Campus safety measures: All spruced up for new academic session

UPES is equipped to offer our students, employees and the entire university community a safe learning and working environment by aligning our safety protocols with those recommended by governments and our public health authorities

For many of us, it is the reality of settling back into the new normal that seems a tad unnerving. This transition will be challenging, but like every other challenge that we have faced during this pandemic, we are determined to come out on top of this through the force of sheer will, cooperation, and togetherness.

Given the circumstances, it is natural for many of our students and their parents to wonder if we’re ready to get back out there. We may not be right now, but we’re fully prepared for when we will be. We want to assure that UPES is extremely committed to the health, and well-being of students and faculty, and will leave no stone unturned to ensure the same. Over the break, we have reviewed our response readiness and strengthened it at every level.

We still haven’t decided when to open. However, when we do open up to old students and new, it will happen with the utmost care and caution. Here are some of the ways we’re keeping our students and faculty safe:

Entry and Exit regulations:

There will be multiple entry and exit points to lead students out of the campus. This is being done to prevent crowding around gates. Everyone who enters the campus will have to go through mandatory thermal screening. Even drivers will have to go through mandatory screening. On entry to campus, all personnel inside vehicles will have to disembark for the procedure. All employees have been asked to carry office IDs at all times.

Facility Readiness:

This move ensures that our classrooms, staffrooms, and any other area that students may come in contact with in their daily activities days are safe and secure. This begins not just with students but office-bearers too. Every office, classroom, MAC, and meeting room will be deep cleaned on a regular basis. In addition, utilities like water storage tanks, rooftop water tanks, and water coolers will be continuously monitored and deep-cleaned.

Another area that students frequently touch common objects are labs. All labs, ESS, panels and pumps are to be disinfected. All washrooms, pantries, kitchens, MDC, and infirmary will also be sanitized regularly. We are paying special attention to IT equipment. All computers, laptops and IT equipment will be properly disinfected. When it comes to outside areas, we’re fogging the grass areas, main gates, and boundary walls.

Sanitization and Upkeep:

In addition to disinfecting all areas, we’re also ensuring that soap solutions and hand sanitizers will be placed at all junction points and offices, and replenished periodically. All sanitization is to be done before and after duty hours.

In order to maintain ventilation of spaces and prevent the circulation or clogging of air, we’re also keeping all doors/windows open during office hours. 

Till further notice, the bio-metric swiping system for attendance will be discontinued. In place to that, the online attendance system (HONO) will be used to mark attendance.

Although lifts will be cleaned and sanitized frequently, they must not be crowded at any point in time. Hence, students and visitors would be asked to refrain from using the lift. Nevertheless, toothpicks will be left inside lift cabins in a small cup, in case of emergency. At no point will there be more than two people inside a lift cabin.

Social Distancing:

Wearing a mask will be compulsory in all public areas. Even so, we’re issuing a directive to prevent gathering in any common area, including the cafeteria.

Classrooms, library seating, cafeterias, and food courts are being rearranged to reduced capacity, in order to maximise spaces between students up to recommended levels. In the MAC, the seating capacity will be reduced to 200.

As you have read, the measures taken by UPES to ensure that everyone’s journey ‘Back to The Campus’ is safe and secure, wide and comprehensive. We are aligned with the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the Government of India, and have formulated this plan in consultation with our own public health experts, making this protocol extremely iron tight. We want to assure parents that we will only reopen once it has been deemed safe to do so and when we do, we will provide them a safe, warm, welcoming environment for everyone to learn and grow in.

A university is a place to let your imagination run away with you, and we understand that students can’t do that if they’re worried about their safety. For the next few weeks, we will be available to take questions, hear concerns, and abate them personally. We welcome your support and your cooperation and take the responsibility entrusted to us by parents and family members of our students and faculty extremely seriously. For more information on safety measures being taken to make our campus safe, visit upes.ac.in.