Employee Participation in COVID-19 Pooled Surveillance Testing

Posted Feb. 1, 2021

Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, all faculty and staff who report to campus in person to conduct some or all of their work obligations will participate in the college’s COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing on a weekly basis.

Important information on the testing process and participation requirements can be found below.

Information on Pooled Testing

  • The pooled surveillance test used by the college is a non-invasive, self-administered saliva test, developed and validated by SUNY Upstate Medical University’s laboratory and Quadrant Biosciences and approved by the New York State Department of Health. Please take a moment to review the college’s COVID-19 Pooled Surveillance Testing webpage for detailed information on the process.
  • Testing will be conducted on campus from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday, in the Siek Campus Center, as well as on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Williams Hall. Employees working at Jordan Road and TEC-SMART should use testing facilities at those locations.
  • Appointments are strongly encouraged to avoid lengthy wait times, and can be scheduled at http://covidtest.hvcc.edu.
  • Any and all costs for testing are paid for by the college, and no employee will be required to charge leave time for testing.
  • All individuals coming to campus must also continue to participate in the college’s Daily Health Screening process as well.

Union and Non-Union Participation

  • Memorandums of Understanding have been established with the Department Chair Association, Faculty Association, Non-Teaching Professional Association, Non-Instructional Employee Union, and United Public Service Employees Union, requiring all members of these organizations to participate in the mandatory weekly testing.
  • Members who would like to receive a copy of the MOU for their bargaining unit should contact their union representative.
  • Discussions with the EOC Alliance are ongoing.
  • Non-union employees are also required to participate in the mandatory weekly testing.
  • Please be advised that the weekly testing is mandatory only for those working on campus, and employees who do not follow the process may face disciplinary action.

Questions on mandatory testing should be directed to the Office of Human Resources at (518) 629-4552 or HR@hvcc.edu.

Thanks to our collective bargaining unit leaders and members for the commitment they are demonstrating in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. And thank you also to all our employees for your continued efforts and cooperation as we work to keep our campus community safe and healthy this semester!

Sincerely,

Karen Paquette, PHR, MS
Executive Director of Human Resources
Hudson Valley Community College