The University’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) established the Coronavirus Management Team (CMT) in January to respond to the unfolding coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Its members actively monitor the local and global health status of the disease and have advised Westfield State administration on proactive steps to minimize health and safety risks to the University’s students, faculty, and staff.
The team’s membership represents offices and departments from across campus, including public safety, emergency management, health services, student affairs, academic affairs, finance, residential engagement, dining services, human resources, public affairs, and marketing, among others.
Thomas Kettle is chair of the ERT and CMT. He said the CMT meets daily (in recent weeks, using teleconference software) to address the latest pandemic news and respond to ensure the safety of Westfield State students, faculty, and staff.
“There is an operational period of 24 hours. If anything prominent comes up within that time frame, we will meet via Zoom to discuss what our next move will be,” explained Kettle. “Every person within this group has a specific function and specialty. If money comes into discussion, for example, we use the finance department to aid in the discussion, and set the agenda going forward.”
University Health Services Interim Director Lisa Brosnan has been in frequent contact with both the city of Westfield’s Health Department and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to guide WSU’s response to COVID-19.
“When the University asked study abroad students to return home, we had questions about whether the students who were returning to the U.S. should be allowed to come back to campus,” said Brosnan. “We relied on guidance from DPH in advising the University about whether those students should be allowed to return to campus for the remainder of the semester.”
With help from the Massachusetts National Guard Friday, March 27, the University donated surplus supplies—gloves, lab coats, safety goggles, hand sanitizer, and floor scrubber pads—to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Those supplies will go into MEMA’s stockpile warehouse; the state agency will then distribute them as needed.
For more information about how Westfield State University is responding to the pandemic, please visit the University’s Coronavirus Update webpage.