School of Pharmacy COVID-19 Updates

The University of Wisconsin–Madison will welcome students back to campus as scheduled for the start of fall classes on September 2. To ensure a “Smart Restart” amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we are developing a comprehensive plan for resuming campus activities. Learn more here.

If you develop any symptoms or feel ill, please stay home for the safety of others. Members of the campus community will be expected to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 daily on the COVID Symptom Tracker and, if symptoms exist, immediately get tested at no-cost at a campus COVID-19 testing site, and then quarantine. 

We encourage you to take care of your own health by following the CDC’s guidance on: hand washing, covering your cough, avoiding touching your face, avoiding close contact, and staying home if you are sick. See the overview on the public health protocols handout.

As a reminder, viruses do not discriminate, and this outbreak is not specific to any ethnicity or race. Racist behaviors or stereotyping is unacceptable at SoP. If you experience harassment or discrimination, students are encouraged to file a bias incident report. Employees may file a complaint with the Office of Compliance.

Key Contacts

• HR: HRSupport@pharmacy.wisc.edu
• Business Travel Reimbursement: julie.steinle@wisc.edu
• Experiential Learning: mara.kieser@wisc.edu
• Instructional Technology: michael.pitterle@wisc.edu
• Media Inquiries: alyson.kim@wisc.edu

For information for currently enrolled School of Pharmacy students, including Experiential Learning, please check the SoP Students COVID-19 page for current students.

Campus-wide Furloughs

Our current situation requires that we implement short-term, cost-saving measures to address the fiscal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures include a campus-wide furlough requirement, position-specific furloughs, and reassignments (see Furlough Guidelines).

See SoP HR’s special presentation on the furlough implementation:

• Recorded presentation
• Slide deck

How to Take Furlough Leave

Furlough leave is reported differently by different employee groups. Please refer to the presentations below on how you should report your furlough time:

Group 1 (Instructional Academic Staff, Faculty):

• Group 1 Recorded Presentation
• Group 1 Slide Deck

Group 2 (University Staff Non-Exempt [hourly], Academic Staff Non-Exempt [hourly]):

• Group 2 Recorded Presentation
• Group 2 Slide Deck

Group 3 (Associate or Assistant Deans [Limited Employees], Non-Instructional Academic Staff:

• Group 3 Recorded Presentation
• Group 3 Slide Deck – Updated 6/12/20

Supervisors

• How to Approve Furlough Time

Information on the furlough policy, benefits overviews, and FAQs is available on OHR’s web page at hr.wisc.edu/covid19/furlough.

With regard to how the campus-wide furloughs will affect our research enterprise, please see RSP’s Furlough page.

Paid Leave Programs

UW–Madison employees who are affected by COVID-19 may qualify for paid leave under the federal program called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The federal FFCRA leave provisions are available through December 31, 2020.

There are two different federal programs providing paid leave under the FFCRA: Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) and Emergency Family & Medical Leave Expansion (EFMLEA). See descriptions and eligibility on pages 3-4 here.

• Please watch the School of Pharmacy HR presentation on these leave programs.
• Access the presentation slides here.

If you have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for any of the following reasons, please complete this Emergency Leave Request form and email to SoP-DDR Jenni Regan (jenni.regan@wisc.edu) to request leave:

• Unable to work because of: (through December 31, 2020)
  • Self-quarantine
  • Self-isolation
  • Illness or serious health condition
  • Disability
  • Care for immediate family member for reasons of quarantine, isolation, illness or serious health condition, or disability
  • Care of their child under 18 years of age whose school or daycare facility is closed or whose childcare provider is unavailable
  • Care of an immediate family member with disabilities or who is elderly and care facility is closed

Please email SoP HR at HRSupport@pharmacy.wisc.edu with any questions. For confidentiality, please be sure to email Jenni Regan (jenni.regan@wisc.edu) with your leave request form.

Read more information and FAQs about emergency leave.

Illness

If you develop symptoms, stay at home. Please do not come to work. Faculty and staff are advised to use leave and contact your supervisor. If you have questions about using leave, please email SoP HR at HRSupport@pharmacy.wisc.edu.

