Frequently Asked Questions

We've put together a list of FAQs regarding the COVID pandemic and what changes can be expected when returning to campus.

• Will we be required to wear a mask when we are on campus?
  1. All faculty, staff and students are required to wear a mask in all common spaces like hallways, labs, bathrooms, classrooms, open spaces (group cubicles), etc.
  2. When off-campus, we should encourage OSU employees or students to wear masks when proper social distancing cannot be maintained.
• If I am in the high-risk category (serious heart condition, asthma, diabetes, chronic lung disease, immunocompromised) can I still work from home?

  If you are in the high-risk category you will need to follow the OSU procedure with the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO).  You will need to submit your information directly to the OEO office for their review on any recommendations or accommodations.  If the OEO office determines you should come back to campus to work, the decision will then fall back to your immediate supervisor.  Applications will be accepted beginning on June 22^nd.  The contact information for the OEO office contact is Jackson Landrum, Interim Director, Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator/ADA; Jackson.landrum@okstate.edu; 405-744-9153.

• If my daycare is closed due to COVID-19, may I still be able to work from home to care for my children?

  Yes.  You can discuss your available time considering the time away from the job to address childcare with your supervisor and use the COVID Admin leave but it is limited in the number of hours available.  If your daycare remains closed, you will need to work with your supervisor and/or HR on continued at home work approval with details about what goals are set, what your communication expectations are and any other items that are required from you for your job.

• If I am caring for someone at risk, am I still eligible for the work from home accommodations?

  Yes.  You will need to submit your information directly to the OEO office for their review on any recommendations or accommodations.  If the OEO office determines you should come back to campus to work, the decision will then fall back to your immediate supervisor.  Applications will be accepted beginning on June 22^nd.  The contact information for the OEO office contact is Jackson Landrum, Interim Director, Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator/ADA; Jackson.landrum@okstate.edu; 405-744-9153.

• Do we have to return to campus after Thanksgiving break if the students are not returning?

  Yes.  We are a land-grant university that provides a full-time place of employment on-campus.  We will stay on-campus if campus stays healthy.  We expect our seniors to return to campus for the potential in-person graduation this fall.

• What will happen to students who do not adhere to safety measures (wearing masks, social distancing, etc.)?

  Stay calm. Even when discussing topics that we are very passionate about we may not be able to get the best message across when angry. By being angry we may put others on the defensive.

  • Choose a good time and place for the conversation. When possible, find a place free from interruptions to have difficult conversations. This also allows you to have the time to formulate how you would like the conversation to look. Crowded areas may put others on the defensive.

  • Focus on the problem. Focus on the concerning behavior, rather than focusing on the person.

  • Use facts. When discussing the issue with others be sure to use factual information to support your argument.

  • Respond vs. reply. Take time to hear the other person, recognize thoughts and feelings, and respond to what he or she said. Do not reply only to have your thoughts heard.

  Reports of students intentionally failing to comply with the expectation of wearing facial coverings could violate the Student Code of Conduct Failure to Comply policy. Section II, 32, Failure to Comply: Failing to comply with the lawful directions of any university employee acting within the scope of their official duties or failing to identify oneself to such a person when requested to do so. Complaints can be filed online at https://studentconduct.okstate.edu/report. Student Conduct will have specialized educational sanctions for students found responsible for violating this policy. Permanent removal from the classroom will not be likely unless there are repeated violations or outright refusal to cooperate with requests. Student Conduct – 328 Student Union – 405-744-5470 – studentconduct@okstate.edu

• If coming back to campus involves me staying in my office with the door shut and virtual meetings, wouldn’t telecommuting serve the same purpose in a safe manner for everyone?

  Staying off campus prevents others from interacting with you and requires others to do campus duties which normally fall to you.  We are a university with interactions that are not easily done virtually.  Not everyone can work from home with quality internet and equipment.  For most jobs, being in the office is generally more productive for the whole team.

• Will OSU be providing COVID-19 testing at no cost to the employee?

  You may contact the University Health Science center for testing, at no charge, and there will be a Health Pod with personnel from the OSU Health Science Center, beginning June 27^th, for anyone to be tested with no charge.  The Health Pod will be open to any OSU employee and student.

• How long will employees continue to be offered COVID Employee Sick Leave as well as COVID Other/Dependent Care?

  The CARES Act will last until December 31, 2020.

• Documentation is now required for FFCRA leave, effective June 1, 2020. Can you please explain the difference this will make for leave already taken?

  Your COVID leave is cumulative. If you took 10 hours prior to June 1, 2020, you should have 70 hours left.  The paperwork wasn’t required at the onset because it was considered emergent based.  Now that it has slowed down, we are requiring documentation for potential legal issues as well as reimbursement from the state.  OSU is required to provide all documentation on what we used the CARE funds from. 

  If an employee is granted FFCRA leave they must be allowed to use it.  We cannot qualify them through FFCRA then allow them to work from home and not use the leave.  This is a federal program and the use of the program is being tracked for compliance.  If we report FFCRA was granted and the employee didn’t use it, we are out of compliance unless the circumstance of them employee have changed.  If the employee circumstances has changed me must cancel FFCRA leave and expect the employee back at work.

• Are masks required by faculty members who are teaching behind a lectern that has a shield?

  Faculty may wear face shields while instructing (without the use of an accompanied mask) if social distancing is consistently maintained.

  Face shields are not considered a universal substitution for face coverings and should not be worn in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained.

  Employees (outside of classroom instruction) requesting the use of a face shield as an accommodation from wearing a face covering should register with the office of Equal Opportunity to identify available workplace options.

