Faculty and staff: What to expect for the fall 2021 semester

Employees need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to frequent regular COVID testing and stricter safety protocols, including daily symptom tracking and masking indoors at all times.

To implement this requirement and to manage public health at the University, all faculty and staff, including those who are working in a hybrid model or remotely, are required to report their vaccination status by completing the online COVID Vaccine Participation Form.

Fully vaccinated students, faculty, and staff who are alone and not in a public or shared space may unmask. The following guidelines assume adherence to appropriate masking for everyone:

• Conference Rooms: Conference rooms may operate at full capacity. Any in-person meetings or group activities in conference rooms or other indoor spaces should be conducted with everyone being masked—regardless of vaccination status.
• Offices: Offices may operate at full capacity.
• Cubicles: Office cubicles may operate at full capacity, and assessment on the need for physical barriers should be performed for those unvaccinated.
• Classrooms: Classrooms may operate at full capacity. In the classroom, fully vaccinated instructors who can maintain greater than 6 feet distance from all class participants can unmask while instructing; class attendees must remain masked and the instructor should re-mask when class instruction is complete.
• Performance Space: Performance space may operate at full capacity, however all unvaccinated singers and wind instrument players need to maintain 6 feet of separation along with wearing a mask. All others performers must wear a mask, but distancing rules need not be applied.
• Elevators: Elevators may operate at full capacity.
• Communal kitchens/break rooms: Communal kitchens, break rooms and other shared spaces may operate at full capacity. Adherence to current indoor masking rules is required.
• University Shuttles: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when utilizing public transportation including University of Rochester shuttle buses.
• Interfaith Chapel and other religious services: For any religious or funeral service, congregants/attendees must be masked. Any music-making must follow the rules in place for performance across the University.

Outdoors, everyone who is not fully vaccinated should wear a face mask on campus when physical distancing isn’t possible.

Campus Dining locations are operating at full occupancy. For indoor dining, some limited dining space will be available for those who wish to be physically distant. When eating in Rochester Dining locations or other public or shared spaces on campus, everyone should remain masked up to the point of starting a snack, or meal, remove their face mask to eat, and then re-mask when done.

In the classroom, fully vaccinated instructors who can maintain greater than 6 feet distance from all class participants can unmask while instructing; class attendees must remain masked and the instructor should re-mask when class instruction is complete.

The normal classroom occupancy numbers can be used for classes. There are no requirements for windows to be opened or fans to be installed in instructional spaces. All HVAC system modifications with filters or increased air exchanges made earlier in the pandemic remain in place.

Remote learning will be available for international students outside the United States who cannot physically arrive to be present on campus.

All University travelers—students, faculty and staff—regardless of destination or origin, are required to follow the current New York State travel requirements.

Everyone traveling internationally should review the entry requirements of the destination and considerations for an intended return to the US. If your visa has expired, your return trip could be delayed as many US Consular offices remain closed or with limited services available (look up visa wait times by location). Additionally, travelers from certain areas are subject to US entry restrictions, which can change with little notice (see State Department’s summary of coronavirus travel proclamations and national interest exceptions). Students and employees on visas sponsored by the University should contact the International Services Office (ISO) prior to travel to secure any needed travel authorizations for visa purposes.

All University travelers traveling outside the US should register their travel with the University’s travel registry to ensure institutional communication and travel assistance coverage while abroad.

Faculty, staff, post-docs, and graduate students

University-funded and grant-funded travel

University business travel, whether University-funded or grant-funded, must follow standard University Business Travel processes. See the Business Expense and Travel Reimbursement (BETR) website for more information.

For international travel requests, whether University-funded or grant-funded, a risk consultation provided by the Office for Global Engagement is required. Completion of the Workday Spend Authorization prior to travel will route essential travel requests to the appropriate individuals. Additional information is available on the Business Expense and Travel Reimbursement website. Additionally, for University-funded international travel, pre-approval from a Cabinet-level officer is required.

Personal travel

Faculty, staff, post docs, and graduate students traveling should closely follow New York State’s travel guidance before making travel plans, and should be mindful of any current testing and quarantine requirements as part of this.