Faculty and staff will be provided with two face coverings, which will be mailed to their homes as soon as available.

Face shields, masks and amplification systems will be distributed in the colleges closer to the beginning of the fall semester. The university will send a university-wide announcement when they’re ready for pick-up.

Individuals who work in lab settings will continue to receive personal protective equipment as required to conduct research.

Staff members will be provided with personal protective equipment based on the nature of their work and upon request.

University System of Georgia institutions require faculty, staff, students and visitors to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities. Face coverings will be worn in addition to and not as a substitute for social distancing. Face coverings aren’t required in one’s own dorm room or suite, when alone in an enclosed office or study room or in outdoor settings where social-distancing requirements are met.

Anyone not using a face covering when required will be asked to wear one or leave the area. Repeated refusal to comply with the requirement may result in discipline through the applicable conduct code for faculty, staff or students. Reasonable accommodations may be made for those who are unable to wear a face covering for documented health reasons.

When you wear a face covering you’re protecting yourself, but equally important, you’re protecting other members of the university community. You’re showing you’re taking responsibility for the welfare of those around you.

The University System of Georgia is composed of Georgia’s public colleges and universities, Georgia Archives and the Georgia Public Library Service. Georgia’s Constitution grants the Board of Regents the exclusive right to govern, control and manage the USG and USG institutions. The board exercises and fulfills its constitutional obligations, in part, by promulgating rules and policies for the governance of the USG and its constituent units. The board elects a chancellor who is its chief executive officer and the chief administrative officer of the University System.

Georgia State is one of the 26 colleges and universities in Georgia, and the presidents of USG institutions report to the chancellor. USG institutions are required to follow the policies and procedures established by the USG. Those interested can review the USG’s Return to Campus Planning Framework here: https://provost.gsu.edu/files/2020/06/USG-Fall-2020-Return-to-Campus-Planning-Framework.pdf.

Anyone not using a face covering when required will be asked to wear one or leave the area. Repeated refusal to comply with the requirement may result in discipline through the applicable conduct code for faculty, staff or students.

Yes, in most cases. The University System of Georgia’s face coverings policy requires all individuals in campus buildings to wear a face covering at all times except when alone in an enclosed private office, study room or dorm room in a residence hall. The virus can be spread through the air, and the risk of infection increases any time an individual is not wearing a mask.

Yes. Cubicles are not private, enclosed offices. Personnel who work in such spaces are required to wear a face covering.

No face covering is required when you are outdoors and six feet of social distancing is possible. However, we strongly recommend you wear a face covering at all times when on campus or in the vicinity to best protect yourself and others.

The situation with the pandemic is fluid, and we’ll continue to adapt our plan as new public health recommendations emerge. For that reason, instructors should develop contingency plans in their syllabi to take classes fully online at any time if the need arises.

If the instructor is largely asymptomatic and teaching online, it may be that no adjustment is needed. If the instructor is teaching an in‐person component of a course, the course would either need to move to an online format if the professor can continue with instruction in that modality or be taught by an alternate instructor who can step in to maintain continuity. That process will look very similar to previous semesters during which an instructor became ill.

Students who are symptomatic may request a test through the Student Health Clinic. Faculty and staff who want to be tested should consult with their personal health provider or review the list of testing sites that are available throughout Atlanta under the Resources tab of the Georgia State Ahead website. The university does not have the capacity to provide COVID-19 testing to the entire community.

The Georgia Department of Public Health is responsible for contact tracing. Those who have tested positive or are presumed to be positive should contact Kerry Heyward (kheyward@gsu.edu) and Ijeoma Azonobi (iazonobi@gsu.edu) and, for employees, their supervisor or department chair. Steps will be taken to identify and contact those at Georgia State who were in close contact (within six feet for at least 15 minutes) with the individual who tested positive. The name of the individual who tested positive will not be shared with others. Those in close contact will be advised to follow CDC guidelines about quarantining.

