Information for Faculty
In addition to the summary information provided on this site, faculty should refer to the complete Academic Plan. For additional information on policies and procedures, please visit the Human Resources Reentry Expectations and Guidelines website.
Employees with specific concerns or questions about COVID-19 should contact the Office
of Human Resources at PandemicHRCampus@SouthAlabama.
Help stop the spread of COVID-19 and stay on campus by participating in Sentinel testing. Each week, GuideSafe randomly selects employees and students to be tested. This gives us information about how COVID-19 is circulating on campus. By participating in sentinel testing, we unite to stay on campus. USA plans to test between 2.5% to 5% of the population randomly on a weekly basis. Sentinel tests are intended for individuals who are not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and use dedicated resources that do not reduce testing capacity for others who may feel sick or experience symptoms. By participating, you will not take away from someone else.
- Student Sentinel testing invites are sent daily. Be sure to check your JagMail account regularly for an invite.
- Randomly selected individuals will receive an email from our trusted partner, Verily (healthy@verily.com), directing them to sign up for a testing appointment.
- Sentinel testing is conducted in the Mitchell Center weekly. Students must schedule an appointment through the Verily platform.
- The test consists of an observed nasal self-swab that will be processed in a lab. A healthcare professional will observe each self-administered test to ensure accuracy and provide coaching if needed. This test is NOT the more invasive nasopharyngeal swab.
- Those being tested will be contacted within 24-48 hours with results.
- If you test positive for COVID-19, you will receive a call from Student Health to give you the next steps on how to protect yourself and others around you.
- Employee Sentinel testing invites are sent on Sundays at noon. Be sure to check your South Alabama email regularly for an invite.
- Employee Sentinel testing is conducted weekly at the Mitchell Center.
- The test consists of an observed nasal self-administered swab that will be processed in a lab. A healthcare professional will observe each self-test to ensure accuracy and provide coaching if needed. This test is NOT the more invasive nasopharyngeal swab.
- Those being tested will be contacted within 24-48 hours with results.
- If you test positive for COVID-19, you will receive a call from Employee Health and Wellness to give you the next steps on how to protect yourself and others around you.
If you did not participate in GuideSafe Entry testing: you must first create a Verily account. Please go to healthy.verily.com. Create an account using your university’s issued email address. Please note if you are an employee and student, please use your school email address. Confirm your account via email.
If you have participated in the GuideSafe Entry program, please check your school email account frequently for testing information. Schedule a test appointment after you have been randomly selected. Go to your scheduled appointment.
No, the Sentinel testing is 100% free and partnered with GuideSafe which is funded by the CARES Act through the support of Governor Kay Ivey. “As students and educators have made the transition back to their respective college campus, it is critical that they have the tools to do so safely, and Governor Ivey is proud to provide the resources to help make that possible. Not only is this partnership enabling our colleges and universities to welcome back their students, it is also setting the tone and bar for the rest of the nation. Alabama is innovative, and, during a health crisis, we are showing the country the great benefit of partnership, ingenuity and determination.”
There are 189,000+ GuideSafe platform users. 75,000+ entry testing participants and 45 participating organizations including the University of South Alabama.
Please contact GuideSafe™️ at testing@guidesafe.org or 1-866-839-5308.
Please contact our COVID-19 Response Office at 251-461-1590 or covid19@southalabama.edu.
All faculty are required to complete a health screening form before returning to campus, and may be referred for testing if the screening indicates issues or concerns.
Employees who submit forms with concerning answers or who become symptomatic will be evaluated and tested by USA Health staff at the Mobile Civic Center drive-thru testing center.
As part of USA’s ongoing efforts to provide the safest possible environment, the University is making available two new tools that will help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The first of these tools is the GuideSafe™ Jag Healthcheck, a simple health screening
tool that must be completed daily by all USA general division employees (not USA Health
employees) and all USA students, except those who are fully remote (i.e. not coming
to campus for any classes or activities). This daily health screening will take only
a few minutes to complete, and will help identify possible cases of COVID-19 in our
community. Jag Healthcheck is required to maintain your ability to come to campus.
Our second new tool is the GuideSafe™ Exposure Notification App, an anonymous system which, if you test positive for COVID-19, will allow the Alabama Department of Public Health to notify those you do not know — or cannot remember coming into contact with — that they may have been exposed. Users of the app exchange anonymous codes among their phones using Bluetooth — no location data is ever stored or exchanged, and your personal information is never shared. This tool is strongly encouraged for all members of the University community.
