Faculty
Testing and Reporting
COVID-19 Testing
If you are a UT faculty member exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, you will be able to schedule a test with UT Health Austin. You can also arrange a test with the health care provider of your choice. UT Health Austin (UTHA) will bill an individual’s insurance plan for this clinical testing, and most insurance plans, including the UT Select employee insurance plan fully cover the cost of testing for symptomatic individuals. For employees who are uninsured, UTHA will explore the use of federal programs, if available, to help cover the cost.
Report All Testing
In order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to help keep our employees safe, it is important that employees, including student employees, and managers report symptoms and testing regardless of test results to the Occupational Health Program (OHP) as soon as possible. Contact 512-471-4647 or email the Occupational Health Program to report COVID-19 symptoms or tests regardless results. OHP values employee privacy and is following privacy guidelines that allow the university to keep our workplace and co-workers safe while still protecting individual privacy as much as possible. Learn more about the COVID-19 reporting process and how it helps slow the spread of the virus.
Staying Healthy On Campus
Recommended Protective Face Masks are Mandatory Indoors
Wearing a recommended protective face mask at all times when inside university buildings will be mandatory except when alone in a private office. Wearing a recommended protective face mask outdoors is encouraged.
Daily Health Screenings
Daily symptom screening will help keep the campus community safer. Please use the university’s Protect Texas Together app before leaving for campus. If you don’t have a smartphone, a phone-based application is also available.
Flexible Teaching Arrangements
Instructors who have a household member who is in a CDC high-risk group and from whom they cannot maintain social distance will be able to seek flexible teaching arrangements using the Faculty Flexible Teaching Modality Arrangement for COVID Request Form.
Accommodations
Faculty with a medical condition or other risk factor placing them at high risk for COVID-19 can request a reasonable accommodation using the Americans with Disabilities Act process. Faculty who already have a written arrangement with their department chair to teach online do not need to go through this process. All others can request this accommodation through the Employee Accommodation Request Form.
A New Approach for the Fall Semester
Fall Semester Schedule
The fall 2020 semester will start Aug. 26. In-person instruction will end Nov. 24, two days before Thanksgiving. Most Students will attend classes remotely for the remainder of the semester. View the Academic Calendar for Long Session 2020-2021 for additional information.
Teaching Mode Preferences
Instructors who have strong preferences about teaching mode, such as in-person, online, hybrid, or schedule preferences will work with their department.
Students with Special Circumstances
Students with special circumstances including COVID-19 symptoms should submit the Student Emergency Services absence notification request form.
Classrooms at 40% Occupancy
Rooms will be assigned to classes so that when all students registered for that class attend, no more than 40% of the seats in that classroom will be occupied. Many small classrooms therefore will be unusable for in-person classes but can be used for other purposes, including as studios that can be used to teach online classes or for professors’ office hours.
Health and Safety Rule Violations
Instructors can end a class in which students are present who are not wearing recommended protective face masks and refuse to leave. Instructors can refer student violations to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity to initiate the discipline process.
Office Hours
Faculty members may choose to hold office hours on campus, while adhering to campus safety guidelines. Space that is too small to be used as a classroom is an alternative for in-person office hours. Faculty members should also hold virtual office hours via phone or Zoom if they or students are unable to come to campus.
Research
The university began restarting research this spring in advance of the reopening of classrooms and other parts of campus operations. We are looking at those efforts as a guide in making some decisions for the fall.
Six-Level Plan
UT has implemented a six-level plan to reopen research activity. Detailed information can be found in the Restart Research plan. Early this summer, the university transitioned from Research Level 4 to Research Level 3, in which up to 40% of researchers can be on campus.
One Person Per 200 Square Feet
No more than one individual may occupy 200 square feet of research or office space. Offices smaller than 300 square feet should be considered single occupancy.
Contact Tracing Logs
Contact tracing logs are maintained for all research spaces, with names and times of entry and exit.
Cleaning
Research spaces are cleaned regularly by custodial services.
