COVID-19 information for instructors

Faculty members shall not require a student to wear a mask.

However, individuals may want to continue to wear a mask for additional protection against COVID-19. Students, faculty, staff and visitors are welcome to wear masks while at the University. Individuals should assess their own personal health risks when making this decision.

• The person testing positive is to isolate immediately, per CDC recommendations.
• For in-person courses, instructors should notify students there has been a positive case reported in class.
• If there has been notification of a positive case in a classroom, any students in the classroom who are having symptoms should not attend class and should get a COVID-19 test. Any student testing positive must isolate for a minimum of five (5) days even if asymptomatic. 
• It is most important to ensure the student who tested positive does not attend class during their isolation period. The isolation period for someone testing positive for COVID-19 is a minimum of five (5) days from the start of symptoms or if asymptomatic five (5) days from the testing date. If symptoms are resolving after five (5) days and the student has not had a fever within the past 24 hours, they may return to class or to work. If symptoms continue, the isolation period should continue for an additional five (5) days.
• Having a student test positive or symptom-positive student in a classroom/lab does not mean the class needs to be cancelled or taught remotely.
• Instructors must provide students who have tested positive opportunities to make up missed course work, including assignments, quizzes or exams. In courses with mandatory attendance policies, instructors must not penalize students for missing classes due to a positive COVID-19 test. In addition, instructors should not penalize symptom-positive students who miss class because the student is acting out of an abundance of caution while awaiting test results. It is the instructor’s prerogative whether to record classes for or provide synchronous remote access to students who are in isolation due to a positive COVID-19 test or who are awaiting the results of their COVID-19 test.

Instructors are advised, if a student tests positive in one of their classes, to get a COVID-19 test themselves after five (5) days or sooner if they are exhibiting symptoms.

In the event an instructor tests positive for COVID, isolation should begin immediately. Consultation with the chair or dean, should also begin immediately as to what next steps should be in presenting material to your class during the isolation period.