Communications & Updates
Recent Updates
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.
June 1, 2021
Message from: Neeli Bendapudi, Lori Gonzalez
To: Faculty & Staff
Subject: Remote work policy and agreement now available
Cardinal Faculty and Staff,
Our collective effort to ensure students return to a community that is buzzing with on-campus activity has been tremendous. Academic and administrative unit leaders have received guidance on returning their units to campus and will soon begin transitioning.
Today, Cardinal faculty and staff can view the Remote Work Policy and Remote Work Arrangement & Equipment Maintenance Agreement on HR’s COVID-19/Return to Campus webpage. Please note: the formal version of this policy will not be available in the university’s Policy and Procedures Library until July 1, 2021, when the policy goes into effect. Additional return to campus resources and training recordings are available on the webpage as well.
Reminder of 2021 Return to Campus Plan
There are four phases to our 2021 Return to Campus Plan to help our employees ease back into a primarily on-campus work community. We are now in Phase 2.
- Phase 1: At the beginning of May, leaders, supervisors, and employees were informed of the university’s overall expectation for employees to begin returning to work on campus over the summer. During the month of May, HR provided a series of supervisor and employee trainings to review the Remote Work Policy and Remote Work Agreement.
- Phase 2: As of June 1, the Remote Work Policy has been released. During the month of June, vice presidents, deans and vice provosts will provide departmental guidance to employees regarding their available flexible work options. Employees may now complete the Remote Work Arrangement & Equipment Maintenance Agreement and submit to their supervisors for reviewal.
- Phase 3: Starting July 1, the Remote Work Policy goes into effect. Faculty and staff who have been primarily working remotely and have been identified as needing to return to the classroom or student service areas should begin shifting their schedules to primarily or fully work on campus based on direction provided by their supervisors.
- Phase 4: By August 1, front-facing and student service positions should be primarily or fully back on campus. Any remote work requests should be finalized and consistently followed by this time.
What’s next
May 27, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez, Kevin Gardner, Michael Mardis, Mary Elizabeth Miles, Phillip Bressoud and Mark Watkins
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: Masking and physical distancing protocol updates
Cardinal Community,
Last week, we let you know that we shifted our masking protocol to be in accordance with the CDC’s new guidance for fully vaccinated people and the governor’s new executive order on face coverings. We now have more information to share with you about how we are applying that guidance to our university protocols.
If you are fully vaccinated
- You no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance on campus in most settings.
- Be mindful of the specific requirements that still apply with public transportation and health care settings on campus, regardless of vaccination status. For example, Cardinals who wish to use the TARC shuttle services or health care facilities on our campuses will still need to wear a mask. Those settings are still required to abide by the state’s and the Kentucky Health Department’s masking standards, regardless of vaccination status.
- For the foreseeable future, you should continue to carry a mask with you in case you interact with university affiliates, health care facilities or other vendors that have mask requirements in place.
If you are not fully vaccinated
- Continue to wear a mask and practice physical distancing in all public, indoor settings on campus.
- Find a vaccination site near you. There are numerous, convenient locations available in our area and beyond.
- Remember, the vaccines are safe and effective. They are among our greatest tools for fighting the pandemic and protecting ourselves, each other and our loved ones.
Vaccine strongly encouraged, not required
May 20, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez, Kevin Gardner, Michael Mardis, Mary Elizabeth Miles, Phillip Bressoud and Mark Watkins
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: Changes to UofL mask requirement and travel policies
Cardinal Community,
Over the last several weeks, COVID-19 cases in our region and nation have continued to drop significantly and vaccine supply continues to be very strong. According to the CDC, studies have consistently shown three main things:
- The vaccines are safe and they are preventing mild and severe disease, hospitalization and death.
- The vaccines have proven to be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in our country.
- Fully vaccinated individuals are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and to be able to spread the virus to others.
In response to the above information, the CDC’s new guidance on masking and the governor’s recent executive order, we are changing our mask requirement and expiring our interim travel policies.
Fully vaccinated Cardinals not required to mask
Respect for Cardinals who continue to mask
University-sponsored travel permitted again
More details coming this summer
May 13, 2021
Message from: Lori Gonzalez, Kevin Gardner, Michael Mardis, Mary Elizabeth Miles, Phillip Bressoud and Mark Watkins
To: Cardinal Community
Subject: Update to our mask policy and in-person meeting guidance
Cardinal Community,
The health and safety of our campus community continue to be our highest priority and we root our response to the pandemic in our Cardinal Principles and the evolving guidance from the CDC and the Kentucky Department for Public Health. We want to make you aware of a change we are making to our mask policy, new in-person meeting guidance and reminders about the vaccine.
Update to our mask policy
We have added a new condition to our mask policy. While masks must continue to be worn in all indoor, common areas on campus, fully vaccinated university members may temporarily remove their masks when meeting indoors with other fully vaccinated individuals. This is in accordance with guidance from the CDC and our state. A fully vaccinated status is defined as being vaccinated for at least two weeks since the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks since the single dose of the J&J vaccine. If all meeting attendees are fully vaccinated, they may remove their masks for the extent of the meeting. If a meeting has a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, masks must be worn by all attendees. Visit the updated Mask FAQs for additional details.
May 5, 2021
Message from: Neeli Bendapudi, Lori Gonzalez
To: Cardinal Faculty and Staff
Subject: Return to Campus Plan and upcoming Remote Work Policy
Cardinal Faculty and Staff,
We want to thank you for your continued hard work and the incredible dedication you have shown to students and the university, whether from home or on campus, throughout the pandemic.
Over the last year, we had to change the way we worked and operated as a university to ensure we could continue our daily operations and protect everyone’s health and safety as the pandemic continued to spread. With increased vaccine availability and the worst of the pandemic appearing to be behind us, we are looking forward to building back our vibrant, interactive and transformative on-campus community.
Our vision for returning to campus
This fall, we expect to offer a majority of in-person classes and highly engaging experiences on campus that support the whole student. To do that, we must have a strong, welcoming presence in our classrooms and student-service areas. This means front-facing and student-service positions will need to have a consistent presence on campus. Department leaders will soon start preparing their individual departments for their safe return to campus and options for remote work going forward. As long as a strong presence in classrooms and student-service areas is maintained and the overall operations of our schools, colleges and departments are continued without compromising quality or productivity, department leaders may offer flexible work options to employees. For this vision to be realized by this fall, we are implementing a phased plan for faculty and staff returning to campus and a new remote work policy.