CBCS Guidance on Face Coverings

Over the past few days, faculty and staff have asked about the use of face coverings while on campus. Below is the guidance we have been provided with at this point.

Per recommendations from USF Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USF employees who must come to campus are advised to cover their faces with a bandanna or some other cloth when working around other people in order to reduce the spread of the virus. The face coverings are not intended to be protective devices for those wearing them, but rather they help minimize exposure to others when an individual coughs or exhales. Employees should continue to maintain social distancing (keep at least six feet between you and others), wash hands frequently with warm water and soap, wipe down frequently touched surfaces with disinfectants, avoid touching their faces, and self-isolate and call a medical professional if they develop any COVID-19-like symptoms (fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing). Note that any cloth face coverings used in this manner should be washed daily in hot water.

These guidelines will remain in place until the University framework for re-opening is finalized, which President Currall indicated at the last Dean's Q&A, may not be available until mid-July. For the sake of simplicity and consistency, EH&S has asked that we follow the CDC recommendations regarding face coverings unless our activities dictate the need for higher level protection from a medical/human health perspective (namely, clinics).

The CDC guidance will also apply to visitors, outside contractors and Facilities staff employees. If you should encounter someone on campus not following these guidelines, please take extra precautions for yourself. As a reminder, there should only be minimal personnel on campus at this time - those considered essential or performing critical functions.

USF Heroes

CBCS PhD candidate, Amanda Sharp, has been recognized as a USF Hero for her contributions to the community in helping those impacted by COVID-19. Amanda and her team, including Melissa Carlson and Dr. Kathy Moore, have been leading outreach efforts in downtown Tampa to those who need assistance with clothing, food and personal hygiene. They've gathered donations to assemble kindness bags filled with snack items, toothbrushes, socks and other hygiene products and have delivered them to the homeless community. This population has been greatly impacted by COVID-19 since many shelters, kitchens and food pantries are functioning at a lower capacity. This effort is part of Sharp's "Human Kindness for Homelessness" initiative launched in December 2019. Read the full article here.

Spring 2020 COVID-19 Q&A with Dean Julie Serovich

Dean Julie Serovich held an online Q&A session on May 13 covering the college's current status with the COVID-19 pandemic including a special appearance from USF President, Dr. Steve Currall. Video of the entire session is available here for viewing.

We invite you to share your COVID-19 stories in Communique. Let us know how you are coping with working remotely. Submit your photos and captions to cbcsmarketing@usf.edu

As always, you should refer to the official USF coronavirus webpage for the most up to date information. 

Stay safe

Dr. Kathleen Heide is a Professor of Criminology and a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Science. She previously served as the Associate Dean and Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Over the past 35 years Dr. Heide has investigated psychological, biological, and sociological factors that contribute to violent youth behavior. She is recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on juvenile homicide and parricide (the killing of a parent or other near relative). Further, Dr. Heide has a long-established record of teaching excellence and student commitment, having won numerous teaching awards during her tenure at USF. Her work is also widely shared outside of the classroom. Dr. Heide is known for her outstanding community engagement and consultation with agencies such as the National Institute of Justice and service on the Florida Sentencing Commission. A prominent public academic, as noted by one of her external reviewers, her work has been "highly valuable to clinicians, courts, attorneys, parole boards, and the entire judicial system." Clearly, Dr. Heide has demonstrated a prolific record of teaching, scholarship, academic leadership, and public engagement throughout her exemplary career at USF. Being selected as a Distinguished University Professor (DUP) involves an intensive internal and external review of the faculty member's credentials that culminates in selection by the DUP Recommending Committee. Those named this year will have their titles formally bestowed at the Faculty Honors & Awards ceremony to be held during the Fall 2020.

Dr. Kathryn Hyer recently participated in a Focus on Aging: Federal partners' webinar entitled "Supporting Older Adults in Emergencies: Preparedness, Response and Recovery". Dr. Hyer's presentation was entitled "Recovery after Disasters: Insights from Hurricane Recoveries". The 90 minute webinar sponsored by the NIH, HRSA, CDC, CMS and ACL was attended by over 900 people.

As faculty, staff, and students in CBCS, we all share a mission to help those in need. Unfortunately, in light of the circumstances, many of the resources that have previously served people who are homeless and hungry have been forced to shut down. These past few weeks, we have met with two organizations that are still up and running and doing their best to help: The Coffee Shop (an outreach and engagement center provided by Gracepoint) and Hillsborough Hope (the new tent city in Tampa supported by Catholic Charities and the county government).

We are currently working to put together supply kits for these organizations, where they can safely and securely be put into the hands of those who need them. We are accepting financial donations here through GoFundMe.

Alternatively, if you are stuck at home and find yourself in a cleaning frenzy, we are also accepting donations of the following:

• Bath towels
• Reusable bags (like grocery bags, canvas bags, backpacks, etc.)
• Blankets
• Shoes (mostly men's)
• Clothing (we really need men's clothes, especially pants!)
• Socks
• Nonperishable food
• Depends (mostly for men)
• Nonperishable drinks (juice, tea, ensure, etc.)
• Hygiene items (especially sunscreen, razors, and nail clippers)

If you gather your donations in a bag and place them outside of your house, one of our team members will happily come pick them up or we can meet you at a convenient spot! Just email us your address when it is ready, and we will coordinate the rest. Please rest assured, we are taking safety precautions to sanitize and maintain social distancing. For questions, donation pick-up, or more information about our partners, please reach out to Amanda Sharp at amandasharp@usf.edu, Melissa Carlson at mbarongi@usf.edu, or Kathleen Moore at kamoore@usf.edu. Thank you for your kindness!

If you have news/events, or recent/upcoming publications you would like posted on the CBCS website and/or newsletter, please send the details and any attachments to CBCS Marketing. (CBCSMarketing@usf.edu)

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Articles included in the CBCS Communique may be disseminated to USF Media outlets and/or beyond.