The Office of Undergraduate Admissions’ plan for a full reopening is under the guidance and direction of the University of West Georgia, who is under guidance from the Governor’s task force, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the CDC, USG, and appropriate local considerations and will include contingency plans for adapting to any possible escalation of COVID-19.

Based on the recommendation from the University of West Georgia and the Vice President of Enrollment Management, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions would plan for a Phase I reopening plan, which begins on June 15. The plan below includes all guidance from the University for Phase I reopening. 

June 15, 2020

All upper management (associate directors and director) will return to work on a rotational basis. All upper management would meet on campus on a future date to discuss, plan, and prepare the office for a reopening for the rest of the staff.  At that point, senior staff would rotate coverage to support the operation of the university until July 17. 

July 20, 2020

All professional staff at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will return to work on a rotational basis. Under the guidance of the University, employees who are members of vulnerable* populations may request to work remotely by informing their supervisor. In this phase, staff will work on a rotational basis from July 20 through July 31. Under this guidance, we are asked to maintain a capacity of less than 50%. There will be no less than 6 (six) employees and no more than 8 (eight) employees per day. Schedules have been determined and were provided to staff on June 22nd. Student employee supervisors will be asked to prepare work stations to meet social distancing and sanitary guidelines. 

July 27, 2020

All student staff would be asked to return to work on a rotational basis. Under the guidance of the University,  student employees who are working for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be asked to return to campus, unless students are members of vulnerable* populations and may request to work remotely by informing their supervisor. Student employees will continue to follow social distancing and sanitary guidelines. Schedules will be determined by supervisors at a later date. 

August 3, 2020

Prospective students and guests can begin to arrive on campus and receive services from the Office of Admissions. See student services plan below. 

Full reopening plan is executed and normal operations shall continue unless provided direction. 

*Vulnerable population definition: please see below 

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions’ plan will include the following provisions and actions below. It is important to note that this document is a living document and can be changed, modified, or updated at any time with new information or updated guidelines by university, local, or state administrators. 

Daily Operations

All staff, including students, will follow the guidelines set by the University and self report their health data using the following etracks link: https://apps.westga.edu/tracks. You will be asked to self report your temperature daily before arriving at work. If you are ill or have a temperature, you are asked to stay home. If you do not have a thermometer or will not be able to self report your information, a thermometer will be readily available for you to use in the admissions office. 

All staff will be asked to wear face coverings in public and shared spaces. Examples of places include restrooms, lobby areas, and all meeting spaces. You are permitted to remove your face coverings in your office. Once in your office, please make sure to close the door to your office and then remove your face coverings. You may then keep your door closed for the duration of the day. 

All meetings will take place remotely from your office. It is recommended to bring a computer or laptop with you daily that has the capabilities for web cameras and microphone privileges. Some of the computers in our office may not have those capabilities. 

All staff and student leaders should wipe down their personal areas upon departure. It is asked to wipe down your areas each day and thoroughly clean areas that have shared uses (tour meeting room, ECC room, etc.) Cleaning supplies will be provided. 

Kitchen areas will still be available; however, you will be asked to wipe down surfaces you have come in contact with. This includes, but not limited to, the microwave, the refrigerator, sink and other shared areas. 
All staff and student employees should make every attempt to wash your hands frequently. You may bring your own supplies to the office should you choose to do so. This includes hand sanitizer, wipes, or any other preventive care items you would like to bring. 

All staff will be asked to follow directional guidelines while in the office. The back office area will be asked to move with traffic in a clockwise direction. There will be directional arrows in the office to help you navigate to the restroom, break room, or your personal office area. 

Student Services

Students and guests will not be permitted to receive services from the Office of Admissions until August 3. Upon arrival, students and guests will be greeted by a ‘welcome sign’ and hand sanitizer station prior to entering the building. Prospective students and guests will be asked to wear a face covering once they enter the building. If the student or guest does not have a face covering, one will be provided. If the student or guests refuses to put on a face covering, we will offer the student and guest our services virtually or keep social distancing guidelines in place at all times. 

To ensure safety for both our staff and guests, the front lobby and presentation room will be restricted to guest use only and confined to this area. Student appointments will not be permitted beyond the glass door. This will help ensure that our space has not been exposed to outside students and guests. The presentation room will be repurposed into a student/guest meeting area with proper social distancing protocols in place.  

Seating capacities are reduced in common areas to accommodate social distancing protocols. Once the student has been checked in, the student will check in with our front desk. Should the student have a scheduled appointment with a professional staff member, the front desk student will confirm and reach out to the professional staff member to meet them in the presentation room. If the student does not have an appointment and the services cannot be resolved by our front desk staff, the student employee will then chat Logan, Katie, and/or Dillon to assign appropriately. 

To ensure your safety, please make sure to meet with students in all public areas with a facial covering. One will be provided for you if you do not have the means to purchase one. 

At the end of your appointment, please wipe down all areas that the student may have come in contact with. Cleaning supplies will be readily available for you to use. 

Items Being Provided

• Two (2) washable UWG-branded face coverings for each staff member and student employee
• Cleaning supplies (spray and paper towels) to wipe areas upon departure
• Common areas will be equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers
• Front lobby desk will have a sneeze guard/plexiglass

Vulnerable Population Definition

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are:

• People aged 65 years and older
• People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
• People of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:
• People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
• People who have serious heart conditions
• People who are immunocompromised 
• Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications
• People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
• People with diabetes
• People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
• People with liver disease

If you believe you fall into this category and are requesting an accommodation, please contact HR at covid-hr@westga.edu or 678-839-6111.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Our office and the University of West Georgia has created a running list of common questions that may have not been addressed in this document. Please refer to the list here for more information.