Instructors:

I write to follow up on the recent campus update regarding the 2022 fall semester.

As we prepare for the start of another school year on Monday, Aug. 22, I encourage you to review the guidance related to instruction below. We will continue to monitor and update guidelines based on direction from the Board of Regents, State of Iowa and provide additional communication as needed. Please continue to check coronavirus.uiowa.edu if you have questions and for the latest updates.

Please note that individuals in UI Health Care and other clinical areas should follow guidance from their respective units. 

The work you do is critical to the University of Iowa’s academic mission. Your efforts help Iowa stand out as a leader in innovative research, creative work, and scholarship. You help empower our students to reach their fullest potential and be transformed through the power of education. Your work makes the world a better place, from the lives you impact in the classroom to the knowledge you contribute to the state, nation, and world.

Thank you for your dedication to our students and for continuing to live up to the core values that define who we are and aspire to be as a community.

Kevin C. Kregel
Executive Vice President and Provost

Vaccinations and Mask Usage

The University of Iowa encourages members of the campus community to be vaccinated and boosted, to protect their own health and to reduce risk on campus. Vaccines continue to be available at no cost to students and employees and are easily accessible. However, it is important to recognize that vaccination is a personal health decision. Instructors should be especially mindful to avoid discussing a student’s vaccination status. 

The university also welcomes the use of face masks on campus, in classroom settings, and during in-person office hours.  However, face mask usage is not required except in specified healthcare settings. These protocols apply to visitors as well as to students, faculty, and staff.

• Communication to students: You may use the statement below in communications to your students, on your ICON course site, and/or in your syllabus. Please note that any published statement may need to be updated if new guidance is released. 
  
  "The University of Iowa encourages students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. The university also welcomes students, faculty, and staff to wear a face mask while on campus, in classroom settings, and during in-person office hours. However, face mask usage is not required except in specified healthcare settings."
  
  You may have discussions regarding mask usage as long as all sides have a voice in the conversation. This should not be the classroom focus and should align with the policy in the Operations Manual (OM III-15.6) and the Board of Regents State of Iowa policy on Freedom of Expression.
  
  Additionally, you may not: 1) penalize or criticize students for not wearing face masks; 2) provide tangible incentives, such as extra credit or a higher grade, to students who wear face masks; or 3) direct students to sit in different areas of the classroom based on whether they are wearing face masks.

University of Iowa Absence Policies

• Student attendance and absenteeism: Students are responsible for contacting their instructor and following student absence policies if they miss class due to illness, emergency, or extenuating circumstances.
• Instructor attendance and absenteeism: Faculty, staff, and instructors should follow their department’s standard process for reporting an illness and taking sick leave.
  
  There are several effective measures and best practices available to mitigate the transmission and severity of COVID-19. If you test positive for COVID-19 it’s still important to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public and taking additional precautions if you are at high risk of illness. Please stay home if you are ill or contagious with COVID-19 or any other illness.
  
  University of Iowa Health Care employees who test positive for COVID should continue to contact the University Employee Health Clinic (UEHC) at 319-356-3631.

Instruction-Related Information

• Impact of illness on student-instructor learning experience: Classes are expected to be taught in the modality as listed in MyUI. Instructors may choose, but are not required, to make recorded lectures available online to support student learning or to enable students to catch-up on material they may have missed. If the instructor needs to isolate or quarantine they should discuss short-term, temporary options with their college, department, and/or program, as applicable.
• Graduate student exams: All graduate student exams, such as comprehensive and final exams, may be held using in-person, virtual, or hybrid modality.
• Instructor office hours: Instructor office hours for on-campus courses should be held in-person or a combination of in-person and virtually. You are always welcome to wear a mask and to avail yourself of clear protective screens for your office. Please talk with your department executive officer if you need assistance with space or obtaining clear protective screens. Instructors teaching courses that are online or not located on campus may use online video platforms and other forms of electronic communications in lieu of in-person office hours.
• Student Care and Assistance: If students have concerns related to their health and well-being, encourage them to contact Student Care and Assistance (dos-assistance@uiowa.edu).
• Faculty and Staff Disability Services: If you have medical or other concerns and have a need for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please initiate the process through Faculty and Staff Disability Services.

Instructional Space

• Clear Protective Screens: Screens have been retained in university classrooms. If a screen has been removed from your classroom, please contact classroom scheduling at classrooms@uiowa.edu to have it reinstalled. Additionally, clear protective screens can be utilized in other spaces such as offices, reception areas, and other common areas. Please talk with your departmental executive officer if you need assistance with obtaining clear protective screens for areas outside of the classroom.
• Health Stations and Classroom Supplies: Health stations that include hand sanitizer and medical-grade and KN95 masks are positioned in buildings throughout campus. Classrooms are equipped with hand sanitizer, wet wipe buckets, and disposable masks (currently both medical grade and KN95).
• Signage: University signage and flyers welcoming individuals to wear a mask and providing other health tips continue to be available to post in university buildings. Facilities Management and Classroom Scheduling have provided signage in campus buildings and classrooms. Please use the most up to date signage from this site if you choose to post signage in your office or other locations in your building.