Approved by the UCF Board of Trustees June 18, 2020

University of Central Florida

Reopening Campus Plan

Knights Rise to the Challenge

While the University of Central Florida and the entire world continue to face challenges
from COVID-19, it is critical that we take care of each other and ourselves. Knights are
known for our optimism, ingenuity and true compassion for those around us. That
compassion allows us to understand that many people are struggling from the impacts of
the virus, and everyone has been affected in some way. Our UCF community is
interconnected and, collectively, we must continue to support each other.
In the pages that follow, you will find UCF’s plan for responding to COVID-19 and how we
will begin returning to campus. In all our efforts, our first priority is the health and well-
being of our campus community and visitors. We will be flexible, practicing patience and
care for each other, as well as adapting our plans if conditions change. We do our best
planning together. That is why we sought the collective thinking of our students, faculty
and staff in creating this plan. From virtual town halls and surveys, we gained insight into
how COVID-19 is affecting those who live, learn and work on our campus and in our
community.
Many in our campus community are eager to return to campus, while others may need to
continue to learn and work remotely. We will continue to foster community across all of
our campuses, in-person and virtually, in new and innovative ways. We will follow new
health measures and take personal responsibility as part of our efforts to prioritize health
and well-being.
To create a comprehensive path forward for UCF, multiple teams collaborated to develop
our return to campus plan focused on the health and well-being of our campus community.
Our planning explored multiple scenarios, which will enable us to change direction if
conditions or the guidance of government and public health officials evolve. Guidance from
the UCF Board of Trustees and the State University System Board of Governors, as well as
recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida
Department of Health and other government and public health officials were critical to our
planning efforts.
Our plan is not an end point, but rather a starting point. This plan will continue to evolve to
respond to changing condition or new guidance. At UCF the optimistic spirit and sense of
community gives us confidence that we will emerge a stronger institution. Because, in
everything at UCF, Knights always rise to the challenge and Charge On!

Executive Summary
Over the last few months, Knights have worked tirelessly to respond to the pandemic and
plan for the short and long-term impacts that will be left in its wake. This plan outlines

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Approved by the UCF Board of Trustees June 18, 2020

efforts by many university members to develop a flexible approach to re-open campus

while considering adjustments if conditions improve or worsen. While this plan and health
measures will be implemented at all our campuses, the expectation is that this plan will
guide addressing the unique needs and challenges within our programs, spaces, and
campus locations. By committing to a caring culture that starts with our personal behavior
and acceptance of responsibility to our community, this plan prioritizes the health and
well-being of all our students, faculty, staff, vendors, volunteers, and visitors and provides a
roadmap for continuing to provide exceptional academic, research, and athletic programs
and services.
Summary of UCF Plan Highlights
 UCF anticipates re-opening campus for the fall semester.
 Planning incorporates thought leadership from various work groups that include
representation from faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders.
 Re-opening will respond to federal, state, and local government guidance in place at the
time of UCF’s reopening and be guided by health and medical professionals.
 UCF will provide updates to the campus community via the university’s dedicated
COVID-19 websites, [Link] and
[Link] through campus messages, social
media, and more. UCF will also answer questions submitted to
covid19questions@[Link]
A Healthy Campus Environment
 UCF will adhere to the core principle of focusing on the health and well-being of faculty,
staff, students, vendors, volunteers, and visitors across all planning.
 Face coverings will be required in university buildings as outlined in university policy,
and building capacity (excluding classrooms, laboratories, and health care
environments) will be limited to 30% during the initial phase of repopulation; a second
phase increase to 50% capacity will be targeted to begin prior to the start of fall
semester.
 While return to campus will be permissible, managers and supervisors will be flexible
and allow employees to continue remote work to address at-risk needs or where
productivity can be maintained from home.
 Prior to returning to campus, faculty, staff, and students will be required to complete
return to campus training to ensure understanding of university procedures and
protocols.

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 Student-athlete participation in organized activity as well as the return of spectators to

athletic competition are dependent on state and local guidance as well as plans
developed by the American Athletics Conference.
 Students will return to on-campus housing for the fall semester.
 UCF will have a reduction in housing occupancy that includes shifting a select number
of doubles to singles.
 A hybrid strategy for fall events and activities will offer virtual participation options to
students, limit frequency and size of face-to-face interactions, and leverage alternatives
(e.g. outdoor spaces) to promote physical distancing.
 UCF leadership continues to partner with Greek organizations with both on-campus
and off-campus housing to assist with development of plans that promote health and
well-being.
 Plans will address housing and bed capacity, cleaning protocols, common space
protocols and expectations, social event plans, and, where applicable, dining
arrangements.
 With the return of students, faculty, and staff, enhanced cleaning and disinfection will
occur across campus with increased cleaning frequency in common areas and high-
touch point areas consistent with CDC guidance to institutions of higher education.
A Healthy Community Environment
 Planning and communications include a commitment to a caring culture that starts with
personal behavior and the acceptance of responsibility by students, employees,
vendors, volunteers, visitors, and our surrounding community members.
 UCF’s planning included epidemiologist from the Orange County, Florida Department of
Health.
 Shared with managed housing communities and other local apartments UCF’s health
measures including requiring facial coverings and physical distancing and encouraged
similar approaches.
 UCF worked closely with local partners such as the Orange County Economic Recovery
Task Force to understand proposed reopening strategies and
 Shared strategies with Disney, Universal, Lockheed Martin, and other community
partners as part of a collaborative approach to identifying best practices focused on
mitigating risks from COVID-19.
 UCF will continue to serve as an “Influenza Sentinel” for the state of Florida and support
other prevention and mitigation strategies developed by the Florida Department of
Health for other infectious diseases.

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COVID-19 Virus Testing

 UCF will conduct population (cohort) screening to help identify persons who may be
unaware of their illness by implementing a targeted testing approach focused on cohort
and closed populations (e.g. students returning to university housing and student
athletes).
 UCF has partnered with AVENTUS BioLabs to make COVID-19 testing readily available
at its main campus and its Lake Nona medical campus.
 Data will be leveraged to estimate prevalence of COVID-19 and predict potential for
outbreaks on campus. The health surveillance data will be used to identify and respond
to potential hotspots on campus.
 To prioritize individuals who warrant testing, developed an application to provide daily
education and screening for all faculty, students, and staff including identifying those
who may be traveling to UCF from geographic areas with significant transmission of
COVID-19.
 UCF continues its partnership with area health organizations to monitor the capacity of
local hospitals and healthcare systems. This metric along with other key indicators
provide a barometer to local officials and university leadership regarding changes in the
COVID-19 risk environment.
 Housing residents will be tested upon their return to campus and strategies will be
implemented to promote physical distancing during and after the move-in process.
 UCF collaborated with fellow institutions from around the State University System of
Florida to share information regarding a testing, tracing, and health surveillance
approach and to support the development of university protocols via an exchange of
ideas.
Contact Tracing and Surveillance
 In partnership with the Florida Department of Health, a contact tracing program has
been designed that will be staffed by UCF student volunteers.
 As part of UCF’s contact tracing efforts, a COVID Contact Tracing Committee will be
established and will meet frequently to coordinate contact tracing at UCF with the
Florida Department of Health (DOH).
 Protocols in place for presumptive or actual positive cases include sanitizing and
general cleaning aligned with the university’s illness response matrix, reserving
dedicated spaces for isolation or quarantine of housing residents, meal delivery,
assistance with temporary academic accommodations, and other services as needed.

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 Metrics such as the rate of new infections, symptom surveillance, randomized testing,
and randomized or targeted population screening will be used to monitor rates of
infection.
 By use of surveillance, potential hot spots on campus may be identified. In so doing,
there will be a coordinated public health response with the Florida Department of
Health to identify and mitigate risk in those areas which may lead to tighter social
distancing and behavioral restrictions.
 UCF will publish a dashboard to communicate positive case numbers on campus.
 Policies and procedures have been developed to govern the contact tracing process,
which includes response to positive cases identified.
Academic Program Delivery
 UCF has developed a plan to creatively deliver the academic experience via alternative
instructional formats and a combination of face-to-face, hybrid, and online delivery
modes.
 All faculty are being encouraged to plan courses so that students who fall ill or become
quarantined will be able to continue in the class.
 Consistent with university principles and measures, faculty and students at elevated
risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are encouraged to continue instruction and
learning remotely.
 UCF will transition to remote instruction after Thanksgiving break.
 Classroom capacity has been modified to support physical distancing and courses that
do not fit within available space on campus will be taught remotely.
 The UCF Division of Digital Learning will leverage its online learning faculty
development expertise to provide training to effectively deliver academic programs in
the fall.
 Academic leadership in conjunction with college deans categorized fall course offerings
based on class characteristics to determine the priority for face-to-face instruction.
 The academic delivery plan remains flexible; communication to students, faculty, and
staff will emphasize change may be needed to adjust to evolving health conditions on
campus and in the campus community.

UCF Reopening Plan

This plan is a summary of UCF’s Return to Campus Plan and is aligned with the elements of
the Board of Governor’s Blueprint for Reopening Campus for Fall Semester 2020 as of June
12, 2020. UCF’s Return to Campus plan is available online
[Link]

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Planning
The Emerging Issues and Crisis Response Team (EICRT) provides leadership prior to and
during an emerging issue, crisis, or university incident. EICRT was activated the beginning
of February to respond to the developing pandemic that eventually resulted in a rapid
transition to remote instruction and work. In early April, EICRT shifted focus to scenario
development, which outlined the best, base, and worst case to allow for longer-term
planning for financial, operational, and policy impacts. The EICRT team received regular
updates and worked in conjunction with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the
Florida Department of Health (DOH), and other state and local government agencies to
facilitate pandemic response under the university’s pandemic plan.
The EOC consists of representatives from approximately 30 areas across the university
who work together to respond to an incident, including identifying and addressing
resource needs, coordinating response efforts, and communicating status updates to
leadership and representative areas. Under the university’s pandemic plan, the associate
vice president for Student Health Services served as the incident lead and provided medical
guidance across all planning and coordination with the Florida Department of Health.
As federal and state planning for reopening began, in late April EICRT commenced
deliberate planning for a possible return to campus in Fall 2020. The primary focus across
all planning efforts was the health and well-being of faculty, staff, students, vendors,
volunteers, and visitors, guided by advice from medical and health professionals. Equally
important to the university’s planning was maintaining the university’s unwavering
commitment to accessible, affordable, high-quality academic programs and services.
The following guiding principles were developed to guide the university’s planning efforts:
 Focus on the health and well‐being of our faculty, staff, students, vendors,
volunteers, and visitors across all planning. (Core Principle)
 Design a phased approach that will allow us to hold steady, tighten restrictions, or make
changes to reflect new guidance.
 Do not force employees or students to return to campus if they are at risk, and where
possible allow remote work and remote learning opportunities.
 Support work and course schedules that maintain physical distancing and consider
hybrid schedules that blend both on-campus and online options.
 Remain flexible and quickly adjust as new data become available or conditions in our
region change.

A Healthy Campus Environment

UCF’s faculty, staff, and students continued to Charge On through the many challenges of
COVID-19 and quickly adapted how they worked and learned. With nearly 14,000

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employees and over 68,000 students, there is no one-size-fits-all model for returning to
campus. While this plan and health measures will be implemented at all of our campuses,
the ongoing local planning will include addressing the unique needs and challenges within
our programs, spaces, and campus locations.
Preparing UCF’s workplace and workforce for returning to campus and the “new normal”
requires our university community to work together. Recognizing the pandemic may have
a greater impact on some members of the campus community, UCF has identified resources
to provide support to its faculty, staff, and students during this time. To be successful, we
must be committed to a caring culture that starts with our personal behavior and
acceptance of responsibility. The university will take several actions to provide a working
and learning environment that fosters the health and well-being of our university
community. Everyone will need to tackle some personal inconveniences, take personal
responsibility, and adopt the health measures necessary to promote health and well-being.
We will need to remain flexible and remain focused on the health and well-being of our
faculty, staff, students, vendors, volunteers, and visitors.
As we Armor Up to return to campus, key tenets of our plan include:

Health and Well-Being Measures

To address the core principle of focusing on the health and well-being of our faculty, staff,
students, vendors, volunteers, and visitors across all planning, health measures were
developed based on CDC and OSHA guidance.
The following health measures are required of all members of the university community
including visitors:

 Face coverings are required to be worn in all inside common spaces or when in close
proximity to others;
 All members of the university are to practice 6 feet of physical distancing to the greatest
extent possible;
 Those with increased risk of severe illness or over the age of 65 are encouraged to
continue to work and learn remotely until further notice;
 All faculty, staff, and students will be required to complete education prior to returning
to campus; Increased cleaning of common touchpoints, bathrooms, and common areas
will remain in place until further notice;
 Testing, tracing, and response to illness protocols will be established to respond to
potential cases of COVID-19 in coordination with the Florida Department of Health
(and, as applicable, other health authorities);
 All members of the community are to follow good hygiene guidance such as regular
hand washing, avoiding touching your face, and disinfecting touched items; and

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 Take personal responsibility by following all health measures, including remaining at

home when ill.
Policy and Enforcement
To further establish the expectations for returning to campus, an emergency university
policy was developed to implement the health measures outlined in this plan and to
provide for the clear communication of enforcement steps for non-compliance. The policy
applies to all members of the university community, including individuals and contractors
that conduct business with the university, and campus visitors. The policy applies to all
facilities on all campuses of the university, as well as operations of the university within
facilities controlled by the university.
The policy will live online and will be updated to reflect changes in federal, state, and Board
of Governors’ guidance or changing health conditions. The emergency policy is accessible
online at [Link]
who violate the policy will be given an opportunity to correct their behavior and may be
asked to repeat training. Repeated acts of non-compliance will result in the individual’s
removal from campus until compliance is achieved. Continued non-compliance may result
in disciplinary action for faculty, staff, and students, up to and including separation from
the university. UCF will utilize existing disciplinary action regulations and policies for
faculty, staff, and students.
UCF hopes to achieve compliance through a culture in which Knights are dedicated to
protecting each other’s health and well-being. We will provide guidance to faculty and staff
who will be on the front lines of enforcement, and we will be focused on ensuring the new
requirements are enforced equitably.
Education
All faculty, staff, and students returning to campus will be required to complete training
that outlines the university’s health measures, including effective hand washing, physical
distancing, proper use and care of face coverings, and taking personal responsibility while
caring for yourself and others.
Facilities and Supplies
In addition to our health measures, UCF has been steadily preparing its facilities to provide
a working and learning environment that fosters the health and well-being of our
university community by:
 Installing hand sanitizer stations and touchless devices, including faucets and step and
pulls on doors. Installing plexiglass in public facing areas and in spaces requiring
additional barriers.
 Enhancing efforts to improve university buildings’ heating, ventilating, and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems. Measures being taken address ventilation, filtration,

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administrative controls, and sterilization technology. UV-C technology is currently

being installed in select high-density instructional, administrative offices, and
operational support buildings.
 Enhancing cleaning protocols to include the initial deep cleaning of offices, common
areas, and classrooms completed in May. All common areas and high touch point areas
will be cleaned twice per day with a deep cleaning of bathrooms. All classrooms will be
cleaned daily prior to classes beginning and disinfected every two weeks.
 Ordering and centrally tracking resource supplies such as facial coverings and masks,
hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.
Faculty and Staff
Where possible, UCF will provide flexibility for employees requesting to continue remote
work. Employees who can continue to work remotely will be encouraged to do so,
especially those at high risk of complications from COVID-19 or who may be taking care of
someone at high risk.
 Employees are required to stay home if they are sick or if any person living in the same
residence is sick with COVID-19 symptoms.
 Faculty and staff will have access as needed to UCF’s Employee Assistance Program for
support and resources to address concerns or challenges that may affect employee
well-being and performance. The program provides employees with a 24-hour
emergency hotline as well as the option for telephonic or video counseling sessions.
Faculty and staff can call 877-240-6863 or go to [Link]/members for
support through UCF’s Employee Assistance Program.
 Managers and supervisors will coordinate workplace furnishings and activities to allow
at least 6 feet between employees, or between employees and other persons, for
example, contractors or visitors. This also applies to shared offices without partitions,
break rooms, conference rooms, and other spaces. Cubicles with wall partitions of less
than 6 feet height will also require 6 feet between workers.
 Scheduling of employees will adhere to capacity limits and physical distancing. For
offices (excluding classrooms, laboratories, and health care environments), supervisors
will be responsible for maintaining an office occupancy at or below 30 percent capacity
in the initial phase. A second phase increase to 50 percent capacity is targeted for July
and supervisors may increase occupancy as long as physical distancing is maintained.
For office settings such as cubicles or shared workspaces that are close together,
distances of at least 6 feet between employees in the office at all times is required.
Student
 All faculty are being encouraged to provide flexibility so that students requesting the
ability to learn remotely can do so. Students at high risk of complications from COVID-

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19 or who may be taking care of someone at high risk should continue to learn
remotely.
 Students will be required to stay home if they are sick or if any person living in the
same residence is sick with COVID-19 symptoms.
 Students have access as needed to UCF’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
aimed at minimizing the interruption to learning caused by mental health concerns.
CAPS has catalogued helpful information and tools focused on coping during COVID-19
and offers assessments and counseling via telephonic or video sessions. Students who
need assistance, including after hours, can reach out to CAPS by calling 407-823-2811
or visiting [Link]
Athletics
UCF Athletics aims to positively transform the lives of our students academically,
athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics
program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. UCF Athletics
represents an integral part of the campus fabric and supports UCF in achieving its goals
through impactful, positive exposure. Consistent with the guiding principles established by
UCF, the health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, and staff is a top priority for
UCF Athletics as planning occurs to return to the field, court, and athletic facilities. As
leadership prepares for a phased return, a plan has been developed that aligns with
university efforts.
Several elements of UCF Athletics’ return-to-campus plans include the requirement to stay
home if sick, daily wellness self-screenings, pre-return training for coaches and staff,
continuation of virtual meetings, physical distancing when face-to-face interactions do
occur, face coverings required in Athletics buildings, and enhanced cleaning protocols
focused on frequent touchpoints, restrooms, and common areas. In addition, UCF Athletics
will implement the following protocols:
 All athletic facilities will remain locked and a single point of entry will be designated to
manage building access and administer the on-campus wellness screening process for
student-athletes and staff.
 Student-athletes will be grouped into small cohorts for activities to minimize potential
for cross-contamination.
 Workout schedules (including cardio and weightlifting sessions) will be staggered to
promote physical distancing. Coaches will wear masks during indoor training sessions
when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Student-athletes will return in waves. Each student-athlete will be tested for COVID-19
prior to engaging in on-campus activity and, assuming a negative test result, spend the first
few days completing physicals and various screening and education activities. The first
wave of student-athletes – approximately 60 football players – returned on June 1, 2020.
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The next wave of returning student-athletes would include additional football players,
men’s basketball players, and women’s basketball players in late June, if allowable based on
federal, state, local, and university guidance. Return for additional intercollegiate sports
will follow the same protocols as outlined for current waves of student-athletes.
As UCF Athletics awaits guidance from state and local officials, the American Athletic
Conference, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association regarding resumption of
student participation in organized athletic activity and return of spectators to athletic
competition, the athletics working group has outlined the multitude of considerations (e.g.
tailgating, parking, fan requirements, seating, ingress/egress, etc.) that will be reviewed
when a path is set by the appropriate governing bodies.
Housing
On-campus residential housing represents a critical component of the student experience.
UCF is committed to providing an opportunity for students to reside on campus in an
environment guided by health and well-being measures. Fall residential housing plans
were developed considering recommendations from UCF Health Services, Florida
Department of Health (DOH), World Health Organization (WHO), and the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC).
Housing will shift from full to reduced occupancy, which includes partial double occupancy
and a contingency plan for single occupancy. The targeted occupancy rate is 93% compared
to occupancy rates of 99.9% for prior years. All students returning to university-owned
housing will be tested upon arrival at UCF and will quarantine pending results. A total of 52
isolation/quarantine spaces will be held in reserve for students who are presumptive or
have tested positive for COVID-19. Additional steps include:
 Housekeeping will conduct disinfection of all residential community spaces two weeks
prior to the residents returning. Deep cleaning of walls, upholstery, carpets, HVAC
(deep clean units, change filters) will be completed as part of the move-in process.
 The move-in process will be modified to include expansion of move-in timeline to
support a phased approach, limitation of non-resident participants during the move-in
process, and utilization of innovative solutions to conduct certain processes in a
contactless format (e.g. electronic room condition reporting).
 Virtual engagement strategies implemented to minimize congregation including
continuation of residential curriculum strategies in a virtual environment and
sponsored virtual events to interact with residents (e.g. virtual movie night).
 Protocols in place for presumptive or actual positive cases include sanitizing and
general cleaning aligned with the university’s illness response matrix, dedicated spaces
for residents who cannot return to their permanent residence for self-isolation and/or
self-quarantine, meal delivery option for self-isolated/self-quarantined residents,
assistance with temporary academic accommodations, and other services as needed to

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support the resident during isolation/quarantine period. A resident will remain isolated
/quarantined until medically cleared.
Student Activities
Student engagement is a cornerstone of the college experience and planning efforts seek to
build a hybrid student life and student engagement program for the fall. The plan addresses
various components of the student experience, including recruitment, student services,
events, recreation, and student activities through a thoughtful phased approach with health
and well-being serving as the cornerstone. The approach incorporates:
 A customized introduction to UCF for potential undergraduate students including
virtual information sessions; virtual one-on-one meetings with students and parents;
self-guided campus tour experiences; and smaller, more personalized tour groups that
comply with university guidelines and timing on gatherings.
 Continuation of virtual offerings for career services, counseling and psychological
services, multicultural academic support services, and other key services with limited
face-to-face interaction as needed.
 Modified recreation and wellness operations to support reduced virus transmission,
including adjusted hours of operations, facility layout changes and restrictions, and
remote exercise classes and personal training. Certain activities, such as intramural
sports and sports clubs, will be gradually re-introduced over the course of the fall
semester with approval from university leadership and appropriate health and well-
being measures implemented.
 Execution of a hybrid strategy for fall events and activities that will offer virtual
participation options to students, limit frequency and size of face-to-face interactions,
and leverage alternatives (e.g. outdoor spaces) to promote physical distancing. This will
include the implementation of virtual Panhellenic recruitment for interested students.
Fraternity and Sorority Life
UCF leadership is working with each sorority or fraternity with on-campus and off-campus
housing to assist with developing plans that address how chapter members, chapter
advisors, and housing corporation leaders will promote health and well-being. Plans will
include, but are not limited to, housing and bed capacity that meet university, CDC and
other public heath guidelines; cleaning protocols; common space protocols and
expectations; social event plans; and where applicable (a minimal number of houses have
dining) dining arrangements. Basic elements of the plan for Greek organizations are:
 Chapters will not be permitted to register events that do not meet university, CDC or
public health guidelines.
 Recruitment for fraternities and sororities will be done virtually for fall, except where
individual chapters seek and receive approval for small group interactions.

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 Chapters will be required to submit plans for cleaning procedures consistent with
university guidelines.
 Chapters with on-campus houses will be required to adhere to occupancy that meets
university housing standards, generally one person to a room except where more than
one occupant can do so in a safe environment.
 All plans will be re-evaluated as CDC and public health guidelines are modified.
Planning efforts have included university leaders from housing, health, facilities, and
student involvement. An agreed upon deadline of July 1, 2020, has been set for
determining bed capacity.
Registered Student Organizations and Events
Planning for co-curricular learning experiences include a hybrid of virtual and in-person
activities that will meet university, CDC and other public heath guidelines. Included in these
plans are events (e.g. programs, traditions, celebrations, and welcome back activities);
facilities and outdoor spaces (e.g. space considerations, use protocols, behavior
expectations); communication plans; training expectations for staff and student workers
leading student engagement programs and activities; and assessment practices to provide
ongoing feedback regarding the effectiveness of these efforts. Some of the strategies
employed to provide student experiences while maintaining health measures includes
ticketing events, utilizing RSVP requirements for participation, and providing students with
a well-defined message about the nature of risk associated with participation in specific
events given the current pandemic. Basic elements of the plan for registered student
organizations and events are:
 Registered Student Organizations will be required to submit safety plans for their
activities including organization meetings, events, recruitment activities, and
programming.
 University and Student Government-sponsored programs will adhere to university
standards, including physical distancing and face coverings.
 University sponsored events and programs will be done virtually wherever possible
without loss of effectiveness.
 Student Government will provide access to funding for RSOs in the same manner they
have traditionally, with the exception that events/programs will have to meet
university guidelines in order to be approved and funded.
 All plans will be re-evaluated as CDC and public health guidelines are modified.

A Healthy Community Environment

As a leader in tourism with over 75 million people visiting Orlando annually, we know that
as our theme parks, beaches, restaurants, and other attractions open, we may face

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challenges. Therefore, our plan is based on a phased approach consistent with federal,
state, and local guidelines and was developed in coordination with the Orange County,
Florida Department of Health. We know that for our community to be successful, we must
be committed to a caring culture that starts with our personal behavior and acceptance of
responsibility by students, employees, vendors, volunteers, visitors, and our surrounding
community members. UCF worked closely with local partners such as the Orange County
Economic Recovery Task Force to understand proposed reopening strategies and
recommendations as well as coordinate UCF’s reopening plans with key business and
governmental partners.
UCF shared strategies with Disney, Universal, Lockheed Martin, and other community
partners as part of a collaborative approach focused on the health and well-being in
Orlando. Additionally, UCF Housing shared with managed housing communities and other
local apartments UCF’s health measures including requiring facial coverings and physical
distancing and encouraged similar approaches by our community partners.
A phased approach allows UCF to hold steady, tighten restrictions, or make changes to
reflect changing conditions in our community or to respond to new guidance. As Knights,
we are dedicated to this effort and to the well-being of our broader community.
Communication
Once this plan is approved, the robust communication plan developed to educate the
university community about required health measures, enforcement, and consequences of
non-compliance through education, signage on campus, and digital platforms such as
monitors on campus will continue to be implemented. The communication campaign and
the required education will emphasize that health and well-being are a shared
responsibility among students, employees, vendors, volunteers, visitors, and surrounding
community members. Signs communicating required health measures such as physical
distancing, face coverings, hand washing, and to stay home if you are sick are posted at the
entrance of each building and near elevators, bathrooms, and other high-traffic areas on
campus.
The emergency policy referenced earlier applies to all members of the university
community, individuals and contractors that conduct business with the university, and
campus visitors and enforces the university health measures based on CDC
recommendations. The policy communicates the expectation that all members of the
university community must support one another, take personal responsibility, and remain
diligent in taking reasonable precautions in an effort to protect students, faculty, staff,
contractors and others who visit our campus. Visitors who refuse to comply with the
university’s policy may be asked to leave the university and, if non-compliance continues,
trespassed from the university. Contractors and contractor employees who fail or refuse to
comply with the university’s policy may be asked to leave the university, may be in breach
of contract, or may be trespassed from the university if non-compliance continues.

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UCF Student Health Services (SHS) has been an “Influenza Sentinel” for the state of Florida
for about fifteen years. On a weekly basis, SHS reports to the Florida Department of Health
on the number of patients that present with symptoms of “Influenza Like Illness” (ILI). This
data becomes part of the state and CDC data pool. Additionally, throughout the year, SHS
obtains samples from patients with ILI for testing by the state lab. This surveillance assists
in identifying specific viruses present within the community.
Increased rates of ILI may be an early indicator of a COVID outbreak at UCF. The rate of ILI
is used as a predictive analytic by the Florida Department of Health. The rate of new cases
of COVID can also be predictive of an outbreak. Given the planned enhanced system of
contact tracing with the Florida Department of Health, there will exist a unique opportunity
to monitor daily and or weekly rates of new cases and predict the direction of the epidemic
at UCF. UCF will continue to support these, and other prevention and mitigation strategies
developed by the Florida Department of Health for other infectious diseases.

Covid‐19 Virus Testing

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus threatening the health and well-being of the world’s
population. The current pandemic has impacted our community, state, country, and many
parts of the world, resulting in lives lost and health care systems overwhelmed. As the
university embarked on developing plans for testing, tracing, and surveillance, adherence
to the best scientific evidence was paramount to the goal of maximizing the well-being of
the university community.
A successful return to campus depends on robust testing, adroit contact tracing, and the
timely isolation or quarantine of ill and exposed community members. The university’s
ongoing relationship with the Orange County, Florida Department of Health (DOH) has
been a foundation for this planning. The DOH served as a strategic partner in responding to
the pandemic and participated as a key member of the university’s planning group to
develop a plan for COVID-19 response. The university has established a health and well-
being oversight committee and four sub-groups charged with testing, tracing, health
surveillance, and UCF mobile application implementation to provide ongoing oversight and
response to changing conditions during the pandemic. Additionally, UCF continues its
partnership with area health organizations to monitor the capacity of local hospitals and
healthcare systems. This metric along with other key indicators provide a barometer to
local officials and university leadership regarding changes in the COVID-19 risk
environment.
UCF’s phased approach to return to campus will be reflective of recommendations from the
Clinical Advisory Committee’s framework on repopulation of campus. Throughout the
planning process, UCF collaborated with fellow institutions from around the State
University System of Florida to share information regarding a testing, tracing, and health
surveillance approach and to support the development of university protocols via an

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exchange of ideas. Continued interactions among peer universities will assist the effective
execution of testing, tracing, and health surveillance plans at all universities.
In collaboration with UCF IT, UCF Mobile Strategy and Learning, and UCF’s College of
Engineering and Computer Science, an application is under development to provide daily
screening and education to all UCF faculty, staff, and students. The application will be
designed to protect privacy. UCF plans to test the application in July and fully implement
by August. A web-based solution will also be developed for persons without smart phones.
These digital solutions will replace the paper based daily screening forms used for the
initial return of researchers and employees. They will also allow a means to screen all
university members who may be traveling to UCF from geographic areas with significant
transmission of COVID.
UCF currently has two testing sites on campus in partnership with AVENTUS Biolabs. One
is located on the main campus and a second located on the Lake Nona Medical Campus.
Cost of testing is covered by health insurance or through a federal grant when patients are
uninsured. Access to testing is critical to successfully reopening campus. Provider orders
for testing can readily be achieved via a telehealth visit with UCF Student Health Services,
UCF Health, or AVENTUS telehealth.
In an attempt to identify persons who may not be aware of their illness, a key part of UCF’s
testing plan is population or cohort screening. In the case of COVID-19, screening may
provide an opportunity to identify asymptomatic illness and prevent spread. There are a
variety of specific subpopulations at UCF which would be most beneficial to test. Due to the
size of the UCF community, testing all persons creates a multitude of challenges. These
challenges include availability of resources, cost, and the amount of time needed to test
such a large population. There also exists diminished benefit of universal testing due to the
immersion of UCF within a large metropolitan area. Members of the university community
freely move on and off campus and engage in the many activities available in the world’s
leading tourist destination. Therefore, UCF’s testing plan includes a targeted approach with
cohort and closed populations. The following groups will be tested upon arrival at UCF and
will quarantine pending results:
 All students returning to university-owned housing
 All students and staff residing in Greek housing
 All student-athletes whether living on or off campus
 All symptomatic students

Contact Tracing and Surveillance

Contact Tracing
Contact tracing can be a time-consuming endeavor. One positive case can generate 20-30
phone calls and multiple hours of work. Records associated with contact tracing may

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contain highly confidential personal information and jeopardize privacy. Working within
the public health system creates protections for that information. UCF student volunteers
working within the public health system will receive training by the Florida Department of
Health on best practices for contact tracing. They will work directly under the guidance of
public health department epidemiologists and gain significant experience to expand their
resume and life outlook.
 A memorandum of agreement for volunteer students to serve as contact tracers will be
developed with the Florida Department of Health.
 Faculty members from the UCF College of Medicine and College of Nursing will
coordinate the identification of student volunteers, placement of the volunteers, and
overall program oversight.
 Training for student volunteers will be conducted by the Florida Department of Health.
Volunteers will be expected to commit to ten to twenty hours per week for at least one
semester. They will be chosen by faculty members through an application procedure.
The health department has capacity for up to ten volunteers.
 The goal is to begin the program with three student volunteers in July when minimal
faculty, staff, and students are present on campus. Beginning in August, the number of
volunteers may be expanded depending on the capacity of the Orange County Health
Department and demands for contact tracing.
 The Florida Department of Health at Orange County will advise UCF on isolation of
persons infected with COVID and quarantine of those who may have been exposed.
 There will be rooms in campus housing that will be reserved for students who live in
campus housing and test positive for COVID. This space is intended for students who
choose not to return home during their illness. These students will be of low acuity and
self-sufficient for personal care. Wrap around services to provide them with food and
classroom materials will be planned. Periodic phone and/or telehealth monitoring by
Student Health Services will take place. In a similar fashion, space for quarantine is
planned for students who have been exposed to COVID and may become infectious.
 UCF will publish a COVID phone line at the Orange County Health Department for
reporting possible, presumptive, or known COVID cases at UCF. The Orange County
Epidemiology/Contact Tracing team will follow existing protocol to alert persons who
may be at risk of infection. They will endorse isolation and/or quarantine when
appropriate.
 DOH will notify UCF of all known or suspected cases at UCF. Campus housing,
Environmental Health & Safety or other areas will be apprised of known or suspected
cases and the need for isolation, quarantine, and appropriate cleaning and disinfecting
measures.

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As part of UCF’s contact tracing efforts, a COVID Contact Tracing Committee will be
established and will meet frequently to coordinate contact tracing at UCF with the Florida
Department of Health (DOH). The Florida DOH has primary responsibility for contact
tracing and will initiate contact tracing on all positive cases involving UCF persons and on a
need-to-know basis inform UCF community members of their risk of exposure.
The policy and procedures for contact tracing include:
 The Florida DOH COVID-19 Call Center (1-866-779-6121) will be utilized by UCF
students, faculty and staff as a resource for COVID questions or concerns (available
24/7). The call center will refer persons for testing at UCF when appropriate.
 The Florida DOH will inform the UCF COVID Contact Tracing Committee of any positive
tests which involve UCF community members. UCF Health will provide oversight to
faculty and staff with positive results, and ensure they are connected with medical care
and validate their return to work authorization. Student Health Services (SHS) will
maintain oversight of students with positive results, and ensure they are connected
with medical care and validate their return to class authorization.
 The UCF COVID Contact Tracing Committee will provide data on new COVID cases to
the UCF COVID Surveillance workgroup.
 UCF faculty, staff and students will be required to report if they test positive for COVID.
Students will report to a SHS designated COVID line. This line will be monitored daily by
SHS nursing and will be given oversight by the SHS Medical Director. Faculty & staff will
report to a designated UCF Health COVID line. This line will be monitored daily by UCF
Health and given oversight by the UCF Health Medical Director.
 The SHS Medical Director will advise the Dean of Students of any positive student and
inform the Executive Director of Housing of those who reside in campus housing.
 The UCF Health Medical Director will advise UCF HR of any positive faculty or staff.
 Faculty and staff will be required to complete daily symptom screens when on campus.
 All positive screens by faculty and staff will be referred for a Telehealth visit with UCF
Health and either provided medical clearance or forwarded for testing with return to
work advice.
 Students will be supplied with a daily symptom screen when on campus.
 All positive screens by students will be referred for a Telehealth visit with SHS and
either medically cleared or forwarded for testing with return to campus advice.
 Faculty, staff and students may have temperature screens while on campus. All positive
temperature screens will follow the same protocol for symptom screens.

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 Students who are placed in on-campus housing for isolation or quarantine will be
medically monitored by SHS via phone and/or TeleHealth. The SHS Medical Director
will provide leadership for medical oversight of these students. All other wrap around
services will be the responsibility of the Dean of Students.
Health Surveillance
Health surveillance is the use of data to estimate incidence and/or prevalence of disease
and predict potential for outbreaks. In the case of COVID, a variety of metrics will be useful.
These include the rate of new infections, symptom surveillance, randomized testing, and
randomized or targeted population screening. By use of surveillance, potential hot spots on
campus may be identified. In so doing, there will be a coordinated public health response
with the Florida Department of Health to identify and mitigate risk in those areas which
may lead to tighter social distancing and behavioral restrictions. UCF will publish a
dashboard to communicate positive case numbers on campus.
As discussed previously, UCF Student Health Services serves as an “Influenza Sentinel” for
the state of Florida. By reporting patients that present with ILI and obtaining samples from
patients for testing by the state lab, this screening will assist with identifying specific
viruses present within the community. Increased rates of ILI may be an early indicator of a
COVID outbreak at UCF and in conjunction with the contact tracing with the Florida
Department of Health, daily and or weekly rates of new cases will be assessed to predict
the direction of the epidemic at UCF.
Health surveillance can also be achieved with population screening. Such screening can
estimate the prevalence of active COVID cases on campus as well as the prevalence of those
with antibodies to COVID-19, an indicator or prior asymptomatic COVID exposure. Working
with the Office of Research, and in partnership with AVENTUS Biolabs, UCF students,
faculty, and staff could be randomly chosen for voluntary testing. These persons could then
be tested for COVID virus and/or evidence of past COVID infection via antibody testing.
Testing would be via nasal sampling for virus and serum antibody testing for evidence of
past infection.

Academic Program Delivery

UCF’s plan for academic delivery in the fall will be focused on providing superior education
to its diverse student body. The plan allows for easy, efficient transition of course offerings
to remote instruction should the need arise. With 20 years of experience providing
outstanding online instruction, UCF is a trusted source for innovative education technology
and effectively equipped to offer a high-quality hybrid teaching program in the fall.
Similar to colleges and universities around the country, UCF will look to minimize the risk
associated with a potential virus resurgence in winter by switching to remote instruction
after Thanksgiving. Residence halls, libraries, study spaces, and dining services will remain
open for student use.

