COVID-19 Syllabus Guidance and Suggested Language

August 17, 2021 / Uncategorized

As we prepare for classes to resume next week, the Return to NOVA Advisory Group (RNAG) has received questions from faculty and staff about how the campus is preparing for students to return and what guidance can be offered in the classroom or via course syllabi. To answer some of those frequently asked questions and provide language for you to use if you wish, we are including a few FAQs below.

What language can I include in my syllabus?
As the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to spread, NOVA has safety protocols in place to help protect our community’s health and well-being. But we also need your help.

Please remember to wear a face covering in class.
As of Thursday, August 5, all individuals (students, staff, faculty, college contractors and visitors) are required to wear a face covering inside NOVA buildings and sites. Any student who does not have an appropriate face covering will be asked to leave the class and obtain a free face covering from the NOVA Parking & NOVACard Office.

NOVA strongly encourages all NOVA Nighthawks to get vaccinated.
Every vaccinated student who shows their vaccination card at a NOVA Parking Office will receive a $250 NOVACard credit. This can be used to pay for books, food and many other benefits and services on campus.

Wash your hands!
You will see handwashing signs, hygiene stations in classrooms and hallways and alcohol wipes around campus, all to help keep everyone healthy. NOVA is also making continuing improvements to indoor air quality and maintaining enhanced cleaning protocols.

For the latest information and updates, please refer to NOVA’s COVID-19 Resources webpage: https://www.nvcc.edu/safe-campus/index.html.

Can I require students to wear a face covering in my classroom?

Yes. Face coverings are required for all individuals (students, staff, faculty, college contractors and visitors) while inside any NOVA building or site.

As the official Temporary Covid-19 Face Covering Policy (120) states, disciplinary action may be a possibility for the refusal to wear a face covering, but the primary focus is to encourage personal responsibility and voluntary compliance.

If a student does not have a face covering, you should gently remind them that face coverings are required while in a NOVA building (face coverings are no longer required at all public establishments, so it’s quite possible a student forgot). Face coverings are available to those who need one at NOVA Parking & NOVACard Offices

(Pro-Tip: You can go to the NOVA Parking office and get a handful of face coverings to keep in your classroom.)

How will I know if the student cannot wear a face covering for a medical reason?
Students who are unable to wear a face covering must ask for accommodations through the Office of Disability Support Services (soon to be known as the Office of Accommodations and Access). Once a Memorandum of Accommodations (MOA) is finalized, the student will share the MOA with their professors.

Are students required to be vaccinated to attend classes at NOVA?
While many private and public four-year colleges and universities have individual authority to implement vaccination requirements through their governing boards, NOVA is part of a system of community colleges. That means the authority to require vaccinations of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) students rests with the VCCS statewide governing board (working in close collaboration with the Governor and the Virginia Health Department). To date, VCCS has stated that Virginia community college students will not be required to be vaccinated in order to attend.

Since vaccinations became widely available last winter, NOVA has strongly urged all students and employees to become vaccinated and has taken a number of steps to encourage vaccination, including providing students with $250 NOVACard incentives if they show proof of vaccination at any campus Parking Office.

Can I ask a student to leave my class if they are sick?
You can compassionately remind them that all NOVA professors (including you) will make reasonable accommodations for them if they test positive for COVID or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive.

Lastly, here are some good resources for you and your students:

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Return to NOVA Advisory Group