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Scripps College > Scripps Strong > Scripps’ COVID-19 Response

Scripps’ COVID-19 Response

The College has taken the following actions in response to COVID-19.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

  • Refunded room and board to students who were required to leave campus early upon the temporary closure of campus
  • Supported students’ transition off-campus with approximately $3 million in emergency aid used for:
    • Software to deliver courses online
    • Hardware to deliver courses online and have staff work remotely
    • Technology support for students with financial need
    • Packing, storage units, shipping, and moving support
    • Extra meals
    • Intensive cleaning
    • Work to physical spaces for isolation quarters
    • Emergency plane tickets for study abroad students
  • Mitigated rising expenses and revenue loss from canceled events, room and board refunds, etc. by establishing a hiring freeze, placing a moratorium on salary increases, suspending non-essential expenditures, reducing compensation for President Lara Tiedens and Scripps senior staff, and establishing a 10 percent budget cut for fiscal year 2021
  • Began distribution of CARES Act funding to students in need, with the College using its own funds to provide additional funding to those students (e.g. DACA and international) who fell outside federal guidelines for CARES Act aid

NEW FUNDING

  • Established emergency response funds to cover the areas hit the hardest by the pandemic and to provide students with aid to cover travel, technology, and other essentials
  • Established a new Community Action Grant through the Laspa Center for Leadership to fund COVID-19 relief efforts led by our students to help their communities better cope with the impact of the pandemic

CAMPUS OPERATIONS

  • Restructured our dining and service approach to provide individually packaged meals to the students, faculty, and staff who had to remain on campus
  • To limit disruptions to student services, converted nearly all Scripps offices to fully remote operations, including academic advising, career counseling, faculty office hours, the Writing Center, SCORE, and tutoring services
  • Expanded career support for graduating seniors and recent alums through CP&R’s online career development workshops
  • Key modifications to the HVAC system in common spaces that serve classrooms and office spaces
  • Upgraded existing air filters with higher performance filters capable of filtering smaller particles. (MERV filters grades 13 or higher that meet or exceed current filtration standards)
  • Introduced UV technology, including portable air cleaners, and inline duct equipment
  • Introduced outside air through the mechanical systems by using existing exterior dampers
  • Added portable air purifiers, which include UV technology and HEPA filters, to common spaces
  • Installed plexiglass barriers in shared spaces that receive students, staff, faculty, and visitors
  • Installed social distancing signage, including mask requirements, occupancy limits, and social-distancing requirements
  • Provided PPE and cleaning supplies for all public spaces and offices
  • Established regular cleaning schedules following LA County and Cal OSHA requirements
  • Purchased electrostatic sprayers to quickly clean surfaces
  • Increased outdoor sitting areas to provide opportunities for small meetings outdoors
  • Continued licensing of Zoom to provide for virtual meetings

ACADEMICS

  • Found new ways to enhance online instruction even for classes more difficult to translate to a virtual environment, such as dance and science labs

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  • In tandem with The Claremont Colleges, offered an additional telehealth provider (TimelyMD) to expand mental health support for our students
  • Modified services from the Tiernan Field House to include accessible self-care virtual programming including workouts, meditation and mindfulness sessions, de-stress activities, and access to virtual medical services and mental health counseling for students

EVENTS

  • Developed the Scripps Presents @Home series to bring uplifting entertainment from past and upcoming Scripps Presents authors, musicians, and performers to our community
  • Successfully converted cornerstone Scripps events, including Capstone Day and our Senior Art Exhibition, to virtual events

ALUMNAE SUPPORT

  • Issued refunds to all registrants for Reunion Weekend 2020
  • Launched Career Conversations, a free virtual series for alumnae on job support and emotional wellbeing in uncertain times