- What do I need to do if I miss class due to COVID reasons, and what is the process for COVID-related absences and return to campus?
- Complete the P3 app every day prior to leaving home before you come to campus.
- Three possible scenarios:
- Scenario 1: You get an orange result on your P3 App. You will need to isolate yourself at home until at least 48 hours after your symptoms have resolved. If you miss class and/or cannot meet an assignment deadline due to your absence, contact your professors with the P3 orange email sent by the P3 app to excuse your absence.
- Scenario 2: You get a red result on your P3 App. FIU’s COVID Response Team (CRT) will contact you. Read your FIU email and/or answer the phone from 305-348-1919. If you miss class and/or cannot meet an assignment deadline due to your absence, contact your professors with the P3 email sent by the P3 app to excuse your absence.
- Scenario 3: You were seated in a classroom near a COVID-positive individual: You are sent an email by either your professor or CRT identifying that section of class. READ THE ENTIRE EMAIL THAT IS SENT TO YOU.
- When in doubt, contact the CRT at 305-348-1919.
- The CRT cannot provide an excuse letter if you do not complete the P3 app the day of your absence.
- Follow the make-up policy in the syllabus. Faculty are not required to provide ZOOM access to in-person class sessions.
- Complete follow-up with CRT to get a Clearance Email. You must have this to return to class. The Clearance Email will serve for excusing absences. It is your responsibility to provide the Clearance Email to your professors.
- If you are having a problem with having your absence excused, contact Student Ombudsperson, Sofia Trelles, at 305-348-2797.
- Excessive absences may result in the inability to complete coursework and possible failure of a class.
- Visit the Student and Faculty Frequently Asked Questions on the FIU repopulation page for detailed, up-to-date information.
- If a student receives a message to stay home and isolate or quarantine from the P3 app or the COVID Response Team, will the student be penalized for absence, missed work, or inability to participate in a group participation/discussion? If so, what would the penalty be
Faculty have course-specific policies in place for missing work due to excused absences. Students must make themselves aware of their faculty’s excused absence policy. Students who must stay home due to failing the P3 app must inform their professor and will have their absence excused. The CRT cannot provide an excuse letter if you do not complete the P3 app the day of your absence. Students must forward automated email from P3 to faculty to excuse their absence. Students are responsible for making up work in line with the make-up policies for each class. Some class activities may not be able to be made-up such as discussion boards or class participation.
- Would a student be required to disclose this health information to the professor, or would the university through the COVID Response Team notify a professor? Students are responsible for letting faculty know that they will be absent from class and are responsible for making up classwork in line with policies outlined in the course syllabus. Students are not required to disclose health information to the professor. Students who receive an orange or red on the P3 will be asked to isolate or quarantine and will receive an automated email which must be forwarded to faculty to excuse their absence letting them know that they will be missing class due to this. Students are responsible for making up work in line with policies outlined in the course syllabus.
- If a student receives multiple P3 app failures throughout the semester how will this be handled? Students are responsible for making up classwork in line with policies outlined in the course syllabus. Missing excessive work due to absences, excused or otherwise, may result in a failing grade. In the case where a student has completed a majority of the work for the class, they may request an incomplete grade from their professor or may use the Medical Petition form for extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student.
- If a professor suspects that a student is abusing the P3 system to avoid assignments/attendance what would the course of action be? Faculty will follow their make-up policies as outlined in the syllabus. This may include restrictions on the type and number of assignments/tests that can be made-up. Please review all of your course syllabi as policies differ from class to class.
- If a student feels singled out by a professor for excessive P3 app failures what would the course of action be? If a student feels they are singled out by a professor for excessive P3 app failures, they should meet with the faculty member, chair, or dean in order to settle the grievance informally via open and transparent processes of communication. If the student has exhausted this informal process, they may reach out to the Student Ombudsperson to discuss options available.
