Environmental Health & Safety

COVID Precautions

(Masking, vaccination, testing, etc.)

• Can I impose stricter measures than those mandated by the campus, such as distancing or negative tests? (Updated 4/18/2024)

  No, please follow campus guidelines. Avoid requesting negative COVID-19 tests and refrain from enforcing social distancing measures. These policies have been formulated with extensive input from various stakeholders, including medical and legal experts, as well as the California Department of Public Health.

• Will I be informed about the vaccination status of students in my courses? (Updated 4/18/2024)

  Vaccination status is considered private health information. Therefore, you will not have access to the vaccination status of your students, whether individually or in aggregate. Additionally, you are not tasked with enforcing the vaccination policy. The central campus administration is responsible for reviewing vaccination status.

  Students who are temporarily unable to return to campus (e.g., due to symptoms, or a symptomatic positive COVID-19 test) will be instructed not to attend classes. It's encouraged that you assist these students in keeping up with coursework remotely until they are cleared to return to campus.

• Am I required to wear a face covering while teaching? (Updated 4/18/2024)

  No, the use of face coverings indoors is strongly recommended for a period of 10 days starting from the onset of symptoms or the date of your first positive test.

COVID SYMPTOMS, POSITVE TESTS, AND HEALTH CONCERNS

• What will happen if a student in my class tests positive for COVID-19 (Revised 4/16/2024)

  Instructors are not responsible for monitoring the health status of their students or making decisions about suspending in-person instruction. If a student tests positive, the COVID-19 Resource Center Liaison will be notified when the student submits their COVID Screening Check via the student patient portal. The student is not obligated to directly notify you of the positive test ( see related FAQ about a student notifying an instructor of a positive test). 

  Students who are instructed to isolate based on the findings of the case investigation may contact you to discuss options for continuing to make progress in your class during this time (see related FAQ about offering remote options to such students).

  You should not suspend in-person instruction for all students because of a positive test, a case investigation, or a group of students in isolation. 

• What should I do if a student tells me they have tested positive for COVID-19? (Revised 04/16/2024)

  Advise the student to complete to report their COVID-19 positive via their student patient portal. The COVID Resource Center Liaison may contact the student for additional information. If the student has questions in the interim they can contact the COVID Resource Center Liaison at COVID19@UCR.EDU. The COVID Resource Center Liaison will advise on next steps.

• As an instructor, when should I self-isolate? (Revised 4/16/2024)

  Please complete the COVID Screening Check to report the result of a positive COVID-19 test, have COVID-like symptoms, were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 (close contact with a known positive person for more than 15 minutes in a 24 hour period), or are reporting due to an Outbreak and follow the instructions for your particular situation. Upon completion, instructions will be provided via email. 

• Do I have to provide a remote option for students who are symptomatic or test positive for COVID-19? (Revised 04/16/2024)

  You are not obligated to provide a remote option. However, instructors are encouraged to be flexible and seek compromises to help protect public health on campus. If you find yourself in an untenable situation, such as the unlikely event that a larger number of students must self-isolate for an extended period of time, contact your chair to discuss options but do not unilaterally suspend in-person instruction. If a solution that maintains in-person instruction cannot be found at the departmental level, escalate to your dean.

  If a student has an especially prolonged case of COVID, as determined by Student Health Services or their medical provider, the student may have the option to register with the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) and receive formal disability accommodations. The SRDC is available to answer your questions and offer guidance in these situations. 

• How can I report a COVID-19 or public health concern?

  A link to an online intake form can be accessed from this website: https://ucriverside.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1YBlstrVO7GmNsV. Submissions are anonymous unless the submitter provides their contact information. Please encourage your students to help protect public health on campus by using this form. 

Other Instructional Inquiries

Instructional guidance, guest speakers, in-person delivery, and other questions.

• Is there any guidance for off-campus instructional activities such as fieldtrips or fieldwork? (Updated 4/16/2024)

  Instructors should complete a Field Safety Plan before teaching off-campus. To complete the plan, visit the "Documents and Forms" section on the Field Safety Site.

  Participants involved in off-site instructional activities should generally adhere to the same requirements as on-site activities.

  At present, there are no specific restrictions regarding food and beverage service. However, instructors are encouraged to consider service styles that minimize health risks. This may include offering individually packaged food and beverages, boxed meals, and avoiding self-service buffets.

• Can I teach remotely if I have young kids at home or if I live with an immunocompromised individual?

  Please refer to the announcement from the Instructional Continuity Workgroup and/or our Campus Briefing video (discussed at minute 28:00).

• Is it permissible to conduct office hours online instead of in person?

  Yes—it is acceptable to hold office hours online rather than in person. As always, office hours should be structured to effectively support student learning and facilitate student engagement with instructors.

• When is it permissible to transition to remote instruction?

  Typically, unless directed otherwise by the COVID Management Team, the central campus administration (which includes instructions you receive through the COVID Screening Check), or your dean, you should continue with in-person teaching. Similar to pre-pandemic protocols, a temporary shift to remote instruction is suitable if an instructor is temporarily unable to conduct classes in person. For brief disruptions, such as illness, faculty should follow their usual procedures, whether cancelling a class, offering remote instruction, or providing a small assignment as a substitute. However, it's crucial for faculty to promptly notify their department chair or program director to keep them informed.

  In instances of potentially longer disruptions, such as if a faculty member (or their young children) are advised by public health authorities to quarantine or isolate for an extended period, instructors should consult with their chair and propose a solution to their dean as soon as possible.

  Effective communication with students is paramount when transitioning to remote instruction. Students should be informed of this possibility at the beginning of the term so they can make necessary arrangements on their end (e.g., securing a suitable location, ensuring access to WiFi and devices). Including this information in the syllabus is considered good practice.

• Can I get a personal microphone for in-person instruction?

  Campus provided microphones will be assigned to rooms rather than instructors. The primary mode of COVID-19 infection is through exposure to respiratory droplets and the risk of surface transmission is low. However, all teaching spaces will be supplied with disinfecting wipes which can be used to wipe down shared equipment including microphones (while powered off, and excepting foam windscreens) before and after use. In addition, for rooms equipped with lavalier microphones, instructors may purchase their own wired lapel or “over ear” mic with TA4F jack, and connect this personal equipment to the campus-provided portable transmitter in each room. More details including suggested manufacturers are forthcoming from ITS. For classrooms that are not wired for amplified sound, a recent study on sound attenuation from the University of Illinois may be helpful for deciding which kind of approved face covering you want to use.

• Can I invite a guest speaker to participate in-person?

  Yes, the campus is currently open to visitors who comply with all applicable health and safety protocols.