PTC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response

3 August 2020

Summary

Current response statement

PTC commitments

Hygiene

Library

Restricted on-campus access

SEMESTER 2 ENROLMENTS

Events and meetings

Staff on-campus attendance

Campus shutdown

On-site accommodation

Wellbeing

COVIDSafe app

Further information and requirements

Concerns and feedback

The following preventative measures have been put in place.

‘On-campus’ refers to the main college building, not the residences.

Summary

  • The PTC campus is closed except for essential work and study. The Principal will be onsite 9.00am - 7.30pm Mon-Fri.

  • All semester 2 enrolments will be online, with optional on-campus attendance for some units once government restrictions are lifted.

  • All student meetings and events have been cancelled.

  • On campus attendance should be minimised even by those authorised to be on campus.

  • Face masks must be used in accordance with Government requirements.

Current statement

PTC has a coronavirus response statement posted on the website and will update it as required.

Anyone wanting to come on-campus is required to check and follow the directions in the current PTC response statement. This includes lecturers, staff, students, library users, tradespeople, outside groups using the College premises, and Chinese congregation members.

As far as possible, staff will advise people of the requirement to follow the response statement before they come on-site. The requirement will also be posted on the front door of the main college building.

PTC commitments

In responding to the coronavirus situation, PTC will:

  • Take whatever measures are possible and necessary to safeguard everyone in the College community and to preserve PTC’s reputation.

  • Follow the advice and directions of the Victorian and Federal Governments.

  • Seek to remain in step with reasonable community expectations.

Hygiene

  • Keep at least 1.5 metres between you and others wherever possible.

  • No more than one person per 4 square meters must be maintained in all college offices, lectures rooms, and other spaces. Entry is not permitted to a room if this cannot be maintained.

  • One one person should sit at a lecture desk.

  • Keep entrance doors open as far as possible to avoid touching handles.

  • Hand sanitizer is available in the entrance foyer.

  • Use an alternative form of greeting to shaking hands.

  • Do not sneeze or cough within 1.5 metres of others, and stay 1.5 meters away from those who are coughing or sneezing.

  • Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.

  • Face masks must be worn whilst this remains a Government requirement. Masks do not need to worn when in one’s own office with the door locked, or when undertaking strenuous physical activity (whilst maintaining physical distancing).

  • Do not touch your face after touching non-sterile surfaces.

  • Wash hands before you eat.

  • Properly wash hand after toilet use, including the use of soap, hot water, and hand-drying.

  • Try not to use on the campus kitchen facilities. If you do, wash your own dishes with hot water and soap and use the provided tea towels or let dishes drip dry.

  • Do not use the tea towels in the kitchen as handtowels. Tea towels will be changed every day.

  • Use the provided paper towel in the kitchen for hand drying.

  • The frequency of professional cleaning has been increased.

  • For events at which food or snacks are served (and there will be no such events until further notice), food must be served so that:

·        no-one touches utensils or crockery that others have touched with bare hands.

·        no-one has food that others have touched with bare hands (including from a shared bowl of chips).

·        food is protected from contamination from sneezing, coughing, etc.

Library

  • The above physical distancing and hygiene rules are to be followed.

  • A desk must be kept free between users - only every second desk may be used.

  • Only one person is permitted in the postgraduate study area and the photocopy room at a time.

  • Only one person is permitted in a library aisle at a time.

  • Users are advised to wash their hands before and after using the library.

  • Hand sanitizer is available at the circulation and library search desks.

  • Library borrowing limits and due dates have been lifted to allow users to minimise on campus attendance.

  • The usual library procedures are to be followed of self-checkout, self-checkin, and users reshelving the items they use and return.

Restricted on-campus access

You are not permitted to be on-campus (neither to come onto the campus nor to remain on the campus), if you pose a risk to infecting others with coronavirus. This includes if:

  • You have coronavirus or have been advised or directed to self-isolate.

  • You are being tested for coronavirus and waiting for results.

  • You have been exposed to someone who has coronavirus.

  • You have signs or symptoms of a cold, flu, coronavirus, or respiratory infection (unless you have medical certification that you do not have coronavirus).

  • You suspect you might be about to get a cold, flu, coronavirus, or respiratory infection (unless you have medical certification that you do not have coronavirus). E.g. if you feel like you are ‘coming down with a cold/flu’.

  • You have been overseas in the previous two weeks to attending.

  • You have been in a coronavirus high-risk environment in the previous two weeks to attending.

  • ·You have any doubts about whether you pose an infection risk.

