UIC classroom public health guidance for faculty
Last Updated: April 10, 2024
How faculty can address student questions about reporting COVID-19 symptoms, exposures and positive COVID-19 tests to Contact Tracing.
A student reports they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
Instruct the student to stay home and encourage them to contact their primary care provider to discuss testing options that are appropriate for them. Students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 are not required to report symptoms to Contact Tracing. The UIC COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Epidemiology Program will remain available as a resource for students who have questions related to campus guidance or require assistance navigating isolation or the post-exposure period. If the student decides to voluntarily report symptoms via the UIC COVID-19 Reporting Decision Tool, the contact tracing team will provide them guidance on testing and when they can return to campus.
A student reports they tested positive for COVID-19.
Instruct the student to stay home. Students who test positive for COVID-19 are not required to report their positive test to Contact Tracing (unless living in campus housing, see below). The UIC COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Epidemiology Program will remain available as a resource for students who have questions related to campus guidance or require assistance navigating isolation or the post-exposure period. If the student decides to voluntarily report their positive test via the Reporting Decision Tool, we ask that the student monitors their inbox closely as they will receive communications from UIC Contact Tracing (uic_contact_tracing@uic.edu). The student will receive an email with a link to a survey which is designed to collect important public health information and provide instructions on when they are eligible to return to participation. Instructors can suggest that the student consider contacting persons who they believe they exposed during their infectious period, which can be done anonymously online.
- UIC’s current policy is that all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or are likely positive for COVID-19 isolate for until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication AND until their symptoms have improved for a minimum of 24 hours. Upon returning to campus, the individual must adhere to strict masking in all settings on UIC’s campus for five additional days.
A student reports they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Students who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 are not required to report the exposure to Contact Tracing. The UIC COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Epidemiology Program will remain available as a resource for students who have questions related to campus guidance or require assistance navigating isolation or the post-exposure period. If the student decides to voluntarily report the exposure via the Reporting Decision Tool, the student can expect to receive an email communication to their UIC inbox from uic_contact_tracing@uic.edu with instructions to complete a brief survey. Please encourage the student to complete the survey as quickly as possible so they can receive tailored guidance for testing and symptom monitoring. UIC Contact Tracing will then send them an additional 1-2 surveys for further follow-up and will closely monitor all surveys for indications of symptoms or a positive test.
- Please note, quarantine is not recommended at this time for any individual regardless of exposure type or vaccination status.
- All individuals should consider testing 2 to 5 days following their last exposure to a COVID-positive individual.
- All individuals must mask in all spaces on UIC’s campus, including classrooms, through day 7 from their last exposure and monitor for symptoms. Specific guidance can be found on UIC today.
How to address student noncompliance with prevention recommendations, reporting requirements, and how to develop plans to make your classroom safer regarding COVID-19.
A student refused to comply with UIC COVID-19 policies, for example, by showing up in class after being told to isolate or refusing to report a positive test result.
Noncompliance can be reported to the Dean of Students using the Student Misconduct Incident Report Form. In these cases, the student may be subject to disciplinary action as described in the Student Disciplinary Policy.
I have concerns about my classroom or workspace.
Reach out to the Environmental Health and Safety Office by email, or report anonymously online.
Does my student need to provide a note from contact tracing verifying their need to stay home and isolate?
Contact Tracing does not provide verification that students need to be absent from class.