Both of these tools can be accessed through the GuideSafe App, which is available for Apple and Android devices. Please search for GuideSafe in the app store for iPhones or Google Play for Android device to download the app, for additional information please visit the GuideSafe website.
In addition, Jag Healthcheck can be accessed directly from any device by going to the website jaghealthcheck.southalabama.edu. Please note you do not need to type https://www in the URL address bar.
Through Jag Healthcheck, employees and students report whether or not they have had symptoms or exposure to anyone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19. If symptoms or exposures are reported, this information will be shared with Student Health or Employee Health (Human Resources). Based on responses, Jag Healthcheck assigns users one of three categories: Green/Least Risk, Yellow/May be at Risk, or Red/Greater Risk — each with its own instructions on how to proceed to campus or work. Regardless of the results, a secure compliance report will be sent to Student Health or Human Resources.
Students and employees may be asked to display their dated “Clear”/Green result prior to entering areas of USA’s campus or participating in activities.
Jag Healthcheck is not a substitution for self-monitoring of symptoms. If an employee experiences any COVID-19 related symptoms, the employee should not report to work and should report the absence in accordance with the department’s call-in procedure, even if working remotely.
FAQ
Jag Healthcheck, a COVID-19 assessment tool, informs public health and University officials about emerging symptom hot spots. It also helps University health officials prioritize participants who might need COVID-19 testing.
Students and employees are encouraged to complete Jag Healthcheck daily, but completion is required at least every three days. Reminders can be set up though Jag Healthcheck. New COVID-19 symptoms or exposures are to be reported immediately in Jag Healthcheck.
Jag Healthcheck is compliant with the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It is a tool for you to report COVID-19 symptoms and any exposure. University of South Alabama Student Health, Employee Health and Human Resources receive the information to ensure those coming on campus are not showing symptoms.
Your responses are linked to your identity, and the University of South Alabama Student Health, Employee Health and Human Resources will receive your information submitted with Jag Healthcheck. The information is to ensure compliance and to identify employees or students who may need to be tested to further prevent the spread of COVID-19.
You can access Jag Healthcheck, a password-protected system, through the GuideSafe App on your phone, or by using your computer or table to go to JagHealthcheck.SouthAlabama.edu. Please note you do not have to type https://www in the URL address bar. The site can be pinned to your smartphone home screen so that it appears as an app.
There will be an option for you to receive reminders to report how you are feeling.
You will be instructed to call Student Health (251-460-7151) or Employee Health and Wellness (251-461-1521) to assess the need for testing or medical evaluation.
Students should complete the Jag Healthcheck assessment daily. After three days of non-compliance, students will be notified with an email and a text message regarding non-compliance. On the fourth day of non-compliance, the student will receive a contact from the University reminding them that non-compliance with Jag Healthcheck may result in a negative impact on their good standing with the University.
Employees should complete the Jag Healthcheck assessment daily. After three days of non-compliance, employees will be notified with an email and a text message regarding non-compliance. The Employee Health & Wellness Coordinator (EHWC), using the Jag Healthcheck report, will monitor employees completion of the survey to identify employees who have failed to complete Jag Healthcheck at least every three business days. The EHWC will refer non-compliant employees to their immediate supervisor for appropriate action. Non-compliant employees will be addressed in accordance with the University’s disciplinary guidelines.
Any supervisor notified by a faculty/staff member testing positive for COVID-19 must send an email to reportcovid@southalabama.edu and notify Human Resources at (251) 460-6133.
Any USA faculty/staff notified by a student that he/she has tested/is positive for COVID-19 must send an email to reportcovid@southalabama.edu.
For additional instructions and information on these requirements, please visit the Human Resources website.
Since reopening, the University is continually monitoring the health of the campus population and the public health of our region. The campus will be poised to move back to remote work, if conditions warrant, to protect the health of students and employees. In this event, faculty should be prepared to quickly move all courses to the online environment.
The first day of fall 2020 classes will be moved up one day to Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 and Convocation was virtual.
Fall break, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Oct. 8-9 , will be canceled and those days will be used as class days.
Fall 2020 Classes will end Tuesday, Nov. 24 and students will not return to campus after the Thanksgiving break.
Final exams may be given during the last class meeting between Nov. 18 and Nov. 24, or virtually during a scheduled final exam period between Dec. 1 and Dec. 4.
Faculty at elevated risk may request to teach virtually for fall 2020.
Faculty meetings will remain virtual in most cases.
