Does SSU currently know which students are vaccinated and which are not? 

Vaccinated students may upload their vaccination status through their MYHealth portal. Faculty should not ask students their vaccination status.

I am considering requesting that my in-person class be changed to on-line. Is that possible?

No. Students were strongly encouraged to consider course modality when registering for courses and subsequently made decisions based on their course choices. 

Are students being tested?

No. All students are required to self-monitor for symptoms. Students experiencing symptoms are required to report to symptoms to covid.monitoring@sonoma.edu.

Are students allowed to come to campus after they travel?

Yes. SSU is not monitoring student travel. 

Will there be specific rules about social distancing in classrooms?

Currently, SSU does not have any social distancing requirements indoors.

Do I need to make special accommodations for a student whom the University will not clear to come to campus due to Covid symptoms?  

No. We encourage you to treat that student as you would any ill or absent student in your course. That said, we strongly encourage you to be flexible around due dates and other student work and discuss your policy on that, as well as how students should get the content they missed, on the first day of class. That way, students are not incentivized to come to class when ill. Being compassionate and open with students about this will help keep all of you safe.

What do I do if a student is exhibiting possible COVID symptoms in my class?

It is the responsibility of the student to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. Faculty should not attempt to diagnose students because those symptoms might also be consistent with allergies or a common cold.

Am I allowed to ask students if they have been vaccinated?  

No. Faculty are not to ask students to disclose personal health information. Only the Student Health Center is allowed to ask students about vaccination status. You may not ask students to show their vaccination cards, and you may not ask them to disclose whether or not they have been vaccinated. Additionally, unvaccinated students cannot be excluded from academic activities unless they are not in compliance with the wellness requirements.  

Is there a sample syllabus statement that I can include regarding COVID-19 protocols in the classroom?

Here is a sample syllabus statement: 

"In accordance with state and county guidelines, masking in SSU instructional spaces is strongly recommended in the Fall 2022 semester. Any changes regarding campus COVID-19 requirements or policies will be communicated to the campus community via email."

What do I do if a student is sick with COVID?

Communicate to the students at the outset of the course and throughout the semester that they may not attend class if they test positive for COVID or if they have any symptoms that may be indicative of COVID, even if they are vaccinated. Assure them that their grade will not suffer and have a plan for how they can make up any work missed. For instance, encourage them to connect with classmates to go over the notes for a class session. Provide a reasonable make-up timeline for completing missed assignments. If the student is required to be absent for an extended period of time, they may choose to withdraw from the course or depending on the circumstances, receive an incomplete for the course. 

What do I do if I become sick with COVID?

If you test positive for COVID, you are required to follow the reporting procedures for SSU employees. Like students, if you test positive for COVID or have symptoms that may be indicative of COVID, you may not come to campus until cleared by University Personnel or the COVID Monitoring Team. How you proceed with your courses is your decision. You may wish to hold class via Zoom and record the session in case students are unable to attend. Or you may move the content that you planned to teach to the next class session. If you become ill for an extended period of time, you should notify your department chair and Dean. 

If a student tells me that they have tested positive for COVID, am I supposed to report it, and if so, where do I do this?

No. It is the responsibility of the student to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. Students can report by emailing covid.monitoring@sonoma.edu or calling (707) 664-2684. 

If a student tells me that they have tested positive for COVID after being in class, am I supposed to cancel the next class? Am I required to notify the students?

No. COVID Monitoring handles all notifications to individuals with direct sustained contact. Never reveal the name of a COVID positive student to anyone outside of the COVID Monitoring Team or the Student Health Center.  

Can faculty require attendance for in-person courses?

Yes, faculty may require attendance for in-person courses. Students are advised to only register for in-person courses they are able to attend. 

Are faculty expected to livestream their class for students who cannot attend due to COVID quarantine or illness?

No, you are not required or expected to live stream, although you are allowed to if that is possible for your curriculum and class size. We recommend that you treat this as you would have treated an ill student prior to the pandemic. We also encourage you to be flexible in your late policies to allow all students an opportunity to make up work if they are absent or ill, and discuss these policies with your students on the first day of class. This flexibility should reduce the risk of a student trying to attend class while ill.

Must faculty wear face coverings while teaching in-person courses?

In accordance with state and county guidelines, masking in SSU instructional spaces is strongly recommended in the Fall 2022 semester. Any changes regarding campus COVID-19 requirements or policies will be communicated to the campus community via email.

If a student decides they no longer want to attend in person, must I make a special accommodation?

No, faculty are not required to make special accommodations for students who no longer want to attend in person, but we encourage having a conversation with the student, just as you would anytime a student stops attending or has a health or personal situation. It's possible the student may need to work with an advisor to withdraw from individual classes, but that is not the only solution possible. Faculty might consider posting a Student of Concern Report for the CARE Team if a student stops attending or indicates they intend to stop attending in person. Getting the student to an advisor is the most important thing you can do in this situation.

Can I take my class outside if the weather is nice?

Yes, faculty can take a class outside. Faculty will also need to consider the accessibility of such outdoor classes for students with mobility limitations and other accessibility needs.

Will there be options for students in face-to-face classes to do alternative options if they are living geographically distant and can’t physically attend?

If a student registered for a face-to-face class, the expectation is that they should be able to attend and participate in person (barring illness or other emergency). If students are living geographically distant and can't physically attend, they need to enroll in online courses to complete graduation requirements. If a remote student has a requirement that can't be completed online, the department might consider substitutions or waivers to help the student graduate in a timely way. Instructors may try to implement HyFlex or another mixed teaching modality to include a remote student in a face-to-face class, but they are not required to, and they should carefully consider the technical capabilities of their classroom and the impact of that decision on themselves and all of their students before they commit to it.