March 13, 2020
Starting Monday, UCF will move to remote instruction for at least two weeks. Students are directed to not return to campus during this period — you will be able to access almost all campus services remotely.
On-Campus Housing
Residence halls will remain open only as a last resort to on-campus student residents who have no other place to stay. Students who need to return must follow the travel guidelines below and must let Housing know of their plans by responding to the form in the Housing portal.
We are taking these unprecedented steps because of the immediate need for social distancing, which is critical in preventing the spread of COVID-19 among our campus community and our families. That means avoiding mass gatherings and settings with large numbers of people and maintaining distance from others when possible.
Online classes will continue as usual starting Monday; face-to-face classes will be available in an online format on Wednesday.
Employees
All UCF employees are expected to report to work as usual.
In preparation for the potential that some of our employees may need to work remotely, we are directing all campus departments to begin preparing for that possibility as an additional measure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
We understand that not all employees’ jobs can be performed remotely. Departments should begin identifying tasks that can be done remotely and those that cannot, as well as determining which employees would still need to report to campus.
Thorough, helpful guidance for employees and supervisors about working remotely is available here: https://www.ucf.edu/coronavirus/faq/. We are developing additional guidance that we will provide early next week. This will include guidance related to employees in high-risk categories, such as pregnant women and those with serious health conditions.
Travel
Earlier this week, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, and global travel is restricted. Everyone is expected to monitor their health, limit interactions with others, and upon showing symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact their health care provider.
Based on guidance from state and federal officials, UCF is prohibiting all employees’ official university domestic and international travel for the next 30 days. The exception is employee travel between UCF campuses, which remains permitted.
Those with planned university travel will receive an email with guidance on canceling their trip. No Travel Approval Petitions will be approved at this time. More information about work-related travel is available here: https://www.ucf.edu/coronavirus/faq/.
As UCF has previously shared, any faculty and staff members or students returning from a country that has a CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notice, which now includes almost all of Europe, should not come to campus and must self-quarantine for 14 days upon return. Employees who have to self-quarantine should reach out to their supervisors to discuss possible telecommuting options.
Personal domestic and international travel by all students and employees is strongly discouraged during this unique time in an effort to best protect you and those around you.
Campus Events and Activities
UCF will suspend all campus events starting Saturday, March 14, through at least Monday, March 30, mirroring the period of remote instruction. Should the period of remote instruction be extended, the suspension of events would automatically be extended for the same time. New events should not be scheduled.
Cancellations include all UCF Athletics events, UCF Celebrates the Arts, Knight-Thon, meetings of student organizations, admissions tours and other academic and recreational meetings and events.
Academic advising offices will remain operational, but advisors will not meet with students in person until further notice. In order to receive advising support, students should call or email their advisor or advising office to schedule an appointment via phone or video conferencing software.
UCF is taking these steps with the safety and wellbeing of our campus community top of mind. It is imperative that you also prioritize your personal safety by practicing good hand hygiene, limiting your contact with others and contacting your healthcare provider immediately in the event you present flu-like symptoms.
This is a dynamic, stressful situation that requires everyone’s continued flexibility and understanding. UCF is committed to regularly sharing information on UCF’s coronavirus website and communicating through email and UCF Alert.