Testing and Reporting COVID Positive Results

As part of our Smart Restart reopening plan, UW–Madison has developed protocols for what to do when individuals working, living or learning on campus test positive for COVID-19. This includes contact tracing to notify others who may have been in close contact with a COVID-positive individual, and providing necessary cleaning to workspaces and classrooms.

UW–Madison provides no-cost, on-site COVID-19 testing for students, faculty, and staff. University Health Services will automatically receive all results for tests conducted by UW–Madison or reported to Public Health Madison & Dane County. There is no need to report these results.

However, all employees who receive a test from public health agencies or health care providers outside of Dane County are expected to report their positive test results to University Health Services.

To report your results:

• Send an email to covidresults@wisc.edu OR
• Call (608) 890-0000 (you may be instructed to leave a message)
• A web form to report results will be made available soon.

UHS will follow up on every confirmed positive COVID-19 test report. This follow-up will include contact tracing to identify the on-site spaces people who test positive spent time and to identify anyone believed to have been in close contact with an infected individual.

University Health Services will reach out to these people directly. They will also notify Environment, Health and Safety if additional cleaning is necessary.

View more information about what to do in the event you test positive for COVID-19.

Other HR

UW–Madison has instituted a hiring and pay increase freeze due to the financial impact of COVID-19 on campus. Therefore, the School of Pharmacy has implemented the hiring and pay freeze for all faculty, staff, post-docs, and student employees. 

While there may be exceptional circumstances where hiring should go forward, or when a pay increase must occur, these are to be viewed as exceptions. To request an exception to make a hire during this freeze, please complete the Hiring Freeze Exception Request and return to hrsupport@pharmacy.wisc.edu. Exception requests will be reviewed by Liz Funk Smith, Associate Dean for Administration, and the dean.

The TTC Project is delayed until 2021. The new timeline will allow time for employees, supervisors and human resources (HR) departments to focus on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will also help ensure that employee conversations about position descriptions and TTC title placement can safely occur.

UW–Madison is requiring telecommuting for employees who do not need to be physically present to perform job responsibilities. All School of Pharmacy faculty, staff, postdocs, and students with paid appointments who are able to work remotely need to telecommute effective immediately (see telecommuting policy).

Please contact your supervisor if you need to take leave and cannot report to work. If you have questions about using leave, please email SoP HR at HRSupport@pharmacy.wisc.edu.

If you have HR questions related to compensation and leave for any SoP employees, please email HRSupport@pharmacy.wisc.edu

For more guidance and FAQs, please see OHR’s COVID-19 Information for Employees.

Working From Home

With the prospect that some of us will be telecommuting for some time, it’s important that we all have the materials we need to work effectively at home. Please see the instructions below on how to secure supplies or equipment from your office or to purchase.

• Before submitting any requests or purchases for supplies and/or equipment, please confirm your supervisor’s approval and get the appropriate funding if needed.
• If you plan to pick up items from your office, please plan to arrive alone as guests are not permitted in the building at this time.

Equipment Needs

Computer/IT needs – For faculty and staff who need to acquire or pick up computers, monitors and other associated tools or who have an IT-related question, please submit a Help Desk ticket here.

Chairs – Many staff have requested the use of their office chairs while they are working from home. In light of the fact that many faculty and staff will need to telecommute for some time, SoP now supports this request without the need to provide documentation. To schedule a pickup of your office chair, please contact Josh Cutler at josh.cutler@wisc.edu.

Supply Needs

To pick up supplies or files from your office, please contact Josh Cutler at josh.cutler@wisc.edu to schedule a time to be let in the building.

If you need to purchase supply items, such as paper, stamps, pens, etc., you can:

1. Ask a P-card holder to order the supplies and have them shipped to your house. If you don’t know of any P-card holders in your area, please contact Shelley Calhoun at smcalhoun@wisc.edu.
   • You will need to provide the card holder a clear business purpose for why you need the supplies since they are being shipped to your house and not to a UW business address.
   • Also please have the P-card holder note that these are being ordered because you are working from home.
2. Order the supplies yourself and file an e-reimbursement claim
   • Remember the UW does not reimburse for sales tax. Please take the tax-exempt certificate with you when making a purchase. It is available here.

