Students and Families
Staying Healthy On Campus
Cloth Masks are Mandatory Indoors
Wearing cloth masks at all times when inside university buildings will be mandatory except when alone in a private office, eating in a campus dining facility or when students are in their own residence hall rooms. Masks outdoors are encouraged.
Daily Health Screenings
Daily symptom screening will help keep the campus community safer. Please use the university’s Protect Texas Together app, to be launched by mid-August, before going to class.
COVID-19 Screening
University Health Services will continue to offer COVID-19 screening in its designated respiratory clinic and conduct contact tracing as needed.
Supporting Students Mental Well-Being
Counseling, support groups, workshops and recreational opportunities will be offered to help students cope with the stressors caused by COVID-19. A guide to support Longhorns, which will incorporate new and existing resources will be rolled out later this summer.
Modified Operations
Residence halls, student health centers, and dining and other facilities are being modified to comply with health and safety protocols. The plan calls for them to be fully operational when students move in on Aug. 20.
What Your Semester Will Look Like
Students May Choose Online Learning
Students may choose to do their semester online, with exceptions for some courses. Many classes, including the 400 largest unique classes, will meet online only.
Path Toward Graduation
Not all classes will be available online, so students will need to assess how such a choice would affect their paths toward graduation.
Shortened Time On Campus
The fall 2020 semester will start Aug. 26. In-person instruction will end Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving. Most students will remain away from campus for the remainder of the semester, taking final exams online Dec. 7-16.
Tuition is the Same
Online and on-campus courses will have the same tuition rates.
Expanded Class Days
Classes will be more evenly distributed through an expanded class day running from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Similar Class Schedules
Passing periods between classes will not be changed, so scheduled course times are staying as they were when students registered except for those classes that have to be moved for density reasons.
Reduced Classroom Capacity
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.
Classroom Accommodations
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
UT is still obligated to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to their courses, regardless of course format. Instructors should consider adopting accessibility best practices and inclusive teaching and learning strategies to provide proactive access for students. Instructors must continue to provide the individualized accommodations outlined in students’ Accommodation Letters. More information about providing accommodations can be found on Services for Students with Disabilities website and on the FAQ list for faculty.
Special Circumstances
Students with special circumstances (non-ADA), including COVID-19 symptoms, should go to Student Emergency Services and complete the absence notification request form with the expectation that their attendance requirement will not be affected.
Campus Life and Engagement
Student-Focused Buildings
Student-focused buildings and spaces including dining facilities, Recreational Sports facilities, the Student Services Building, the Texas Union and the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center are expected to be open, with social distancing and masking requirements in place, when residence halls plan to open to students on Aug. 20.
Student Activities
Guidelines are being created to promote safer student life activities and UT events whether fully or partially online, on campus or in outdoor spaces. This includes meetings of student organizations, recreational sports activities and other student gatherings of various sizes. These guidelines will be available when students return in August.
Modified Dining
UT will modify dining options, including ordering, delivery and seating, to follow health behavior guidelines and limit unnecessary interactions.
Counseling and Mental Health
The Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) will be providing its full array of services to students beginning fall 2020 and continuing telehealth services. The CMHC will extend its virtual hours and offer evening appointments to students in the fall.
University Health Services
University Health Services (UHS) will resume all services on campus this fall and will continue telehealth services. UHS will continue to offer students COVID-19 screening in its designated respiratory clinic and conduct contact tracing as needed.
University Housing
Residence Hall Occupancy
Most rooms in residence halls will be slated as double occupancy in addition to a number of single occupancy rooms. Guidance for Living in University Residence Halls
University Apartments
University Apartments are operating as usual, and students are being asked to follow university guidelines for personal care and social distancing, including in elevators, laundry rooms, restrooms, lounges and other common areas.
Cloth Masks
Residents will be required to wear cloth masks in common spaces but not when they are alone or with their roommates in their own rooms or when eating at an on-campus dining facility.
University-Owned Residence Halls
All university-owned residence halls plan to open Aug. 20 with a new process to safely move in over a period of four days, with extended hours to avoid crowding.
No Guests
Residents will not be allowed to have guests in the residence halls during the day or overnight.
Enhanced Cleaning
The university will perform enhanced, routine cleaning of common areas and provide personal protective equipment. Staff members working in the residence halls will be provided and will wear PPE.
Housing Contracts
Contracts Honored
The university will honor all contracts for university-owned residence halls. Students will be required to sign a COVID-19 amendment to the housing contract.
Room Selection
Students with a residence hall housing contract received an email on July 1 notifying them of the date they can go into the housing portal to select a room.
Winter Break Housing
Students whose circumstances require that they remain on campus in residence halls from the end of the fall semester until the spring 2021 semester begins must apply for winter break housing and sign a separate contract.
Non-UT Housing Contracts
Students with non-UT housing contracts should contact their property owner directly.
Graduate Programs and International Students
Deferred Admission and Student Employment
Given the likely delays for newly admitted international students to enter into the United States, graduate programs should be flexible and allow international students to defer admission, if requested. Students who expect be employed as a Teaching Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant, or other position should check with their department about the availability of financial support before beginning their studies from abroad.
International Travel
The university will follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. State Department guidelines regarding international travelers self quarantining before returning to campus.
