COVID FAQs | Safe Campus

Health and Safety

Information about health and safety measures across campus

Continue good health habits to be as safe as possible while on campus:
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Keep a supply of hand sanitizer (as possible).
- Cover your cough or sneeze.
- Clean all high touch areas in your home and workplace.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid crowded areas and maintain six feet of distance between yourself and others.
- Wear a face covering (mask) when inside a campus building if you have not been vaccinated.
- Stay home if you are sick.
UMD facilities management teams continue enhanced cleaning, including frequent cleaning and sanitization of high-touch areas, such as door handles, railings, and elevator panels. Find more information about cleaning procedures, hand sanitizer availability and other guidance by visiting Facilities Management’s site. This is a shared responsibility. Please do your part to keep your spaces clean and to avoid sharing spaces and/or equipment.
Each University department has developed plans for welcoming students, staff and faculty into workspaces and classrooms. These plans were submitted and approved by the University, using guidance from University health experts, and they include signage, reduced classroom density, and spaced furniture placement to maintain physical distancing.

Academics

Class Format

One of the most significant impacts is physical distancing in classroom spaces. UMD follows Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control guidelines and enforces six-feet physical distancing. The instructional format of some classes have been modified.

Academic departments have reviewed how their classes are delivered – referred to as instructional modality – considering issues including learning outcomes, pedagogy, and safety. Instructors are best positioned to understand the learning objectives of their courses and whether and how they might be best achieved via different modalities. This approach is consistent with the faculty's express authority over the curriculum.

All courses will fall into one of the four instructional modalities:

In-Person Class (in-person):

Students and instructors meet in person, face-to-face, for class at regularly scheduled days and times.

Blended Class (both in person and online): Students can expect a combination of delivery methods: in person, blended, online (explained below), or remote instruction (explained below). Students can expect one of three variations of “blended” based upon how faculty believe the class is best conducted.

Instruction is in-person at UMD and online. The online requirements do not have set class times. Online materials and assignments are accessible at any time. Instructors will provide in person, verbal and/or written communication for class requirements and expectations. Exams may be both in person at UMD and online. Exams are the same for both groups, progression of material is the same for both, etc.
Some students attend face-to-face while other students receive instruction online with a set meeting pattern. Instruction is in-person at UMD, online, and face-to-face (F2F). Online classes will use remote instruction technology at set class times. Instructors will provide in person, verbal, and/or written communication for class requirements and expectations. Exams may be both in person at UMD and online.
“Rolling attendance.” In this mode, students will be divided into groups of the correct size to conform with the physical distancing requirements for the classroom. One group of students might attend face-to-face on a Monday, for example while the other groups receive the instruction virtually. A different group would attend face-to-face on Wednesday, with the other groups receiving instruction virtually. So, the students who attend face-to-face may vary from class period to class period or week to week. This assures all students of receiving some face-to-face instruction. Exams may be both in-person at UMD and online.

Remote-Instruction Class (fully online with set meeting patterns): Students and instructors must be online at the same time, at scheduled days and times. 100% of instruction is online with no in-person meetings. You may have seen this referred to as “synchronous” delivery. Exams are also all online

Online Class (fully online with no set meeting pattern): Instructors provide materials and assignments that students access online at any time or within a given time frame (such as one week), rather than instructors and students meeting together as a class on a regular schedule. You may have seen this referred to as “asynchronous” delivery. Exams are also all online.

Students are able to view updates to their fall classes via the MyU portal and to process schedule changes using the regular cancel/add process. The Class Format Guide provides assistance in understanding the instructional modes of each class. Instructional formats are determined by the faculty, based upon their best judgments for how the class can be conducted most effectively.

Parking and Transportation

All campus parking regulations will be enforced during the semester as usual. This includes all permit lots, meter spaces, and the daily pay lot. It also includes all other University parking regulated zones.

Permits may be physically returned to the Transportation & Parking Services office for a pro-rated refund. There is no cost or penalty for returning the permit this year and a full pro-rated refund will be given. The permit must be returned to receive the pro-rated refund. The permit is non-transferrable and may not be given or sold to another individual. Details are available on the Transportation & Parking Services website.

The DTA UPass program is in operation and available for students to use. The UPass program allows fee-paying students to use their UCard to board any DTA bus without paying an additional fare. All bus routes and schedules can be found on the DTA website.

Creating an Inclusive Campus Climate

The University is committed to creating an inclusive climate for all of our community members. The CDC offers guidance on countering stigma related to this virus. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has, in some cases, resulted in hostile, offensive or intimidating acts directed against individuals because of their perceived race, national origin, age, disability-status, or other protected identity*. These behaviors could constitute prohibited discrimination or harassment under University policy.

We encourage you to contact the appropriate resources listed below if you believe that you have experienced mistreatment because you are perceived to:

Be associated with COVID-19 because of your national origin, race, or other protected identity,
Have COVID-19 because of a protected identity,
Be vulnerable to COVID-19 because of a protected identity, have COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19.

In addition, we recognize that University members must learn and work differently given the current remote learning and working environment. If you believe that you have been denied reasonable accommodations for a disability in the remote working and learning environment, please also contact the appropriate resources listed below:

Discrimination, harassment, nepotism, related retaliation by a student -- Katie Jackson, [email protected], 218-726-8969
Discrimination, harassment, nepotism, related retaliation by an employee, volunteer, vendor, or visitor -- contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action at [email protected]."