New quarantine guidelines

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is changing quarantine policies for faculty, staff and students based on new guidance from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD):

  • Quarantine timeframe will now be seven days, with an exit test on day seven.
  • Students, faculty and staff who Champaign-Urbana Public Health District determine to have been exposed to someone who has tested positive, will be placed in quarantine for a mandatory seven-day period. (Previously, it was a mandatory 14-day period.)
  • Individuals placed in quarantine should be tested again for COVID-19 on Day 7. (Previously, it was suggested to test on Day 5 of quarantine.)
  • If someone does not have symptoms and receives negative results on Day 7, their quarantine will end after they provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test to CUPHD. CUPHD will then release the individual from quarantine. Please note it could take up to 48 hours for your building access status to be updated in the Safer Illinois app and the Boarding Pass.
  • If individuals do not test before Day 10, they will be released on Day 10.
  • Isolation timeframe guidelines will stay the same.

For more information about quarantine, visit the Quarantine and Isolation page.

Massmail: Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan

A new Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan is available to Academic Professional and Civil Service employees who meet retirement eligibility by May 31, 2021.

The goal of the plan is to provide an incentive opportunity and support employees who may want to retire. Offering this plan will also help the university to navigate budget challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

View the full message.

Weekly Update from Chancellor Jones (11/30 – 12/4)

We are announcing a new Staff Voluntary Retirement Program for eligible employees.

The goal of the program is to provide an incentive opportunity and support our employees who may want to retire.  

We are implementing new test tubes to speed on-campus COVID-19 test processing.

Beginning this week, individuals will use a straw to deposit a saliva sample into a smaller test tube.

We are updating quarantine guidelines in accordance with CUPHD.

You can view the updated quarantine guidelines on the quarantine and isolation page.

We are sharing information with faculty and staff who test positive.

If you are a faculty or staff member and you test positive for COVID-19, the university will send you a text message shortly after your test is processed.

We are updating COVID-19 testing locations and hours.

Be sure to check the testing location page or your Safer Illinois app before testing at your usual location.

If you are currently residing in the community, you should continue your COVID-19 testing schedule. Undergraduate students on campus will need to test and receive negative results every other day in order to keep building access status.

We are providing on-campus study spaces and exam locations.

The locations will be available from Nov. 30 to Dec. 18 for those who must be on campus.

We are encouraging you to help others maximize safety.

You can report safety concerns and non-compliance at go.illinois.edu/COVID19-report or by emailing conflictresolution@illinois.edu.

Support resources are available to assist you during these challenging times.

Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate COVID-19. Please feel free to direct questions to covid-19@illinois.edu.

Robert J. Jones

Chancellor

Text messages for faculty/staff who test positive

Beginning today, if you are a faculty or staff member and you test positive for COVID-19, the university will send you a text message shortly after your test is processed. The message will look like this:

This is the University of Illinois COVID-19 SHIELD TEAM 30. Your most recent COVID-19 test is positive. You must immediately isolate and are not permitted to work on campus or attend any in-person activities. Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will contact you within 24 hours to discuss isolation guidelines and contact tracing. You are legally obligated to answer their call. The call will come from a 217-531-XXXX number. You may also email CUPHD at coronavirus@c-uphd.org to indicate windows of time during regular business hours you are available to take their call and to ask any questions. Please remain isolated in your residence. You need to call the confidential IHR COVID-19 hotline at 217-300-9005. IHR will explain the benefits available to cover your isolation period. Please reply Y to confirm you have read this message and are immediately isolating. Researchers at the University of Illinois are studying the way COVID-19 behaves in people over time. They would like to collect saliva and nasal swabs every day for two weeks and track symptoms. If you are interested in participating in this research, please visit this link to share your contact information. This is an automated message.

