Communications & Updates
Recent Updates
September 20, 2021
Message from: Campus Health Services
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: Campus Health offering free flu shots to students, faculty, staff
Cardinal community,
As flu season is upon us and the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it’s important to stay protected and keep others around you safe. To ensure that our campus community is staying healthy, Campus Health is now hosting FREE flu vaccination clinics for University of Louisville students, faculty, and staff.
- Click here to see a full calendar of locations and times for flu vaccination clinics.
Campus Health Services has a new process this year for getting your flu vaccination. For more information about how to receive your FREE flu shot from Campus Health Services, please click here and follow the new process. We look forward to seeing you soon.
September 16, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: Vaccination progress and update on masking
Cardinal Community,
I would like to take this opportunity to commend our entire campus community for surpassing our 80% vaccination rate goal! When Cardinals come together, we make a tremendous impact here and beyond. The COVID-19 vaccines are effective, protective against serious effects of COVID-19 and are a critical tool for bringing the pandemic under control. Our high vaccination rate makes our campuses a safer place to be.
This is a great achievement and truly deserving of celebration. I also want you to know that the level of transmission in the surrounding Jefferson County area has increased since Aug. 6 when we first set the goal to reach an 80% vaccination rate and ease restrictions. Based on the CDC’s recommendation for regions with high transmission levels to continue wearing masks in public, indoor settings, we have decided it would not be wise to suspend our campus-wide mask mandate at this time. Additionally, our university’s public health experts tell us higher percentages of vaccination rates across campus should be reached for optimal herd immunity.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and if we see an opportunity to safely adjust our protocols, we will inform you. If you have not yet been vaccinated, I strongly encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Next week, Campus Health will begin hosting flu shots. The pop-up vaccination events will take a one-week pause, but the COVID-19 vaccine will still be available at the HSC Campus Health Center. Pop-up vaccination events across campus will begin again on Sept. 27. Remember, there are also numerous off-campus locations all around us offering the COVID-19 vaccine.
I’m so proud of our Cardinal community for embracing the true spirit of UofL being a Community of Care.
September 10, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: New vaccination dashboard, student raffle for free tuition and testing reminders
Cardinal Community,
I’m encouraged to see the majority of Cardinals on campus doing their part to continue increasing our vaccination rates. Our vaccination dashboard is now live on the university COVID-19 website and it will be updated weekly to show our vaccination progress. See below for other key updates and reminders.
Vaccination pop-up events and prizes
Next week’s schedule of pop-up vaccination events is posted in the Get Vaccinated section of the COVID-19 website.
To date, more than 200 Cardinals have utilized the pop-up events to get vaccinated.
All students, faculty and staff who get vaccinated at these events will receive a voucher to campus restaurants and cafes. If you’ve already been vaccinated, thank you, and we welcome you to present your COVID-19 vaccination card and ID at one event to pick up a prize.
All vaccinated Cardinal students whose COVID-19 vaccinations are recorded in Campus Health’s database will be automatically entered into the UofL Student Vaccination Contest. The first set of drawings will take place on Sept. 15. Among the many prizes available in this first drawing is the equivalent of one free semester of undergraduate in-state tuition (effective spring 2022).
To check if you’re in Campus Health’s database, log into your university health portal and click on "Immunizations." If you do not see record of your COVID-19 vaccination or lost your vaccination card, follow the instructions at the bottom of this email. For questions, contact the Business Operations COVID Support Team.
Testing
The second required testing period for unvaccinated Cardinals began Sept. 7 and goes through Sept 17. Schedule your testing appointment online.
Starting this Saturday and for the remainder of the semester, the SRC on 4th street will host a testing site on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for any Cardinal who must or chooses to get tested.
Please note that home tests are not approved by Campus Health. To be in compliance with the required testing program, unvaccinated Cardinals must get tested with the university’s Bluewater Lab vendor on campus or take additional steps to upload your testing proof from an off-campus clinic.
