Health & Safety Plan
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The university has implemented a multifaceted and integrated plan for COVID-19 surveillance, testing and early warning.
Remaining 2020 dates for COVID-19 testing at UMD are December 15 and 17. Please make an appointment through the University Health Center Patient Portal.
Requirements for Students, Faculty, Staff and Affiliates
Before Returning to Campus
- Complete this online training and pledge agreeing to abide by CDC-recommended health and safety regulations.
- Monitor and report your temperature and any onset symptoms. Daily symptom monitoring and reporting must begin at least 14 days prior to arrival.
- Get a COVID-19 test within 14 days prior to returning to campus, and submit confirmation of your negative test result.
- Review your personal dashboard that will confirm your status in meeting COVID-19 return-to-campus requirements.
Once On Campus
- Each day that you will be on campus, you must complete the symptom check survey from UMD confirming you have been symptom-free for at least 14 days.
- All students living on or near campus, and all faculty and staff coming to campus, will be required to take a COVID-19 test every two weeks.
- Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth.
- Wash your hands often and sanitize used surfaces frequently.
- Stay at least 6 feet from others.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Stand by your commitment pledge to the UMD community (PDF / Text File)
- Keep following compliance rules and guidelines (PDF / Text File)
- Stand by your community responsibility pledge made following the online training.
- Supervisors and admins can find resources on reporting and compliance at return.umd.edu
return.umd.edu Portal Personal COVID-19 Dashboard
- Select to receive daily reminders seven days a week if you visit campus on weekends.
- Opt out of daily reminders if you will be remaining outside the greater College Park area and will not be visiting campus.
Testing everyone who is physically present on our campus is critical to our understanding of the prevalence of COVID-19 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.
Testing is available on-campus at the Stamp Student Union. You must make an appointment to get tested. Walk-ins are not permitted at this time.
- December 8, 2020 - January 2021, testing appointments must be made through the University Health Center Patient Portal.
- Available testing appointments in December: 8, 10, 15 and 17
- January 5 and January 7 appointments will be offered specifically for staff physically returning to work on January 4, as well as researchers and research-related personnel. Appointments for these days will be made available by December 14th for booking.
- Campus-wide testing events will resume the week of January 11. The University Health Center will conduct a large-scale campus-wide testing event during the first week of the spring semester and thereafter increase the frequency of campus-wide testing throughout the semester.
- Individuals who need assistance making an appointment may call the University Human Resources Support Center at (301)405-7575.
- Off-Campus Testing: Testing is available in the College Park area; the closest site is behind the College Park Fire Station. Information and other testing locations can be found at coronavirus.maryland.gov or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Refer to the COVID-19 testing information site for detailed information and FAQs.
- All students, faculty, staff and affiliates are required to confirm their test results at return.umd.edu regardless of where 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- You will be required to self-isolate at home or in your on-campus residence for 14 days, per CDC guidelines.
- If you are 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.
- You 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 determined by the University Health Center or Prince George’s County Health Department to be a close contact, you will be required to quarantine for 14 days.
- The University Health Center will contact you with instructions. Failure to comply will result in a referral to Student Conduct, the outcome of which could be interim suspension from the university.
- If you are living on campus and you are not able to go to your permanent home address to quarantine, consult with the Student Affairs housing team and they will work on placement in their on-campus quarantine housing.
- 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 students.
- A Quarantine/Isolation (Q/I) Case Manager will be assigned to each student who will isolate or quarantine on campus.
- Residential spaces for quarantining and isolation will not be admitting newly diagnosed or exposed students starting Tuesday, December 8. Q/I housing will close on Tuesday, December 22.
- 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.
Mandatory Testing Information and FAQs
UMD has developed a voluntary way for students, faculty, staff, and affiliates to provide the names and contact information for UMD community members they frequently interact with.
This platform is designed to aid in early contact identification should someone test positive for COVID-19. Close contacts are individuals who you interact with regularly in-person while working, studying, or in residence on campus or in the greater College Park community. This system is optional and not required.
UMD’s Health and Safety Plan
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:
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Wear a face covering at all times indoors, and outdoors when other people are nearby.
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Stay at least 6 feet from others at all times.
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Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable.
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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
4 Maryland Information Campaign
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.
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