The University of Chicago is asking members of the campus community to uphold a new commitment, called the UChicago Health Pact, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reinforce a shared culture of public health when returning to campus.
The University plans to hold in-person and remote classes this Autumn Quarter and to provide undergraduate housing in University residence halls with reduced occupancy, informed by public health guidance from the federal, state and city levels and the University of Chicago Medicine. These plans crucially depend on each member of the UChicago community taking actions to limit the spread of COVID-19.
As part of the UChicago Health Pact, which was developed with input from academic leaders and UChicago Medicine, every person on the University campus will commit to:
- Wear a face covering in University buildings or whenever people are in the immediate area
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others
- Wash hands and use hand sanitizer frequently
- Stay home if they don’t feel well or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
- Report promptly to C19HealthReport@uchicago.edu if they have knowingly been exposed to or test positive for COVID-19
- Raise any safety concern with their supervisor or academic leader, or through the University of Chicago Accident Incident Reporting (UCAIR)
- Cooperate with public health workers and adhere to all quarantine requirements
In addition to the UChicago Health Pact, everyone returning to campus must complete a short training program in advance and sign an electronic form affirming that they will comply with safety precautions. Versions of the electronic form are currently available for faculty and staff. A student version will be available prior to Autumn Quarter.
“The health and safety requirements that we are adopting to minimize the spread of COVID-19 will necessitate a very different experience on campus than we have had in the past,” President Robert J. Zimmer and Provost Ka Yee C. Lee wrote in a June 30 message outlining the steps underway for Autumn Quarter. “But it is only through these steps and a shared commitment to maintaining public health that our return to campus this autumn is possible.”
For more information on measures the University is taking to help protect public health, please visit goforward.uchicago.edu.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
