The National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU) has published a checklist for campus card offices to more effectively move toward reopening services in a safe and healthy fashion. The checklist comes at a time when universities are in the throws of plotting strategies for reopening this fall, and applies specific considerations that campus card professionals must consider.

The Considerations for Credential Production, Distribution, and Events During the COVID-19 Pandemic checklist was developed by a group of NACCU volunteers, staff and members of the Association's Professional Development Committee as a guide to help inform reopening of campus card services. The checklist is designed to help determine first and foremost whether or not a card office is fully prepped for reopening, with the primary consideration of staff and customer safety in mind.

The checklist is broken out into subcategories that span general items, customer-related concerns, health and safety, and space. The checklist acts as a self-assessment tool to assist in card office planning during uncertain times and to act as a guide to help inform responsible reopening of card services.

NACCU's checklist dovetails with a separate set of considerations for testing laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC's guidelines apply to the broader category of "Higher Education Administrators."

The CDC's document, entitled "Interim Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education Administrators for SARS-CoV-2 Testing," was released on June 30, 2020 and provides guidance for situations where universities should consider conducting COVID-19 viral testing for students, faculty or staff. The CDC notes that its guidance is based on current knowledge about COVID-19 and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

The CDC emphasizes in its guidance that testing is “one component of a comprehensive strategy” institutions should employ to slow the spread of COVID-19. The agency also cautions that the testing guidance is meant to supplement, not replace, any federal, state or local regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The CDC also notes that testing programs should be “guided by what is feasible, practical and acceptable, as well as tailored to the needs of each community.” The CDC document also states that testing "must be carried out in a way that protects individuals’ privacy and confidentiality.”