Commit Policy

Commit @ IHP: COVID-19 Compliance Policy

PURPOSE:

The Commit @ IHP (“Commit”) COVID Compliance Policy and guidelines cover students, faculty, and staff. It is a community-wide declaration of our personal and professional responsibility to slow the spread and flatten the COVID-19 curve. Commit requires every member of the Institute community to hold the community responsible for providing a healthy and safe environment for students, faculty, staff, our families, roommates, clients, and for the patients and staff at clinical education sites. This policy includes zero tolerance for those who violate their personal and professional responsibility.

The primary purpose is that students, faculty, and staff follow Commit, which is grounded in science and includes wearing a mask, washing your hands, always practicing social distancing, and social isolation by limiting travel to home, campus, and clinical sites.

Students, upon matriculation, begin the process of becoming socialized to the norms, behaviors, and codes of conduct of their respective clinical professions. Commit @ IHP is aligned with this professional responsibility as part of the journey to develop effective clinical decision-making skills. It is imperative for all of us to declare our responsibility and remain healthy and safe so that: (1) students can continue to progress within their academic programs; (2) faculty are able to teach, to conduct research, and to produce scholarly publications; and (3) staff are able to safely provide the support and services needed to maintain a quality learning and work environment. People’s lives and the health of the community depend on each of us doing the right thing and holding one another accountable.

Students, faculty, and staff are required to attest to Commit, documenting our personal responsibility to each other’s health, safety, and well-being, while at the same time demonstrating our personal and professional commitment to flattening the curve. Our behaviors have a direct impact on the IHP’s ability to successfully execute the plan for the fall and possibly future semesters. We need everyone to work together, for the duration of this pandemic, to create a safe and effective academic environment.

Policy Info

Effective Monday, March 14, 2022:

Vaccinated students, faculty, and staff do not need to wear a mask on campus (except in limited circumstances) nor maintain social distance when eating or drinking.
Guests and visitors to campus should follow vaccination and COVID screening requirements and processes.
Unvaccinated individuals should be masked while on campus and maintain social distance while eating and drinking. Institute-provided masks are required and will continue to be available at all check-in stations.
Institute-provided masks will be required by students, faculty, staff, clients, and research participants in the Sanders IMPACT Practice Center and research data capture areas. Facemasks and goggles are optional.
Clients and research participants must complete the COVID screening process each time they come to campus.

Masks will continue to be required when:

Riding on Mass General Brigham shuttle buses and public transportation.
Entering all clinical areas within the MGB system and other health care settings.
Local communities maintain the masking requirement.

Despite the changes in policy, students, faculty, and staff must continue to complete the COVID PASS prior to arrival on campus or at any MGB site.

Violations of Commit:

To help students understand and comply with the responsibilities of Commit, consider the following behaviors, among others, that would violate Commit:

Failure to follow Massachusetts travel restrictions and protocols
Disregarding instructions from faculty/staff – including PPE requirements and social distancing or isolation
Disregarding or tampering with or removing signage to access closed areas of campus
Misuse of social media, including posting or discussing content contrary to the Commit policy
Attending indoor and outdoor activities where proper protocols are not consistent with Commit, state and local statute, or Mass General Brigham

Zero Tolerance for Commit Non-Compliance: Zero tolerance refers to the Institute’s commitment to strict enforcement and swift but thorough response to any and all violations of the Commit policy.

For Students – Students should review the below list of potential consequences of non-compliance; this list includes a range of possible sanctions up to and including suspension and dismissal from the Institute.
For Faculty and Staff – The Institute commits to a swift, thorough response to any and all reports of employees violating the Commit policy. Procedures and consequences will be aligned with existing protocols, as outlined by Human Resources and the Faculty Handbook.

Potential Sanctions for Violations: The Institute and its various academic programs shall review all violations carefully and implement one or more of the following educational sanctions:

Probation – a set period of time in which a student must demonstrate improvement in their personal and/or academic conduct, comply with specific instructions, and/or make evident progress toward set goals; probationary status indicates the strongest warning the Institute can offer to a student that failure to correct their conduct and avoid further violations will very likely result in suspension or dismissal.
Suspension* – temporary removal of a student from their academic program.
Dismissal* – permanent removal (expulsion) of a student from their academic program.
Written Warning – a letter from academic leadership or relevant committee (CAPP, etc.).
Reflection Paper – required self-assessment of specific behaviors, with emphasis on how such behaviors conflict with Commit expectations or place the IHP community at risk.
Restricted Access/Loss of Privileges – suspension from participation in specific activities and resources on or off campus (including but not limited to clinical education, library, and extra-curricular organizations).
Fines/Fees – monetary penalties for non-compliance; proceeds from fines will be donated to the IHP Student Community Service Fund; fees will only be added to cover the cost of any mandated referrals resulting from a violation.

*to be applied without refund of tuition/fees, and noted on student’s permanent record

Information Gathering: Depending on the timing of a violation, if a student came from a "high-risk" state as defined within the Massachusetts Travel Order, they will be required to provide a copy of the MA Travel Form and the COVID test results required within 72 hours prior to entering MA.

Questions and Appeals: Students who have questions about the Commit policy or any of the details outlined herein should contact their academic program or email commit [at] mghihp.edu (commit[at]mghihp[dot]edu) for assistance. When a student is found responsible for a violation of Commit, their program will provide them with specific instructions and a timeline for their option to request an appeal. There will be one appeal only; the decision of the appeal officer or body will be final.