Category: SPS Return to Campus Information

Dear SPS Staff,

With our return to the office coming shortly, it is important to be prepared for the changes to our work environment. Several workspaces at Wieboldt Hall, Abbott Hall, and the Mansion have been repurposed as shared neighborhood spaces that will be available on a reserved basis to individuals or groups that need temporary space. We will be using the DeskFlex app to allow staff to reserve spaces in SPS facilities.

The app can be accessed via the web, or in a mobile version available for Android and Apple iOS. Users will authenticate to the system using their Net ID and password, described in the PDFs we are attaching to this email. Users will then specify their desired date, time, and space they wish to reserve.

A word of caution: we have tested the web and mobile applications, but we are still working out technical issues with the vendor. We ask for your patience while we improve the user experience. If you have any questions, please email us at sps-it@northwestern.edu or use our Help Desk http://help.sps.northwestern.edu.

Thanks,
SPS IT

Compatibility:
iPhone or iPod Touch : Requires iOS 12.0 or later
iPad: Requires iPadOS 12.0 or later
Mac: Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip
Android devices: Requires 6.0 or later from the Google Play store
Microsoft laptop or desktop works on the most recent versions of Chrome, Edge, or Safari

Download these pdf files:

How to make a reservation.

Mobile App Quick Start Guide

Updated September 15, 2021

To maintain the vibrancy that characterizes our campuses, the University expects that most employees will continue to work at designated campus locations for a majority of their work week.  In early 2021, the School of Professional Studies submitted a proposal for a hybrid Return to Campus plan, which was subsequently approved.  That plan was shared with all SPS staff members. 

• If employees require additional accommodations, beyond the SPS Return to Campus plan, based upon their own medical, disability or other protected class, they should contact the Office of Equity and follow the Reasonable Accommodation Policy to request an accommodation.

• If employees require additional flexiblity that differs from the established Return to Campus plan, they may submit this request form to your manager, who will review and submit to an internal SPS committee for review and decision. All additional flexiblity requests are being handled at the School level and not the University level.

Full details on the University’s policy on Alternative Work Strategies are available here.  Questions regarding these policies can be addressed to Jeannine Russo at jrusso@northwestern.edu or to HR Business Partners at HRBP@northwestern.edu

How does the rise in the delta variant change our back-to-office plans? How will updates be communicated with the ever-changing situation?

The most up-to-date information can be found on the University COVID-19 webpage and via the University COVID-19 dashboard.

SPS will continue to follow the rules and policies set forth by the University. The University is guided by the guidelines set forth by the CDC, the State of Illinois, the city of Evanston and the city of Chicago. SPS follows the University direction.

There is a team at the University that is constantly monitoring the situation and meets weekly with representatives from around the University. SPS has three representatives that are part of these weekly meetings and we are sharing updates with the school. These will be shared via email and via this website.

What is the protocol that SPS will follow if someone in the office is COVID-19 positive?

The official University protocol is outlined here. Individuals who test positive should self-report. If you test positive at an NU testing site or through Northwestern Medicine, the University will be notified. After reporting, the following will occur:

• A member of Northwestern’s COVID Response Team will reach out to walk you through next steps. This will include direction regarding your need to self-isolate in accordance with Northwestern and CDC requirements as well as guidance regarding your path to return to work.
• In the event that you receive notification of a positive result prior to hearing from the COVID Response Team, immediately begin to self-isolate pending further guidance and email covidcasemanagement@northwestern.edu. In addition to working with our COVID Response Team, please work directly with your primary care clinical team to notify them of your positive test and to seek direction on any follow-up care.

Contact tracing is also handled by the University’s COVID response team. Protocol is outlined at the link above, but includes:

• Contact tracing will be done in close collaboration with local public health officials.  Based on these protocols, confirmed close contacts of individuals that are COVID-19 positive will be included in the University’s COVID Response Team case management process. 
• Unvaccinated individuals identified via contact tracing will be asked to quarantine until the recommended CDC clearance timeframe has been met.
• Fully vaccinated individuals or those who have tested positive for COVID -19 in the past 3 months who are identified via contract tracing will not be required to quarantine. Any individuals who are identified via contact tracing who develop symptoms will be asked to test for COVID-19 at specific intervals to rule out the presence of a COVID-19 infection.  

If you have questions about this process, please reach out to the covidcasemanagement@northwestern.edu, as these are University-wide policies that SPS is following.

Hello all,

September, and along with it our return to campus, will be here soon. The COVID-19 vaccines have given us reason for optimism, but I share the disappointment that you all likely feel as the nation and the world still struggles with the pandemic.

We have each had to deal with our own challenges over the past year and a half, and I recognize that the continued uncertainty we face only adds to feelings of frustration and exhaustion. If you could use some help in dealing with whatever you’re feeling, the Employee Assistance Program offers a range of counseling and other services at no cost.

None of us have ever been through anything like this before, it’s new territory for everyone. I do want to make it clear that we will continue to be completely transparent when communicating with you about the pandemic and our return to campus, as we have done over the past 17 months. Regular updates will be posted to the new return-to-campus website. I know that there have been a lot of questions – please see the FAQs below, which address items such as campus health, safety and COVID protocols, office logistics (lockers, air purifiers) and details regarding our updated dress code. If you have additional questions not listed here, please submit them here.

