Fall 2021 Covid Guidelines – FAQ

As noted in the Updated Community Standards, face masks are required in all University buildings.

An exemption to the mask wearing community standard will not typically be considered as a reasonable accommodation. Individuals with a disability or health condition that prevents them from safely wearing a face mask may seek alternative accommodations through the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (faculty and staff) or Accessibility Resources and Service (students).

First, remind them of the mask policy and ask them to put one on. If they do not comply, ask them to leave the classroom and submit a report to the Office of Student Conduct. If you do not feel comfortable confronting the student directly, dismiss the class and talk to your language program director immediately.

Pre-Covid classroom capacities have been restored, which allow for 3 feet of distance among students.

YES! Students can be heard and understood at three feet distance, and there is no reason at this time to discourage students from speaking or engaging in productive groupwork. You may find that it is not as easy as in the past to do “mingling” activities or switch partners a lot during one class the way you may have in the past. On the other hand, take advantage of technologies like google docs and jamboards for collaborative work as well as many other Apps and websites that we used last year when teaching remotely. Check out our adapted Teaching with Technology Suggestions.

If they are unvaccinated, they must quarantine. If they are vaccinated, they may still have to isolate. Please read further about the quarantine and isolation policy at UNC.

If students have to quarantine or isolate, they will very likely inform you, because they will have to miss class(es), however due to confidentiality laws, instructors will not be automatically notified. The Orange County Health Department performs contact tracing on positive tests.

If you are fully vaccinated (at least 14 days post-final vaccination) with an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccination and you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you are not required to quarantine or get tested unless you have symptoms. Of course, vaccinated individuals may still choose to get tested after an exposure even if asymptomatic.

On the other hand, if it turns out that you do need to self-isolate or quarantine during the semester, please contact your coordinator and language director (for language classes) or the chair (for upper-level classes) as soon as possible, so that we can make a contingency plan together based on individual circumstances. Options for this situation include switching to Zoom for a short period of time (if symptoms allow), arranging for substitutes if available, and/or providing alternative, asynchronous work for students.

Please show flexibility in how you respond to these absences. Your coordinator will assist you in talking through some of these options. You can offer your students asynchronous options (they carry out activities in the lesson plan on their own and then meet you for some oral production during your zoom office hours). Your coordinator will be there to talk through some of these options. Please reach out to them if this situation arises.

Housekeeping Services has increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces in public spaces, including but not limited to: building entrances, door handles, lobby furniture, stair handrails, ADA door controls, elevator buttons, light switches, time clocks, and restroom surfaces and fixtures. These surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected multiple times daily. These surfaces include shared-space equipment such as copiers and printers, desks and tables, light switches, door handles, coffee makers and break room tables and appliance doors. EPA-registered 60% to 90% alcohol solution cleansers will be provided for this purpose in each workplace, classroom, dining facility, residence hall, library, and other University facilities. Handwashing stations or hand sanitizer dispensers will also be installed throughout campus buildings, particularly at key building entrances and near elevators, restrooms, and common areas. Visit the site Enhanced Cleaning Frequencies for updates.

To improve central air filtration across campus, building box filters have been changed and upgraded to filters with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as recommended by the CDC and ASHRAE. MERV-13 filters provide increased filtration over standard filters and per ASHRAE are efficient at capturing airborne viruses.

Each coordinator will be making these decisions. You may certainly use paper copies. Surface transmission is believed by the scientific community to be rare.

Every coordinator or instructor who is writing a syllabus for a course should insert the following statement and repeat it to all students at the top of a welcome email and again on the first day of class.

“This semester, while we are in the midst of a global pandemic, all enrolled students are required to wear a mask covering your mouth and nose at all times in our classroom. This requirement is to protect our educational community — your classmates and me – as we learn together. If you choose not to wear a mask, or wear it improperly, I will ask you to leave immediately, and I will submit a report to the Office of Student Conduct.  At that point you will be disenrolled from this course for the protection of our educational community. Students who have an authorized accommodation from Accessibility Resources and Service have an exception.  For additional information, see Carolina Together.”

It is also appropriate to communicate to your students that you need them to follow the guidelines for everyone to feel safe. You may additionally invite them to contact you or the course coordinator if they have concerns about standards of the “healthy” classroom.

Current COVID-19 Community Standards require individuals to always wear face masks while inside any University buildings. Masks must be worn in shared offices, unless you are alone with the door closed.

To limit physical contact, the main office suite will remain closed to the public and staff will be available virtually either via the tablet just outside the main office door or a personal device. If you need to speak with a staff member privately and/or need to retrieve something from a staff member, you will be granted access to the main office. Please note, that there will be staff available in the main office daily from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm to address any questions or concerns that you or your students may have.

We know many of you enjoy grabbing a cup of coffee or tea before class. The coffee station will be relocated to the Faculty/Graduate Student Lounge (Dey 212). Everyone should have access to this space via their OneCard.

The copy room (Dey 211) has returned to its pre-COVID schedule and will be open from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. You can access the copy room after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends via your OneCard. Please remember that your copy code is the last four digits of your PID. Also, we have installed a motion sensor light in the copy room, so if the lights are off when you enter the room, just walk into the center of the room. Also, please do not turn off the lights when you leave the room. If you have trouble accessing either Dey 211 or 212 with your OneCard, please contact Shavon.

If you have any community protective equipment (CPE) needs, such as disposable face masks, hand sanitizer or alcohol wipes, please email romladmin@unc.edu. Please note, all classrooms should be supplied with hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes for students to sanitize their workspace before and after class.