Students in residence halls who report an infection will be asked to return home. For those unable to do so, we’re planning to reserve a sequestered area that will allow residential students to isolate while infected. More information will be provided soon.

Our facilities team has developed a plan to provide regular cleaning and disinfecting around our campuses. A description of the plan can be found here: https://facilities.gsu.edu/files/2020/06/GSU-FMSD-Building-Services-Schedule-5-29-2020.pdf.

We will provide spray bottles, cloth rags and disinfectant to each academic department to the extent supply is available. Academic departments will provide these items to faculty to bring with them to the classroom so they can disinfect as they see fit.

Our air-handling units are equipped with air filters. The use of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters is not feasible without major alterations to existing mechanical systems and duct work. We are installing UV lights in the air-handling units of several buildings and are working on placing more around campus. We also have ordered numerous portable air purifier machines for deployment in strategic locations across all campuses.

Employees who fall into one of the Georgia Department of Public Health or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categories for higher risk for severe illness with COVID-19 may request alternate work arrangements via the Benefits Office.

In accordance with University System of Georgia guidelines, employees who care for or live with individuals at higher risk for severe illness with COVID-19 should plan to return to their campuses as scheduled. These guidelines are consistent for employees in public universities across the state.

However, our goal is to provide as much flexibility and choice as possible within these parameters. Individuals may be eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, Families First Coronavirus Response Act or other policies.

There also may be options for flexible work arrangements within a department or course even if an alternate work arrangement is not formally available through the Human Resources process. Individuals interested in exploring these options should speak with their supervisor or department chair immediately.

Instructors who need an alternate work arrangement should do so as soon as possible.

It’s important you discuss your concerns with your department chair or supervisor as soon as possible. Our goal is to provide as much flexibility and choice as possible within the parameters of the policies and procedures established by the University System of Georgia.

There may be options possible in your department even if alternate work arrangements are not formally available through the Human Resources process. For example, with respect to instructors, requests to change course delivery modality may be granted where strategically justified and in the best interests of our students. Such requests must be approved by your department chair, dean and the provost.  All such requests should be made prior to July 31 except in exceptional circumstances.

Because of the logistics involved and the need to establish a firm course schedule for students and departments, instructors should submit requests as soon as possible but no later than July 31 in all but exceptional circumstances.

You should discuss with your department chair or supervisor options for alternative work arrangements such as continued telework, split shifts and alternative schedules. The Benefits Office in Human Resources may be able to offer potential leave options available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

All University System of Georgia (USG) institutions are planning to hold face-to-face classes this fall in accordance with USG guidelines. Those interested can review the USG’s Return to Campus Planning Framework here: https://provost.gsu.edu/files/2020/06/USG-Fall-2020-Return-to-Campus-Planning-Framework.pdf.

With more than 11,000 classes scheduled at Georgia State and the fluid nature of the pandemic, the logistics of holding face-to-face classes while socially distancing and following public health guidelines are very challenging. The original plan announced earlier this summer adopted a blended learning model that aimed to reduce density by 50 percent or more in classrooms and to limit the days most students and instructors would be on campus. Because of the increasing rate of COVID-19 in Georgia, we shifted our target for classroom density to 25 percent capacity to enable six feet of social distancing for each individual.

Instructors have flexibility to determine how best to use their time in class under the revised plan. The revised plan also allows for department chairs to recommend that some classes move fully online where 25 percent attendance is not pedagogically suited, and/or to meet student demand. Those instructors who wish to meet in person more frequently than allowed under the 25 percent model may request to be scheduled in a larger classroom that allows for six feet of social distancing.  Some classes also will be held entirely face to face where necessary or feasible and safety can be maintained. The university will prioritize in-person classes for freshman, graduate and professional students, as well as experiential learning, labs and other coursework that strongly benefits from this modality.

All requests to change modality or move to a larger space must be approved by the department chair, relevant dean and provost. Priority will be given to those requests made prior to July 31. Departments should prioritize options for in-person classes and pathways for Freshman Learning Communities, graduate and professional students.

