Dear Deans, Directors and Department Heads,
As you know, Chancellor Jones sent a massmail on Monday detailing important requirements and expectations for the university during the Fall 2020 semester. Since that message contained a great deal of information regarding campus operations and instruction, I would appreciate your help in sharing this information with all instructional staff. I’d like to draw your attention to a few important details:
Instruction
- Instructors are encouraged to read through the COVID-19 Classroom Management Information. This document contains information for both in-person and online instruction.
- The last day of in-person instruction is November 20, 2020. After this day, the remainder of instruction and final exams will be online.
- We will also be sharing a list of FAQs on the university’s COVID-19 website soon.
Safety Information
- ALL faculty, staff, and students are required to complete this COVID-19 online training by August 24, 2020.
- COVID-19 on-campus testing twice per week is required for ALL faculty, staff, and students who are on-campus for any length of time. Mandatory testing begins on August 10 for faculty and staff and on August 16 for students. See a list of on-campus testing sites here.
- We will send more detailed information tomorrow about how testing scheduling will work in the short- and long-terms. But to summarize, until you receive your regular testing protocol that fits your activities and schedule, if you are a faculty or staff member, beginning August 10, you should test on one of the following day combinations: Monday/Thursday, Tuesday/Friday, Wednesday/Saturday, Thursday/Sunday.
- Contact tracing will be conducted in coordination with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD). All faculty, staff, and students who test positive will be required to isolate and quarantine per guidance by the CUPHD.
- Face coverings/masks are REQUIRED for everyone in university facilities, unless they are alone in a private space. Face coverings/masks are also required outside of facilities if social distancing is not possible.
- Wellness Support Associates will check for compliance of instructors and students at the entrance of classrooms and, in some cases, buildings. Individuals will have to provide their entry status using either the Safer in Illinois app or another mechanism. The university will share more information about this process soon.
Classroom Environment
- Facilities & Services has determined the updated capacity of your classroom to maintain appropriate social distancing. You may check the classroom capacity here.
- Do not move the furniture. Remind students to sit only in designated seats.
- Facilities & Services is performing extensive cleaning of classrooms and installing sanitation stations. Instructors will be responsible for wiping down equipment when they enter the classroom.
Other Information
I encourage you to read the massmail message from Chancellor Jones in its entirety, if you haven’t already done so. Please also continue to check covid19.illinois.edu for the most updated information.
Sincerely,
Andreas C. Cangellaris
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost