Governor Greg Abbott announced the Open Texas plan on April 27, and the staff and 12-month faculty of UMHB have been returning to work on campus in a phased approach during the month of May.
On May 18, Governor Abbott announced that Texas schools may reopen campuses for summer school and other activities beginning June 1. UMHB will reopen its campus to students in a phased approach as follows:
- For the Summer I term, the majority of courses will be offered online. Certain undergraduate (Biology labs, Chemistry labs, and Exercise Science skills-based classes) and graduate (Health Sciences) courses in Summer I will be conducted face-to-face. Students in those selected courses will be notified by their instructors through Canvas that the course will meet face-to-face. Faculty who are teaching in Summer I have been notified by their Dean whether their class will be on-line or on-campus.
- For the Summer II term, courses will be offered in the format originally scheduled, with a majority of classes offered in person on campus.
- For courses that overlap both Summer I and Summer II, students will be contacted individually regarding the mode of course delivery.
UMHB’s Safe Return to Campus program for students will have robust health and safety protocols in place that align with federal, state, and local health officials’ guidance. It will be important that all students follow these protocols consistently, just as faculty and staff are doing.
Core elements will be very similar to those for employees. They will include proper social distancing (6 feet or more) whenever possible. Most summer classrooms will be configured for at least 6 feet of social distancing. Other core elements will include frequent hand sanitizing, avoidance of crowds and lines, and enhanced cleaning measures. Additional protocols will be in place for areas such as campus housing, dining facilities, laboratories, and certain classes where social distancing may not be feasible.
Masks will be mandatory for students in some areas, so students have been informed to return to campus with at least two cloth face coverings. Masks for faculty may be mandatory, depending on classroom configuration or specific tasks where social distancing cannot be easily maintained.
