A recent article highlights the challenges and opportunities shared by colleges and universities of every size
In a recent Spaces4Learning article, UG2 CEO Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., shared his thoughts on the challenges that higher education will face when it comes to reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike some industries that can implement stringent controls on workforce return, campuses are much more difficult to monitor, clean, and disinfect because their spaces are community-centric and geared toward collaboration.
“You cannot impose a rigid schedule for disinfection without, to some extent, imposing restrictions on the nature, use, and access to these spaces,” he said. There’s also the sheer number and diversity of facilities—each with its own issues when it comes to environmental controls, cleaning, and disinfection. Lanzillo added that other challenges include:
- Reinforcing accountability and responsibility of each member of the campus community.
- Environmental and HVAC-related issues, including increasing the number of filter changes, increasing MERV ratings on filters, and investing in advanced technologies.
- Dealing with higher costs of cleaning and disinfection.
- Logistics related to student arrivals and departures, classroom and auditorium scheduling, and residential and athletic facilities.
- Managing the fear factor of accessing and disinfecting spaces with personal protective equipment, which may alarm students and parents.
- Supply chain concerns for essential items.
New Protocols
Lanzillo spoke about UG2 ReNewSM, a program that enables colleges and universities to achieve higher levels of health and safety. The Cleaning4Health component focuses on four main areas:
- General housekeeping: This is the significant cleaning and disinfection required to keep every occupied space cleaner and safer, and it’s where the right products make all the difference.
- Response to incidents: One of your professors has just tested positive. What happens now? That’s a question that needs to be answered before it occurs, not after.
- Disinfectant spraying systems: Automation and innovation can play a huge part in keeping a campus healthier and safe, even on a budget.
- Personal protective equipment: Your facility services staff are on the frontlines of your campus. Keeping them protected means supplying them with the equipment they need every day.
The Engineering4HealthSM component of UG2 ReNew includes crucial strategies as well, including cleaning and disinfecting cooling/heating coils and condensation drain pans, replacing air filters and increasing MERV ratings, eliminating potential contaminants in the airstream, and using advanced technologies for disinfection.
Engineering4Health also ensures all mechanical systems are working well and proper air exchange levels are set. UG2’s technical staff have also been trained to disinfect access panels, mechanical room entry and exit touchpoints, and frequently used tools that may be shared within the technical team.
Phases for Return
Prepping for “day one” is a crucial part of every campus reopening, Lanzillo noted, but that’s only part of one phase that higher education needs to understand. He emphasizes that all of the phases for opening, maintaining, and protecting campuses can create an informed and meaningful approach. Consider this four-phase strategy to keep your campus on track to be healthy and safe:
- ReSet: Preparing for day one. This is when the cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing can be intensive, and it’s also when maintenance schedules and protocols should be established going forward.
- ReTurn: This phase begins when campus buildings open, but not everyone is back yet. This is usually a shorter phase, but an incredibly important one, because it will give you an idea of the comfort level for those who are returning.
- RePopulate: Campus has opened, and everyone has returned and is using the buildings, adjusting to new protocols. What happens in this phase is essential for long-term success.
- ReCalibrate: This will be the ongoing phase of continuous operation, where observational data is used to modify and improve planning and prevention. If you haven’t set up a plan to be flexible and open to changes, this phase will be expensive and potentially problematic.
“Our focus right now is on ReSet,” Lanzillo said. “This is critical for ensuring all open facilities, from dorms, offices, classrooms, and libraries, to elevators, bathrooms, labs, athletics, and auditoriums, are ready for students, staff, and faculty. And that all stakeholders understand what the institution is doing to prepare.”