UH Takes COVID-19 Action; Classes to Go Online
03/11/2020, 06:05:01 PM
President Khator

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students –

To allow you to address professional and personal matters in response to the city of Houston and Harris County emergency health declarations and to do our part in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, we are taking the following actions.

Classes, including lectures, seminars, discussions or presentations, will not be held next week (March 16-21) and will be offered remotely (online or alternative format) beginning March 23.

Students are encouraged to stay at home, but university housing will be open for resident students deciding to return.  Residential student services will be available and all protocols regarding sanitization and hygiene to prevent the spread of virus are being followed.

Faculty and staff may work from home to the extent that they are able to perform their functions remotely.  Our campuses, including Sugar Land and Katy, will remain open and all offices and services will continue to operate during next week and beyond.  Research labs will be open and related services will remain in operation.

Events funded and sponsored by the University of Houston and requiring large gatherings of more than 50 people in the greater Houston area are discouraged until the end of March.  If you wish to hold a large event (50+) during the months of March and April, please seek the permission of your vice president.

Facilities will be maintained using aggressive sanitization and hygiene protocols as recommended by authorities.  This includes increased custodial cleaning and the availability of hand sanitizer dispensers at all entrances, common areas and elevators.

At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the University of Houston.  The UH Health Liaison, Dr. Vanessa Tilney, and the UH Office of Emergency Management work with local, state and federal authorities on a daily basis. We will keep you informed about any updates as they relate to your work and learning at UH.  Meanwhile, we urge you to follow personal hygiene precautions and exercise social distancing measures as recommended by CDC and local health authorities.

I understand that these precautionary measures may be inconvenient and disappointing to you, but we hope these efforts can help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community.  Your health and safety are our priority.

Please find more information about COVID-19 here on the webpage or reach out to our team with questions by using coronavirus@uh.edu.  Further communication for faculty, staff and students will be forthcoming Thursday.

Thank you.

With warm regards,
Renu Khator

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