CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — All University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign faculty members, staff and students who plan to be on campus this fall – whether regularly or for a limited time or purpose – will be required to be tested for the virus that causes COVID-19, Chancellor Robert Jones announced today in a communication to the campus community.
Mandatory twice-weekly testing will be required for all faculty members, staff and students who participate in any on-campus activities. Faculty members, staff and students who visit university facilities only occasionally – for example, picking up an item from an office – will be required to get tested at a campus testing center and have test results dated no more than four days prior to the planned visit to any university facility.
The university is proceeding with plans for in-person instruction this fall to the extent possible, augmented by distance-learning instruction for larger lectures and other situations that would not align with plans for enhancing the safety of students, faculty members and staff, as well as the greater Champaign-Urbana community.
The university also announced that Nov. 20 will be the final day of in-person instruction for the semester. Instruction for the remaining weeks of the semester and final exams will be provided via alternative-delivery methods.
Faculty members, staff and students who participate in any on-campus activities will be required to report for coronavirus testing twice weekly. Those who visit university facilities only occasionally will need to present test results received no more than four days prior to the planned visit to any university facility.
The fall semester begins Aug. 24. Mandatory testing for faculty members and staff will begin Aug. 10, and mandatory testing for students will begin Aug. 16. Anyone currently on campus is encouraged to begin testing at the campus sites immediately.
“We are privileged to be home to some of the world’s leading minds on COVID-19 safety, testing and procedures,” Jones said. “If everyone does their part to maximize the safety of our entire community, we have the ability to provide modified in-person delivery of our missions.”
In addition to mandatory testing for all personnel who will be present on campus this fall, other requirements and protocols for faculty members, staff and students include:
- Contact tracing for all COVID-19 cases in Champaign County that are related to the university, in partnership with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.
- Quarantine and isolation of any faculty members, staff or students who test positive for COVID-19, per CUPHD guidelines.
- Online COVID-19 training for all faculty members, staff and students, regardless of whether they intend to go to campus, must be completed prior to Aug. 24.
- Face coverings and social distancing are required on campus, though face coverings are not required in private spaces.
- An app for faculty members, staff and students that will display an individual’s building-entry status. Use of the Safer in Illinois app is recommended for members of the university community. More information about the app’s release timetable and its use will be communicated soon.
The university ramped up its cleaning and sanitizing procedures for all university-occupied facilities, and additional stations will enable and encourage frequent handwashing and sanitizer use.
Compliance with testing requirements will be checked at the entrances of all university buildings through an individual’s smartphone or identification card. Student ambassadors and other resources will be in place to answer questions.
Editor’s note: For additional information, contact Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs, 217-333-5010, rkaler@illinois.edu
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