Update – August 11, 2021: Face masks will be required in all indoor spaces, including classrooms, residence halls, in shared offices, when in transit inside buildings, and in cafeterias and other dining venues.
Employees in personal office spaces are not required to wear a mask, and students in personal residence hall rooms are not required to wear masks when only in the presence of suite-mates or roommates. When gathering in shared public spaces within residence halls or when gathered with visitors or non-roommates, we ask that students mask up to protect one another.
Adopted August 2021
May be updated based on changes to public health guidelines at any time.
Overview
The purpose of this policy is to outline provisions covering leave for faculty and staff who have COVID-19 or have been identified as a close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The goal of the policy is to keep faculty and staff safe and healthy while ensuring that all essential University services remain operational.
This policy addresses an evolving response to COVID-19 leave issues and does not create a past practice or expectation of continuation of this policy outside of a response to COVID-19. This policy may be updated at any time.
Policy
This policy only applies to faculty and staff who contracted COVID-19, are identified as a close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID19. All other faculty and staff are required to maintain their normal work routine.
COVID Policy Director’s Authorized Leave (CPDAL)
Faculty and staff members for whom remote work is not possible during quarantine or isolation may receive up to eighty (80) hours total CPDAL. Once the eighty (80) hours of CPDAL is exhausted, faculty and staff must use accrued leave to continue receiving paid time off.
Close Contact and Quarantine
Faculty and staff identified as a close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 shall follow public health guidelines including SAU Policy as informed by Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance.
Unvaccinated faculty or staff
Unvaccinated faculty or staff identified as a close contact of an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been advised to self-quarantine should contact the immediate supervisor to determine quarantine work arrangements. If remote work is possible and warranted, supervisors will assign and monitor remote work. Faculty and staff shall not report to work until the quarantine period has lapsed. The length of quarantine is determined by public health guidelines and SAU policy. Unvaccinated faculty and staff are encouraged to wear a face-covering at all times in the workplace.
Exception to quarantine: unvaccinated outdoor workers and essential workers
Workers whose job function is primarily outdoors or whose job function is critical to maintain campus operations (labeled essential workers by public health guidelines) and who are identified as a close contact of an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 may continue to work on campus provided the worker remains asymptomatic. The worker should make every attempt to communicate with colleagues by phone or electronically. Outdoor workers should maintain social distance when near other outdoor workers. Indoor workers should make every attempt to socially distance from coworkers and wear N95 masks in all indoor spaces. Outdoor workers who enter buildings should wear N95 masks. These measures should be taken until the quarantine period ends based on public health guidelines. At any such time that workers in these classifications become symptomatic, they should immediately begin self-quarantine at home, contact the supervisor and University Health Services, and be tested for COVID-19.
Vaccinated faculty or staff
Vaccinated faculty or staff identified as a close contact of an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 are not required to self-quarantine provided members remain asymptomatic. Vaccinated faculty or staff should report to work as normally scheduled and monitor symptoms. Vaccinated faculty or staff are encouraged to wear a face-covering at all times in the workplace.
Quarantine Period
Public health guidelines as of August 1, 2021, regarding quarantine period are as follows:
Quarantine may end after a seven-day period for asymptomatic individuals following a negative COVID-19 test administered no earlier than day five following exposure. Individuals should continue to monitor for symptoms until the 14th day following exposure. Quarantine may end after a 10-day period for asymptomatic individuals without producing a negative COVID-19 test.
If at any time an individual in quarantine develops COVID-19 symptoms, the individual should immediately isolate and be tested for COVID-19.
Positive Case of Covid-19
Faculty or staff who test positive for COVID-19 shall follow public health guidelines regarding isolation. Faculty or staff who work indoors, test positive, and are asymptomatic should contact the supervisor to determine a remote work assignment. Faculty and staff shall not report to work until the isolation period has lapsed. The length of isolation is determined by public health guidelines.