If you have any questions, please contact Shelley Calhoun, and she will be happy to help you.

Modifications for On-Site Staff

Rennebohm Hall will remain locked at all times until further notice. The building will be open but accessible by Wiscard only for faculty and employees approved to work in the building by their PI or supervisor. SoP faculty and staff who are successfully working remotely will continue to do so. Employees who can perform their job remotely are expected to continue telecommuting.

For work that cannot be done remotely, supervisors should complete the Request to Resume On-Site Work: Administrative & Instructional Staff form for approval of their team members to work on-site in Rennebohm Hall. This can be for ongoing work throughout the semester or for individual events where their assistance is needed. Feel free to provide details of the work in the text box that’s provided in the form if the work is sporadic and not easy to explain in a weekly schedule format.

SoP employees returning to work at Rennebohm Hall are required to take the campus training on COVID-19 Training for On-Site Workers prior to their return to on-site work. This training covers guidelines and expectations for UW–Madison employees returning to the workplace. Research personnel already working on-site are encouraged to take this new important training as well.

Employees may seek accommodations or workplace flexibility due to the following situations:

• Age
• Underlying medical condition/disability
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Caring for a child – your child’s school is closed for in-person instruction or your child’s daycare provider is unavailable
• Caring for a family member – you have a family member who is in a high-risk population, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Feeling unsafe in the workplace

Learn more here about employee guidance on these matters. The DDR contact for SoP is Jenni Regan.

Campus has a universal face covering requirement. All employees are required to wear either a reusable cloth face covering or a single-use disposable mask while present in Rennebohm Hall and any area within campus buildings unless working alone in a laboratory or office space. Face shields are not an acceptable replacement for a face covering. Respirator masks and masks with one-way valves should not be worn.

Masks can be provided to employees. See below on ordering masks.

Building Spaces

The F. B. Power Pharmacy Commons and vending machine stations located on the first and second floors are closed until further notice. The seating has been removed from the Atrium.

The walkway connecting Rennebohm Hall to the Health Science Learning Center will remain closed until further notice.

The stockroom will continue to operate at reduced hours from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm.

Drinking fountain use is discouraged. Instead, use the touchless bottle filling stations that are located in the building if water is needed.

Cleaning Processes and Supplies

Cleaning supplies are located in select school offices and division spaces. Supervisors will be responsible for distributing supplies and designating someone to order more when needed. To place orders for supplies such as wipes, disinfecting spray, hand sanitizer, and masks, please use the SoP Internal Ordering form.

Supervisors should direct staff to wipe down commonly touched surfaces in their workspace such as door handles and light switches. Employees should be directed to regularly clean their office surfaces including tables, desks, keyboards, phones, etc. See more on Guidance for Work Unit Cleaning & Disinfection.

Common spaces and break rooms

Unit supervisors should provide specific directions for staff on the use and cleaning of their common spaces and break rooms. Countertops, tables, printers, copiers, and other commonly touched surfaces in common spaces should be wiped down before and after use. Keep office supplies such as staplers, pens, etc., in offices to limit multiple users. See more on Guidance for Work Unit Cleaning & Disinfection.

For break rooms, remove or discontinue the use of shared kitchen equipment such as microwaves, coffee pots, dishes, and utensils. Alter schedules so meals do not need to be eaten in the building. If unavoidable, eat in a personal office or in the break room practicing appropriate physical distancing. The square footage in all SoP break rooms allow for one person use under current campus guidelines. Clean surfaces before and after use.

Employees working both in the building and telecommuting should plan on bringing their laptop into the office if needed. Multiple computers, laptops, monitors, etc., for on-site and telecommuting purposes will not be provided to employees unless there is a strong need. If an additional chair is needed, staff are encouraged to use chairs already in their workspace. If none are available, please contact Josh Cutler. For IT needs, please submit a help desk ticket to the SoP Help Desk.

