Health & Safety Plan
←Return to the Fall 2020 Reopening Plan
The university has implemented a multifaceted and integrated plan for COVID-19 surveillance, testing and early warning.
Requirements for Returning to Campus Mandatory Testing Information & FAQs
Students: Testing Prior to Leaving Campus
- Students who are able to do so, please start planning to return home for the remainder of the semester, and arrange to have a COVID-19 test prior to your departure.
- For those who elect to remain on or close to campus, please reserve a testing appointment for the week after Thanksgiving, December 1-4.
Requirements for Returning to Campus
- Online training and pledge that all students, faculty and staff must complete prior to returning to campus, agreeing to abide by CDC-recommended health and safety regulations.
- Daily self-monitoring and reporting of temperature and any onset symptoms by all faculty, staff and students who are on campus. Daily symptom monitoring and reporting must begin at least 14 days prior to arrival.
- Mandatory COVID-19 testing for all students and employees prior to returning to campus.
The university HEAL line is intended for those who screen positive, believe they have symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19. If you are having symptoms and need to speak to a nurse outside of the HEAL line's designated hours you can contact the After Hours Nurse Line at (877) 924-7758 between 8 p.m.-8 a.m, seven days a week.
Campus COVID-19 Dashboard Personal COVID-19 Dashboard
TESTING
The University System of Maryland issued guidance that all students, faculty and staff will be required to take a COVID-19 test prior to the start of the semester. Any student, faculty, staff or affiliate who has significant in-person, on-campus interaction with others, must get tested once a month. Testing everyone who is physically present on our campus is critical to our understanding of the prevalence of the coronavirus in our community. We fully expect a number of individuals to test positive, and have developed appropriate procedures to initiate early contact identification, and protocols for isolation and quarantine so we can help protect against the further spread of the virus.
Find additional information for students, faculty and staff about COVID-19 testing requirements and answers to frequently asked questions.
Every Thursday, beginning October 8, from 8:30 am-3:30 pm, testing will be available to our campus community on a first-come-first-serve, by appointment basis.
All testing is now available at the Stamp Student Union.
Walk-in testing is not available during these events. Advance registration is required. Appointments can be scheduled at return.umd.edu.
If you are not on or near campus, find information about testing sites in your area.
All students, faculty and staff are required to confirm their test results at return.umd.edu regardless the test occurred, even if done on campus. You will be asked to remain home or in your on-campus residence and self-monitor for virus symptoms until you receive a negative test result. Anyone who tests positive will be required to self-isolate at home or in your on-campus residence for 14 days, per CDC guidelines. Additionally, any student, faculty or staff with a prior positive test will be exempt only after emailing health@umd.edu for advice on how to provide documentation. Visit the University Health Center website for more testing information. Refer to the latest email from the University Health Center for further details on testing.
You must call the HEAL line at 301.405.4325. Messages left on the HEAL line will be responded to between 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 12 p.m.-6 p.m Saturday and Sunday. Any messages left outside of those times will be returned the next time the line is active.The HEAL line is intended for those who screen positive, believe they have symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19. If you are having symptoms and need to speak to a nurse outside of the HEAL line's designated hours you can contact the After Hours Nurse Line at (877) 924-7758 between 8 p.m.-8 a.m, seven days a week.
All positive test results, from on-campus testing or self-reported, will be handled by the University Health Center. The UHC staff will reach out directly to the person who tested positive, as well as to anyone who needs to quarantine as a result of close contact with/exposure to an individual with positive results.
Anyone who tests positive will be required to self-isolate at home or in your on-campus residence for 10 days, per CDC guidelines.
All students are required to provide information about close contacts to the university and/or the county. Failure to comply will result in a referral to Student Conduct, the outcome of which could be interim suspension from the university. We will notify residents of university-owned buildings regarding a positive case on the same floor of that residence hall or university-owned fraternity or sorority house as a reminder for students to remain vigilant and follow 4 Maryland guidelines.
If you are a student living on campus, and you are not able to go to your permanent home address to self-isolate, consult with the Student Affairs housing team and they will work on placement in their on-campus isolation housing.
A Quarantine/Isolation (Q/I) Case Manager will be assigned to each student who will isolate or quarantine on campus. To ensure that case managers are able to meet the needs of students in Q/I housing, the case managers are a dedicated point of contact for students only. Family members of Q/I housed students can contact the Office of Parent and Family Affairs with questions or concerns at 301.314.8429 or terpfamily@umd.edu. Staff members are available from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday. Messages received outside of these hours, including weekends, will be returned as soon as possible and based on priority of need. Refer to the quarantine and isolation housing flowchart for more information on the processes, response, and what to expect.
All negative test results from both on-campus testing and off-campus testing locations must be submitted by individuals to return.umd.edu. The UHC will not submit test results on your behalf.
