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March 2, 2022
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Dear UAF community,
I am happy to share that we have seen dramatic reductions in COVID numbers at UAF
and in the communities in which we operate. UAF has adapted to the pandemic, implemented
measures and then refined them along the way. The UAF COVID Business Continuity Team
(formerly our Operations Support Team) has been providing regular recommendations
on changes and adaptations as the pandemic has changed. As we followed the science
into the pandemic, we are now at a point of following the science into this next phase.
As President Pitney detailed in her yesterday, it is time to adjust our approach based on new guidance from the Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) and the UA system. Last week, the CDC offered new masking
guidance. For communities that are at low or medium risk, based on a combination of
local case rates and hospitalizations, the CDC has advised that masking is no longer
needed for many people.听
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Per the CDC guidance, UAF will be adopting measures that are more flexible, and reflect
a more dynamic response. When we have a campus (e.g., Fairbanks or Bethel) that is
coded 鈥済reen鈥� by the new CDC risk measure, we will have no mask requirement with the
possible exception of a small number of high-risk situations. When a campus is in
the medium-risk, or 鈥測ellow鈥� phase, masks will be optional with some remaining requirements
(such as classrooms or labs). In the highest risk, or 鈥渙range鈥� phase we will require
masking in all indoor locations as we do now. It is important to know that with this
more risk-based approach, we will need to have flexibility to adjust up and down as
the conditions warrant.听
The status of each UAF campus will be updated on the main uaf.edu homepage on Fridays
with a banner that details which phase UAF locations are currently in and where masks
are required.
Because all UAF locations are currently at the 鈥渕edium鈥� risk level, effective immediately,
masks will be optional in all UAF administrative, athletic and other event spaces,
as well as in communal spaces including common areas and other campus buildings and
residence halls. However, as we transition into this new approach, some spaces will
remain mask-required while we evaluate conditions and update our policies and procedures.
To this end, masks will be required, for now, in instructional spaces (classrooms,
studios, teaching labs and other spaces where instruction takes place); research labs;
the UAF Student Health and Counseling Center; the isolation hall; Bunnell House; and
on campus public transportation. There may also be indoor events or programs that
require masking based on the event sponsor鈥檚 requirements. These remaining requirements
will be reevaluated on March 7 and could either continue as requirements or be lifted.
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It is important to recognize that many people hold strong opinions about masking.
Those who feel more comfortable wearing a mask in spaces where it is not required
should do so and everyone should respect that choice.听
We will also modify our COVID-positive isolation policy for students and employees
to be consistent with CDC guidance. After testing positive for COVID-19, individuals
will be required to isolate for five days, followed by a masking requirement for an
additional five days. Students living in residence halls will need a negative antigen
test before moving back into their rooms from an isolation location.
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Many of you will have questions about these upcoming changes. We will be updating
our COVID website to reflect these new policies over the next week. Some of the updates
will take some time as we adjust our events policy, as well as evaluate our use of
plastic barriers on campus and other measures. At UAF we will continue to provide
masks and sanitizers across campus as well as at-home testing kits when available
and rapid testing for students at the Student Health and Counseling Center.
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for anyone who wants a first, second or booster dose. There is a testing site on
the Troth Yeddha鈥� campus in Fairbanks in the Nenana parking lot, open Monday-Saturday,
9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. UAF
also has at-home COVID antigen tests available at the Environmental Health, Safety
and Risk Management office for students and employees. Please contact Tracey Martinson for more information.听听
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Thank you for your work to make UAF a safe place during the past two years. We鈥檝e
adjusted our policies throughout this pandemic to reflect evolving public health guidance
and conditions in our communities. We couldn鈥檛 have achieved what we did without the
patience and responsible efforts of our students, staff and faculty.
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Thank you for choosing UAF.
Dan White, chancellor
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