Dear colleagues,

I hope the news and information below help you prepare for teaching next week.

Seating charts not required at start of semester

Today the Critical Response Team learned that the Missoula County-City Health Department (MCCHD) will not require UM to collect seating charts or assist in conducting contact tracing while the Omicron variant accounts for the majority of COVID cases in our community. However, MCCHD may ask us to start collecting seating chart information and help with contact tracing once the Omicron surge subsides.

So, you can cross seating charts off your to-do list for the start of the semester, but know that we may ask you to provide them later on. On a related note, classroom capacities remain unchanged from the fall semester.

Supporting students who are sick, in quarantine, or in isolation

Students who are required to quarantine or isolate should contact their advisors for help staying on track academically, and they should also reach out to their instructors. If you have students in quarantine or isolation, here is additional information to be aware of and guidance to consider:

• Flexibility is encouraged in helping students connect to class material and completing coursework, while at the same time maintaining academic standards.
• The Office for Disability Equity (ODE) can provide additional service to students if their quarantine is extended.
• Consider placing mid-term and/or final exams in Moodle or conducting them via Zoom. 
• If you have questions about how to best respond to the situation/context in your class, please contact your chair/director and/or dean for support.

Again, please encourage students to reach out to you and their advisors for resources or assistance while in quarantine/isolation. Being in isolation is difficult, and we want to make sure students in these situations have the support they need.

Please respect others’ privacy

Even while seeking accommodations, it is important to remember that students are not required to disclose their medical condition to professors or workplace supervisors. Most importantly, should a student tell their professor or workplace supervisor that they think they may have contracted COVID, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits that professor or supervisor from disclosing a student’s health information to others.

Also, please note that just because a colleague or student voluntarily discloses information about their health status does not mean they have given you permission to share that information with others. Sharing information like that requires the individual’s written consent.

Suggested syllabus language about COVID

Please communicate the following expectations and important safety information to students on the first day of class. This information can also be included in course syllabi. Please note the bullets below are written with a student audience in mind (the “you” being students):

• Mask use is required within the classroom or laboratory.
• If you feel sick and/or are exhibiting COVID symptoms, please don’t come to class and contact the Curry Health Center at (406) 243-4330.
• If you are required to isolate or quarantine, you will receive support in the class to ensure continued academic progress. (Add specific information about how you, as the instructor, will continue providing course materials to students in quarantine or isolation.)
• (If instructors are comfortable sharing or including this) UM recommends students get the COVID vaccine and booster. Please direct your questions or concerns about vaccines to the Curry Health Center.
• Drinking liquids and eating food is discouraged within the classroom.
• (If applicable) Mask use is required in vehicles when traveling to field sites as part of class/fieldwork.
• (If applicable) Please note this class is being recorded. Notifying students is a requirement if this is the case.

I wish all of you a wonderful start to the semester! As always, please share your questions or concerns with me at officeoftheprovost@umontana.edu.

Sincerely,

Reed Humphrey, Acting Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

This message was sent by the Office of the Provost to all UM faculty, staff, graduate students, and administrators.