Noncompliance with the testing requirement will result in disciplinary action such as denied access to campus facilities, classrooms, offices, programs, residence facilities, activities or services.
September 3, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Faculty, Staff and Students
Subject: Current vaccination rates and week 2 pop-up events
In just the last three days, 151 more Cardinals have made the decision to get vaccinated. I want to give a big thank you to all our newly vaccinated Cardinals. If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, stop by today’s vaccination event on the Quad side of Ekstrom Library (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
At this time, we know that 68.9 percent of students who come to campus are partially or fully vaccinated. We also now know that 80.9 percent of faculty and staff are partially or fully vaccinated. To help us get closer to a community-wide vaccination rate of 80 percent, Campus Health will host more pop-up vaccination events next week at the following times and locations.
Remember, appointments are not required at these pop-up events and any Cardinal who gets vaccinated at one will receive a free university swag item and a voucher to use at campus restaurants and cafes (approximately a $10 value). If you’ve already been vaccinated, again, thank you for doing your part and we welcome you to present your COVID-19 vaccination card and ID at one event to pick up a prize. We can do this!
September 2, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Faculty & Staff
Subject: Reminders about contact tracing, teaching modality and accommodations
Colleagues,
Over the last few weeks, multiple questions and concerns around contact tracing, teaching modality and accommodations have been raised. The Business Operations COVID Support Team, Campus Health Services and Contact Tracing Team have been doing their best to provide timely clarifications and the COVID-19 website is updated several times per day. In addition, I would like to address some of the common concerns.
Contact tracing
Campus Health's Contact Tracing Team traces, notifies, and advises any individuals who may have been exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19. This team is notified about positive cases in our campus community through both the Jefferson County Health Department and self-reporting. One of the university’s health and safety protocols is to contact Campus Health right away when someone tests positive for COVID-19. This helps expedite the contact tracing process as the health department usually takes several days to inform Campus Health of a positive case. If someone discloses a positive test to you, do not announce that private health information to the rest of your class or team. Remind that person to contact Campus Health right away. For more information, review this Exposure Flow Chart and read the Testing and Tracing FAQs.
Course modality vs. Accommodations
Courses that were scheduled as face-to-face for the fall semester may not change modality this semester. While faculty must provide students with options for making up missed classes when they are absent due to having COVID-19 symptoms, quarantining, or isolating, faculty are not required to provide a remote accommodation but may choose to do so. Faculty should consult the Attendance Expectations section on the Faculty tab of the COVID-19 website for multiple examples of appropriate accommodations that do not penalize students for following university protocols. Additionally, for faculty members to ensure continuity of instruction when they too are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, quarantining, or isolating, they may deliver instruction remotely. Once the quarantine or isolation period is fulfilled, faculty should resume in-person instruction and students should return to attending classes in person.
August 30, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Faculty & Staff
Subject: Attend and promote pop-up vaccination events
Colleagues,
I want you to know that the Campus Health team is working urgently toward verifying updates on all our campus vaccination numbers. At this time, we now know that at least 66.2 percent of students who come to campus have been vaccinated and Campus Health should have an updated employee vaccination rate in the next several days.
Starting this week, Campus Health is launching a series of pop-up vaccination events across campus to help us get our campus-wide vaccination rate up to 80 percent. Please help us reach 80 percent by getting vaccinated or reminding your colleagues and the students you teach or interact with to attend one of these vaccination events. Each week we will post the schedule of where the pop-up vaccination events will occur next. Here is this week’s schedule:
Any Cardinal who gets vaccinated at one of these events will receive a free university swag item and a voucher to use at campus restaurants and cafes (approximately $10 value). If you’ve already been vaccinated, we cannot thank you enough for doing your part and we welcome you to present your COVID-19 vaccination card and ID at one of these events if you would also like to pick up a prize. Attached, you will find a copy of the mini flyers that Campus Health is trying to promote in as many places as possible. If you teach or work with students, they would especially appreciate you printing out a stack of these and making them available if feasible.
August 30, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Students
Subject: COVID-19 faculty guidance for the start of the semester
I hope your fall semester is off to a great start. At this time, we know that at least 66.2 percent of students who come to campus have already been vaccinated and I know we can do even better this month.
Starting this week, Campus Health is launching a series of pop-up vaccination events across campus to help us get our campus community's vaccination rate up to 80 percent. Help us reach 80 percent by getting vaccinated or encouraging your friends and classmates to do so. Each week we will post the schedule of where the pop-up vaccination events will occur next. Here is this week’s schedule:
If you get vaccinated at one of these events, you’ll receive a free university swag item and a voucher to use at campus restaurants and cafes (approximately $10 value). If you’ve already been vaccinated, thank you for doing your part and we welcome you to present your COVID-19 vaccination card and ID at one of these events to also pick up your prize. Additionally, don’t forget to enter into the UofL Student Vaccination Contest for a chance to win special prizes such as free football game tickets, free parking passes and more. A grand prize of free undergraduate in-state tuition will also soon be offered.
Let’s get those #LsUpSleevesUp and reach 80 percent. It is the best way to ensure we can continue holding events and keep our classes in person!
August 20, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Faculty
Subject: COVID-19 faculty guidance for the start of the semester
Cardinal Faculty,
As many of you prepare for the first day of classes next week, I want to thank you again for your dedication and hard work while we all continue navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Without you, our core mission of ensuring student success and making UofL a great place to learn wouldn’t be possible.
Bringing students back to campus and re-establishing a sense of belonging here are our educational imperatives. We will continue to meet those imperatives while prioritizing healthy and safe campus operations this semester. I am encouraged by the increased vaccination rates: our student vaccination rate has moved up to 54 percent and our employee vaccination rate has moved up to 70 percent.
Additionally, more guidance and a few clarifications have been posted to the Faculty tab of the COVID-19 website and the Faculty FAQs to support you with the semester ahead. Go to the Faculty tab for full details, but here are the highlights:
Seating charts: Faculty who teach classes in spaces that cannot accommodate physical distancing are strongly encouraged to create seating charts and have students follow their assigned seating for the semester. This will ensure the contact tracing team can quickly contact any unvaccinated students who were exposed to a student who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Quarantine: Students who are vaccinated and were sitting less than 6 feet away from a student who tests positive for COVID-19 will not have to quarantine when an exposure happens. For more details, review the Quarantine, Symptoms & Sickness FAQs.
August 17, 2021
Message from: Lori Stewart Gonzalez
To: Faculty and Staff
Subject: Welcome to fall 2021, updates and reminders for faculty and staff
August 16, 2021
Message from: Camup Health Services Team
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: Message from Campus Health: Instructions for required testing
Cardinal Community,
Required testing for the fall 2021 semester begins this week. All unvaccinated Cardinals who are on campus or will come to campus at any point this semester must get tested once between Aug. 17 and Aug. 27. All required testing periods for the semester are outlined here. Please follow the instructions below to be in compliance with this university requirement.
Schedule a test
If you are not fully vaccinated, schedule your required test this month with the university’s testing provider, Bluewater Diagnostic Laboratory (Bluewater Lab). Be sure to use the tabs at the top of the webpage to select your preferred campus location. For more guidance on scheduling a test, visit the Testing Program section of the COVID-19 website.
If you get tested with an off-campus provider, follow the Submit off-campus proof of testing instructions within the Aug. 17-27 time frame.
August 6, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez, Kevin Gardner, Michael Mardis, Mary Elizabeth Miles, Phillip Bressoud and Mark Watkins
To: Students
Subject: Fall 2021 COVID-19 protocols, what you need to know
Cardinal Students,
We are thrilled to soon start the fall 2021 semester with in-person classes and activities. The on-campus experience is a vibrant and exciting part of being a Cardinal. If you’re a first- or second-year student, we hope you attend Welcome Week events to kick-start your year with vital connections and fun activities.
In order to maintain an on-campus experience together this year, we need you to do your part. We strongly encourage you to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Read below for the protocols and expectations you should also be aware of this semester.
COVID-19 protocols and expectations
- Starting Aug. 9, all university members are required to mask in public, indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. Public, indoor spaces are defined as any space inside a campus building that is not considered a private room or private office. Indoor classrooms, academic labs, common areas, libraries, hallways, elevators and restrooms are all considered public spaces that are subject to the mask requirement.
- Unvaccinated university members are required to get tested regularly starting Aug. 17. For the full schedule of required testing periods, visit the Testing Program section of the COVID-19 website. Get vaccinated now to avoid the hassle of required testing.
- Submit your out-of-state COVID-19 vaccination record if you were vaccinated outside the state of Kentucky. Campus Health Services only has access to the Kentucky immunization registry. Please follow these instructions to upload your out-of-state COVID-19 vaccination documentation to the university's secure health portal.
- Read the Fall 2021 Student Acknowledgement at the top of the Student Affairs website. By coming to campus this fall, you acknowledge that you are aware of UofL's health and safety protocols and your individual responsibilities.
- If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, you should: stay home, notify your professors, notify Campus Health (502-852-6446 or hlthoff@louisville.edu) and contact your medical provider. Read more about the quarantine and isolation protocols.
- If you have a question or concern about COVID-19 protocols, review the COVID-19 website, read the FAQs or call, live chat or email a helpful member of the Business Operations COVID-19 Support Team.
August 6, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez, Kevin Gardner, Michael Mardis, Mary Elizabeth Miles, Phillip Bressoud and Mark Watkins
To: Faculty and Staff
Subject: Masking required again, protocol updates and reminders for fall 2021
Cardinal Faculty and Staff,
Effective Monday, Aug. 9, the university will require masks in public, indoor spaces for all university members Until we can reach a greater vaccination rate among our community, the CDC changes its recommendation, or until the number of cases significantly decreases.
This decision is based on the CDC’s recommendation for areas with substantial and high levels of transmission to begin masking again, regardless of vaccination status. The decision has been vetted by university health experts and multiple campus committees and groups who have been helping to shape the university’s COVID 19 response plans since the beginning of the pandemic.
What we know
Jefferson County has been identified as an area with a substantial level of transmission and our county has a low level of vaccinated individuals. Based on the Kentucky immunization registry, we know that at least 30% of students and 67.7% of faculty and staff are fully vaccinated. Campus Health does not have access to out-of-state vaccination records. Please follow these instructions to upload yours if you were vaccinated outside of Kentucky. Our HSC students and our student athletes are leading the way with increasing our student vaccination rate. We are thrilled to know that 85% of our student athletes and 82% of our dentistry students are already vaccinated.
July 30, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez, Kevin Gardner, Michael Mardis, Mary Elizabeth Miles, Phillip Bressoud and Mark Watkins
To: Faculty and Staff
Subject: University in discussion about new CDC guidance
Cardinal faculty and staff,
We want you to know we are in discussion about the recent guidance issued by the CDC regarding indoor mask use in areas with substantial and high transmission rates and the governor’s decision to require masks in all state buildings.
We'll make a decision next week if our protocols will change and we’ll send out a campus-wide announcement. In addition to CDC guidance and state recommendations, we are weighing the advice of our university experts in public health, infectious disease, epidemiology and environmental health and safety.
Now more than ever, we strongly encourage all university members to get vaccinated. Levels of transmission are highest in areas with low vaccination rates. The sooner we get vaccinated, the stronger our defense will be against COVID-19 and its variants. If you were vaccinated outside of Kentucky, please follow these instructions to upload your vaccination record. If you were vaccinated in Kentucky, you do not need to take any action.
Thank you for your patience. We will update you again as soon as possible
July 20, 2021
Message from: Campus Health Services
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: UofL’s continued COVID-19 response for fall 2021
Cardinal Community,
Campus Health Services is gathering student and employee vaccination data to determine our university community’s vaccination rate. This information is important for university administration to have as we continue developing our COVID-19 response plans. Campus Health Services already has access to university members’ immunization data through the Kentucky immunization registry. Out-of-state immunization records, however, are not available to us.
