Welcome to Fall Semester 2022
Auburn University is enthusiastically looking forward to Fall 2022 and the return of students to our campus. Informed by the latest state and federal guidance, including our own public health experts, our campus remains committed to mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and providing a meaningful and rewarding on-campus experience. The COVID-19 pandemic remains an ever-changing and fluid situation. The University is continuously monitoring the situation locally, nationally and globally. Our priority will remain to ensure a safe and healthy campus environment for all students, faculty and employees.
Moving Forward Together
The Auburn community has taken great strides during the pandemic, but we must continue to be vigilant and do our part. Remember, individual actions and personal responsibility will continue to be important. We continue to urge all faculty, staff, and students to get vaccinated and boosted. Vaccinations are available by appointment and can be scheduled with the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center. Face covering use is not currently required but may become necessary again if positive cases and hospitalizations rise locally. Faculty members may require face coverings in their classroom if the faculty member has a face coverings requirement in the course syllabus. If you feel sick, please stay home. Follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alabama Department of Public Health. Please be reminded that testing is widely available locally as well as at the Auburn University Medical Clinic.
Should the need arise, we are prepared to reinstate whatever measures are deemed prudent to address the evolving health conditions. We will continue to be committed to utilizing layered prevention strategies and to adjusting our protocols as needed. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we all work together to navigate this next phase of the virus in our community thoughtfully and pragmatically.
Covid-19 Resource Center
As a result of decrease call and email volume to the Covid-19 Resource Center, calls to 334-844-6000 or emails to covidresourcecenter@auburn.edu will receive an automated response with information on our most commonly received questions and options to be redirected for questions about testing and vaccinations. You may still leave a voice message or email; however, responses will be made as soon as possible. Since answers to most questions can be found on the Covid-19 Resource Center website we encourage you to check there first. The most areas where the Covid-19 Resource Center receives questions are below:
Employees
If you are an employee and test positive or have been exposed to Covid-19, use the Employee decision tree for isolation and quarantine guidance.
It is the responsibility of an employee that tests positive or needs to quarantine according to CDC guidance to contact their supervisor to discuss work.
Supervisors made aware of positive cases in the work area should work with their HR Liaison to ensure proper leave policies are followed, as appropriate.
For additional employment related Covid-19 guidance, employees should contact your supervisor or Human Resources Liaison.
Students
If you are a student and test positive or have been exposed to Covid-19, use the Student decision tree for isolation and quarantine guidance.
Faculty notifications and COVID-19 Resource Center provided student excuses triggered by positive self-reports and exposure self-reports are no longer occurring.
It is the responsibility of students that test positive or need to quarantine according to CDC guidance to contact their instructors to discuss missed classes, assignments, tests, etc.
Students are responsible for notifying faculty members of the reason for their absences in a timely manner. Students who miss class for any medical reason (Covid-related or otherwise) must obtain official documentation to have the absence counted as an excused absence. If a student must quarantine because of exposure to Covid, faculty may ask the student to provide medical documentation as they would for any other excused absences.
Faculty will NOT be notified of students in their class who test positive. Faculty made aware of a positive case in their classroom or work area should not share this information with others.
Students may be directed by health officials to enter isolation or quarantine for health reasons and must follow that guidance before returning to in-person university programs or activities.
Faculty will work with students to address homework or class activities that may be missed. Faculty are not required to offer remote access to courses when the course is intended for face-to-face instruction.
Vaccinations and Testing
If you need to schedule a vaccination you may contact the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center at 334-844-4099 or use the online scheduler to make or change an appointment.
If you need to schedule a Covid-19 test you may call the Auburn University Medical Clinic's Covid line at 334-844-9825. Additionally, the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Covid-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard and Covid-19 Table provides a list of testing sites in Alabama.
At-home COVID-19 test kits are being made available to Auburn faculty, staff and students through the AU Employee Pharmacy and the AU Student Pharmacy. Those in need of a test can obtain them free of charge by way of the person’s insurance coverage. The Student Pharmacy, located at 400 Lem Morrison Drive within the Auburn University Medical Clinic, is open during the summer from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The AU Employee Pharmacy, located on the second floor of the Harrison College of Pharmacy, is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays.
