Introduction

The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced the world into an unprecedented time when most facets of our daily lives were stopped and needed to adapt. Originating overseas, the virus spread across the United States from the West Coast in the beginning of 2020. While Massachusetts saw its first cases in February, the Commonwealth became a hotspot for the epidemic in March, and the Governor declared a State of Emergency issuing a stay at home advisory.

Salem State University (SSU) has monitored COVID-19, its spread, and the evolving nature of the virus from the beginning. President Keenan established the SSU COVID-19 Emergency Response Team (ERT) from the university’s Incident Command Center in February of 2020 to coordinate with federal, state and local agencies on responding to, mitigating, and limiting the spread of COVID-19 on campus and within the SSU community. Additionally, the team was charged with developing a continuity of operations plan for the pandemic that addressed the needs of Academic Affairs, Student and Residential Life, and Human Resources and Information Technology, within the context of the overall health and safety of the campus community and in adherence to federal and state guidelines.

The ERT and the SSU community responded quickly: restricting travel, closing residence halls, and transitioning fully to remote teaching, learning and work. The university also responded to the needs of the greater community by providing local hospitals and first responders with personal protective equipment (PPE) and housing for those exposed to the virus through work as well as for those in need of a safe place to quarantine.

Our operational planning process then evolved to include four COVID-19 Recovery Implementation Teams: Health and Safety; Academic Affairs; Student and Residential Life; and Human Resources and Information Technology. Each team included administrators, faculty and staff who were tasked with identifying risks, challenges and mitigation strategies for physically returning to campus in the safest way possible. The team findings, combined with federal and state guidelines, were used to inform the university’s operational strategy outlined in this report.

Throughout this crisis, SSU has and will remain open, and our student-centered education and supports will continue to be delivered as best as possible while strictly adhering to the guidance and recommendations provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Commonwealth. The SSU community is a strong and caring one that tends to look out for each other and advocate for those who cannot. Let’s keep this SSU spirit and be kind, patient and flexible as we navigate these unchartered waters together.