The University of Pittsburgh’s Pittsburgh campus transitioned from the Elevated Risk Posture to the Guarded Risk Posture today, Mon., October 19th. This communication will briefly outline how this change in posture will impact the School’s functions and services. For more information, please refer to the School’s Area Activity Plan for a full description of operating procedures by risk posture. If you have any questions regarding the plan or guidance, please reach out to Megan M. Soltesz at mms34@pitt.edu.
Requirements and Guidance that Remain in Place
- Wearing face coverings, indoors and out.
- Maintaining a proper distance of 6 feet or more from others.
- Washing and sanitizing hands frequently.
- Completing the Daily COVID-19 health check through the Pitt portal any day you will be on campus.
Space and Office Occupancy.
The School of Social Work Faculty and Staff will continue to work remotely for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because we are located on upper levels of the Cathedral, the mantra “if you can work at home, you should work at home” is particularly encouraged to reduce crowding in elevators, create additional cleaning/sanitizing work for facilities staff, etc. In the Guarded Risk Posture, the following occupancy changes will occur.
- The Office of the Dean will be opened on Monday and Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting on Mon., October 26th.
- The Student Services Office will also have limited office hours for in-person assistance. Details will be announced shortly.
- Faculty may occupy their offices on the days they teach on campus.
- The Doctoral Student workspace will be available with limited occupancy. Guidance will be sent directly to the PhD student body.
- Conference room 2017 is not available for use at this time; occupancy approval is being explored.
- The faculty and staff workspace on floor 22 are available for faculty and adjunct use when teaching on campus.
Course Instruction
Flex@Pitt is still in place. Moving to the Guarded Risk Posture means that, if an instructor wants to teach in person, it is no longer necessary to obtain permission from the dean to do so — they are welcome to do so. As we have said throughout the pandemic, remote options must still be provided, and no faculty or students are required to be on campus. Therefore, Social Work classes will provide in-person engagement opportunities to the extent possible (at the discretion of instructors) in addition to remote synchronous and asynchronous activities. Vulnerable faculty and students will be accommodated when in-person instruction is not possible or recommended. Each instructor will communicate any course instruction change directly to their class. While dean approval is not necessary for in-person instruction, instructors should please let Megan Soltesz know if they will be teaching in person, so that we will be aware of this and can report it to the Provost if asked.
Student Academic and Field Advising
Student advising may be conducted in-person or remotely. If student advising is conducted in a faculty office, only one student at a time should be scheduled. Meetings must be held in spaces that allow for proper distancing (6 feet) and are equipped with required hygiene and cleaning products. All surfaces must be wiped down at the conclusion of the meeting and face coverings should be worn. Vulnerable faculty and students must be accommodated when in-person advising is not possible or recommended.
Field Education
There are no changes related to field education when moving from “elevated” to “guarded” risk posture. If any student or field supervisor has a question regarding their field placement, please contact your assigned field liaison, if you don’t know who this is, please email riley.riley@pitt.edu. Please visit the following website for field education updates and FAQ.
Academic and Student Support Services
The majority of the student services staff will continue to conduct operations and manage inquiries remotely. The Student Service Center will resume limited on-site, in-person support, "by appointment" hours will be posted and sent directly to the student body. Information regarding registration, course scheduling, graduation certification and academic program support will be sent directly to students by the Associate Dean for Student Success.
Student and Faculty Group Meetings and Events
Limited group meetings and events may resume under the following restrictions and safety considerations. All activities will require pre-approval by the Director of Administration and/or Dean. Approval procedures will be posted on the School’s website and SharePoint site. Requests must indicate the need/benefit for an in-person meeting. All activities will require a faculty or staff sponsor to be present who will distribute health, safety, and cleaning guidelines and ensure compliance. Participation will be limited to the allowable capacity for the identified location, not to exceed 250 people, per University guidelines. Please note that Room 2017 (our large conference room) has not been cleared for occupancy by the University at this time, so it is unavailable. Also, our classrooms on the 23rd floor are controlled by the registrar’s office, not our school, so they are not available either. Therefore, there are very few school-controlled spaces that are available for group meetings.
Research
Clinical research is conducted in collaboration with WPIC within School of Medicine locations; all clinical based research will follow the protocols set forth by the School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
Community based research often includes engagement with participants and collaboration with external partners. In-person engagement may resume during Guarded Risk Posture. All engagement must be reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean for Research and/or Dean. Health and Safety guidance of community partners must meet or exceed University standards. If partner guidelines are less restrictive than the University standard, approval by the Dean is required before any in-person engagement can continue. The principal investigator will be responsible for distributing and ensuring compliance with all health, safety, and cleaning protocols. Accommodation for vulnerable research employees will be made, per University guidelines.
Faculty scholarship and analysis that does not engage participants will be conducted remotely. Building access required for restricted data that is not available through cloud-based file storage or VPN log-in will be considered. Access will be reviewed and approved by the Director of Administration or Associate Dean for Research.
Additional Questions
The School of Social Work will adhere to all University’s guidelines for operations and student engagement. If you have additional questions about the effects in the School of Social Work of moving to Guarded Risk Posture, please contact Megan Soltesz (mms34@pitt.edu). Learn more about the University’s response and health and safety rules at coronavirus.pitt.edu.