- Will students who do not want an Incomplete (INC) grade yet miss a majority of class time/coursework due to P3 app failures be allowed to attend class virtually or violate isolation/quarantine to attend in person examination? Students who have been instructed to isolate or quarantine cannot attend class in person. Faculty who are teaching in the classroom may provide alternatives for certain students. Students who are directed to isolate or quarantine, should work with faculty members individually to identify alternative methods for completing course requirements during their period of isolation. Faculty with in-person, on-campus classes may choose to offer office hours and/or supplemental help using Zoom. If the course is offered in an online modality, this may be a viable alternative for the student.
- Will professors be required to compensate with virtual assignments and examinations for students in P3 isolation/quarantine? No. Faculty have make-up policies for their class assignments and will follow those policies.
- Would a student be required to disclose this health information to the professor, or would the university through the COVID Response Team notify a professor? Students are responsible for letting faculty know that they will be absent from class and are responsible for making up classwork in line with policies outlined in the course syllabus. Students are not required to disclose health information to the professor. Students who receive an orange or red on the P3 will be asked to isolate or quarantine and will receive an automated email which must be forwarded to faculty to excuse their absence letting them know that they will be missing class due to this. Students are responsible for making up work in line with policies outlined in the course syllabus.
- What will I expect to see on my syllabi and Canvas courses regarding COVID-19?
As cases and hospitalizations due to the Omicron variant continue to increase in our community, we must unite and take necessary steps to prevent further spread.
- Daily and before arriving to campus, complete the P3 app. If you are not given the green check mark to enter campus, then stay home, and contact me by email.
- Please check your FIU email account and your Canvas course at least once a day. Email and Canvas are the official ways for the university, and your professors, to contact you.
- If you do not feel well, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been in contact with a person with COVID-19 while not yet being fully vaccinated, please do not come to class. Immediately complete the P3 app to notify the COVID Response Team or call them at 305-348-1919, and contact me by email as soon as you can. In order to receive an excused absence for P3 failure/COVID-19, you must forward the P3 app email to me which lets me know that you will be missing class due to this and are responsible for making up work in line with policies outlined in the course syllabus.
If you are directed to isolate or quarantine because of COVID-19, your absences will be considered excused. The make-up policies are outlined in this syllabus. - Per CDC guidelines, a vaccinated, asymptomatic individual exposed to a COVID-19 positive person does not need to isolate or quarantine. Nevertheless, it is strongly advised to continue to wear a mask. Furthermore, it is recommended to get tested 3-5 days after a known exposure. If at any time you become symptomatic, you need to test immediately. If the test returns positive, you will need to follow the COVID-19 positive protocol at that time.
- “Asymptomatic” means (of a condition or a person) producing or showing no symptoms.
- “Symptomatic” means exhibiting or involving symptoms.
- People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Please take every precaution to keep yourself and others healthy. Per CDC guidelines, you are encouraged to get vaccinated and strongly advised to wear a mask indoors and in public including all FIU facilities.
- Missing excessive days may lead to failing a class or a grade of incomplete.
- For me to assist you in achieving your goals, it is important for you to contact me as soon as you experience any events that might disrupt your course participation. For up-to-date information about COVID-19, please see the fiu.edu FAQs.
- Please be advised that classes may be audio and visually recorded and/or subject to course capture for future access by students in this course. Your attendance/participation in this course constitutes consent to such recordings, which will only be used for educational purposes by students in the course and securely stored in university systems. If there is a concern regarding the recording and use of such recording, please contact FERPA@fiu.edu.
- Daily and before arriving to campus, complete the P3 app. If you are not given the green check mark to enter campus, then stay home, and contact me by email.
- What if I cannot attend my in-person course due to a disability. Are faculty required to provide an accommodation that permits participation in an in-person course remotely for the entire semester?
Any student alleging to have a disability should be directed to the Disability Resource Center. There are no remote course options available at FIU if the course is an in-person or hybrid course, even for those students with qualified disabilities. All approved reasonable accommodations will be communicated to the students via the Disability Resource Center procedure. The student is responsible for ensuring that the DRC notification of accommodations is provided to their faculty member. Although the student has a documented disability, by converting an in-person course into an online class, the delivery of the course material and content would be significantly and fundamentally altered. This type of modification goes beyond the scope of the ADA and what academic adjustment and reasonable accommodation allow.