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Under the provost’s leadership in consultation with university deans, UCF has developed a
plan to creatively deliver the academic experience via alternative instructional formats and
a combination of face-to-face, hybrid, and online delivery modes. As plans were created,
college leaders were asked to incorporate four key considerations: (1) prioritize quality of
educational offerings, (2) identify courses which most need a face-to-face component to
provide a high-quality experience for students, (3) identify courses in which a high-quality
online course could be offered with fully trained faculty, and (4) prioritize on-campus
classes typically needed for first time in college (FTIC) students based on the importance of
the on-campus experience for student retention and progression. The plan follows the
health and well-being measures established at the university level. Key tenets of the
academic delivery plan are:
 Based on physical distancing guidelines and the need for safe ingress and egress,
classroom capacity has been revised for the university’s classroom spaces.
 The Office of the Registrar is assigning courses to classrooms based on new capacity.
Courses that exceed the available on-campus capacity will be taught remotely.
 Based on pedagogical quality and guidance from health professionals, all large classes
(defined as 100 persons or greater) will be taught remotely.
 In some specific courses, the principle of physical distancing is not possible (e.g., clinical
training in which human contact is required). These programs have developed
additional health protocols, including the wearing of personal protective equipment.
 Consistent with university principles and measures, faculty at elevated risk for severe
illness from COVID-19 will instruct courses remotely.
 All faculty are being encouraged to provide flexibility so that students requesting the
ability to learn remotely can do so. Students at high risk of complications from COVID-
19 or who may be taking care of someone at high risk should continue to learn
remotely.
 Existing start and end times for classes will remain unchanged from the published
course schedule.
The need for physical distancing and the limited number of spaces available means many
classes will be taught remotely. UCF is one of the nation’s leaders in online learning and key
to UCF’s success has been the emphasis on faculty development. An estimated 80% of
faculty have completed some form of credentialed training from UCF’s Center for
Distributed Learning. Over 1,800 faculty have completed the university’s flagship program
for designing and delivering high-quality online instruction, IDL6543. Comprising 80 hours
of contact time, the comprehensive 10-week program combines seminars, online
coursework, and regular consultations with professional instructional designers. UCF’s
expertise in faculty development has led to the Teaching Online Preparation Toolkit
initiative (TOPkit), a state-funded website and annual conference to help other state

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universities and state colleges better prepare their faculty to effectively teach online. UCF
will continue to use this expertise to provide training and education to faculty teaching
remotely in the fall.
The Division of Digital Learning has quickly developed an additional suite of training
programs to prepare faculty for fall online, remote, and hybrid flexible delivery. The
training programs include targeted workshops on the use of specific technologies such as
the learning management system (Canvas) and video conferencing software (Zoom),
sessions on how to facilitate courses in a blended, flexible model, and a comprehensive new
course on the effective design and delivery of high-quality online instruction. This
comprehensive new course, called Essentials of Online Teaching, is three weeks in duration
and serves as an accelerated version of our award-wining flagship faculty development
program, IDL6543. We anticipate that Essentials of Online Teaching could train up to 300
faculty in this summer’s cohort.
To be effective, the academic delivery plan will need to remain flexible; communication to
students, faculty, and staff will emphasize change may be needed to adjust to evolving
health conditions on campus and in the campus community. All faculty are being
encouraged to plan courses so that students who fall ill or become quarantined will be able
to continue in the class. In particular, attendance requirements have been discouraged.
Faculty teaching on-campus courses are encouraged to use a hybrid approach in which
their classroom presentations are captured by technology available in the classroom (e.g.
document cameras and either Zoom or Panopto) to be available to students who choose to
be, or because of health or quarantine need to be remote. The necessary equipment has
been updated or added to classrooms, as required. A significant percentage of courses will
be offered remotely, giving alternatives to at-risk students who are unable to come to
campus.
In addition to course instruction, the university has instituted the following changes for the
fall semester:
 Semester-long study abroad programs have been canceled and university leadership
will revisit in early fall whether programs beginning in the winter can move forward.
 Student support services have been restructured so that they can be offered either in
person or remotely.
 Internship opportunities depend on the employer. For example, a number of
internships continued remotely during the late spring and early summer where
permitted by the employer. The plan is to resume a regular slate of internships, unless
health conditions require the intern employers to cancel them.
 Recruitment activities, e.g., for honors and graduate programs, have switched to virtual
meetings this summer. They will resume as on-campus events this fall, with physical
distancing, unless health conditions require continuing the virtual approach.

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While an initial plan has been developed, efforts continue across the university to refine
plan specifics as new information and trends emerge. UCF is prepared to modify plans as
needed and is committed to remaining flexible as the fall semester approaches.

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Appendix A
Planning Groups
Consistent with how campus was depopulated, planning focused on a phased approach
following federal, state, and Board of Governors’ guidance for reopening. Five areas of focus
were identified and EICRT workgroups were established. Each workgroup was led by an
EICRT member and additional subgroups under each focus area were created to target and
address specific areas or challenges. Planning included representation from leadership,
faculty, and students where applicable. Each team lead provided updates at EICRT
meetings where complex challenges were discussed.

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Appendix B 

Sample Communication and Signage 

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Appendix C 
MAY
1
Facilities and Housekeeping
staff start returning to
RETURN TO CAMPUS ROAD MAP prepare buildings and
perform deep cleaning

Researchers may return to MAY

prepare labs and resume
on campus research
21

Director level
and above
leadership JUNE JUNE
may return to
campus 1 1

Limited number of student

athletes return to campus with
COVID 19 testing required

Additional JUNE
employees
may return
22 Communication regarding
JULY course offerings and sections

1 that will be in-person and

online. UCF positive case
dashboard available.

JULY
Additional employees
13
may return to campus
increasing capacity to 50%

AUGUST Faculty may return

8 to prepare for the

Fall semester
Students begin to
AUGUST
8-23
move into housing
using a scheduled
phased approach

AUGUST Limited on-campus

24 instruction may resume

for Fall semester

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