Georgia Tech’s top priority for campus is the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff. In cooperation with the protective measures that have been put in place, each member of the community is encouraged to take responsibility to help contain the spread of Covid-19.

The Institute has established the following formal and informal processes and recommendations for incorporating accountability into safety guidelines.

Students and Student Groups Expectations

Led by the Division of Student Life and the Office of the Provost, the Georgia Tech Covid-19 Student Educational and Response Team (GT CO-SERT) is a temporary collaborative team charged with reviewing reported questions and concerns related to students or student groups and adherence to Covid-19 health and safety guidelines.

The CO-SERT will review reported concerns or questions, communicate with individuals or groups, and determine further response or referrals, as necessary. Its actions may include follow-up with campus community members; clarification of current guidance and campus expectations; additional informational or educational efforts; and if necessary, referral to applicable campus resources or offices to consider enforcement processes. CO-SERT does not intend to alter or supersede any existing campus enforcement processes, and the team will be disbanded as circumstances related to Covid-19 dictate.

Members of CO-SERT include:

• John Stein, associate vice president for Student Life and Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students (co-chair) 
• Steven Girardot, interim vice provost for Undergraduate Education (co-chair) 
• Sheree Gibson, interim director of Residence Life, Housing and Residence Life 
• Amy Henry, executive director, Office of International Education 
• Tracey Reeves, associate vice president for Research and Academics Communications 
• Kyla Ross, assistant vice provost for Advocacy and Conflict Resolution 

Questions and concerns from faculty, staff, and community members related to students and Covid-19 health and safety guidelines may be submitted to cosert@gatech.edu.  

Equally important to helping to contain the spread of the coronavirus at Georgia Tech is ensuring that faculty and staff are aware of the guidance around preventive practices  provided by the Institute.

Communicating with your co-workers:

When simple, ordinary behavior affect everyone, responsibility also lies with individuals. The key to this guidance is recognizing that feelings and comfort levels vary.

A few recommendations for employee interactions:

• Be mindful that your colleagues may not feel the same way you do.
• Be respectful of others’ feelings in your interactions with them.
• Reinforce and remind — to the extent you are comfortable — other Yellow Jackets and visitors of the requirements and guidelines, where they can access face coverings in buildings, and to follow best practices.
• Be mindful of language when addressing social distancing. Using words like “us” or “we” in the request to distance may help keep the situation from escalating. For example, “Let’s put a little more space between us at this table.”
• Please step away from others or leave any situation if you feel uncomfortable.
• Building signage should also be clearly displayed to assist students, faculty, and staff in following expectations in different scenarios.  

If you are not comfortable speaking to a person directly, remove yourself from the situation and contact your supervisor and/or HR Business Partner or HR Director.

If the situation becomes a workplace dispute requiring conflict management, work with your HR Business Partner or HR Director. You can also visit https://hr.gatech.edu/employee-relations/workplace-disputes for tips, recommended next steps, and resources available via Georgia Tech Human Resources.