Vaccine update: University of Iowa paid leave related to COVID-19 vaccinations
University of Iowa employees, including bi-weekly employees, who receive a COVID-19 vaccination and who experience side effects that prevent them from being able to work may utilize Board of Regents (BOR) Sick Leave (established by Board of Regents Emergency Declaration on March 18, 2020) to remain in paid status during that absence from work, unless the employee has already exhausted their BOR Sick Leave. If the employee has previously exhausted their BOR Sick Leave, they may utilize regular paid leave accruals (e.g., sick leave, vacation, or compensatory time) as applicable.
No in-person summer 2021 youth programs
After considering the health and safety of program participants, University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff, we have made the difficult decision to not offer in-person summer youth programs from May 15 to Aug. 22. Youth programs include, but are not limited to, academic programs, research, sports camps, and wildlife camps. Those who want to conduct virtual programs for minors must follow the guidance laid out in the university’s Minors on Campus Policy (provost.uiowa.edu/minors-campus-policy), including program registration. Additionally, programs should refer to the Online Youth Programs Manual for specific requirements regarding virtual programming.
Exception requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To request an exception, please contact the Office of the Provost at provost-office@uiowa.edu.
Summer 2021 programs for adults will have in-person option
Pre-pandemic, the UI hosted on-campus summer programs for adults (e.g., research experiences for undergraduates, professional conferences/meetings hosted by UI departments, international summer fellowships). Last summer, due to COVID-19, these programs were canceled or held virtually.
During summer 2021, programs for participants who are 18 or older have the option of being in person and staying on-campus in pre-arranged university housing. Programs choosing to be in person will need to adhere to UI guidance for classroom and workspace use, as well as for events/activities occurring outside of class/work (e.g., classroom capacity of 50%, laboratory space limits, face masks, social distancing, etc.).
The university has issued guidance regarding all in-person events and opportunities. The most updated guidance can be found at coronavirus.uiowa.edu/returning-work.
Campus operations
The university continues to monitor self-reported COVID-19 testing data on campus, while also tracking state, region, and national COVID-19 infection rates.
University of Iowa self-reported COVID-19 testing
These data reflect new cases since Feb. 8, 2021.
The University of Iowa has published an updated snapshot of self-reported positive COVID-19 tests from faculty, staff, and students.
Number of self-reported cases of COVID-19
Students
- New cases: 15
- Total cases: 2,957
Employees
- New cases: 2
- Total cases: 433
These numbers reflect only self-reported positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests from UI faculty, staff, and students on the academic campus since Aug. 18, 2020. These data will not match data reported by UI Hospitals & Clinics or by the Iowa Department of Public Health for several reasons, including different testing time intervals and geographic scope. Students who also are employees of the university are only reported in the student number to avoid double counting. The UI has more than 30,000 students and nearly 30,000 employees. Many employees continue to work remotely but have self-reported to authorize sick leave.
Number of residence hall students in quarantine: 0*
Number of residence hall students in self-isolation: 0**
*Quarantine: Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.
**Self-isolation: Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are symptomatic and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected.