Info

All policies below are designed to match guidance from the University of Washington. It is possible for guidance to change as the pandemic evolves over the coming months, so we will constantly be updating this page as rules/regulations change.

Return to Campus

As in winter quarter, we plan for spring quarter to be primarily in-person instruction. Here are some links to policies we can follow to keep our community safe.

  • COVID-19 Case and Exposure Guidance
  • Mask recommendations (more below) have been updated to encourage surgical masks that fit well, including KN95 or KF94 masks as being excellent options.

Remote Access

If you are sick or have potentially been exposed to COVID-19, stay home. You will not be penalized for staying home and keeping our community safe. See more here.

Below, we briefly describe the accommodations for students having to miss class due to potential illness.

  • Lectures are recorded and all material is posted on the course website.
  • Quiz sections aren’t recorded due to the limitations of technology in the smaller rooms on campus, but all materials will be posted on the course website.
  • If you need help on an assignment while you are sick, you can always post on the Ed discussion board to get asynchronous help from a member of the course staff.
  • If you are sick during a quiz, you can use a quiz retake to take the quiz in a future week of the quarter. If you are sick for the exam a make-up will be provided.

Masking

Masking is strongly recommended for the first two weeks of the quarter, and then recommended for the remainder of the quarter. It is encouraged that you continue to wear a mask to keep our community safe. Please see more here. Everyone is also encouraged to make sure they have a higher quality mask based on the increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant.

From UW‘s masking policy

While not required in most indoor settings, face coverings remain an important intervention against respiratory illnesses of all kinds and offer an additional layer of protection. Individuals may choose to wear a face covering if they are in close contact with someone who is at high risk for severe illness (such as a household member) or have close contact young children who are not yet eligible for vaccination.

Some people may choose to wear a mask out of consideration for people who may be at high risk in public settings, or if they want to further reduce their own risk for any reason. Please remember that individuals may need to or choose to wear — or not wear — masks for a wide range of reasons. Thank you for respecting those needs and choices.

Do you need to maintain social distancing?

Vaccinations and masking provide strong protection against the spread of COVID. Currently, UW does not require social distancing in the classroom or office hours for students who are vaccinated.

Of course, some students might feel more comfortable keeping a little distance. If you would like to keep space between you and another student, please kindly ask them to leave a space between you and them if there is room available. Similarly, if someone asks you to maintain a space between them, please respect that request if possible.

What if you get sick?

See this FAQ by UW on what you should do if you get sick. You should also check out the Remote Access options listed above!

What if you are potentially exposed to COVID-19?

Follow the recommendations outlined in this flowchart by EH&S.

What if an instructor or TA gets sick?

The course staff is committed to keeping you safe, so we will not make you risk a potential exposure to COVID to attend class. If an instructor or TA feels ill, we will move any in-person activities we are hosting (e.g., a class session, quiz section, or support hours) to be purely online or have someone else on the course staff fill in for us while we are potentially contagious.

Please make sure you check your email frequently and before you attend an in-person event to make sure it is still happening in-person. We will always try our best to give as advanced notice as possible for any changes from in-person to remote for a day.