The DRC’s information can be found at drc.fiu.edu.
- Are we still using the P3 app?
Yes. Please complete the P3 app before coming to campus. Based on your responses to the P3 questions, you will be advised whether to go to campus or stay home. If you “fail” the app, FIU’s COVID Response Team (CRT) will contact you. They are a resource that help us limit transmissions on campus. They will also help you with next steps and, at your request, can provide a letter for you that you may send to faculty to excuse absences from class. All information you provide the CRT is confidential.
- What do I do if fail the P3 app?
If you fail the P3 app, the COVID Response Team (CRT) will contact you. If you do not hear from the CRT within 24 hours, please call 305-348-1919.
- What do I do if I am experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms, have received a positive COVID-19 test, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19?
Please use the P3 app or call the COVID Response Team at 305-348-1919.
- What happens when a student chooses not to wear a mask in a classroom setting but is told by a professor to put on a mask and disobeys the request?
Faculty may make a general request to the class to please wear masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 but mask wearing is up to the individual student. FIU is strongly advising everyone on campus to wear masks as they do help prevent the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.
- What happens if the professor insists, and the student repeatedly chooses not to wear the mask? Faculty will not insist. Faculty, and all leaders, are making a general request for students and all members of the university community to wear masks. This is a safety and mitigation request and should not be taken as an affront to an individuals’ choice. A faculty member may start each class asking the class to “please wear masks”. This is not a directive but a request and is like faculty asking students to “please turn off your cell phone”. If a student is asked directly to wear a mask, they should send an email to the chair of the department.
- What do I do if my professor requires wear masks during class? Communicate your concerns to the department chair as soon as possible. Faculty have been informed that they cannot require masks in their classrooms.
- What are student consequences for choosing not to wear a mask? There are no consequences for not wearing a mask. If the faculty makes a general request to the class to wear a mask, students who do not wish to do so may simply not put on a mask.
- If a student feels that their grade has been negatively impacted due to a bias against them for not wearing or wearing a mask what would be the course of action for the student? With classes with no objective metrics to measure against how would a student prove this?
Students who choose not to wear a mask and students who choose to wear a mask should do so without consequences either from their instructor or from other students. If a student feels that they are being targeted for choosing to wear a mask or choosing to not wear a mask, they should not wait until the final grades are posted. Problems addressed early in the semester are much more easily resolved and are less likely to impact students’ overall grades. If a student feels that their grade has been negatively impacted due to a possible bias against them for not wearing a mask/wearing a mask, the student must meet with the faculty member, chair, or dean to settle the grievance informally via open and transparent processes of communication. After all means of informal resolution have been exhausted, the student can proceed to file a Formal Academic Grievance with the Faculty Fellow for Academic Integrity. Students are also encouraged to meet with the Student Ombudsperson, who provides a forum for students to discuss and identify options to resolve student issues.
- What is the course of action for a professor who offers extra credit, in class, or extracurricular incentives to vaccinated students only?
This is not allowed and should be reported to the department Chair. The Chair may escalate to the Dean or Vice Provost of Faculty Leadership and Success, if necessary.
- There are classes where students are expected to travel off campus, would the professor have discretion in requiring masks on an off-campus excursion or would FIU campus rules apply where there is not an existing private business mandate in place?
On campus rules apply to off-campus excursions where there is not an existing mandate in place. Note that some local/regional government agencies have instituted mandates that are different from those issued by the state. In this case, FIU would expect all people traveling in connection to FIU-related activities to follow local mandates.
- Would an FIU student organization be able to require masks/vaccination for participation in on or off campus activities where a private business/local government policy is not in effect?
Student organizations should follow all FIU policies and guidelines. In some instances, student organizations with (inter)national governing bodies (e.g., Fraternity and Sorority Life) may receive more stringent guidelines for their activities (e.g., mask mandates). Members of these organizations should follow the higher standard between the University and their (inter)national organization. Any concerns should be addressed to the Department of Campus Life at camplife@fiu.edu.
