March 8, 2020
Dear Parents and Families,
As we begin the final week of class before spring break, I know many of you are concerned about the news surrounding COVID-19 (coronavirus). There are still no confirmed cases in Austin, and the university is working to protect the health and safety of our students and making preparations as the situation evolves.
As the parent of college students, I understand the desire to stay informed on issues that impact your students. President Fenves and University Health Services are sharing regular updates with your student about COVID-19 and stressing the importance of prevention measures, including washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, keeping hands away from one’s face, coughing or sneezing into one’s elbow, and using verbal forms of greeting in lieu of handshaking. Further, if your student is ill, he or she should stay home from class, events, and work. Division of Student Affairs offices are coordinating with professors to ensure students are supported if they need to stay home. We are also developing steps to help students continue participating in class and to limit any possible disruption to their academic work.
If your student needs to request an academic accommodation related to COVID-19 concerns, he or she should submit a request to Student Emergency Services (SES) in the Office of the Dean of Students. Students will not need to submit any documentation or doctor’s notes for requests related to COVID-19. The university has also notified professors to provide academic accommodations to students requesting them.
As spring break approaches, we encourage you to consider how travel plans could be affected by the spread of the virus and urge you not to travel to countries that have been designated as CDC Level 2 and 3. Please take precautions and monitor the UT Restricted Regions list if you are going to travel internationally.
The university remains in frequent communication with Austin Public Health, continues to monitor the status of the virus, and is following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. You can stay informed by checking our website for updates, answers to FAQs, travel guidelines, and more. We have also established a link on the website on this page for you to easily ask questions or provide comments and suggestions. The Texas Parents office is a resource to support you, and staff members are available by email at TexasParents@austin.utexas.edu or by calling (512) 471-2353.
Your student’s health, safety and well-being are our highest priorities and will continue to be at the forefront of our decisions moving forward.
Sincerely,
Soncia Reagins-Lilly
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students