Employees Stay Safe

View the full policy and FAQs

Do I have to disclose my vaccination status? Can I ask if someone's vaccination status?

Generally, individuals are not required to disclose to their supervisors, classmates or co-workers if they have been vaccinated. Though some areas – such as health services – may require to assist with contract tracing, decisions on the need to quarantine, etc.  Supervisors and other individuals should not ask employees or students if they have been vaccinated.

What if a student fails to comply within a classroom or other university setting where coverings are required?

Faculty and staff may submit a Student Conduct & Community Standards referral form so Student Affairs they may follow up with the student to determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed based on conduct and community standards. Sanctions for violations could include written warnings, university probation, loss of privileges and university suspension.

Where should I direct students who indicate that they require an accommodation?

Students who require a health or disability-related accommodation must request an accommodation through Disability Access Services.

Who can I contact if I have concerns with or questions about the face covering policy?

For questions or concerns, please contact D’Andre Braddix, Dean of Students, at braddixd@umsl.edu in the Office of Student Affairs.

Although in person courses will continue in the fall, UMSL has increased 100% online course offerings as well as blended courses to meet our student's needs. These blended courses incorporate the strengths of both face-to-face and online learning to create a unique and quality experience.

Course format options

FULLY IN PERSON

Fully Online

Fully online and partially online courses are offered in both synchronous or asynchronous formats.

• Synchronous courses are those that meet virtually at a specific day and time. If a course is synchronous, the day and time will be listed on the schedule with a meeting location of “online” listed next to it. The notes section of the schedule will also give more information about the time requirements for these courses.
• Asynchronous courses are those where the course is completed within a specific timeframe on the student’s schedule.

Blended

Blended learning is a cohesive mix of synchronous face-to-face learning experiences coupled with online learning opportunities delivered asynchronously in Canvas. This infusion of online learning into an in-person course is called Blended Learning. Faculty have designed their courses with best practices to combine a clearly communicated pattern of face-to-face class meetings with online learning experiences for a blended delivery. 

For those unfamiliar with blended learning, these courses incorporate the strengths of both face-to-face and online learning to create a unique and quality experience that makes best use of each environment.

Blended courses can be offered in a variety of meeting patterns: once weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or even specific dates during the semester. That information can be found on the class schedule and on the course itself in MyView. Students will be notified when the change has been made to their schedule to log into MyView and review the updated schedule.

What will classrooms look like?

Classrooms will no longer be arranged for social distancing and will return to a traditional arrangement with students selecting seating based on their preference. There are currently no restrictions related to social distancing on campus.

What is the cleaning schedule for classrooms?

Our custodial services staff will frequently clean all classrooms as well as provide disinfectant spray and paper towels in each room for any additional needs. Facilities will also provide packages of disinfectant wipes to each faculty member teaching in person this semester to take to class to wipe down keyboards at the instructor station as well as provide them for student use in the case of classrooms with student computer stations or laptops.

Department chairs should order those through the PPE request form; note it is a Google form and requires chair to be logged into their UM System google account. Departments/units should arrange to have administrative staff pick up the wipes packets from facilities when they are notified of their availability.

Have ventilation concerns been taken into consideration in our buildings and classrooms?

Yes, in buildings that have central ventilation systems the settings have been adapted to bring in fresh air rather than circulate air within the building. In buildings where the ventilation system are de-centralized it may be necessary to have windows open in classrooms and other areas to provide the fresh air return. These rooms will be marked with signage.

Notifying faculty of a student absence due a medical reason, which may include students with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19

The university requires all students to complete a Reporting COVID-19 Diagnosis/Symptoms form if they are sick, experiencing symptoms of coronavirus that are atypical of their individual health circumstances, if they have tested positive – or have had close contact with another individual who has tested positive – for COVID-19.

This form is directed to Campus Health Officer Chris Sullivan in the Office of Health, Counseling and Disability Access Services.  Health Services staff will contact each student who self-reports to review their individual health circumstances to determine next steps, which may include faculty notifications.

Process for notifying instructors of a student absence due a medical reason

• Instructors will be contacted by UMSL Health Services staff when a student is unable to attend in-person classes for any medical reason – including those related to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.
• Staff will not provide the specific medical circumstance that requires the absence, however, they will provide the instructor with the earliest date a student is expected to return to campus.
• While the identity of a student who must be absent from class for any medical reason will be shared with their instructors, it must be kept strictly confidential and should never be shared with others including students in the classroom. Doing so would be a violation of FERPA.
• The identity of a student with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 will be closely held and only provided to officials who have a specific role in addressing needs such as cleaning, assisting with academic arrangements or initiating quarantine procedures.
• Public health officials are responsible for contact tracing for those who test positive for COVID-19 and will instruct students on their next steps, though Health Services will assist in this effort. Contact tracers will determine close contacts, which might include you as an instructor. If so, they may contact you for further information.
• A suspected or positive case involving a student in a classroom is not a reason to shut down in-person instruction for any period of time. That decision should only be made in consultation with the Campus Health Officer.
• You are not alone. Public health experts, contact tracers, and our own medical teams are working together to manage the virus on our campus following the most up-to-date information.

