COVID FAQs

Spring 2022 classes are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 18, and end on Monday, May 2. Final exams will be held Tuesday, May 3, through Friday, May 6. View the detailed academic calendar for more information. 

Students in clinical, student teaching and other out-of-class assignments should follow the guidance of their placement location.

Contact Student Health Services to let them know you are feeling unwell or that you have been asked to quarantine.

California Health Center
724-938-4232

Contact your professor(s) to let them know you won't be in class. Ask for instructions about how to keep up or catch up on any missed material or assignments.

A medical excuse will be required upon return to the course or your absence(s) will be considered unexcused. Documentation provided by Student Health Services or Student Affairs is acceptable, but you are responsible for providing the documentation/excuse to each of your faculty members.

No. Student Health Services will not notify faculty members that students are in quarantine/isolation due to privacy laws. Students are responsible for notifying faculty members that they will not be in class.

Dining service will be open, but all meals will be “grab and go.”

Yes. Approved face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth at all times while inside university facilities.

Approved face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn outdoors by all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, and are required outside when physical distancing is not possible.

Higher-grade masks (KN95 or KF94) or disposable surgical masks (typically blue, which can be sealed above the nose) are strongly recommended.

Face shields, bandanas, neck gaiters, scarves, turtleneck collars, masks with valves, and balaclavas/ski masks are not acceptable.

Cloth and handmade face coverings are discouraged. If cloth or handmade masks are used it is strongly recommended they be worn with a surgical mask.

A mask must fit snugly over the wearer’s nose and mouth and under the chin, and snugly against the sides of the wearer’s face (no gaps around the sides).

Students who are unable to wear a face covering due to a documented health condition or disability must request an exception by contacting:

California
Office for Students with Disabilities
724-938-4012
Director John Massella, massella@calu.edu

Faculty members may ask for documentation of the accommodation. Students will not be asked to reveal the nature of the health condition.

Employees who cannot wear a mask due to a medical reason must request a medical accommodation from Human Resources. Upon a review of the request, HR will provide the faculty member with a determination.

The following procedure should be followed if a student arrives to class without an approved mask and does not have an approved accommodation:

• If the student refuses to wear an approved mask, the faculty member can refuse entry to the class until such time that the student wears an approved mask; these may count as unexcused absences.
• The faculty member should also report students who refuse to wear an approved mask to the Student Conduct office for their action.

Employees who do not wear an approved face covering and do not have an approved accommodation will be reported to Human Resources.

Students are encouraged to maintain their own supply of masks. A limited number of disposable masks are available at the campus information desk for students who have lost or forgotten to bring an approved mask.

No. Eating and/or drinking are not permitted in class at this time.

Yes. Diagnostic and surveillance testing is available to students at no cost, regardless of whether you live on or off campus.

At California, if you are symptom free, you can get tested at the Convocation Center from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you experience symptoms, call the Health Center at 724-938-4232 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Employees who experience symptoms should seek guidance from their healthcare provider and notify their supervisor.

No. All in-person events, gatherings and meetings will transition to virtual formats through at least Feb. 1, at which time we will reassess the situation and the latest guidance from state and federal healthcare organizations.

All office hours and advising sessions will be held virtually for the spring semester. Contact your faculty member directly for more information.

Students –
Isolate in your room while you await results.

Employees –
Seek guidance from your healthcare provider and notify your supervisor.

Information about quarantine and isolation is available on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

Ensure you are optimally protected against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and staying up to date with a booster dose. Vaccine-specific information and booster eligibility details are available on the CDC’s website.

We have created a COVID-19 Tracker webpage to keep you informed of the number of confirmed positive cases involving a student or employee who has been living, working or taking an in-person class on campus or who may have presented an exposure risk to other members of the University community.

You are encouraged to visit the web page and review its content so that you are aware of the communications protocols and other procedures that have been put in place to address confirmed positive COVID cases.

Only travel that is deemed essential will be permitted. Contact your supervisor for more information.

No. Masking is required in all campus buildings unless you are inside your own residence hall room or alone in a private study room or office.

No. Neither the university nor any of its employees are permitted to ask any other employee or student about their vaccination status. This does not mean that you cannot discuss vaccination or COVID-related topics more generally. In the classroom, if these topics are relevant to the learning objectives of the course, then you can certainly discuss them. You may also discuss COVID-related matters in class as they relate to classroom safety and management – e.g., encouraging students to space themselves around the classroom where possible, the use of electronic assignments and exams to minimize the passing of physical materials as part of the class, appropriate laboratory protocols, reminders about mask-wearing when indoors, etc.

Yes. Graduate assistants and student workers can work as long as they follow masking and social distancing requirements.