Frequently Asked Questions

Coronavirus (COVID-19)  Return to Work 

MCCCD - Employee Return to Workplace Guidelines

Each classroom and occupied office reception area will be provided with a Caddy that will have the following:

  • Disposable Masks
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Gloves
  • Disinfectant Spray for cleaning surfaces and disposable towels

Additional disposable facial covering supplies will be available in designated areas while supplies last.

Note: The college is requesting assistance from faculty/staff to keep their personal workspaces clean. PPE and cleaning supplies will be made available for this effort.

Notify Maricopa Community Colleges Risk Management

This could vary by department as we transition through phases of our return plan. Managers will support flexible options for in-person and virtual delivery with goal of providing in-person full services by Fall 2021.

Your Supervisor/Manager should have already communicated your return schedule. If you have questions, please speak directly to your Supervisor/Manager. The Return to Campus plan is as follows:

  1. Beginning July 6, we will be on campus 1-2 days minimum per week
  2. Beginning August 2,  2 days minimum per week
  3. Beginning August 16, 3 days minimum per week
  4. Beginning September 7, 4 days minimum per week.

Contact Judy Belsher, Director, local Human Resources Office to discuss reasonable accommodation.

Wellness Maricopa Coordinators have worked collaboratively to launch a campaign,
#YouMatter,
Employee Resources

You may return to work when the following conditions are ALL MET.

  • 3 days with no fever;
  • Respiratory symptoms have improved;
  • It has been 10 days since the symptoms first appeared.

This means you can return in a few as 10 days if all conditions are met. You DO NOT need a negative test to return to work.

No, you DO NOT need a negative test to return to work. There are additional guidelines for individuals who live with someone, or have close contact with someone who has, or has had COVID Please see the COVID 19 FAQ Document published by District Office Risk Management at the following link.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KRNauYMRvYjcd2QdAh2YfhtllSXrMbvLLEbb7d3JpxY/edit?usp=sharing

If this type of environment continues and we are high risk, will long-term remote options be discussed?

We encourage employees to talk with their supervisors regarding precautions that have been put in place in the work areas. SMCC has done extensive work to provide a work environment that will protect employees and students. However, if you think you may need a reasonable ADA accommodation or may need a leave due to COVID conditions, please contact Judy Belsher at: judy.belsher@southmountaincc.edu or 602-243-8200.

Yes, temp employees have several types of leaves available to them. The Emergency Paid Sick leave is paid if you have COVID 19 and cannot work. Employees are entitled to be paid 2 weeks of regular scheduled work hours. So, if you normally work 15 hours a week, you will be paid for 30 hours of sick time. There are additional benefits available such as Advanced Sick leave and Compassionate leave. Contact College HR at 602-243-8235

We have done research on this option of sanitizing documents. UV is a great source of sanitization but in an environment that produces multiple documents regularly the process is cumbersome and inefficient. We looked at the "wand" and found a majority of users found it to be a slow process and not 100% effective as each and every segment of the article must be scanned. The power supply comes with a very short cord and requires a USB connection. Battery-operated models had a short battery life adding to the time it took to scan any type of item. They also pose a risk of exposure to UV light if not used properly. We have taken the direction of providing gloves in each area that are available and prevent the spread of COVID 19.

Beginning July 6th all departments will begin a phased return to in-person services. Staff schedules could vary by department as we transition through phases of our return plan. Managers will support flexible options for in-person and virtual delivery with a goal of providing in-person full services by Fall 2021.

The Maricopa Community Colleges published an extensive list of technology resources available throughout the greater Phoenix metropolitan area – which can be found as a link from Current Students or here: https://www.maricopa.edu/community-business/basic-needs/technology-software
Resources from Cox Communications, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and other Free and low-cost internet plans are listed. In addition, 18 specific locations are listed that provide free internet access as well as a link to the map of the city of Phoenix WiFi locations.
In addition, the college applied for and received a grant which will allow us to purchase portable hot-spots that will be loaned out to students. Recently, the district office notified us that a small number of hot-spots will be available for our college to loan out.

Maricopa will rely on directives from state & local health officials for guidance and rely on Maricopa Risk Management recommendations for adopting changes to college level plans.

  1. Public health regulations, like social distancing, being followed (e.g. government, CDC, etc)
    • College response: Maricopa has declared the wearing of masks is encouraged and revised social distancing to 3ft. Signage posted around campus to support these changes.
  2. Cleaning/sanitizing supplies are made readily available to all employees
    • College response: PPE and cleaning supply kit are available in classrooms and shared office areas. Enhanced clearing protocols and schedules have also been adopted college wide with additional contract cleaning services added to support college personnel
  3. Being able to have flexible schedules.
    • Maricopa response: Updated Maricopa policy A-44 Remote and Virtual Work establishes a permanent structure for flexible work arrangements that support employee engagement, morale, recruitment, and retention while increasing MCCCD’s ability to support the flexibility students need. Projected operational date Aug 2nd.

  1. Classroom health/safety protocols; social distancing enforcement
  2. Cleaning protocols, enhanced ventilation, and PPE supplies
  3. Vaccination rate extremely important to increase confidence for returning to classroom

56% of student responses indicate a high level of satisfaction with virtual learning options and the flexibility of course offerings, students indicated a desire for more courses to be offered in a virtual environment

Risk management publishes a Covid dashboard page that leverages data from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). SMCC has adopted this as one of our key data sources for assessing risk and helping to inform return to workplace planning.