We will get through this, together. I’m looking forward to seeing each of you on campus soon.

Best,

Tom

Thomas F. Gibbons

Dean

Northwestern University

School of Professional Studies

Wieboldt Hall, Sixth Floor

339 East Chicago Avenue

Chicago, IL 60611-3008

Can you know if your workspace partner has been vaccinated? For individuals who are not vaccinated/do not disclose vaccine status, how will the bi-weekly testing process be managed at SPS?

Individual vaccination status is confidential and private and will not be disclosed by the School or University. All information regarding vaccinations is available here.

Testing for unvaccinated staff is conducted by the University. Unvaccinated staff or faculty who work on campus are required to:

• Complete twice-weekly COVID-19 testing on campus (Based on recommendations from Northwestern’s medical experts, these tests must be completed within three days of each other. If the number of days between tests is greater than three, the Symptom Tracker application will display in yellow as a reminder to complete a new test in order to return to green status.)
• Complete the daily Symptom Tracker application on those days when they are on campus
• Wear a mask in all shared indoor settings

These obligations constitute requirements for employment eligibility for unvaccinated staff and professional duties for unvaccinated faculty.  

If you have questions about the vaccination policies, please reach out to vaccine@northwestern.edu.

What are the cleaning protocols for all three of our spaces?

Please see the University guidelines for cleaning and personal hygiene. Additional details about how each area on campus is cleaned and frequency of cleaning are outlined here.

How often will public areas be cleaned?

All public areas are governed by Central Facilities department and the intention is to have nightly cleanings in the evening. If additional cleaning is necessary, it can be requested via a ticket through the help desk and facilities can arrange for the school to purchase additional visits as necessary.

Where will air purifiers be located?

See the maps below. The “starbursts” represent the locations where the air purifiers will be located. See below for a picture of the units that are being used.

Who can use the lockers and where will they be located?

Lockers will be digitally locked with a code that can be set by the user on a daily basis, SPS facilities has master keys in the case you forget your code or are locked out. Lockers are meant for employee use when you are using hoteling space and should not be used for overnight or permanent storage.

Each employee will have lockable storage space in your shared workspace. Keys for workspace storage will be provided by SPS facilities.

A map with locations of lockers will be following shortly.

What equipment will be at each workstation and what do I need to transport between my home office and campus workspace?

All workstations will have a monitor and the appropriate adapters (no docking stations). The photos below are a sample of what will be at each workstation. Each workstation will have a monitor, a lock, as well as the appropriate adapters to connect to the monitor at the workstation. This set up allows employees to utilize two screens at their workstation – one external monitor and one on their laptop.

Each employee will each retain the existing keyboard and mouse from their workspace, separate from their laptop. New employees will be provided with a new keyboard and mouse separate from their laptop. Employees are responsible for bringing/transporting these items, if they desire. They may also be stored at your shared workspace. Employees do not need to share keyboards and mice.

If you have questions, please submit a ticket.

What is the dress code when we return to campus?

We recognize that the standards of professional attire have evolved and have updated the policy accordingly. We hope this new dress code policy allows for more workday comfort and flexibility.

School of Professional Studies Dress Code Policy
September 2021

The School of Professional Studies continues to expect a professional work environment as we return to work on campus. Therefore, effective September 7, 2021, SPS staff should be guided by the following updated dress code policy:

While working on campus, all SPS staff are expected to follow a business casual standard of dress. A business casual standard of dress also applies in all video conferences with University colleagues, students and other external parties or any circumstances where staff represent SPS. Business casual dress is defined as follows:

• Tops: All shirts with collars, business casual crew neck or V-neck shirts, blouses, and golf and polo shirts. Examples of inappropriate shirts include athletic wear, T-shirts, shirts with slogans, tank tops, and crop tops.

• Bottoms: Casual slacks, trousers, skirts, dresses, and dark-wash, colored, or white jeans without holes, frays, or wrinkles. Examples of inappropriate pants include shorts, sweatpants, athletic wear, faded jeans.

• Footwear while on campus: Casual slip-on or tie shoes, dress sandals, and clean athletic shoes. Examples of inappropriate footwear include flip-flops and construction or hunting boots.

For school-wide events such as New Student Welcome and SPS Symposium Welcome Reception, SPS follows business professional attire. Business professional attire is also appropriate for University leadership meetings, including Zoom meetings. Business professional attire includes:

• Dress shirt, tie, and sport coat worn with trousers and dress shoes, as well as pantsuits, business-like dresses and coordinated separates.

The following clothing items are prohibited:

· Jeans that are frayed, tattered, ripped, and/or overly distressed or faded;

· Sneakers or athletic shoes that are old and weathered;

· Shirts with slogans or messages;

· Midriff shirts;

· Shorts, sweatshirts and sweatpants, or any athleticwear; and

· Flip-flops/beach shoes

University policy pertaining to staff states that departments and/or schools may set standards of personal appearance and hygiene as reasonable and appropriate for the operation of the department. Please contact your immediate supervisor if you have any questions.