Western authors new operating levels to align Governor's Safe Start phases with university operations

Western has developed a system for defining operating levels during the COVID-19 pandemic based on guidance provided by the state of Washington and other sources. This system is designed to satisfy the requirements of Governor Inslee's Safe Start phases for Whatcom County, and is located on the University's Safe Start site at wwu.edu/safe-start.  Western will operate under Level 2 for Fall Quarter.

Western's operating levels are not directly tied to the Safe Start phases, but will be set by the University's Executive Leadership based on the current Safe Start phase in Whatcom County, phases in other counties, virus trends across the state, and other environmental factors.

Western's Safe Start site not only features the new WWU Operations Levels but also contains new and updated information about department reopening plans, guidance on gathering sizes as tied to the current operational level, and more.