Custodial staff will not be cleaning individual offices in order to focus their time and attention on classrooms and other high-touch surfaces (see more on Campus Daily Cleaning and Disinfection plan). If you have trash or recycling that needs to be removed from your office, please place receptacles in the hallway outside of your office door.

Conference rooms

Employees are encouraged to continue to utilize virtual meetings, and conference rooms will not be available for reservations for the fall semester. If you have a need for a larger workspace, please discuss with your supervisor. Division Chairs and unit leaders are able to approve conference room use for special circumstances following campus guidance for physical distancing. All SoP conference rooms, with the exception of two, allow for one person use under current campus square footage guidelines. The SAA conference room and the BOV room allows for three people.

Resources:

• See the UW Facilities Start-Up Guide for more on health and safety, campus operations, transportation, classroom and instructional spaces, and interior campus spaces on the FP&M Returning to Campus Safely web site.
• See the Overview on Cleaning & Disinfecting Guidance, with details on classroom cleaning, work unit cleaning, and more.
• Read the FAQs on the return to work, including topics on health and safety, workplace cleaning, COVID testing, possible exposure to COVID, and work accommodations and leave policies.

Parking

For essential employees who must report to work in person, campus has lifted permit control on most campus surface lots. Most lots on campus are open to essential employees needing to park, and do not require a permit. See Essential Employee Parking Map (PDF – updated 6/29/20).

However, there are still restricted lots:

• Specific lot permit required for Lot 11, 13, 22, 23, 38, 51, 54, 56, 74, 81, 82, and 85.
• Lot 63 – Open to AFCH and UW Hospital patients and visitors only.
• Lot 75 is open to Lot 75 permit holders, AFCH and UW Hospital patients and visitors only.

For those with permits, you can park in your respective assigned lots. Check all lot locations and hours by designation on the Parking Lot Locations and Hours page.

UW will resume parking enforcement starting September 1.

Transportation Services has several parking options, including the new multi-day parking pass and flex permits that allow you to “pay as you go”.

Transportation Services recognizes that situations may change for employees and offers flexibility in the permit process. Employees can return and cancel permits, or they can apply for a new permit that better meets their needs. Learn more in the “Choosing a Parking Permit” section on the Transportation Services Smart Restart Hub.

Due to public health concerns related to COVID-19, all university-sponsored travel outside of Wisconsin or by air within the state remains cancelled until further notice. In general, ground travel within Wisconsin is allowed and does not need pre-approval. These restrictions are in place for all employees, students and registered student organizations (RSOs). The intent is to help limit the spread of the disease among students, faculty, staff and the public.

Please contact Julie Steinle with questions on canceling your travel.

Limited Travel Exceptions

In limited cases, leadership may approve air and ground travel outside of Wisconsin and air travel within the state.

Essential travel is defined as activities that support, further, or execute research or clinical operations specific to human health and medical outcomes, cannot be rescheduled, and must be done in person. If you need an exception:

1. Download and complete the Essential Travel Exemption Form
2. Obtain approval from Dean Steve Swanson with a copy of the request to Julie Steinle (julie.steinle@wisc.edu)
3. Send to Dan Langer for final approval at dan.langer@wisc.edu.

Reimbursement

The School will reimburse airfare, registration lodging deposit costs, and cancellation fees paid personally by staff for travel prior to August 17, 2020. Please work with Julie Steinle (julie.steinle@wisc.edu) to get reimbursed for these costs. Business Services is also currently working on canceling these same expenses that were charged directly to School funding and will be contacting individual travelers.

Non-Essential Personal Travel

Everyone is strongly advised to reconsider non-essential personal travel. All campus community members should be aware that if you travel, you may be required to self-isolate for 14 days depending on where you’re traveling to and from, even if you do not exhibit symptoms.

Self-quarantine and Self-monitoring

On international or domestic travel taken for any reason, you are prohibited from returning to the workplace and must self-quarantine for 14 days, even if you do not exhibit symptoms, if you are:

• returning from a Level 2 or Level 3 country or
• traveling to U.S. states with sustained community transmission.

