Preparing for Spring 2022 on Campus: Top Things to Know
The spring semester is quickly approaching, and we are excited to welcome students back to campus. In an effort safeguard our community and preserve OU’s continuity of services to our students, we will be instituting temporary changes to the university’s existing COVID-19 policies. Learn more about OU’s latest COVID-19 protocols and do your part to keep us OU Together.
Campus-Specific Spring 2022 Protocols:
1. Masking Expectations and Requirements
Due to supply chain challenges around testing availability, and the need for vaccine boosters to be optimally protected from the virus, masking is one of our best mitigation strategies.
Norman Campus: Community members are expected to mask indoors, especially in high-density settings, such as classrooms and at special events when not eating or drinking.
- Masking IS required in:
- Classrooms: For the first two weeks of the Spring 2022 semester (through January 31) masking will be required in all classroom settings.
- On February 1 – pending additional guidance – OU will return to its Fall 2021 protocol. In the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a classroom, the class will continue to meet in person, but masking will be required for 2 weeks during the quarantine period.
- Health Care Facilities: Patient-facing settings, including clinical research participant areas and facilities and areas where patient care is the primary function (including Goddard Health Center)
- Transportation: Transit buses and shuttles due to Department of Transportation mandates
- Classrooms: For the first two weeks of the Spring 2022 semester (through January 31) masking will be required in all classroom settings.
Health Sciences Center and OU-Tulsa: (effective until further notice) Cloth masks are no longer permitted in any indoor HSC/OU-Tulsa facilities. Because of the high likelihood that HSC/OU-Tulsa faculty, staff, students, trainees, and volunteers will interact with patients or health care providers, even in non-patient care areas, HSC/OU-Tulsa faculty, staff, students, trainees, and volunteers must wear paper surgical or KN95 masks (or N95s, as appropriate to their assigned duties) in all indoor HSC/OU-Tulsa facilities.
2. COVID-19 Screening and Reporting: The Healthy Together App
The Healthy Together app is a convenient tool for COVID-19 screening and reporting. Students, faculty and staff on the Norman campus are strongly encouraged to complete the app’s Passport before participating in any on- or off-campus activity or responsibility each time they answer YES to any of the questions here. Additional CDC protocol for quarantining is included below.
Employees and students at the OU Health Sciences Center and OU-Tulsa should continue using the online COVID-19 Screening and Reporting Tool for their respective campuses.
3. COVID-19 Vaccinations are Strongly Encouraged, Free and Widely Available
Vaccines are our greatest mitigation strategy against COVID-19. Consistent with the current CDC recommendations, the university strongly encourages the entire OU community to get vaccinated and receive a booster. COVID-19 vaccinations are available to all students, faculty and staff on all three OU campuses at no cost to the individual.
Vaccination requirements are limited to two groups of OU community members:
- Students, faculty and staff who have patient-facing responsibilities and those who request to volunteer, shadow or observe in patient-care settings
- All those who elect to participate in study abroad programs
- All eligible individuals participating in study abroad programs are required to receive a COVID-19 booster dose before departing for their study abroad destination.
4. COVID-19 Testing
OU faculty, staff and students have several options for COVID-19 testing.
Be sure to complete your campus’ COVID screening tool (Norman campus: the Healthy Together app; OUHSC: online screening tool; OU-Tulsa: online screening tool) before participating in any on- or off-campus activity or responsibility each time you answer YES to any of the questions listed here.
Norman Campus: When in-person meetings are necessary, masks are expected, and social distancing is recommended.
OUHSC and OU-Tulsa: When in-person meetings are necessary, masks are required, food may not be served, and social distancing is recommended.
Events
Norman Campus: For indoor events where food will be available, take-away options are preferred.
OUHSC and OU-Tulsa: Food is not permitted at indoor events but may be provided as take-away as guests leave.
Classes
Due to illness and recovery, it is likely there will be instructor and student absences. Make-up assignments and instructional adjustments will need to be accommodated. Faculty are asked to prepare for the likelihood of students and/or instructors being away from class for short or extended periods due to COVID-19 by following the Norman campus Instructional Continuity guidelines.
Faculty are not to change the instructional modality of their classes without approval from the Provost’s Office. Those faculty with previously approved accommodations may proceed with their arrangements as agreement for the Spring 2022 semester.
More Information
Norman Campus: ou.edu/together
Health Science Center: ouhsc.edu/coronavirus
OU-Tulsa: ou.edu/tulsa/coronavirus
Article Published: Wednesday, January 12, 2022