If you are in a high risk category (including a ‘vulnerable student’ as defined by the Federal Department of Health), you are only permitted to be on-campus by booking a time on the campus access roster. Those in a high risk category should discuss their situation with the Principal before coming on-campus. The Principal and Registrar will also seek to identify high risk staff and students and discuss with them how PTC can enable them to continue their work and studies.

A vulnerable student is defined as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 50 years and older with one or more chronic medical conditions, people 65 years and older with one or more chronic medical conditions, people 70 years and older, and people with compromised immune systems.

If you have doubts about whether you are permitted to be on-campus, you are not permitted to be on-campus until authorised to do so. Authorisation is given by the Principal. Please call or email the College office (03 9898 9384, or email the Acting Principal (peter.hastie@ptc.edu.au).

Semester 2 enrolments

All semester 2 enrolments will be online. Some units may move to optional on-campus attendance once government restrictions are lifted. No students or lecturers will be required to attend lectures on-campus. If a lecturer does not wish to be on-campus, the unit will be online only.

Events and meetings cancellation

All student events and meetings have been cancelled. This includes chapel, prayer meetings, and social activities. Faculty meetings are held online. No public events will be held while government restrictions are in place.

Staff on-campus attendance

Staff should minimise on-campus attendance during the shutdown, and should continue to fulfill their employment obligations to the fullest extent possible at home. If it is not a government requirement to work from home if possible, and a staff member still does not wish to be on campus out of concern about COVID-19 infection, they will need to have permission from the Principal or otherwise take leave in whatever form they have it available to them (including sick leave, waiving the requirement for a doctor’s certificate), or leave without pay. Staff seeking permission in this circumstance should declare if they believe they are in a high risk category.

Shutdown procedures

Lecturers and staff

Lecturers and staff are responsible for fulfilling their particular roles in the campus shutdown.

Communication

Full-time lecturers and office staff can communicate by phone, email, and through Teams, and are required to be accessible according to their regular schedule during business hours.

On-LINE lectures

For on-campus lectures being delivered by video conference, you will use Microsoft Teams. Join the lecture conference at the same time as you normally would have been on-site for the lectures. I.e. the regular timetable will be followed.

To download Microsoft Teams.

1. Download and install Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/downloads.
2. Sign in with your PTC email address (with the .vic included).
3. Check that all your on-campus lectures show up as teams.
4. Make sure that your speaker and camera are working in Teams (go to settings, and you will find an option to check your devices are working).

If you need assistance, you may seek help from a fellow student and from the IT Coordinator.

Resources for assessments

Normal due dates for library borrowing are suspended - see advice distributed by the librarian.

Student assignments will be graded in accordance with the resources that are reasonably available to students (e.g. key texts that should have been purchased or are available in Logos, resources on the internet and in EBSCO, lecture notes). If the shutdown causes problems with due dates, these will be reviewed accordingly.

Students should ensure that they can log into EBSCO when off-campus. To do this, you will need to have your own EBSCO account:

1. When you are on-campus, go to search.ebscohost.com. You should be automatically logged in, if you are using a library computer or on the college Wi-Fi network on your own device.

2. Click ‘sign in’ and create a new account that uses your Google PTC email address to login. This is your personal EBSCO account and can be used off-campus.

If this does not work, please email the IT Coordinator or the Librarian.

On-campus tests and exams

Alternative arrangements will be made as necessary for on-campus tests and exams.

On-site accommodation

Occupants of on-site accommodation are advised to consider their own bests interests and the welfare of others, and so are advised to have a plan in place for alternative accommodation should they believe that is necessary. Occupants may not permit others to enter their accommodation who have, are suspected of having, or are likely to have coronavirus. Occupants should notify the College immediately if they have or suspect they have Coronavirus or have been advised or directed to self-isolate.

Wellbeing

Students may experience particular difficulties and hardships at this time. The PTC handbook and website indicate various resources that are available. Students are encouraged to speak to their pastoral care group faculty leader. Please raise issues of financial difficulty with the Principal.

COVIDSafe app

Information about the Federal Government’s COVIDsafe app is available in the College foyer and at https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app. PTC does not require anyone to use the app. As is the usual practice, all visitors to the College (non-staff and non-enrolled students) are required to sign in whenever they come on-campus.

Further information and requirements

Concerns and feedback

If you have questions or concerns about PTC’s response to coronavirus, please communicate with the College. We want to ensure that PTC remains a safe place to work and study.

 Peter Hastie
Principal