Enforcement of Compliance to Health and Safety Measures

The following is the procedure for enforcing the College’s health and safety policy, which encompasses requirements for face coverings, physical distance entering campus, and use of campus spaces.

Please note: The College’s expectation is that all community members comply when asked, rather than face the penalty of being required to leave campus. Everyone is required to enter the campus with their face covering and to continue to wear while on campus (except alone in office). Public Safety will offer a face covering only when necessary and strongly encourage groups to maintain physical distance as required by College’s policy.

The following reporting and response procedures will guide the College in addressing allegations of non-adherence to the health and safety policy that has been established to help protect individuals in the Teachers College community and our neighbors as we return to campus.

The College’s goal is to support adherence to our health policy by all on our campus. Signage throughout our campus and other reminders will be designed to ensure that everyone entering campus or using campus buildings is aware of the College’s expectations regarding face coverings, physical distance, testing, training daily screening and other requirements; how to find more information; and where to go with concerns.

Complaints and concerns about non-adherence can be reported in a variety of ways:

• Staff to their Supervisor
• Faculty to their department chair or Provost
• Students to Student Affairs staff/Residential Services staff
• Human Resource
• Public Safety
• Office of Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs

In the interest of supporting community health and safety, anyone (including affiliates and non- affiliates) who refuse to adhere to the campus health and safety policy after being asked to do so by an appropriate authority will be asked to leave the Teachers College campus.

1.  Receiving complaints and informal resolution:
   Supervisors, departmental administrators, student affairs staff, Human Resource, and Public Safety have responsibility to:
• Receive concern or complaint, address directly with the people involved by attempting to determine what has happened
  
  • Public Safety will have a supply of disposable face coverings to provide to individuals as needed to enable policy adherence.
• Seek to resolve informally, with education to reinforce informally, with education to reinforce understanding of expectations related to policy adherence.
• Seek assistance from supervisors and department administrators as needed, as would be done for other similar concerns and complaints.
2.  Refusals to adhere to policy and repeated complaints:
• If the policy violation is ongoing and the individual(s) refuses to adhere, the authorized staff members (Human Resources, Student Affairs Public Safety) shall inform the individual that they must leave campus immediately.
• For employees who are expected to conduct their work on campus, time away as a result of a required departure from campus will be counted against that employee’s vacation or personal days, as appropriate.
• Repeat complaints that are of a serious nature (e.g. intentional disregard of policy/serious dangers to self or others) should be reported to Human Resources, Student Affairs or Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs. These complaints may be addressed through formal investigation and progressive discipline if needed.

TC Non-Discrimination Notice:

Teachers College (“TC” or the “College”) is committed to providing a working, learning and living environment free from discrimination and harassment and to fostering a vibrant, nurturing community founded upon the fundamental dignity and worth of all of its members.

Consistent with this commitment, Teachers College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or partnership status, citizenship or immigration status, military status, disability, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other legally protected status in the administration of its admissions policies, educational policies, employment, scholarship, loan, and other College-administered programs; treatment, or in access to College programs or activities. See full notice: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/policylibrary/diversity-and-community-affairs/non-discrimination

We have a continued responsibility to speak out against harassment, bullying, discrimination against all community members. During these times, we must be especially mindful to prevent pandemic-related harassment and discrimination due to race, national origin, immigration status and other protected characteristics of those affected by the pandemic. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act ( which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex including pregnancy, Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.  All EEOC materials related to Covid-19 are collected at www.eeoc.gov/coronavirus