COVID-19 Update: Campus Operations
To continue ensuring the safety and well-being of our campus community and to proactively prepare for future orders issued by local counties and cities, UTRGV is modifying its current business continuity plan.
While most of UTRGV’s operations are already being conducted remotely, we are now asking every division/college/department that still has employees on campus or at an off-campus facility to also transition these employees to a remote setting — if their work can be performed from home.
The only employees who should remain on campus are those who cannot perform their daily duties from home or those who are vital to the institution’s operations (e.g. police, healthcare providers, etc.) Please reach out to your supervisor for guidance.
How does this affect me?
This new business plan is simply an expansion of the plan we’ve had in place the past two weeks, so most people will be unaffected.
However, there are changes to operations we’d like to share:
- Students, faculty and staff may still access campus, if necessary. If they do, they must continue to observe proper social distancing and in Edinburg, must wear a facial covering over their nose and mouth while on campus. The facial covering does not have to be a surgical mask; rather any homemade cloth masks, scarves, bandanas, or any cloth covering made from household items.
- This new plan will limit the number of essential services being offered face-to-face on campus to students, faculty and staff. Rest assured, however, that these services may still be accessed by phone or online. Click here for a list of all services and their contact information.
- Principal investigators/lab directors may keep their research labs open for the most critical research activities with approval from their immediate supervisor.
- Libraries will be closed, effective immediately.
- Campus computer labs remain open, but will be minimized to two locations:
Facial Coverings
Currently, Edinburg is the only local city to require facial coverings when in a public setting. UTRGV is currently looking into purchasing facial coverings to provide campus community members who need to access campus or an off-campus facility.
In the meantime, we will provide UTRGV bandanas for students, faculty and staff who must access the Edinburg Campus. Those campus community members may pick up their bandana, starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, at the Edinburg Police Department (501 N. Sugar Road).
We will also provide our Brownsville and Harlingen campuses with bandanas in anticipation that those cities or Cameron County will adopt a similar facial covering order.
Once again, thank you for your patience during this extremely fluid situation. Our main concern continues to be the health, safety, and security of our UTRGV community.
Please regularly check your email for the latest updates or visit our resource webpage.
As always, if you have any questions please reach out to your supervisor for guidance or email coronavirus@utrgv.edu.