Michigan Social Work - Learning and Teaching during COVID-19

Staff Return to Campus Information and Updates

Updated July 28, 2021

Read the full letter from Interim Director of Administration, Finance and Operations

Preparing for Fall Semester 2021 Newsletter

Updated July 26, 2021

Read the full letter from the Associate Dean for Educational Programs

University of Michigan Face Covering Policy for COVID-19

Effective 6/21/2021

• Beginning 6/21/21, fully vaccinated students, faculty and staff who self-report their vaccine information to the university will no longer be required to wear a mask or socially distance indoors or outdoors for most areas of our campuses. The change in our policy follows the recommendations of our Campus Health Response Committee, and recent public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state of Michigan. Michigan Medicine will continue to follow its own mask policies.
• At this time, we continue to require face coverings regardless of vaccination status in classrooms, on campus transportation, with participants in human research, and in health care areas where patients may be present. As we are able to better assess vaccination rates in our community, we may modify our approach for classrooms.
• Faculty and staff are asked to self-report their vaccination information as soon as possible via Wolverine Access using the same tool launched in April to collect student vaccination information.

COVID-19 Guidelines for Campus Facilities

Posted 6/18/21 - Updated 7/16/2021

The COVID-19 Guidelines for Campus Facilities document provides minimum public health standards and requirements for spaces within buildings on the U-M Ann Arbor campus.

COVID Training Recommended for All On-site Employees

All employees on-site are no longer required to take SARS-Cov2 and COVID-19 Training, however it is recommended by MyLINC.

Mandatory Testing for Students

If you are fully vaccinated and would like an exemption to weekly testing for Spring/Summer 2021 please report via Wolverine Access or call the COVID Call Center at 734-936-7000 for more information.

All graduate and professional students who live on or come to campus for the Spring and/or Summer 2021 terms:

• Students who live in on-campus residence halls, excluding on-campus apartment-style communities that include private outdoor entrances (Northwood Community Apartments);
• Students who are registered for an in-person/hybrid class, excluding students whose only enrollment is in a dissertation course (990/995) or independent study; and
• Students who access on-campus facilities and buildings, including for work or research. Students who meet the above criteria are subject to the following requirements:
• Weekly COVID Testing: receive a COVID-19 test on a weekly basis. All COVID-19 testing must be administered by the University Health Service (UHS; symptomatic) or the Community Sampling and Tracking Program (CSTP; asymptomatic).
• Daily Symptom Checking: self-administer the symptom checker via ResponsiBLUE on a daily basis.
• Quarantine/Isolation: Participate and maintain isolation and/or quarantine, as instructed by a health care provider or public health officials, which may include U-M EHS.

The U-M ResponsiBLUE app will be the primary mechanism for students to verify compliance with this policy.

Vaccine Distribution

Updated 6/21/21

• U-M has created a vaccine update website, which details availability, provides resources and explains vaccine phases and includes a FAQ and a chat box. Here’s information on how to find a vaccine in your area.
• Appointments to get vaccinated remain available through Michigan Medicine, as well as the University Health Service.

Guiding Principles*

• Safety and Well-Being: The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is the leading priority. We want to be especially aware of the people who are at highest risk.

• Public Health Informed: Our plans will be aligned and consistent with public health guidance and will follow local, state and federal safety requirements. We will also partner with central administration, and their guidance will drive many decisions.

• Flexibility: We will be nimble in our planning and be ready to adapt to changing circumstances. We may have to return to campus in phases, and a key component of planning will be reversibility in the event of another COVID-19 spike.

• Transparency and Collaboration: The dean’s office will involve units and departments as partners in decision-making processes whenever possible, and foster collaboration between units and employees with shared workplaces.

*All plans are subject to future U-M and State of Michigan regulations. Adjustments may be made based on unforeseen impacts from the pandemic.

Centralized Canopy Reservations

Starting July 7, canopy reservation availability is expanding. Campus canopy locations are available for reservation Monday through Friday 8am - 6pm (4 hour maximum) for U-M departmental meetings and student organization meetings. Units can submit reservations for these hours starting July 1. Currently, the last day a reservation will be accepted for is August 13. Read the guidelines, see the canopy locations, and and submit a reservation.

Core Responsibilities

Our collective safety requires we all do our part by practicing robust personal hygiene habits, wearing a face mask when required and staying home when sick. The core responsibilities keep you safe and keep others safe, too.

It is important for all of us to stay vigilant and:

• Fully vaccinated individuals who self-report their vaccine information to the University of Michigan will no longer be required to wear a mask or socal distance for most areas of the U-M campus under the university’s updated policy.
• U-M continues to require face coverings regardless of vaccination status in classrooms, on campus transportation, and in health care areas where patients may be present.
• Sign up for asymptomatic testing. This is strongly recommended for anyone coming to campus.
• Watch for symptoms (COVID-19 symptoms range from mild to severe and include fever, cough, headache, muscle aches, sneezing and congestion among others).
• Follow isolation or quarantine guidance if ill, exposed, or waiting on test results.
• Students, faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus, are asked to report their positive test result here.
• Get vaccinated against the flu to help you stay healthy and protect others.

COVID Addendum to the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities

Dear University of Michigan Community:

In August 2020 we communicated and implemented the COVID-related Addendum to the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities (SSRR). The COVID Addendum was implemented with an initial time limitation lasting through the conclusion of the Winter term 2021 with the potential for review and renewal beyond that period. In consultation with student leadership, there is a shared perspective that the requirements set forth in the Addendum should remain through Summer 2021. Our community has come a long way in the preceding months, however, as we all know, the threat of COVID-19 still exists. In consultation with student leadership and campus stakeholders as outlined in the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, we will use the summer to consider the necessity of and updates to the Addendum in preparation for the 2021-22 academic year and any shifting COVID-19 public health considerations as we approach the Fall semester.

Thank you for your steadfast vigilance and support of our University of Michigan community. Collectively we have upheld our commitment to our core values and invested deeply in our own wellness and the wellness of others as we have lived into our University of Michigan Wolverine Culture of Care.

Go Blue!

Erik S. Wessel, D.Ed.
Director, Office of Student Conflict Resolution
The University of Michigan