- Would student organizations need to abide by the maximum standard that the university applies regarding masks and vaccinations?
Student organizations should follow all FIU policies and guidelines. In some instances, student organizations with (inter)national governing bodies (e.g., Fraternity and Sorority Life) may receive more stringent guidelines for their activities (e.g., mask mandates). Members of these organizations should follow the higher standard between the University and their (inter)national organization. Any concerns should be addressed to the Department of Campus Life at camplife@fiu.edu.
- Students are receiving information from many sources: CDC, social media, FIU, family, personal doctor, etc. How do students know which guidelines to follow?
While on campus, students should follow FIU guidelines. Students may supplement with CDC guidelines regarding wearing masks and physical distancing. Students should be aware that FIU will not have physical distancing options in classrooms. If a student is not comfortable in classrooms that do not have physical distancing available, they should enroll in fully online courses for the spring semester. Please note that FIU will not be able to offer all classes in online modality.
- If a professor chooses to follow CDC guidelines or implement CDC recommendations counter to university policy and a student is upset by this what is the course of action?
Faculty should follow university policies to ensure that as an institution we do not create irregularities in the implementation of policies or procedures at the college or school level. Concerns should be brought to the department Chair. The Chair can escalate to the Dean or Vice Provost of Faculty Leadership and Success, if necessary. If the student has exhausted this informal process, they may reach out to the Student Ombudsperson to discuss options available.
- If students implement policies for university affiliated activities that differ from university repopulation plan what is the course of action?
Student organizations should follow FIU policies. They may not adjust them. Concerns should be addressed to the Department of Campus Life at camplife@fiu.edu.
- Will professors be allowed to verify the P3 app status prior to admittance to a class?
No. Faculty do not have access to and may not ask to see student P3 app results (only the student and the COVID Response Team have access). Faculty should encourage students of the use of the app prior to their arrival onto campus.
- What is the Student Government Role in this process and what channels are available to direct student concern/inquiry should a concern be made to the attention of Student Government?
Student Government (SGA) can help to connect students with the correct/best Departments for students to address their particular personal issues relating to COVID-19/coursework. SGA can gather general concerns to be shared with administration that may affect the greater population and provide information and resource materials to their peers. SGA can help relay information and messaging.
- How does SGA avoid violating HIPPA/FERPA in redirecting student concerns related to personal issues relating to COVID-19/coursework? SGA should not gather personal information. SGA shares general education information only and should refer issues to appropriate personnel.
- How can Student Government help the administration in this issue? SGA can help by sharing information to students regarding university policy and connecting students with the appropriate departments.
- How does SGA avoid violating HIPPA/FERPA in redirecting student concerns related to personal issues relating to COVID-19/coursework? SGA should not gather personal information. SGA shares general education information only and should refer issues to appropriate personnel.
- How will these avenues be communicated to students so that they are aware of the policies and how they apply to their educational experience?
As circumstances change, we will keep you apprised. Please see the FIU COVID-19 webpage: repopulation.fiu.edu. Refer to the Student Health and Wellness (SHW) monthly resource guide, SHW social media accounts, and your student email. We will work with student leaders and FIU communications to share information regarding any changes.
- How will the faculty be informed of COVID-19 policies and the regulations that apply to the classroom?
As circumstances change, we will keep faculty apprised. Please keep checking this website.
- Are the student food pantries at MMC and BBC open?
Yes, see what's open for specific hours.
- Are the Counseling & Psychological Services/Victim Empowerment Program still seeing students?
Yes, CAPS/VEP is fully operational and is offering both in-person and telehealth appointments. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call 305-348-2277.
If you are in need of immediate services and it is after business hours, please call our 24-Hour hotline 305-348-2277 (CAPS) and follow the prompts to speak with a licensed clinician.
- Are there face coverings required? Are there face coverings available on campus?
Face coverings strongly recommended indoors. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, FIU will be providing face coverings to all registered students. Face coverings are available for students at vending machines located throughout MMC BBC and EC. All come individually wrapped. FIU OneCard required. For locations and more information, visit http://parking.fiu.edu/face-covering-vending-machine/