  Increasing social distancing beyond six (6) feet should be considered for those wearing face shields for classroom instruction.

  Users should also carry a face covering to be worn when social distancing cannot be maintained.

  Instructors who use a face shield without a face mask while teaching should wear a face mask as they enter and as they depart the classroom.

  The face mask should only come off when the instructor is talking to the class, and only after donning the face shield first.

  Instructors standing behind plexi-glass partitions must still wear a face shield or mask while teaching.

  The instructor should not leave the lectern to walk among students or around the classroomduring the lecture if the six (6) foot social distance barrier is broken.

  If the instructor must use a whiteboard or chalkboard during the lecture, he/she must wear a maskor face shield and maintain at least six (6) feet of separation from the nearest student.

  If a microphone is available, instructors are encouraged to use it to minimize the distance that ejected oral drops and/or vapors will travel.

  Please refer to CEAT prodedure CCB-005 for more information

• Will the lecterns (and instructor areas) be disinfected between each use, and if so who is responsible for that?

  Best practice suggests that faculty should spend a few minutes before class begins to wipe down/disinfect the lectern. Cleaning supplies will be supplied at each CEAT classroomlectern.

• How are exams going to be conducted?

  Up to the Thanksgiving break, exams can either be given in class (during the course class period and in the assigned course classroom) or online.  Faculty must be flexible with students who wish to take the exam online because of health concerns.  It is recommended that in these instances, the exam is given online at the same time as the in-person exam.  Proctoring cannot be required for these online exams.   All final exams will be given online as students will not be required to return to campus after the Thanksgiving break.  It is recommended that faculty develop the exam and course evaluation so that the final exam can be unproctored.  However, there is the opportunity for proctored final exams.  OSU has established a contract with Examity for proctoring of the final exam.  The cost is $4/student/exam and the cost will be born by the department, not the students.  Therefore, you must have the approval of the School Head to use this service.  Please consult with your School Head for details. 

• What are the plans for the Big Orange Bus (BOB) Shuttle service this fall?

  The BOB Shuttle will be running the same service as normal for the fall semester.  Masks will be required for all passengers.  Drivers will be social distanced while driving by blocking off up to 10 seats at the front of the bus, reducing capacity by 10 people.  In doing this, drivers will be able to drive safely without a mask obstructing their vision.  Drivers will be required to wear a mask while passengers are loading and unloading.  
  Additionally, they will be cleaning the BOB Shuttles daily, and will be performing monthly sanitations with ionized hydrogen peroxide.

• Will all employees undergo preliminary/baseline COVID-19 testing, including antibody testing, prior to returning to campus?
  1.  Right now, this is not mandatory for staff and faculty. OSU is still working on plans to test all students who are planning to live on-campus in the fall.  At anytime you believe or know you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you must call University Health Services to let them know. 
  2.  OSU will not be performing the antibody test for detection of past exposure to COVID-19 as it is not as accurate.
• Will the A/V equipment be the same in our CEAT classrooms and in the GU classrooms?

  Yes, the vast majority of the rooms should be equipped with a computer, webcam and document camera which will enable instructors to capture their lectures.

• Can you explain what the differences will be?

  The differences which exist will relate to such examples as various equipment (brands and models), how the material is displayed in the classroom (TV monitors or projectors), and additional features such as touch panels, audio systems, etc.

• Am I required to stream my class live (synchronously) to online students, or can the lectures be posted after the class?

  OSU is requiring that all classroom course lectures are live-streamed, recorded, and posted to Canvas.

• Can you tell me what this looks like?  What platforms can I use?  Will I be required to use certain ones, or di I have a choice?

  OSU requires that you use Canvas as your course learning management system, and should be your primary interface with students for course materials.  You may use other platforms such as Zoom, MS Teams, etc. (there are many) in addition to Canvas.  Please visit with your department head if you have questions about specific platforms being required by your department.

• What resources are available to me to optimize my class experience for our online students?

  There are numerous resources available such as: ITLE recorded training, CEAT Online Learning, CEAT IT, tutorial videos on all of the software platforms, etc.

• Am I allowed to share information on an employee who has tested positive for Covid-19?

  If you are made aware of the nature of the medical condition of an employee and/or their family member, you are required to keep the information confidential and not share details of this information with others.
  Read more here.

• Are there online resources available to learn how to use the technology in the classroom I am teaching in?

  Yes!  Please visit CEAT Online Learning.

• What camera views will be available for the classroom?  If there is just one view, how are instructors supposed to use whiteboards?

  As a result of COVID each of us are having to make changes, including the manner in which we teach.  Instructors will be teaching from behind classroom lecterns and as a result will not have access to traditional white boards.  However, as this is designed to help protect the instructors and students from the potential spread of COVID, it will also makes it possible to capture a higher quality video of what is being written via the document camera and/or electronic device (tablet, IPad, laptop, etc…)

• What about the rendering time it takes for course recordings to finish uploading?  Will it disrupt the next class coming in?

  It is strongly advised/encouraged that instructors utilize either Canvas Conferences or Microsoft Teams as it will alleviate the issues associated with rendering.  

  Based on experience, the CEAT Online Learning team recommends Canvas Conferences given its ease of use and the lack of additional steps instructors must complete in comparison to other platforms.  In addition, the only downside which has been identified regarding Canvas Conferences is that lectures are only available for 14 days.  However, students will be able to capture/record these lectures on their own computers.

• Where can I find mental health resources offered by OSU?

  https://wellness.okstate.edu/employee-wellness/resources.html