What you should do

• We strongly encourage instructors to work with students who are unable to attend in-person classes due to a medical reason to provide academic arrangements, compassion, support and connections to resources in Canvas. Health Services will provide resources and information for students regarding their individual medical concerns
• We also encourage instructors to routinely remind promote positive behaviors such as following university, CDC and St. Louis County guidelines for safe practices in all settings to help us protect the health and well-being of our UMSL community.
• Direct them to campus safety resources at umsl.edu/staysafe for further information.

What you should not do

• You should never ask for or share the personal medical information of any student to anyone as this is a violation of FERPA.
• You should never announce to the class, or others, if there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 associated with a student in the classroom and you should not speculate on the medical reason of an absence.
• Students are not required to tell anyone in class if they have a suspected or positive case of COVID-19.
• You should never ask a student to provide the medical reason for their absence. If the absence has been cleared by Health Services, office staff will notify you with the student’s name and date through which their absence is expected.
• You should not attempt to identify or notify individuals you believe to have been in close contact with a student who you may have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. Instead, you should work directly with public health officials if they contact you.

If a student is absent due to a medical reason, how will you know if they are approved to return?

• Those students who are absent from classes due to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 are instructed to not return to campus until they receive written permission from the Campus Health Officer.
• If you are unsure if a student who has an approved absence has been cleared to return to campus, you may privately request that they provide a letter of permission to return to campus from the Campus Health Officer.
• You may also report any student violations of campus safety requirements through the Student Conduct & Community Standards referral form. When received, UMSL Student Affairs will follow up with the student to determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed based on conduct and community standards. Sanctions for violations could include written warnings, university probation, loss of privileges and university suspension.

What will be the threshold for returning to remote learning and working only? 

• A variety of metrics will be considered for the possibility of escalating or deescalating UMSL’s response to COVID-19, including but not limited to:
  • UMSL-associated active cases and active cases within the region,
  • Availability of hospital care and isolation space,
  • Availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies,
  • Availability of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Given the fluidity of the situation, UMSL is working closely with local and state health departments to monitor the spread of COVID-19.

Can a faculty member pivot mid-semester and shift their class online?

A faculty member should not plan to unilaterally change the modality of their class. Once the semester starts, these types of decisions will be made at the campus level. In the case of a health concern, please contact your HR representative for the process of documenting the need for accommodations.

Can a supervisor or faculty member have their own, stricter policies if they are worried about safety? For example, can a professor say “N95 masks are required for my class, not just a face covering.”

No. Faculty and staff are expected to follow the campus guidelines on safety policies and may not impose alternative policies for their own classes or for employees reporting to work in-person. 

Can staff shift back to working from home at any point if they don’t feel safe or cases rise?

• Remote work arrangements should be structured to define employee expectations and work arrangements for the fall semester only with future remote arrangements to be determined by supervisors on a semester basis.
• Human Resources will be available to support managers so they are empowered to make decisions in the best interest of the university’s mission.
• If an employees’ flexible work arrangement request is related to an ADA accommodation, no action is required on your part. Instead, unit plans and supervisors should refer any employee who references a disability or health condition to Tara VanDeVoorde in Human Resources at tara@umsl.edu.
• If the university as a whole determines it is necessary to shift to remote learning and working, then an announcement will be made.

The Campus Testing Center will be open to UMSL students only with modified operations, including:

• Students are discouraged from scheduling in-person exams in the Testing Center when a Proctorio (Remotely Proctored) option is available. In-person proctoring is intended for students who do not meet the technical requirements or have disabilities that prevent the use of Proctorio.
• The testing center will be set up in a manner that follows current university guidelines.
• Students are discouraged from bringing personal items to the Testing Center.  Due to possible space expansion, the number of secure lockers for storing personal belongings will be limited.
• Testing seats and workstations will be cleaned between each test taker.  

Make an appointment: https://www.registerblast.com/umsl/Exam/List

The University Libraries are open - please check the Building & Reference hours shown below. From their website, use the Chat button or select Research Help for assistance, Zoom session requests, & all other questions. Additional information: Remote Library Services.

Note: This policy is under review.

The student experience outside of the classroom setting is an integral part of the benefits of college. During this time, our programming will include both in-person and virtual events. We’ll post all of our events and activities on the campus calendar, so be sure to check out calendar.umsl.edu for all of our engagement opportunities.

• There will be co-curricular experiences on campus with the size of social gatherings and meetings based upon the guidelines set forth by the university and following public health orders.
• Virtual opportunities for engagement will be plentiful. More information about those events can be found at https://myengage.umsl.edu/.
• New and returning students will have the opportunity to participate in the Triton Take-Off Welcome Experience via in-person and remote options. Visit umsl.edu/wow for schedule and additional information.

• Employees and students are discouraged from taking public transportation when possible. However, we recognize the importance of public transportation as well as campus shuttle services in your ability to access campus.
• Those who utilize campus shuttles or public transportation should wear face coverings and avoid touching surfaces unnecessarily while practicing social distancing as much as possible.
• We also encourage you to navigate to and from their on-campus residential housing as well as from class to class via accessible outside sidewalks and pathways to their destination.