Faculty & Staff Guidance for Sick or Exposed Individuals, Sept. 2, 2021
Sept. 2, 2021
Dear Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students,
I want to thank you for your continued commitment to a successful 2021/22 academic year. Information related to COVID-19 has been changing rapidly and we are striving to keep you informed as quickly as possible. Information will continue to be provided on a weekly basis. The most up-to-date information will be available on the Galveston Campus COVID-19 website.
Please review the Quarantine & Isolation Protocols now available on the Galveston Campus COVID-19 website. Information pertaining to the quarantine period for close contacts and acceptable documentation for student absences has changed as recently as yesterday. The Galveston County Health District, in coordination with the CDC, determines our quarantine and isolation protocols. These protocols may differ from other Texas counties and will change depending on regional data.
In summary, if you have tested positive for COVID-19 you are required to isolate. You are also required to self-report in the Galveston Campus Reporting Portal and a case manager will contact you. This is considered an excused absence.
If you are unvaccinated and have been in close contact with a person who is symptomatic or has tested positive then you are required to self-quarantine. You are also required to self-report in the Galveston Campus Reporting Portal and a case manager will contact you about COVID-testing. This is considered an excused absence.
If you are vaccinated and have been in close contact with a person who is symptomatic or has tested positive then you are not required to self-quarantine provided you do not show any symptoms. You are strongly encouraged to wear a mask.
Flowcharts developed by Texas A&M University in College Station are available to help guide faculty and staff in decision-making related to their own COVID-19 status.
- COVID-19 Symptoms or Positive Test Guidance Flowchart
- COVID-19 Close Contact Exposure Guidance Flowchart
Step 3 in the Close Contact COVID-19 Protocols addresses how students should seek an excused absence if they need to quarantine and provides detailed instructions on acceptable documentation. Faculty at Texas A&M University at Galveston are asked to accept a screenshot or submission confirmation of the student’s submitted COVID-19 report form as documentation for an excused absence per Student Rule 7. If faculty have any questions or concerns about the validity of the documentation please contact Dr. Lang.
All instructors are encouraged to exercise grace when working with students that do not have an excused absence in making up missed course work.
Information related to COVID-19 cases in our campus community is updated weekly in the Galveston Campus COVID-19 Dashboard.
Thank you for your understanding as we sort through confusing and often conflicting information in the quest to provide you with accurate information.
Respectfully,
Antonietta Quigg, Ph.D. | Acting Chief Academic Officer
Senior Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
Regents Professor | Dept. of Marine Biology | Dept. of Oceanography