  • Please remember to respond Y to the message to indicate you have taken steps to immediately isolate. 
  • CUPHD has asked employers to help identify workplace close contacts to assist CUPHD in their contact tracing efforts. As such, when an employee tests positive, Illinois Human Resources (IHR) will then work with the unit to determine if there are other employees who meet the close contact threshold. Once work close contacts have been identified, IHR will inform them to quarantine on a presumptive basis. IHR will also be providing the work-related close contact information to CUPHD, who will then confirm next steps. 

For more information, view the Testing Positive for COVID-19 page.

Massmail: New credit/no credit and drop deadlines

In response to advice and input from our students, and approval by the Academic Senate, the university is implementing academic policy modifications for the Fall 2020 semester. These changes acknowledge the unique and challenging pandemic-related circumstances and the additional stress it has caused for students.

More details will be available on the Office of the Provost’s policies website.

Read the full message to students.

Weekly Update from Chancellor Jones (11/16 – 11/20)

We are updating COVID-19 testing locations and hours.

There will be changes to testing center locations and hours starting Nov. 21.

We are providing study spaces and exam locations after Fall Break.

The locations will be available from Nov. 30 to Dec. 18 for those who must be on campus after Fall Break. 

We are encouraging you to help others maximize safety.

You can report safety concerns and non-compliance at go.illinois.edu/COVID19-report or by emailing conflictresolution@illinois.edu.

We are sharing support resources for students, faculty and staff.

Support resources are available to assist you during these challenging times.

Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate COVID-19. Please feel free to direct questions to covid-19@illinois.edu.

Robert J. Jones

Chancellor

Massmail: Supporting You and Our Students During Stressful Times

Student Affairs shares support resources during this challenging time.

If you become concerned about a student, the Student Assistance Center (SAC) can help. Staff in the SAC is available Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Additionally, the Emergency Dean Program provides a University administrator who is on-call to assist in emergency situations that occur after business hours. To reach the SAC or the Emergency Dean, please call 217-333-0050. You can find additional information about these programs or refer a student for assistance by visiting odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care.

If it is a true safety emergency, please call 911.

View the full massmail for the full list of specialized programs and services offered to support students.

Massmail: Spaces to study or take an exam

If you must be on campus after Fall Break, the university is providing spaces for students who need a location to participate in an online class or to study. The locations below will be available from Nov. 30 to Dec. 18. Please see this website for full details about what days and times they will be available.

The university will also be providing a quiet space for all final exam periods. Lincoln Hall Theater will be available from Dec. 11 to Dec. 18 for each exam timeslot. You must reserve a seat in advance using this form.

Wellness Support Associates will be checking building access status at the entrances. These spaces will be arranged for social distancing, and, of course, face coverings will continue to be required in university facilities. Please disinfect your study area when you leave. Furniture may not be moved in the rooms.

We hope these spaces provide our students with a safe and quiet place to continue to study on campus. If you have any questions, please contact registrar@illinois.edu.

View the full massmail.

Weekly Update from Chancellor Jones (11/9 – 11/13)

We are asking faculty, staff and graduate students to test twice a week.

Faculty, staff and graduate students are asked to take additional safety precautions, including increased testing, working from home if possible, participating in essential activities only and limiting travel and gatherings.

We are sharing Fall Break policies with students.

If you are a student traveling for Fall Break, we are asking you to follow these guidelines so you do not endanger the health of your family and friends back home.

We are reducing student fees for Spring 2021.

More information about the Spring 2021 fee schedule can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s website.

We are updating COVID-19 testing locations and hours.

There will be changes to testing center locations and hours starting Nov. 21.

We are encouraging you to help others maximize safety.

You can report safety concerns and non-compliance at go.illinois.edu/COVID19-report or by emailing conflictresolution@illinois.edu.

We are providing updated information on our COVID-19 response.

The captioned COVID-19 Response Update Briefing from Nov. 6 is available to watch.

We are sharing support resources for students, faculty and staff.

Support resources are available to assist you during these challenging times.

Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate COVID-19. Please feel free to direct questions to covid-19@illinois.edu.

Robert J. Jones

Chancellor