Frequently Asked Questions
Utah Valley University
COVID-19 facts and general info
If I'm exposed to COVID-19, what should I do?
Exposure occurs when you have been in close contact (within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes) with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Watch for symptoms until 14 days after exposure. If you have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact your local public health authority or healthcare provider. Wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands, avoid crowds, and take other steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
What is the definition of a “close contact” or “significant exposure?”
Being within six feet for longer than 15 minutes with or without a mask to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has COVID-19-like symptoms.
What does it mean to quarantine?
When should I get tested if I am in quarantine but do not have symptoms?
If I get sick with COVID-19-like symptoms, what should I do?
Does UVU require that I test negative to return to work?
Is there a form I should fill out when I am exposed or sick?
What is the isolation period if I get sick with COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms?
What is the quarantine period if I am exposed?
Will I have my temperature taken before reporting back to campus?
What if I test positive for COVID-19?
What if I test positive but have no symptoms?
What happens when someone at UVU tests positive for COVID-19?
What is the difference between quarantine and isolation?
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
CDC states the following as symptoms:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
What if I only have intestinal issues?
Because of the pandemic, we suggest you check in with a health care provider and follow their advice.
How do I decrease my chances of getting COVID-19?
Evidence has changed over the course of this pandemic, but today we know that the tried-and-true infection control measures absolutely work. Stay away from large gatherings, wear a mask when in public or common areas shared by others, keep your distance (six feet at least), wash your hands, and don’t touch your face. These precautions cannot be overstated.
What if my symptoms are not very bad? Do I really need to stay home from school or work?
Yes, in this environment especially. There is a risk of spreading the virus to others inadvertently. The virus looks different on each person it encounters. Some people have only slight symptoms, while others get very ill and at times need to be hospitalized.
When am I contagious? When am I more likely to pass the virus to another person?
This answer changes as the evidence becomes clearer —currently, studies suggest the most contagious timeframes are one day before you begin to show symptoms and the first few days when the symptoms are the worst. After that, it decreases quickly.
What does contact tracing mean? Why should I care about this?
This is generally a function of the local health department — however, during pandemic times, other groups get involved. UVU is assisting the local health department with this obligation. When someone becomes sick on campus, we look at where they have been starting two days before they became sick with symptoms to the first few days of symptoms. We then figure out who they have been in “close contact” with. We trace where they have been on campus. We then contact people who meet the criteria of a “close exposure,” and we send them home for 14 days to quarantine. The sooner we can do this, the better chance we have of not spreading the virus to others on campus.
Can I get this virus from touching objects that are touched a lot by others?
Theoretically yes, which is why we ask you to frequently wash your hands or use hand sanitizer and to not touch your face. Your hands would be the vehicle spreading this virus from an object to your face (e.g., mouth, nose, eyes).
What is the most common way to spread this virus?
The most common way to spread the virus is to be in the breathing space of a person who is infected. Close contact (i.e., being within six feet of an infected person for longer than 15 minutes with or without a mask) is the easiest way to spread the virus.
Scenario: If my spouse’s co-worker gets sick, should I stay home and let everyone at work know they should stay home?
If your spouse meets the criteria of a “close contact” with their coworker, they would be exposed and would need to quarantine (i.e., stay away from all people and wait to see if they get sick). You and your coworkers do not need to quarantine unless your spouse becomes ill or tests positive.
Scenario: If my roommate tests positive for COVID-19 and we share a room and bathroom, should I quarantine?
Possibly. You would most likely meet the criteria of “close contact” due to sleeping in close quarters all night and sharing breathing space. If the room were well-ventilated (e.g., open windows, fans) with a lot of space between the beds, you may be OK. You would likely need to quarantine.
Scenario: If I have exchanged a prolonged kiss with a spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend and they have symptoms during this time, what should I do?
You have met the criteria of a close contact and would quarantine for 14 days.
Scenario: If a person I work with or know tests positive and shows symptoms of COVID-19 and I have not seen or talked with them, but I walked into their office or workspace and touched some common objects, what should I do?
Wash your hands, and don’t touch your face. It is much harder to spread the virus this way.
Scenario: If my symptoms are not that bad, is it OK to come to work if I stay away from everyone?
No, it is not OK to come to work. Please stay home. This is exactly how we are spreading the virus by thinking the precautions do not apply to us.
COVID-19 testing
Is there a mandate for staff and faculty to be tested?
There is no mandate at this time, although we encourage them to be tested.
