Student Behavior Expectations for Fall 2020
- August 21st, 2020
- in Messages from the President
Dear students, faculty and staff,
The University recently shared with all of you the policies and directives that underpin our plan to return to operations this semester.
The expected rules and behaviors of all students and student organizations have been clearly defined. While we are appreciative to those who have taken these expectations seriously, I am deeply disappointed that those guidelines are not being followed by each and every member of our student body.
This afternoon the Division of Student Life will announce additional directives that are focused solely on the safety and well-being of our campus community. That information also will be shared with the parents and families of our students.
Tide Together now more than ever, we are seeing the harsh consequences at other universities which have been forced to close abruptly because safety protocols were not followed. The eyes of the nation are following us closely and I am confident we will meet and exceed our status as frontrunners.
Despite the challenges, we can measure success by many benchmarks.
- Our student re-entry testing is nearly complete and the positive rate is around 1%, far below national averages. Results will be posted at www.uasystem.edu beginning Monday afternoon on the new System-wide data dashboard and will be updated as we move into sentinel testing.
- More than 20 employees have been assigned to focus solely on exposure notifications, isolation, quarantining and sanitization protocols. More than 450 beds have been dedicated for isolation purposes. Although more than 90% of those beds are vacant, we will expand those resources as needed.
- Hundreds of hours have been invested by our Situational Response Team and the President’s Advisory Committee to develop and implement guidelines that are consistent with the UA System Task Force Comprehensive Health and Safety Plan. Their work continues 24/7.
- As an institution, we are 45,000 strong, representing every county in Alabama, every state in the nation, and most countries around the world. It is a privilege to lead you.
- Please know that I am counting on each of you not only to do your part to keep our campus safe, but to report any activities that you believe might compromise the overall health and safety of our University community. Reports can be made online or by calling 1-866-362-9476.
I look forward to your comments and suggestions, which we urge you to share at president@ua.edu.
Thank you,
Stuart R. Bell
President