The COVID-19 infection rate is increasing in Georgia, and many members of our community are demographically at higher risk. Georgia State’s downtown campus is dense, composed of tall buildings and overwhelmingly fixed seating in classrooms, along with elevators, narrow hallways and small spaces. Whereas a 50 percent reduction in classroom density at one time provided meaningful protection, it is no longer sufficient. We are committed to creating a six-foot radius around each individual in classroom settings wherever feasible.

By reducing the number of individuals in class at any one time, we also reduce the overall density on campuses. This will also allow us to provide larger spaces to those classes with a high need to operate in a hybrid or face-to-face setting consistent with social-distancing requirements.

Adding online classes also allows us to respond to student demand for flexibility in course modality. We have received many requests for further options from our students who either cannot be present on campus this fall or prefer to be on campus fewer days each week. Our goal is to provide options that will meet the needs of all students during this challenging time.

The provost meets weekly with an Academic Task Force composed of key administrators, faculty, representatives from the University Senate Executive Committee and staff, including:

• Julian Allen, Chief Learning Innovation Officer
• Lisa Armistead, Dean of the Graduate School
• Michelle Brattain, Professor and Chair of the University Senate Executive Committee
• Laura Carruth, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
• Shelby Frost, Professor and member of University Senate Executive Committee
• Chip Hill, Assistant Provost for Administrative Operations
• Nancy Kropf, Dean of Perimeter College
• Tarrah Mirus, Registrar
• Richard Phillips, Dean of the Robinson College of Business
• John Redmond, Professor and member of University Senate
• Sara Rosen, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
• Kim Siegenthaler, Associate Provost for Online Strategies
• Jeff Steely, Dean of University Libraries
• Ramesh Vakamudi, Vice President for Facilities Management

The Academic Task Force is charged with identifying how best to deliver classes effectively and safely in light of the pandemic and the policies established by the University System of Georgia. It reports through the provost to the COVID-19 Coordinating Committee led by President Becker, which coordinates the university’s response to the pandemic.

In addition to allowing us to reduce density in classrooms and on our campuses, the model offers a great deal of flexibility to faculty in structuring their classes. It also ensures students will have opportunities to interact with their instructors face to face to enhance learning outcomes and secure some of the benefits of our campus environment. It will allow examinations to be administered in a face-to-face setting where desired by the instructor to enhance academic integrity.

Should we need to move to entirely online classes at any point in the semester because of the pandemic, this model will aid that transition because some course content will already be in an online format.

Instructors who’ve not already done so should enroll in a Mastering Online Teaching course offered through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). CETL has training courses for full-time and part-time instructors and graduate teaching assistants focusing on this model and Web resources that can be accessed here: https://cetl.gsu.edu/resources/resources-for-remote-teaching-and-learning/. CETL also can consult with individuals and departments to identify the best way to structure specific disciplinary courses and achieve excellent learning outcomes using the blended learning model.

It’s important every instructor prepare a contingency syllabus that is entirely online in the event a shift is required because of the pandemic. If such a shift becomes necessary, it’s unlikely we’ll suspend classes for two weeks as we did in spring semester, so advance planning is a necessity.

No. While department chairs are being asked to review courses and determine which ones should remain in a hybrid modality or go fully online, instructors don’t have the option of unilaterally changing a course to a fully online format.

If an instructor (full-time, part-time or graduate teaching assistant) needs an alternate work arrangement or believes a course would be better delivered in a fully online format for pedagogical or strategic reasons, they should consult with their department chair immediately.

Instructors have the flexibility to determine how best to use the in-person class time in the revised 25-percent model. One option would be to divide students into cohorts that attend class only on specific days. For most classes, students would typically meet in person once every two weeks or three weeks per class, depending on how many days per week the class meets.