If a student is determined by the University Health Center or Prince George’s County Health Department to be a close contact, they require quarantine for 14 days.
They will be contacted by the University Health Center with instructions. Failure to comply will result in a referral to Student Conduct, the outcome of which could be interim suspension from the university. Students who require quarantine should do so at their permanent home address; however, we recognize this will not be an option for everyone. If there are extenuating circumstances and this is not possible, the student can consult with the Student Affairs housing team and they will work on placement in their on-campus quarantine housing.
A Quarantine/Isolation (Q/I) Case Manager will be assigned to each student who will isolate or quarantine on campus. To ensure that case managers are able to meet the needs of students in Q/I housing, the case managers are a dedicated point of contact for students only. Family members of Q/I housed students can contact the Office of Parent and Family Affairs with questions or concerns at 301.314.8429 or terpfamily@umd.edu. Staff members are available from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday. Messages received outside of these hours, including weekends, will be returned as soon as possible and based on priority of need.
Refer to the quarantine and isolation housing flowchart for more information on the processes, response, and what to expect.
In some cases, students who reside in non-university apartments or residences may be able to quarantine in place. Officials from the University Health Center will make that determination in consultation with the student.
Testing events will be conducted regularly throughout the semester for those who are physically on campus.
Every Thursday, beginning October 8, from 8:30 am-3:30 pm, testing will be available to our campus community on a first-come-first-serve, by appointment basis.
Walk-in testing will not be available during these events. Advance registration will be required. Appointments can be scheduled at return.umd.edu.
After October 2, testing events will be held once a week for the duration of the semester for about 1,500 members of our campus community. More information on specific dates, times, capacity, and locations of weekly testing events will be provided soon and will be posted on return.umd.edu.
If you are still unable to get a testing appointment on campus, we encourage you to go to one of the testing sites just off-campus in College Park. The closest site is right behind the College Park Fire Station, and other testing locations are available in the Lanham-Hyattsville, College Park & Berwyn Heights, MD areas.
DAILY SYMPTOM MONITORING
VOLUNTARY REGISTRY OF CLOSE CONTACTS
PERSONAL COVID-19 DASHBOARD
The university's health and safety plan contains five components to safely reopen and operate the campus, with early detection of infectious cases as the key to limit outbreaks.
1. Contact tracing. Any positive diagnostic test result will be communicated immediately to the state health authorities, who will then activate a contact tracing team to identify potential secondary cases to limit the spread of infection.
2. Environmental monitoring. UMD faculty experts are developing opportunities for early detection of impending illnesses by monitoring wastewater, air and high-touch surfaces in campus buildings.
3. Behavioral changes. A campus-wide health information campaign will promotes critical health behaviors:
1
—
Wear a face covering at all times indoors, and outdoors when other people are nearby.
2
—
Stay at least 6 feet from others at all times.
3
—
Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable.
4
—
If you are sick, do not report to work or class.
4. Cleaning protocols. All buildings approved for occupancy will be cleaned on a regular basis, including enhanced cleaning of high-traffic areas.
- All classrooms used for in-person instruction will be equipped with disinfectant wipes for surfaces such as seats, desks and tables between each class.
- Instructors will be asked to allow time for students to clean and disinfect their work area before class and to similarly clean and disinfect their own work area and whatever equipment they plan to use for the class.
- Classroom seating will be arranged or marked to indicate safe seating distances.
- Hand sanitizer stations will be available in proximity to classrooms.
- Classrooms and high-touch areas in buildings will be cleaned and disinfected nightly.
- Instructors will be expected to deliver handouts and other types of course material digitally through ELMS-CANVAS to minimize the exchange of papers or any other instruction materials.
- Signs will be posted to direct one-way traffic within busy campus buildings and to indicate safe distancing to minimize the likelihood of congestion in hallways, at entrances, restrooms, etc.
- Cleaning frequency will be increased in community restrooms and high-touch areas in residence halls such as elevator buttons, water fountains and door handles.
5. Employee flexibility. In general, the university encourages flexibility for employees, including graduate assistants. Departments should consider use of alternative work schedules, such as some on-campus work days and some telework days, use of leave and flexibility with starting and finishing times. University Human Resources has created handbooks for employees and supervisors:
- For employees: Working Through COVID-19: Returning to Campus
- For supervisors: Managing Through COVID-19: Returning to Campus
Community Responsibility Pledge (PDF) / 4 Maryland Health Guidelines and Campaign Toolkit
Feedback
We value input from our campus community. Please fill out our feedback form to share suggestions or report concerns about health and safety on campus.
UMD App is the official mobile app for campus. It provides up-to-date information and access to popular campus services, all from your mobile device. Visit umd.edu/app for more information and download.