See areas of community spread in the US here. For information about re-entry into the US from international travel, check the US Department of State site.

The university and the School of Pharmacy have extended the cancellation of non-essential in-person campus events and meetings through August 17. The event calendar has been updated to reflect the status of events.

Meetings to hold

For the School of Pharmacy, essential meetings are those needed to carry out our academic mission. These meetings can be related to teaching and learning, enrollment, active research projects, and other academic and research areas. Non-essential meetings would be public outreach activities and other service. Please check with your supervisor or unit leader if you are unclear as to whether your meeting is considered to be essential.

Essential meetings — defined as gatherings related to the health, safety, and well-being of the institution or that are necessary to the academic mission — may continue but should be held in alternative formats, such as conference calls and WebEx. Please send an email to helpdesk@pharmacy.wisc.edu if you need assistance with alternative meeting formats.

Any in-person essential meetings should involve as few people as possible, and appropriate safety precautions should be followed.

Essential in-person events require approval by a dean or vice chancellor and must be limited to attendance of less than 10 people. Essential events are those directly related to advancing the mission of the university and/or those promoting the health and safety of campus.

With the building restrictions in place, visitors are not allowed at Rennebohm Hall until further notice.

As we have seen nationally, in our local communities, and on the UW–Madison campus, fears of the coronavirus has led to increases in racist and xenophobic comments and behaviors. Chinese people are not responsible for the virus simply because the first cases were reported in China. But that has not stopped people from using stereotypes to make jokes, verbally harass, and in some cases, physically assault Asian, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Remember that the virus — not people with COVID-19 or affected by COVID-19 — is the enemy.

Our SoP community needs us to stand up and intervene when they see or hear biases and microaggressions.  In essence, asking members of our community to become an ally and support our students, faculty/staff colleagues, and others who identify as Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islanders.

Here are several resources that offer techniques you can practice to become more comfortable speaking up for all vulnerable individuals and communities:

LifeLabs Learning — How to practice allyship as individuals and as an organization

1. Build empathy through education — Learn more about the current experiences of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islanders.
2. Make impact visible — Give timely feedback.  When you hear a comment or see an action that you perceive to be biased or discriminatory, give quick, private, and non-judgmental feedback to help the individual understand the impact of their words or actions.
3. Elevate identity — See yourself as an ally, advocate, or role model.

Teaching Tolerance offers allyship training and recommends a four-step process for speaking up against racism: interrupt, question, education, and echo.

1. Interrupt — Interrupting a person verbalizing racism or biases means taking a time out. It demonstrates that what they have said is important enough to pause the conversation to address it.
2. Question — “Questions” can be used as a warning (an effective technique used by parents around the world: “What did you just say to me?”). However, the goal of questioning someone in the context of allyship is to better understand why this individual said what they did.
3. Educate — Educating means continuing the conversation with the goal of providing facts to the other person. Explain why their racist words need rethinking.  Someone may not understand that their coronavirus joke is considered racist. Share that WHO has purposely established guidelines to avoid naming diseases after its place of origin and the name of COVID-19 was carefully chosen to avoid associating this disease with specific groups of people.
4. Echo — It takes effort to speak up against racist ideas and language.  So, it is important that we support each other by echoing those who speak up. Emphasize or amplify their message any way you can.  Thank them for speaking up. Echoing can be done while physically distancing.  Share anti-racist messages in online chats or social media platforms. Respond positively to others who respond by offering agreement and support.

If we all commit to fighting racist and xenophobic words and actions, we can start making our campus and communities safer for everyone.

Reporting Bias or Discrimination

If you experience harassment or discrimination, please report the incident so we can take the appropriate action.

• Students are encouraged to file a bias incident report.
• Employees may file a complaint with the Office of Compliance.

Support is also available by reaching out to Lisa Imhoff, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, who is here to listen and help you with your concerns at the School of Pharmacy.

As you know, this is a constantly evolving situation. Please watch for updates from campus and the School of Pharmacy as things can rapidly change.