Based on historical enrollment patterns, students could be divided alphabetically by (1) A – Du; (2) Dv – La; (3) Lb – Re; and (4) Rf – Z. For most class sessions, these groupings will not create a perfect 25-percent split, and instructors will need to make some adjustments to ensure class sections are evenly distributed based on available seating in classrooms. In GoSOLAR, classrooms will have 25 percent of seats marked as usable, so it’s important to divide the class roster accordingly.

Deviations from these recommendations are permitted for pedagogical reasons and based on compelling individual student requests at the instructor’s discretion. There also may be other criteria that may make more sense for some types of courses. Instructors may adjust their class divisions accordingly. The goal is to reduce the number of days any student is on campus. An alphabetical division of cohorts in each class will help to meet this goal.

In all cases, it’s important that the instructor provide the schedule of attendance and course delivery method to students by email, on syllabi and the course website (in most cases, iCollege) by Aug. 10 or earlier if possible. Students will receive these same instructions.

Yes, in some cases. Aside from safety, our highest priority is to preserve in-class programming for:

a. Populations that experience greater educational success rates with in-person programming (freshmen, for example);
b. Classes that benefit significantly from this modality (such as experiential classes and labs);
c. Graduate and professional classes in which learning takes place in similar settings.

We have already approved a number of requests for a course to be entirely taught in a face-to-face format. Those classes will proceed as scheduled.

Instructors also can ask department chairs if their classes may meet more frequently than a 25-percent capacity would typically permit. In such cases, we may be able to identify a larger room that will accommodate a larger group of students while maintaining social distancing. Such requests need to be documented and approved by department chairs, the relevant dean and the provost as soon as possible. Space will be allocated as available and based on the priorities identified above.

University System of Georgia institutions require faculty, staff, students and visitors to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities. Instructors teaching in-person courses may wear a face mask and will be given the option of securing a face shield and an amplification system upon request. Many large classrooms are already equipped with amplification systems in which an individual lavalier microphone can be checked out for the semester. Face shields, masks and amplification systems will be distributed in the colleges closer to the beginning of fall semester. We’ll send a university-wide announcement when they are ready to pick up.

One benefit of the blended learning model is that exams may be administered in person in class. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has developed a number of resources for online and in-person testing that can be found here: https://cetl.gsu.edu/resources/resources-for-remote-teaching-and-learning/testing/.

We’re working out logistics for fall and will follow up soon with a plan for final exams.

We considered ending the in-person portion of the term early as Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia are doing. However, most of the evidence we’ve seen suggests this is primarily a tool for those heavily residential universities that have large out-of-state populations. This strategy ensures students don’t fly to their homes for the holidays and then fly back with additional exposure risks.

Most of our students are from within the metropolitan Atlanta area.

We also weighed the strong demand from instructors for in-person exams to ensure academic integrity. This was perhaps their most common complaint from the spring. We don’t have the capacity to proctor online exams in a high-security format as would be required using this option.

The situation with the pandemic is fluid, and we’ll adapt our plan as necessary. If conditions at the time warrant an end to in-person instruction after Thanksgiving, we’ll consider this modification.

The situation with the pandemic is fluid, and we’ll continue to adapt our plan as new public health recommendations emerge. For that reason, instructors should develop contingency plans in their syllabi to take classes fully online at any time if the need arises.

Although synchronous classes are technically permitted, CETL has raised many concerns regarding this format. Synchronous classes create difficulties for students with spotty technology or challenges at home because they require fixed attendance. Often this format is inferior pedagogically, sometimes “the path of least resistance” for instructors who will simply lecture online rather than creating engaging online material. Synchronous classes also can create Americans with Disabilities Act issues because some students will need captioning, which is not easily secured.

We must ensure that synchronous course are of high quality and offered by an instructor who is trained in an online modality and aware of these limitations.

We’ve evaluated spacing in classrooms by consulting architectural plans and individually assessing each room on our campuses. Where possible, six feet of spacing between students is being created by eliminating seating, marking off areas and configuring furniture to allow social distancing. The original plan announced earlier this summer adopted a blended learning model that aimed to reduce density by 50 percent or more in classrooms and to limit the days most students and instructors would be on campus. Because of the increasing rate of COVID-19 in Georgia, we shifted our target for classroom density to 25 percent capacity to enable six feet of social distancing for each individual.

