RETURNING TO THE CAMPUSES

The facilities, maintenance and operation crews have begun the process of preparing the campuses for employees to eventually return to work on campus in some fashion. The preparation work is now expected to be completed by mid-July, which would be the soonest that some employees would begin to return. The first phase of employees to return to campus will be those workers who cannot perform the full range of their job duties from home. At left, Cuyamaca College President Julianna Barnes and other employees hold up some of the new plexiglass shields that will be installed at workstations.

The Chancellor's Cabinet has prepared a plan for a careful phased return to the campuses that is being reviewed by district and college leaders. The plan is intended to be flexible and may change depending on public health conditions in the county. The District is strictly following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control in preparing the campuses, which includes installing plexiglass shields for employee work spaces with public contact, signage to encourage physical distancing and direct the flow of traffic, and safe hygienic practices.

The Human Resources department is finalizing employee documents related to COVID-19 issues such as leave requests. Sanitation and safety training videos will be sent to all employees to promote good practices.

SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT CONTRACT

The District is looking at renegotiating its $1.5 million contract with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to provide deputies at the Grossmont and Cuyamaca College campuses. The District is tentatively proposing to have one deputy on each campus during the fall semester when few students will be at the colleges, instead of two at each campus along with a sergeant. The proposed new contract would allow bringing in more deputies in spring 2021 depending on need, and ensure that officers assigned to the colleges have specialized training in unconscious bias and de-escalation techniques.

With a heightened focus on law enforcement tactics locally and nationwide, the District plans to conduct research, including a historical review of crime reports and models in place at other institutions. Open forums will also be held on the campuses in the fall and spring to get broad input and determine optimal ways to provide campus safety in the future.