Where can I go for more information?
To sign up for testing on campus, go to uvu.edu/campuscovidtest
Masks
When should masks be worn on campus?
Students at UVU are members of a community committed to maintaining a healthy and safe campus. While enrolled at UVU, students must follow the Student Code of Conduct, UVU Policy 541, and other policies. The Student Code supports the intellectual, personal, social, and ethical development of all community members by promoting the values of civility, integrity, inclusion, respect, and responsibility. The Student Code also establishes the conduct expectations for students of UVU and outlines students’ rights and due process procedures for addressing alleged student violations of university policies.
To ensure everyone’s safe return for spring semester, we want to remind students of their responsibility to uphold the safety precautions outlined here. Guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities indicates that wearing masks significantly reduces the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, students are required to wear masks inside university buildings, in common areas, including classrooms, while also maintaining a six-foot physical distance. Students must wear masks outside when maintaining a six-foot distance is not possible outside. Masks must cover both the nose and the mouth.
Students who cannot feasibly wear a mask due to a disability, phobia, or other reasons should contact the Office of Accessibility Services — that office will determine appropriate accommodations as needed. Additionally, masks are not required for individuals eating or drinking and maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from any other individual who is not from the same household or residence. Students who disregard the requirement to wear masks may be in violation of the Student Code for endangering the health or safety of others (See Student Code section 4.3.2.12.) and may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. Faculty and staff are encouraged first to discuss concerns with the student involved; however, when appropriate, they may refer a student to the Office of Student Conduct at 801-863-8952 or marent@uvu.edu. University community members may also submit an online report via a reporting link. Our university is committed to providing balanced and fair systems of resolution, and we encourage an education-based, informal resolution process, which includes conversations to deepen understanding about community responsibility. Repeated violations of the Student Code may be subject to progressive sanctions, including written warning, probation, and suspension from the university. Please refer to the Student Code for more information on expectations of student conduct.
What is an approved face covering? Do I have to wear it in my office?
What if I am harassed, threatened, or bullied by anyone regarding mask decisions?
Do you have disposable masks available?
What if a colleague refuses to wear a mask in our department?
If a co-worker refuses to wear a mask, as per the Required Face Covering Guidelines, bring up your concerns with your supervisor. In certain cases, the use of a face covering is not advised. These cases should be addressed on a case-by-case basis with the employee’s supervisor and, if necessary, with the employee accommodations coordinator in Human Resources (EmployeeWellness@uvu.edu) as per Policy 152: Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities. Such cases include:
- Individuals with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could cause harm or obstruct breathing.
- Individuals with hearing impairment or communicating with an individual who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
- Individuals communicating with someone who is hearing impaired (i.e., instances where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication).
What if a student is not wearing a mask and refuses to do so in my class when we can’t maintain social distancing?
On campus
Is UVU’s air system filtered for viruses?
UVU has a filtering system, MERV, in all large buildings. Systems vary, since some areas such as the science buildings have traditionally needed higher levels of filtration. UVU will increase air exchange rates to push the air through the filters and slightly over-pressurize the buildings to help exchange the air. Filters are changed on a rigid schedule. Even before COVID-19, UVU was changing air filters more often than recommended.
What happens if, during the semester, the State of Utah declares an orange or red level?
How often will our departments’ public spaces and offices be cleaned?
Working from home
Do faculty need to fill out a Work from Home Agreement?
No. Faculty members who are teaching in the spring can do so from campus or their homes, per their agreement with their departments and deans. This means they do not need to fill out the form.
Do employees need to speak with HR to request continued remote work if they believe they are high risk?
What if I do not have the necessary tools (computer, software, etc.) to work from home?
What do I do if I am not high risk but would still prefer to work from home?
CARES Act
What is the federal CARES Act?
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The act provides financial compensation and support to multiple layers of the U.S. economy, including businesses, individuals, unemployment benefits, and education.
How much money did UVU receive?
Why did UVU receive these funds?
How did UVU determine where to use the funds?
I heard $11 million were allocated from CARES Act funds. Where did they go?
$7,590,850 were distributed to 7,676 students. $3,883,754 were used by UVU to move to online course offerings and make other adjustments.
If awarded, how will students be notified and receive funds?
Do students have any limitations on how they can spend the money?
Which students have received money?
All students who received this funding had to be eligible for federal financial aid. CARES Act funds were made available to students in one of three ways:
- Based on a student’s estimated family contribution (EFC), they were given a one-time cash grant.
