The following reflects the most comprehensive and accurate information available to date for Scripps faculty. The College continues to follow the guidance of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff.
If you are feeling sick, have been deemed a close contact, or have been recently diagnosed with COVID-19, please call the Scripps helpline immediately at (909) 308-2711.
Q: Who is required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at Scripps?
A: In alignment with the other undergraduate colleges in the consortium, all Scripps students are required to be vaccinated, whether living in Scripps housing or not. All employees are also required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Exemptions for documented medical reasons or a sincerely held religious belief may be requested. To petition for one of the above exemptions, please contact the Office of Human Resources at [email protected].
To upload your vaccination verification, please use this link: COVID-19 Vaccination Confirmation – Formstack
Q: Will the College require students, faculty, and staff to receive a COVID-19 booster shot?
A: New guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the L.A. County Department of Public Health recommends that everyone over 18 get a booster shot to provide an important additional layer of protection against the virus. If you have not yet received a COVID-19 booster shot, you are required to receive one as soon as you qualify in accordance with the CDC guidelines. The link for employees to voluntarily submit COVID-19 booster information is here. The Office of Human Resources will send an email confirming receipt.
At this time, the College is not requiring, but encourages you to seriously consider, a second booster if you are eligible. At this time, the second booster has been approved by the CDC for those individuals that (i) are over the age of 50 or (ii) are immunocompromised.
Q: What are the testing protocols for employees?
A: Effective May 2022, the College discontinued the requirement of weekly COVID-19 testing for all community members. The College strongly encourages all employees to get tested at the 240 House beginning now through September 2. This will assist the College in establishing an infection rate baseline. All asymptomatic employees and students on campus, irrespective of vaccination status, will be able to opt-in for one time per week PCR testing. Appointments are not required for constituent testing at the 240 House. At this time, we do not anticipate any changes in the testing center hours.
The College is in the process of transitioning COVID-19 employee testing from our current testing partner HITL to Student Health Services (SHS). The College anticipates this transition to take place by September 30, 2022. There will be some changes in the testing process, including the type of PCR test being administered, as well as tests being available 7-days a week through a vending machine located in the 240 House. The Committee anticipates sending out more information in the next couple of weeks.
Q: What do I do if my test result is positive?
A: Faculty or staff who test positive will be informed through the health care support provider. Case managers will work with the affected faculty or staff member and determine when they may return to campus.
Q: Where is the Scripps testing center?
A: The 240 House, located at 240 E. 11th Street.
Q: Do I have to do anything to test with SHS?
A: Per the advice of the SHS Assistant Vice President for Health and Wellness Dr. Prateek Jindal, the College requires all employees to complete a consent to testing form. Should LA County or the CDC mandate testing for our community, this form ensures that employees will be ready to begin testing immediately. In the next couple of weeks, employees will receive notification in Workday to acknowledge the consent form authorizing SHS to perform testing. Consent forms must be acknowledged by all employees prior to September 16, 2022.
Q: What are the guidelines for isolation and quarantine?
A: Individuals who test positive or are exposed to a positive COVID-19 case (within 6 feet, for a combined total of 15 minutes or longer, within a 24-hour period) are required to quarantine for up to 10 days, depending on vaccination status. Those who are ill should call the Scripps nurse triage line to report symptoms at (909) 308-2711. Guidance will be provided by the nurse triage team as to how long you will be required to quarantine or isolate. Scripps provides dedicated accommodations and regular check-ins for students in quarantine and isolation.
Q: Will I be able to dine in at the Malott Commons?
A: Currently, Malott is at 80 percent capacity dining and masks are required indoors unless eating. For continual updates and the most recent information on dining, please visit the Scripps Dining site available on Inside Scripps.
Q: Will cross-campus dining be available?
A: Yes, 5C dining is currently available.
Q: When are meals served in the Malott Commons?
A: Monday-Friday: breakfast (7:30-9:30am); lunch (11am-1:30pm); dinner (5-8pm). Saturday-Sunday: brunch (10am-2pm); dinner (5-7pm)
Q: When are the mealtimes?
A: Monday-Friday: breakfast (7:30-10:45am); lunch (11am-5pm); dinner (5-8pm). Saturday-Sunday: brunch (10am-5pm); dinner (5-7pm).
Q: Has the business travel policy been revised?
A: Travel increases the risk of becoming infected with and transmitting COVID-19, however the College recognizes that some travel is essential. Therefore, the travel policy has been updated to reflect that essential travel may be approved through an employee’s respective Vice President/Dean of Keck Science. Refer to the updated Scripps College COVID-19 Business Travel Policy as to how to request travel and what qualifies as essential travel.
Q: Are face coverings required while on campus?
A: Given the low positivity rate at the College and across the consortium, the campus masking requirement is removed except in the following campus locations:
- academic classes (per faculty discretion);
- the 240 House Testing Center
Although the mask mandate has been lifted, the College strongly encourages students to wear a mask indoors when social distancing is not possible.
Q: What do I do if I feel sick?
A: If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, do not come to campus.
All faculty and staff are expected to immediately contact the COVID-19 hotline at (909) 308-2711 to self-report a positive COVID-19 test or if you have been in close contact with an individual testing positive or who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. If you are placed on leave by the COVID-19 medical support staff, you may not return to work until you have received clearance. The directions given by the hotline follow the Cal-OSHA and LA County Department of Public Health. The COVID-19 hotline is available 7-days a week during the following hours: Monday – Friday, 7 am– 8 pm and Saturday/Sunday, 9 am–5:30 pm.
The CDC recommends that employees stay home if they are sick with flu-like illness until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (chills, feeling very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medicines (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, report those to the hotline and see your medical professional.
Q: Do I still need to use the Healthfully app?
Q: Scripps strongly recommends that faculty and staff perform a daily health screening. Employees will no longer be required to use the Healthfully app. As Cal-OSHA requires employees to monitor their own health, a reminder will go out to all employees every two weeks to monitor their health and report to the COVID-19 hotline at (909) 308-2711, if applicable.
Q: I’ve been cleared to return to work on campus. What are the guidelines for on-campus work?
A: As a reminder, the health and safety of our community is all of our responsibility. Please keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Work independently and minimize socializing
- Eat lunch outside, socially distanced from others.
- Wash your hands often
- Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces
- Monitor your health daily
Failure to comply with any of the College’s requirements to be on campus will be reported to the staff member’s supervisors and divisional VP/Dean of Keck Science.