” for the virus will be housed two to a room. Competitive incentive programs are being developed for “Best Company” privileges for those complying with pandemic reduction programs/protocols. Significant restrictions of food deliveries from off-campus establishments will continue until further notice. One-hundred additional digital security cameras were installed bringing the total number of campus camera views to over 160, with cloud storage and motion activation. External locking of building doors will drastically limit access points to campus buildings. Strict visitation restrictions to campus will be enforced, with mandatory COVID-19 screening and mask requirements for approved visitors.
Ongoing Testing/Monitoring for Symptoms
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Second (and if necessary subsequent) COVID-19 tests will be administered to cadets, faculty and staff approximately 10-14 days after arrival and on an as-needed basis. State of the art, remote, high-throughput, mobile temperature monitoring devices have been purchased for constant monitoring for fevers, with a camera-capture alert system to identify any potentially ill individual. Faculty, staff and students will be routinely checked during the pandemic as appropriate. Plans for screening after the six-week lockdown are in the planning phase but will be similar to actions taken to reopen the campus in July.
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FLIK, our food service provider, has reported it has adjusted all of its procedures to comply with State and local food service provider requirements. This includes but is not limited to food service handlers, food delivery and preparation, food presentation and equipment/space disinfection. Cadet dining activities will require facial coverings when not in the process of food/drink consumption, and cadets will be significantly spaced throughout the mess hall. Salad bars and self-service are suspended during the pandemic period.
Laundry Services
The laundry vendor has received and will comply with recommended laundry service adjustments for the Corona virus.
Academic Instruction
Academic classes are planned for 6-days/week instruction for the first six weeks in order to “bank” completed academic days necessary to maintain accreditation. This “bank” as well as flexibility provided by reducing fall/spring holiday breaks may be tapped in the event of a forced closure. Plans are being considered for the potential of final exams being administered digitally after Thanksgiving, should national or local conditions eliminate the requirement to return from Thanksgiving break. Riverside currently plans to continue on-campus instruction unless positive COVID-19 cases exceed our capacity to isolate, a significant increase in staff/faculty cases results in excessive absenteeism, or health officials determine we must transition to digital/online instruction.
Athletics
All Fall semester external athletics have been cancelled, similar to current trends at the collegiate level. Planning continues to begin a limited number of winter/spring sports. A plan is in development to create a robust intramural sports program for all cadets to begin the fourth week on campus. The plan will consider governmental/health agency requirements for execution of competition.
Transportation
Future Plans:
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Only absolutely necessary off-campus transportation will be provided to cadets. Vehicles will be disinfected between trips and all occupants are required to wear masks during travel.
DRAFT ONLY Riverside senior executives will continue to participate in appropriate weekly COVID-19 webinars, engage in COVID-19 educational activities, and adjust campus protocols and policies accordingly. All protocols provided herein are subject to immediate change. Open-closed weekend dates, campus events, visitation availability, and break periods are all subject to change in accordance with pandemic challenges/changes. Please note, such changes may result in less or more restrictions in order to protect our cadets, faculty and staff or to increase their freedoms if conditions allow. Our efforts throughout the spring (with cadets on campus) and continuing through the summer period have proven that our efforts in mitigating the effects of the pandemic on our campus are working exceptionally well. We intend to continue that trend. Riverside is planning for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;normalâ&#x20AC;? spring semester and to operate within the published calendar for the spring. However, please remain flexible for the almost inevitable changes that may occur as the pandemic and governmental responses change to mitigate disease risks. Let me reassure you that I take very seriously my responsibility to provide a safe, secure and healthy environment for all of our cadets both individually and collectively. I ask that you raise your concerns when you identify gaps in our plans but that you simultaneously consider the RMA community as a whole as we partner together to rise to the unprecedented social, emotional, medical and economic challenges this virus has delivered to our doorsteps. For more than a century, RMA has weathered the Great Depression, two world wars, numerous recessions, annual flues, Ebola challenges and much more. Together, we will ensure it weathers this storm as well, all the while remaining committed to developing young leaders of character who are prepared for the inevitable challenges society will face. Respectfully, Stas C. Preczewski, Ph.D. Colonel (retired), U.S. Army President O: 770.538.2190 F: 678.291.3370 C: 678.628.4872
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