We are requiring face masks at all times on campus with limited exceptions, such as when a student is in one's own dorm room or suite, when alone in an enclosed office or study room or in campus outdoor settings where social distancing requirements are met. Face masks and other protective equipment will be required for safety reasons in student laboratories consistent with best practices.

We recommend and will communicate to students and instructors the following options:

• While in the corridors, students should to try to keep right whenever possible. Observing this “rule of the road” will enable students to keep a maximum distance from one another as they pass in the hallway.
• Students should avoid congregating in the corridors.
• Students should enter the classroom one at a time with social distancing.
• At the end of class, instructors should dismiss students one group at a time in the case of one doorway, or two groups in the case of two doorways. An exit group might consist of a row of students, a small learning group or whatever grouping makes sense depending on the classroom arrangement. Students should exit through the doorways one at a time to practice social distancing.
• In a fire or other emergency, students should disregard the social distancing conventions and make their way to the exits as quickly as possible.

University System of Georgia institutions require faculty, staff, students and visitors to wear an appropriate face covering while on campus. Face coverings will be worn in addition to and not as a substitute for social distancing. Face coverings aren’t required in one’s own dorm room or suite, when alone in an enclosed office or study room or in outdoor settings where social distancing requirements are met.

Anyone not using a face covering when required will be asked to wear one or leave the area. Repeated refusal to comply with the requirement may result in discipline through the applicable conduct code for faculty, staff or students. Reasonable accommodations may be made for those who are unable to wear a face covering for documented health reasons.

Anyone not using a face covering when required will be asked to wear one or leave the area. Repeated refusal to comply with the requirement may result in discipline through the applicable conduct code for faculty, staff or students. Reasonable accommodations may be made for those who are unable to wear a face covering for documented health reasons.

Instructors who use a face shield have the option of not using a mask while teaching. We are providing face shields to all instructors, so you may want to evaluate whether ours meets your needs before purchasing your own.

The in-person portion of classes that are taught in a hybrid or face-to-face modality should be essential to instruction. In many if not most cases, it wouldn’t be reasonable to excuse students from all in-class attendance.

Students who need accommodations should be directed to the Access and Accommodations Center at https://access.gsu.edu/. Our advisers are working with students who are unable to attend classes in person to direct them to classes that are fully online and make other arrangements that suit their specific needs.

Instructors are asked to be as flexible as possible with their attendance policies. They may not require a doctor’s note to excuse a student from class and are encouraged to provide assistance in meeting missed assignments to the extent feasible and reasonable.

An instructor who believes the learning outcomes of the course can no longer be achieved because of a student’s number of absences should recommend the student withdraw from the course.

Yes. Instructors will be asked to maintain seating chart(s) for the in-person portion of any class. Should someone in the class become ill, this will help us identify who, if anyone, should be contacted. We’ll provide instructions soon on how to access blank charts that may be filled in for each classroom.

Office hours may be held virtually at the discretion of the instructor, so long as students still have the same level of access they would in any other semester.

No. Students may be coughing because they have allergies, asthma or any number of conditions that are not contagious to others. You can ask the student privately if they are OK and encourage them to seek medical attention if necessary. In no case should you call out a student during class for coughing or discuss their medical issues publicly.

The Task Force is working to develop standardized language that instructors can elect to include in syllabi, stressing the importance of staying home when sick.

You should direct the student to stay home and work with them to adjust any deadlines that may be missed because they are sick.

You should also report the infection to Kerry Heyward (kheyward@gsu.edu) and Ijeoma Azonobi (iazonobi@gsu.edu) of Georgia State’s Coronavirus Task Force. Others at Georgia State who are identified to have come in close contact (within six feet for at least 15 minutes) with the student who tested positive will be advised to quarantine and follow CDC guidelines.

