Covid-19 Policies

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE NEW ORLEANS COVID 19 POLICY FOR STUDENTS, INSTRUCTORS, STAFF, AND OTHERS

August 13^th, 2021

Purpose

The Alliance Francaise de La Nouvelle-Orléans, or AFNO, is concerned about the health and safety of its students, instructors, and staff.

The Board of Directors of the Alliance has approved a policy to require the mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 of its staff and students who will be leading or attending in-person classes as well as staff working in-person at the AFNO. The mandatory vaccination policy will also apply to anyone attending any in-person events indoors at the AFNO headquarters. The main purpose of this policy is to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the AFNO. In addition to the mandatory vaccination requirement, the AFNO will continue to follow and adhere to relevant Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, and local regulatory requirements and recommendations with respect to wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. At this time, those participating in classes, work or events at the AFNO must wear face coverings.

In the event a person cannot provide proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test will be required to participate in classes and activities at the AFNO. Anyone 12 years of age and older, including employees, must provide proof of at least one dose of an approved COVID vaccine or negative PCR test within 72 hours to access.

To prove vaccination status, individuals can use the LA Wallet app; an original, digital photograph, or photocopy of CDC vaccination cards (both sides); or an official vaccine record issued by another state, foreign nation, or the World Health Organization.

Scope

As noted above, this policy covers all people who will be participating in in-person classes, working in-person, or otherwise attending in-person events at the Alliance.

Dissemination of Policy

In order to give the AFNO community notice of this policy, the AFNO will prominently post this policy on its website, distribute it via its weekly email newsletter, distribute it to all instructors and staff, and display it near the registration desk. Implementing the Policy if registering in-person, the AFNO will require all registrants for in-person classes or events only to show a Covid-19 Proof of Vaccination Card (whether in hard copy or electronic form) to AFNO staff. If registering online, the AFNO will require the email of a pdf or image or similar reproduction of a registrant’s Covid-19 Proof of Vaccination Card. All instructors and staff will also need to show such proof. No one will be permitted to attend in-person events or teach, study, or work in-person at the AFNO unless that individual complies with this policy. These requirements and this policy will remain in effect until the AFNO believes it is prudent to rescind the policy, at which time 2 the AFNO will communicate the changes broadly through the same channels used to disseminate the policy.

Exemptions

The AFNO is sensitive to the needs of its community and recognizes that there are certain exemptions to this policy that the AFNO will attempt to honor, specifically religious and medical exemptions. If any individual wants to claim an exemption because of a medical reason, please provide the AFNO with a letter from a doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner verifying the reason for the exemption. The AFNO is not a large organization with unlimited resources. The AFNO will, however, make reasonable efforts to allow instructors or staff to teach or work from home online if they meet one of the two stated exemptions. Likewise, the AFNO will make reasonable efforts to accommodate students who claim a religious or health exemption by providing access to online classes. Please be aware that the AFNO cannot guarantee sufficient enrollment online to provide exempted instructors with an equivalent number, subject or level of classes as they would have had if they were teaching in-person. Similarly, the AFNO cannot guarantee the availability of space in a particular online class or desired subject or proficiency level for exempted students.

Questions

Please address your questions about this policy to the Alliance’s Executive Director, Emilie GEORGET at director@af-neworleans.org .