- A portion (not EFC-based but required a completed FAFSA) of federal funds were made available to students who needed access to emergency funds to help them continue their education.
- A portion of the funds were made available to students nearing completion of their degrees who were eligible for federal financial aid.
Course instruction
If the state is at the yellow or green level, may I choose whether I teach remotely, online, or on campus?
Yes. Faculty members who wish to teach remotely or online may do so. Their courses must be as robust as their department’s typical face-to-face (F2F) courses and provide the same learning outcomes as the F2F version of the course. Faculty members should work with the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) to make sure their courses are set up to be clear and easy to navigate for their students and themselves. There are a few types of courses faculty can teach:
- Live remote (synchronous, livestream): Teaching remotely at the same time the class is scheduled. This can be done from a classroom at UVU or from home.
- Online (asynchronous): Teaching where the course has no specified, regular time at which all students meet. These courses usually carry an official ”X—” designation and require OTL certification.
- Face-to-face (including labs): These are traditional courses that can maintain social distance because current size and space allow it or faculty members teach in a quasi-hybrid style, where some students are in the classroom on certain days and learning via livestream on others.
Will offering my classes online and offline double my workload?
If I teach F2F, remotely, or online, am I expected to use Canvas?
Am I required to livestream and record my courses?
What technology is UVU using for course delivery?
The technology trio of Canvas, Microsoft Teams, and Kaltura Lecture Capture forms the backbone of a virtual campus that operates in concert with UVU’s physical campuses. Over the summer, dozens of information technology (IT) and Academic IT (AIT) staff worked tirelessly to add livestreaming and lecture capture technology to 327 classrooms. The goal was to create the best possible experience for students and faculty while a) maintaining social distancing in the physical classrooms, b) engaging remote students, and c) implementing what was feasible given time, financial, human, and other resource constraints. For access, maintainability, and support purposes, it became clear to IT and AIT that one video conferencing tool should be adopted at UVU for fall 2020 and beyond to improve student learning and experience as well as faculty support. Therefore, Microsoft Teams will be the standard for UVU (not Zoom or Kaltura Live Room), primarily for its potential to digitally transform our university. With many added features in Teams and the classroom automation work, we believe the student learning experience has been greatly improved over what it was in spring and summer 2020.
Learn more by reading the Office of Teaching and Learning newsletter.
Will all students have access to computers to complete their courses?
How can I let students know about the course setup before I publish my Canvas course?
What will happen to concurrent enrollment classes? Will faculty members be required to visit the high schools to conduct faculty mentoring visits?
What will happen with live interactive classes if I am unable to teach on campus? How will they be broadcast to students?
Am I required to hold face-to-face (F2F) office hours and participate in F2F general and department meetings?
How do I move grades into Canvas (if stored outside currently)?
What are our grading options specifically by college and school?
What happens if I get ill and cannot teach my classes?
What do I do if students refuse to keep an appropriate distance in class?
How often will classrooms be cleaned?
Student involvement
Will students be able to have internships off campus?
Yes, in many cases. Please refer to the COVID-19 information on the internships website.
Will students be able to have service-learning opportunities off campus?
Will students have access to advisors?
Will students have the option to take courses credit/no credit again?
What if I know of other student questions?
Campus events and resources
Are athletic events cancelled?
Are in-person clubs and student organization events cancelled for the foreseeable future?
Are Noorda or similar performances cancelled for the foreseeable future?
Which UVU campuses are involved with the cancellation of events?
Are private functions at UVU being cancelled?
Is the SLWC open?
Which campus services are available?
Will the Fulton Library and open computers in the library remain open?
Travel
View the Travel FAQ for information about travel guidelines.
Am I allowed to travel out of the state/country on personal travel?
We encourage you, when considering your personal travel choices, to follow travel advisories issued by the CDC and local and state authorities. Refer to the Travel FAQ for guidelines and more details.
Can I travel for business purposes?
All University-related travel is restricted and must be cancelled until further notice. As an exception to this restriction, travel considered business essential for the university must be approved by the divisional vice president prior to making travel arrangements. Please read the COVID-19 Travel Guidelines for additional details. Please contact the UVU Travel Office at travel@uvu.edu or ext. 8965 with any questions.
Vaccines
When will I be able to get a vaccine?
There is no current prioritization for university students, faculty, or staff. To find out when a vaccine will likely be made available to you, visit the Utah Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution website.
Will vaccines be required?
Will I test positive after receiving the vaccine?