Because student health information is protected by federal law, you should NOT contact the other students in your classroom to report a COVID-19 case.

The Georgia Department of Public Health says there is an increased risk of transmission for those who are within six feet of an infected individual for more than 15 minutes. Because our new fall plan in most cases will provide six feet of distancing between students, all of whom will be wearing masks, classes may continue to operate as scheduled after an infection is reported. Outside of these parameters, we’ll determine what is needed to maintain safe operations on a case-by-case basis once an infection is reported.

An instructor who is diagnosed with COVID-19 should stay home and not come to campus. They also should notify their department chair immediately. Deans and department chairs will work with instructors to determine next steps for the course in light of the particular circumstances in each case.

Students who contract COVID-19 will be allowed to withdraw using regular university means through PAWS/GoSolar prior to the midpoint of the semester. Withdrawal petitions submitted after the midpoint because of COVID-19 will be approved on the grounds of emergency or hardship just as occurred in spring and should go through the Student Affairs online process at https://deanofstudents.gsu.edu/student-assistance/emergency-withdrawal/.

You should notify your supervisor, seek medical treatment and stay home. You should also report the infection to Kerry Heyward (kheyward@gsu.edu) and Ijeoma Azonobi (iazonobi@gsu.edu) of Georgia State’s Coronavirus Task Force.

Employees may also contact Human Resources Benefits at 404-413-3330 or benefits@gsu.edu about the use of sick leave or other possible leave options.

If you’re unable to teach your courses, you should immediately inform your department chair so that alternate arrangements can be made.

Employees should follow CDC guidelines to determine the appropriate time to return to work.

The University System of Georgia offers tenure-track faculty the option to stop the tenure clock for up to two years in a limited set of circumstances. Board Policy 8.3.7.4 states that “credit for the probationary period of an interruption may be given at the discretion of the president.” Because of the unanticipated disruptions caused by COVID-19 this semester, Georgia State will allow pre-tenure faculty to apply for a one-time tenure clock stoppage for the 2020-21 academic year where justified. We hope this will alleviate some of the stress many of you are experiencing because of unanticipated instructional challenges and restricted research opportunities.

The stoppage request should originate with a memo from the faculty member to their chair. The memo should include a description of the nature of the disruption to the faculty member’s research. Examples include (but are not limited to) inability to travel to the field sites or to conduct interviews, closed labs, delays in delivery of lab equipment, delays in manuscript or grant proposal review/approval, etc. The request must be approved by the chair and the dean.

Deans should forward approved requests to the Office of Faculty Affairs for the provost’s review. The provost’s recommendation will be forwarded to the president, and approval will be communicated back to the dean’s office. Because this tenure stoppage does not require a leave of absence, no leave-of-absence form will be required. The deadline is Dec. 3, 2021, however, the deadline for some faculty groups will be earlier. Information is available here: https://faculty.gsu.edu/files/2020/04/COVID-Clock-stoppage-FAQs-4.15.2020.pdf.

The schedule for post-tenure review will not change. However, the disruption to research and service that almost all faculty are experiencing will be taken into account in determining whether productivity standards were met over the prior five years.

Although synchronous classes are technically permitted, CETL has raised many concerns regarding this format. Synchronous classes create difficulties for students with spotty technology or challenges at home because they require fixed attendance. Often this format is inferior pedagogically, sometimes “the path of least resistance” for instructors who will simply lecture online rather than creating engaging online material. Synchronous classes also can create Americans with Disabilities Act issues because some students will need captioning, which is not easily secured.

We must ensure that synchronous course are of high quality and offered by an instructor who is trained in an online modality and aware of these limitations.

We’ll charge the standard rate for monthly parking beginning in the second half of August. Employees who come to work on a reduced basis may elect to change from monthly parking to a budget card, which allows payment per use at a significant discount ($3.50 budget versus $10 daily visitor rate or $5 daily permit). More information on this option will be provided soon. Employees who use MARTA may continue to buy discounted MARTA cards.