Additionally, at-home COVID-19 test kits can be ordered from the federal government by visiting . Tests ordered through this website will be delivered via the U.S. Postal Service, typically in a few weeks.
Additional information can be found under the Resources tab of the Covid-19 Resource Center website.
Staying Safe on Campus
Do Your Part! Being part of the Auburn Family means taking steps to keep ourselves safe, look out for one another and keep our campus community strong. The obligation falls on each of us to take personal responsibility for our actions and do our part to help keep the Auburn community safe from the spread of Covid-19. Please continue to make well-informed decisions about protecting your own personal safety and the health and safety of others.
For additional information visit the Safe Practices section of the Covid-19 Resource Center website.
Get Vaccinated
All students, faculty, staff, and contractors with a presence on campus or on university-sanctioned study abroad or university-sponsored activities off-premises are strongly recommended to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Get your vaccine or booster shot as soon as possible once eligible and wherever the vaccine is available. Don’t wait. Additionally, everyone 16 years of age and older is eligible for a booster if it has been more than 6 months after the second Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or 2 months after the initial J&J/Janssen vaccine.
To receive the vaccine or booster through the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Clinic, schedule an appointment here. The Covid-19 vaccine is also available through the Auburn University Medical Clinic and numerous pharmacies and health care providers in our community. For more information on the Covid-19 Vaccine click here.
Auburn continues to monitor legal challenges to the most recent court order regarding the federal contractor vaccine mandate and will communicate any further modifications in response to legal developments.
Face Coverings
Face coverings are optional for all individuals on Auburn University’s campus. Faculty members may require face coverings in their classroom if the faculty member has a face coverings requirement in the course syllabus. It is also important that we continue to support and respect those in our community who need to, or choose to, wear a face covering in non-required spaces.
Auburn no longer requires masks to be worn on Tiger Transit buses, campus shuttles or at campus transportation hubs and stops. On Monday, April 18, a federal judge in Florida struck down the federal mask requirement on airplanes, taxis, trains, buses and other public transportation. The decision includes airports, train stations and other transportation hubs. Because of the ruling, the masking order is no longer in effect and the Transportation Security Administration is no longer enforcing it. At this time, it is uncertain whether the decision will be appealed. The CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.
Face coverings must be worn by everyone in the following areas:
Healthcare settings, such as the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center, the Auburn University employee and student pharmacies, the College of Veterinary Medicine hospitals and clinic and the Auburn University Medical Clinic.
Other areas marked by official university signage or otherwise clearly communicated by the university.
Auburn remains committed to monitoring campus and community metrics and trends, and will not hesitate to reimplement effective mitigation measures such as mask requirements, if warranted.
Practice Good Hygiene
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, or touching your face. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands with sanitizer and rub them together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash your hands after touching your face. Sanitizing stations have been placed in building common areas. For more information on safe hygiene practices click here.
Stay Home from Work or Class When Sick
All students, faculty and staff are expected to self-assess and monitor their health daily, before coming to work or class, for the Covid-19 symptoms identified by the CDC. If you have symptoms, do not attend work or class, and contact your medical provider. Notify your instructor and/or supervisor if you need to miss class or work.
Follow University and Public Health Guidance
This includes directions related to testing, contact tracing, and adhering to isolation and quarantine requirements if you have been diagnosed with Covid-19, have possible Covid-19 symptoms, or deemed a close contact of someone diagnosed with Covid-19. Comply with all local and state laws and ordinances. This includes state and local directives for wearing face coverings and any other directives in place to reduce the transmission of Covid-19.
Covid-19 Testing, Reporting, and Contact Tracing
Covid-19 Testing: The Auburn University Medical Clinic offers testing for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. If you are having symptoms, have had known exposure but do not have symptoms, or need a test to return to work or to travel you can call 334-844-9825 to answer a series of questions and setup an appointment. The AUMC offers a rapid antigen test that yields same day results as well as a PCR test that yields results in 48-72 hrs. Additional testing locations in the Auburn/Opelika area can be found here.
