The Florida Board of Governors approved the University of West Florida’s Fall 2020 Reopening Plan during its meeting on Tuesday, June 23. The plan was approved by UWF’s Board of Trustees on June 19.
“We look forward to welcoming back our Argos while providing a safer and healthier environment,†said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “At UWF, we strive to preserve the highest standards of quality in our teaching and research and this plan ensures our students receive the same top-rate education from UWF while maintaining health and safety protocols.â€
The plan requires all individuals on campus wear a face covering except when in a private office/residence hall room, a work area separated by six feet from others or in an outdoor area separated by at least six feet from others. UWF will provide one reusable cloth face covering and a bottle of hand sanitizer for every student and employee. Visitors will be provided a disposable face covering. Accommodations will be provided for individuals whose disabilities may prevent them from wearing face coverings.
All students and employees will be required to complete a daily return to campus pre-screening before visiting a University location, in addition to completing a COVID-19 training.
UWF will continue honoring housing contracts for the fall semester and reserve spaces for COVID-19 isolation. In the event a residential student tests positive, they will be moved immediately to an isolation/quarantine space. If someone comes in one-on-one contact with that student in their living space, that unit will be quarantined until test results are available.
UWF is expanding course delivery options for students for the fall semester with more courses offered online. The course delivery framework includes face-to-face, online and hybrid courses developed by the college deans with input from stakeholders, including department chairs and faculty members. Students will be notified of course changes via email by July 1, 2020.
Lower-division courses (undergraduate courses offered at the freshman or sophomore level) will be delivered with face-to-face components unless faculty opt to teach the full course or sections of the course online or the course is historically offered online.
Upper-division courses (undergraduate courses offered at the junior level or higher) will primarily be delivered online. Exceptions include courses faculty identify as experiential with significant face-to-face components, capstone, clinical/internship that requires faculty supervision and courses that serve as a practicum experience.
Graduate courses will be delivered with face-to-face components unless they are part of an online program or students are enrolled in synchronous online instruction offered as part of a face-to-face course.
The maximum room capacity for all classrooms in use for the fall semester will be updated based on the square footage of space with an allowance of 36 square feet per person in accordance with current CDC guidelines. Classroom facilities will be thoroughly cleaned and include signage showing where students can sit based on the guidelines.
Immediately following Thanksgiving break, all courses will be arranged so that instruction, review and final exams are delivered remotely for the rest of the semester.
The plan is subject to change based upon federal, state or local guidance. In the event of a second wave of COVID-19 infections, re-implementation and mitigation procedures will be executed immediately.
To view UWF’s Fall 2020 Reopening Plan, visit uwf.edu/return. For more information on COVID-19, visit uwf.edu/coronavirus.