If you were vaccinated out of state, please use the instructions below to upload your COVID-19 vaccination documentation to our secure health portal. If you were vaccinated in Kentucky, you do not need to submit any documentation.
Thank you for helping the CHS team gather this important information. In coming weeks, we will have a COVID-19 vaccination rate dashboard added to the university’s COVID-19 website, but we need your help to ensure we have all our university members’ data.
July 9, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez, Kevin Gardner, Michael Mardis, Mary Elizabeth Miles, Phillip Bressoud and Mark Watkins
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: UofL’s continued COVID-19 response for fall 2021
Cardinal Community,
We hope you are enjoying a safe summer and are looking forward to being on campus this fall. We maintain cautious optimism about the fall and the increasing rate of COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccinations have proven effective against all variants, including Delta, and remain one of our best tools for keeping our university open and our community safe.
Last month, the CDC released new guidance for institutions of higher education and we are implementing that guidance into our COVID-19 response plans for the fall semester. Here are the key things we want you to be aware of for this fall:
- Masking and physical distancing won’t be required in most settings. Cardinals who are not fully vaccinated should protect their health by wearing a mask over their nose and mouth and practicing physical distancing of at least 6 feet when indoors on campus. Masking and physical distancing are optional for those who are fully vaccinated. Everyone will be required to wear a mask in transportation and healthcare settings on campus, so all Cardinals should carry a mask with them in case they need to utilize one of those facilities.
- We don’t plan to require vaccinations. We strongly encourage all Cardinals to get fully vaccinated before the fall semester begins. As we get closer to fall, there will be special prizes offered to incentivize vaccination. Only UofL Health and the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Music are permitted to require vaccinations due to the nature of their work and study.
- Campus Health is gathering vaccination data of those who have been vaccinated in Kentucky and at this time we know that at least 67.7% of all our faculty and staff are fully vaccinated. The Campus Health team is still working on gathering all student vaccination data. Once that data is gathered, we will update our university community and launch a dashboard on our university's COVID-19 website.
- Frequent testing will be required for unvaccinated Cardinals. We are finalizing a fall testing program that would require all Cardinals to get tested multiple times throughout the semester unless they are fully vaccinated or are not coming to campus at all this semester. Remember, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require 2 doses that are spaced apart by multiple weeks. You are not considered fully vaccinated until 2 weeks after your 2nd vaccine dose or 2 weeks after the Johnson & Johnson’s single dose. More details about the testing program will be shared later this summer.
- New COVID-19 awareness trainings are being finalized and all students, faculty and staff will be asked to complete these trainings before the fall semester begins. Instructions will be sent out later this summer.
June 30, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez
To: Faculty, Staff and Students
Subject: Get vaccinated now, join #LsUpSleevesUp
I am proud to inform you that UofL has answered the White House and the U.S. Department of Education’s call for colleges and universities to help end the pandemic by signing up for the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge. We enthusiastically agree that all Americans should get vaccinated, and we want as many Cardinals as possible to be fully vaccinated before fall.
I am writing to again encourage you to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Remember, all COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are safe and effective. Many of us are looking forward to returning to a more normal semester this fall: in-person learning, social activities, celebrations and the vibrant campus life we hold dear. However, that vision cannot be achieved without you.
Get vaccinated now
It has never been easier to get a vaccine in our nation, and it only takes a few minutes. If you have not yet been vaccinated for COVID-19, take a look at these resources available right now to you:
- Text your zip code to 4-3-8-8-2-9 to get a text back with vaccine sites near you.
- Call the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline, 1-800-232-0233, to receive assistance with finding a vaccination location offering your preferred vaccine type.
- Visit vaccines.gov to find a location convenient to you. (Visit vacunas.gov for information in Spanish.)
- Uber and Lyft are offering free rides now through July 4 to anyone who wants to get vaccinated.