Happy 2021!

Happy New Year and welcome back to the faculty and staff who returned to campus this week. I hope everyone had a safe and pleasant winter break.

As we prepare for the start of the spring semester, I wanted to share today’s “ 21 for Spring 2021 ” message, which covers topics related to FAU’s continued health and safety efforts to protect the University community. Following safety protocols and public health recommendations will limit COVID-19 on our campuses, as well as locally and across the country.

Safety Triad
Face coverings are required on campuses at all times, indoors and out. The only exceptions are when alone in a personal vehicle or when alone and behind closed doors inside a private office or residence hall room. Face shields or face coverings with exhalation ports or vents are not permitted as they do not provide effective protection from droplets. Students who need special accommodations regarding face coverings should contact Student Accessibility Services. Employees should contact the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Compliance.

Always maintain a distance of at least six feet from others. Employees working on campus should not visit other offices or labs, or spend time in common areas (such as conference rooms) unless absolutely necessary. In-person meetings are discouraged. Continue to use phone or teleconferencing applications whenever possible.

Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose. If necessary, cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow and then wash your hands. Personnel in office spaces are responsible for disinfecting their own spaces and common areas. It is encouraged to disinfect high-touch areas (such as printers or shared work spaces) every two hours.

Wellness Attestation/COVID-19 Training
All members of the University community must complete a Wellness Attestation/Check-In form twice per week. The only exception are employees working fully remotely as part of the Vulnerable Population Program. The attestation will appear whenever the student or employee attempts to log-in to any major University system, such as Workday, Canvas or Banner.

All members of the University community must also complete the new COVID-19 Training for Spring. To start the semester, employees and students will be presented with the option to complete either the training titled COVID-19 Required Training (Employees) or COVID-19 Required Training (Students) when logging in to any system that requires NETID on campus. The training takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Everyone is encouraged to complete the training at their earliest opportunity. All employees and students are required to complete the training even if they did so at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.

Compliance Program
The health and safety of the FAU community is everyone’s individual responsibility. Protect Your Owl Family by following University guidelines contained in the Health and Safety Plan.

The Guidance on Enforcement of FAU’s COVID-19 Safety Plan document is meant to provide a framework of enforcement mechanisms for students, faculty and staff. Compliance is a binding responsibility of every person and will be enforced consistent with existing FAU policies, including the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

FAU’s eventual return to traditional operations is dependent on these COVID-19-related guidelines, as well as those who notice non-compliance and notify appropriate officials when concerns arise. Individuals not complying with guidelines are subject to disciplinary actions. For students, potential sanctions could range from a conduct warning up to a suspension or expulsion from the University. For employees, sanctions could range from counseling or verbal warning up to written warnings and termination.

Examples of non-compliance include, but are not limited to: failure to wear a face covering; failure to physically distance from others; failure by a supervisor to enforce health and safety requirements; employees who exhibit signs of illness at work and refuse to return home; and employees failing to report to work when requested.

Non-compliance issues can be submitted via the following links:

• Student COVID Non-Compliance Form
• Employee COVID Non-Compliance Form

Flu Shots
As a preventive measure, FAU encourages all members of the community to get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible. Student Health Services offers flu vaccines at no cost for FAU students, faculty and staff. Visit the Student Health Services website for clinic schedules and additional information, as vaccines are only provided during specific times. Students can call to schedule an appointment and do not have to wait for a clinic date. Appointments are required in advance by calling the respective campus clinics:

• Boca Raton: 561-297-3512
• Davie: 954-236-1556
• Jupiter: 561-799-8678

Flu shots also can be obtained from personal healthcare providers or local pharmacies. Contact those providers directly for details.

For more information about flu season, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Students and employees need to continue reporting to Student Health Services (561-297-3512, select option 3) if experiencing COVID-19 or flu symptoms, are exposed to COVID-19 (even if out of the area) or test positive for COVID-19.

General questions related to the COVID-19 situation should be directed to FAUCOVID19@fau.edu. All feedback is shared with applicable departments across FAU campuses to ensure adjustments as necessary. Visit the FAU coronavirus website for additional information.