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COVID-19 Policies and Restrictions

Last updated 8/24/2022. Removed Housing Area Closures policy.

Housing Residents have a duty to report their status to UAS Student Housing in any of the following circumstances:

  • If you have been in any location outside of Juneau for at least 72 hours, foreign or domestic, within the last two weeks.
  • If you have been identified by public health in "close contact" with someone who has been confirmed to have COVID-19, or with someone who is COVID-19 symptomatic and is a "person under investigation"
  • If you are returning from having been a passenger on a cruise ship
  • If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19
  • If you are COVID-19 symptomatic or are a "person under investigation"

If you meet one or more of these criteria, you must notify Student Housing immediately and follow all directions given by Student Housing, including the possibility of relocation, quarantining, etc. Contact your instructors if you are told you will be unable to attend your classes. 

Definitions:

Person Under Investigation: Someone who is COVID-19 symptomatic and either has been advised to get a molecular COVID-19 test, or has taken a test and is awaiting results.

Close Contact: The CDC defines a close contact as being within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes in a 24 hours period.

Student Housing maintains expectations for disclosure of vaccination status. For more information, please visit the Testing and Quarantine Status webpage.

Effective April 4, 2022

University of Alaska Southeast Face Covering Policy

Everyone is required to have a face covering available when on campus and at University sponsored activities regardless of location.  Face coverings are freely provided near UAS building entrances.

Face coverings are required to be worn:

  • in instructional spaces (classrooms, studios, teaching labs, testing centers, and other spaces where instruction takes place); 
  • in the student health and counseling spaces
  • University provided transportation;
  • in approved and posted indoor gathering spaces or events to increase safety for high-risk participants (approvals granted by UAS COVID Incident Commander);
  • as requested by an employee in offices or workspaces where 6’ distancing cannot easily be maintained.

When worn, face coverings must completely cover the person’s nose and mouth. 

Individuals returning from quarantine or isolation should wear a face covering in all spaces for 5 days following their isolation or quarantine period.

Face coverings are optional in all other situations.  Anyone with health concerns is encouraged to consult their health care provider, and consider wearing a mask for protection.  The UAS community is expected to be respectful of each another’s choices and consider the concerns of those around them.

UAS Residence Life Face Covering Policy Addendum:

  • University of Alaska staff will wear a face covering when entering an occupied housing unit at the request of assigned residents of that space. 
  • Residents may establish their own expectations for guests entering their space regarding face coverings in accordance with the Housing Guest Policy. 

Student Housing no longer has a blanket restricted visitor policy. Please note that in accordance with the standard visitor policy, individual residents and units have the right to set more stringent guidelines for their space and Housing will assist with the enforcement of those communal expectations as needed. Some specific individuals will be restricted from being a visitor in Housing due to campus entry restrictions and strict social distancing/quarantine/isolation needs. 

Quarantine/Isolation/Strict Social Distancing:

Individuals asked by Public Health or UAS to Strictly Social Distance, Quarantine, or Isolate may not be visitors inside student housing. Residents falling into these categories may still reside on campus in their unit or a provided quarantine/isolation space.

Note that the visitation policy may be updated if needed based on local conditions. If a policy change occurs, you will be notified via email.

We expect that all members of the on-campus housing community - residents, faculty, staff, and guests act in a manner that demonstrates respect and consideration for those around them, including respect and consideration for the health and safety of all community members. All residents are prohibited from creating a health or safety hazard within housing and the University may request or require a resident to leave housing if their continued presence in the housing community poses a health or safety risk for community members.

Residents are required to comply with health and safety laws, orders, ordinances, regulations and health and safety guidance adopted by the University or Student Housing as it relates to public health crises, including COVID-19. This guidance will evolve as the public health crisis evolves and may include, but is not limited to, social distancing, limitations on mass gatherings/events, encouraging or requiring wearing a face covering, COVID-19 diagnostic and surveillance testing (including before or upon arrival to campus), contact tracing, disinfection protocols, limitations on guests, and quarantine/isolation requirements (including before or upon arrival to campus). Adherence to health and safety requirements applies to all residents, staff, faculty and guests and extends to all aspects of Student Housing and Dining Services, including bedrooms, bathrooms, community kitchens, lounges, lobbies, courtyards/pavilions and other common spaces.

At any time, the University may request or require a resident to leave housing when that resident’s continued presence in the housing community poses a health or safety risk for community members. Residents are required to comply with requests from Student Housing to leave their assigned space due to COVID-19 or other public health emergency and failure to do so is a violation of the student code of conduct/BOR policy and may subject a student to immediate removal or loss of housing from their assigned space. Not all residential rooms or communities are appropriate for self-quarantine or self-isolation, for example, and in those situations where a student is recommended or required to self-quarantine or self-isolate, students may not be permitted to continue residing in their residential space and will be provided alternative housing arrangements as needed. Removal from housing to isolate or quarantine does not constitute a termination of a residential housing agreement.
Residents are required to comply with any de-densifying efforts (act of spreading out and/or separating individuals to minimize contact) needed on campus due to COVID-19 or other public health emergencies, including, but not limited to, the relocation of all or some residents to alternative housing. Relocation does not constitute a termination of a residential housing agreement. In the event Student Housing must relocate residents as part of a de-densifying strategy due to public health concerns for an extended period of time and alternative housing is not available, Student Housing will offer impacted residents a prorated reimbursement as appropriate and based on information available at that time.
Dining Service, including where and how it will be offered to residential students, is subject to the discretion of the University and is subject to modification to address public health concerns. Due to health and safety guidance adopted by the University or Dining, Dining may limit the occupancy of dining locations, limit the amount of time students may reside within dining venues, or make other operational adjustments needed to address health and safety concerns.
Student Housing will continue to implement and modify its cleaning protocols to address COVID-19 or other public health emergencies in the interest of minimizing the spread of disease. Student Housing will educate and inform residents on appropriate cleaning protocols within their assigned spaces to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the residence halls and various apartment units.
Upon reasonable notice, Student Housing reserves the right to terminate housing agreements due to public health emergency needs, including COVID-19. In the event Student Housing terminates housing agreements due to public health concerns, UAS will offer a prorated reimbursement for impacted residents as appropriate and based on information available at that time.
All alleged violations of the above policies will be referred to Student Conduct for review. Failure to comply after an initial conversation may result in disciplinary action or campus restrictions as appropriate, including a possible loss of housing eligibility.