The Charles M. Baugh Biomedical Library opened when College of Medicine classes resumed on August 3.
Marx Library and the Mitchell College of Business Library opened to USA students, faculty and staff on August 17.
USA Libraries’ online collections are available 24/7 if the libraries are closed. Students can request materials from the print collections by filling out this request form. The Marx Library serves as the distribution point for all library materials.
For more information, please visit the USA Libraries COVID-19 website.
The Office of Community Engagement (OCE) supports community engaged learning, service learning and volunteerism for students, faculty and staff.
Details about the Community Engagement COVID-19 Guidelines — including expectations and requirements for faculty in leading and/or participating in community engagement, service learning and volunteerism — can be found at COVID-19 Guidelines and FAQ for FACULTY.
Internships provide valuable, practical, industry/degree-related experience to students. While their significance is undeniable, students’ health and safety are of utmost importance. The term “internship” is used broadly to encompass the range of student experiences and opportunities outside of the classroom, including internships, co-ops and field experiences, whether for academic credit or not.
Faculty guidance is provided in the Covid-19 Guidelines and Recommendations for Internships and Cooperative Education and is located on the Career Services website. This guidance is intended to help identify how internships in each college/department will be managed during the health crisis and while extensive social-distancing requirements remain in effect. The protocols are based on the USA Reopening Plan.
To control the risks of COVID-19 exposure to University employees, the University Committee for Reopening Campus has determined that, until further notice, no visitors or invited guests are allowed in buildings on the main campus. This does not include contractors and vendors who are required to be on campus to fulfill their obligations. Any other exceptions to this policy must be approved by a divisional Vice President. This requirement will remain in place until further notice from the Committee.
Approved visitors to the University main campus will complete the USA Guest COVID-19 Screening and display their clearance upon arrival to campus. If the visitor indicates symptoms of COVID-19 or exposure to individuals who are positive, access to campus is denied and further instructions are provided.
Procedures for University Employees to address COVID-19 for
Non-University Employees on Campus
Non-University employees (hereinafter, “Vendors”) are expected to abide by the same procedures and requirements as members of the University community. Offices and departments working with Vendors on campus are required to communicate the University requirements to the non-University employee. Vendors on campus who test positive for COVID-19 are expected to participate in any surveillance or contact tracing process designed to decrease the risk of infection in the University.
Departments working with non-University employees on campus should ask for copies of the vendor’s corporate COVID policies prior to their arrival/return to campus.
If corporate policies do not exist and/or do not include similar University screening guidelines below, those departments working with non-University employees on campus will review University guidelines with the Vendors. Guests and non-University employees on main campus may be asked to complete the USA Main Campus Guest COVID-19 Screening. The screening indicates approval with a green screen and access denied with a red screen. If a non-University employee receives an “access denied” designation on the screening or answers “Yes” to any question below, the University department will ask the non-University employee to leave campus immediately.
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Have you had any new symptoms in the last 14 days that are out of the ordinary for you (shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, fever, severe headache, chills, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell)?
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In the past 14 days have you been in close contact with any person who has tested positive for COVID-19? The CDC defines “close contact” as being within approximately 6 feet of an individual who is positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer.
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In the past 14 days have you been in close contact with any person who is being evaluated for COVID-19 due to possible COVID-19 symptoms? The CDC defines “close contact” as being within approximately 6 feet of an individual who is positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer.
If a non-University employee tests positive for COVID-19, they should immediately notify their University contact. University departments working with Vendors who answers yes to questions above will submit the non-University employee contact name and information to the University Contact Tracing Team for additional follow up.
In order to return to campus, non-University employees who test positive for COVID-19 will follow the same guidelines as University employees.
In most cases, classes are delivered either in a web-blended (hybrid) model or fully online. For web-blended courses, some portion of the courses is generally offered face-to-face, adhering to social distancing guidelines. Small classes (with low enrollment relative to classroom size) that allow for social distancing may be held fully face-to-face. Other classes are reconfigured to reduce density and allow for social distancing.
Faculty teaching on-campus courses are encouraged to develop their courses so that students who need to complete the course at a distance can do so online.
- USA full-semester study abroad programs for fall are suspended. Students will be given the option to defer their participation to a future semester or participate in a virtual study abroad opportunity.
- The Office of International Education will evaluate the feasibility of short-term international experiences during the fall semester 30 days from the program start date.
- Decisions on spring 2021 semester programs will be made on November 16, 2020.
For more information, visit the USA Office of International Education.