Current Update

October 5, 2020 - 5:00 p.m.

 

Protect Your Owl Family

The theme of FAU’S Health and Safety plan, Protect Your Owl Family, is an overarching message meant to ensure everyone is responsible and taking precautions on and off campus to slow the spread of COVID-19. Everyone’s partnership and influence are essential in helping us to keep our entire FAU community safe and well.  

Current Policies and Protocols

• Students, faculty and staff are always required to wear face coverings when on FAU campuses, both inside and outside buildings
• Do not overcrowd spaces; maintain physical distancing of at least six feet
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer
• Limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people (residential students must also adhere to guidelines below)
• For students living on campus, guests and visitors from outside of the hall/tower are not permitted; residents may only have one resident as a guest in their assigned bedroom; no overnight guests are permitted; residents may only enter the residential building to which they are assigned unless otherwise posted (i.e., to access critical services such as mailroom or staff offices)
• Visit the Campus Safety page for additional information.

Testing

Student Health Services (SHS) on the Boca Raton, Davie and Jupiter campuses offers COVID-19 viral testing for all students, faculty and staff. Priority is given to those exhibiting signs or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and for asymptomatic individuals with recent known or suspected COVID-19 exposure.

To make an appointment for testing, call one of the three campus SHS clinic locations:

• Boca Raton: 561-297-3512
• Davie: 954-236-1556
• Jupiter: 561-799-8678

The Boca Raton SHS office also offers walk-up testing for asymptomatic individuals Thursday through Monday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Owls Care Classroom (Building 8, Room 222A). Individuals with symptoms are not permitted to have testing at the walk-up site unless they have been referred by a member of the FAU SHS clinical team.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or suspected exposure, Protect Your Owl Family and get tested by a healthcare provider. All members of the FAU community should contact SHS if you:

• Receive a positive COVID-19 test from another healthcare provider;
• Are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19;
• Have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who is positive for COVID-19 symptoms.

Knowledge of positive tests, symptoms and/or individuals with direct exposure to those with the virus allows SHS to begin contact tracing protocols.

Contact Tracing 

Contact tracing is the process used to identify those who encounter people who have tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contact tracing is a core disease control measure employed as a key strategy for preventing further spread.

FAU has collaborated with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), and local county health departments, to establish processes and to assist in tracing contacts internal to the FAU community. SHS oversees contact tracing for FAU-related cases. FAU’s clinical staff or contact tracing staff performs all contact tracing for students, faculty and staff in collaboration with the FDOH, which performs the contact tracing for those outside the FAU community.

Specific protocols for testing and contact tracing are available in the re-opening plan, pages 20-23, with additional details posted within the campus safety page of the FAU COVID-19 website. 

Compliance 

The Guidance on Enforcement of FAU’s COVID-19 Safety Plan document is meant to provide a framework of enforcement mechanisms for students, faculty and staff. Please review the plan in its entirety. Compliance is a binding responsibility of every person and will be enforced consistent with existing FAU policies, including the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

FAU’s eventual return to traditional operations is dependent on these COVID-19-related guidelines, as well as those who notice non-compliance notifying appropriate officials when concerns arise. Individuals not complying with guidelines are subject to disciplinary actions. For students, potential sanctions could range from a conduct warning up to a suspension or expulsion from the University. For employees, sanctions could range from counseling or verbal warning up to written warnings and termination. Examples of non-compliance include, but are not limited to: failure to wear a face covering; failure to physically distance from others; failure by a supervisor to enforce health and safety requirements; employees who exhibit signs of illness at work and refuse to return home; and employees failing to report to work when requested.

University Updates