Covid-19 Self-Reporting: Students, faculty and staff are expected to self-report a positive Covid-19 test. For more information self-reporting click here.
Covid-19 Exposure Self-Reporting: Students are expected to self-report when they are in quarantine due to an exposure to a person who tested positive for COVID-19. (More information on self-reporting) As a reminder, self-reports will no longer trigger classroom medical excuses or notifications to instructors.
Contact Tracing: Given the high COVID-19 transmission rates, contact tracing is not pragmatic or effective at this time and have been suspended. Rapid spread has exceeded capacity to track contacts in a timely manner that would provide any actionable information to help mitigate spread or make decisions. Students, faculty, and staff who test positive for COVID-19 should still self-report their positive test result but will be responsible for notifying close contacts on their own. They should encourage close contacts who have been exposed to monitor symptoms and test 5 days after exposure.
Public Health Measures
COVID-19 Vaccine: At this time, the COVID-19 vaccine is not required, but is strongly recommended, for students, faculty and staff. To receive the vaccine through the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Clinic, schedule an appointment here. The COVID-19 vaccine is also available through numerous pharmacies and health care providers in our community. Auburn continues to monitor legal challenges to the most recent court order regarding the federal contractor vaccine mandate and will communicate any further modifications in response to legal developments.
Isolation and Quarantine:Quarantine housing will not be offered to students who are living on campus and have been exposed COVID-19. Isolation housing will be available for students who are living on campus and have a confirmed COVID-19 positive case. More information on quarantine and isolation
Campus Cleaning Measures and Building Readiness:Based on the most current CDC guidance, Facilities Management has transitioned away from the modified cleaning services that were introduced at the beginning of the pandemic back to traditional cleaning services. At this time, disinfection cleaning chemicals are still being used in lieu of traditional cleaning solvents. Enhanced disinfection services are still available in instances of positive cases of COVID-19 being reported - simply notify Facilities Management of any known contaminations either via work order submission , email at clean@auburn.edu , or by calling 844-HELP (4357). Facilities will also continue to provide disposable sanitizing wipe stations in classrooms, and hand sanitizer stands throughout campus buildings. Additionally, Facilities continues to take multiple actions in campus buildings related to air quality and ventilation including: ensuring ventilation systems are operating properly, upgraded air filters are installed, and outdoor air circulation is increased. For more information view the Building Readiness Dashboard and Building Readiness Fact Sheets .
Academics
Classrooms: Classrooms will continue to operate at normal capacities and configurations. Physical distancing is not required in classrooms or common areas.
Modalities: The university’s course offerings and modalities will continue to be similar to fall 2019 (pre-pandemic) which includes primarily in-person classes and a variety of hybrid and online classes.
Calendar: The academic calendar will continue as normal, including traditional holidays.
Athletics and Events
Athletic Venues: All athletic venues will continue to operate at full capacity.
Campus Events: There is no limit to the number of attendees at campus events.
Travel
Domestic Travel: Domestic travel restrictions are no longer in place.
International Travel: Requests for international travel must still be approved. For more information on what to do before and after international travel, including quarantine requirements read the international travel guidelines.
Study Abroad: Study Abroad programs has resumed, although some offerings may be limited based on regional public health scenarios.
Campus Housing, Dining and Transportation
Quarantine and isolation Housing will be available for students who are living on campus and have a confirmed COVID-19 positive case. Quarantine housing will not be offered to students who are living on campus and have been exposed to COVID-19.
Campus dining operations will continue to operate.
All university transportation services, including Tiger Transit, will continue to operate at normal capacity.
The top priority of the university in all decisions is the health, safety and well-being of the campus community. As scientific knowledge of the coronavirus continues to evolve, the Covid-19 pandemic changes over time, and government and public health officials issue new orders and guidance, the university will update procedures and plans as needed. The university will follow all state and federal orders and will adhere to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health in order to ensure the safest possible on-campus environment.
