Latest Announcements and Events

Originally posted June 26  

Restricted Operations Extended, But Student Services Continue

Students,

I hope you are continuing to stay safe this summer.

The UTEP COVID-19 working group monitors our local public health information daily. All of us had hoped, watching the decline in hospitalizations that started in the beginning of June and the decline in the rolling average new cases for about 10 days starting June 8, that we might be able to announce our intent to shift from “Restricted” to “Limited Campus Operations” next week. 

While El Paso is not experiencing the same significant resurgence of disease that is affecting several other cities in Texas, the public health data does not support a decision to shift our operations to small groups on campus at this point. A few of the charts we watch are included below.

We will stay at “Restricted” campus operations next week. Essential personnel will continue to work on campus. We will continue remote work for all others. There will be some exceptions granted for research labs, which, in many cases, can be operated safely.

We will continue to experiment with small groups on campus to test our campus reopening plans. One of those groups is our student-athletes and their coaches. Some of you have been participating in voluntary workouts and applying the safety precautions we plan to implement when the campus begins to reopen: staying home when you are sick, social distancing, covering your face, washing your hands regularly, avoiding crowds and being tested for COVID-19 on a regular schedule. So far, that approach has worked well. Getting the basics right can keep more people healthy.

Even though most of our departments and offices will continue to work remotely, we have many resources available to you virtually. For example, as a commitment to the UTEP community’s fitness and wellness, the Student Recreation Center is offering free workout programs at this link. The Rec Center is also offering currently enrolled summer school students the opportunity to check out fitness and recreation equipment. Learn more here.

Find other ways to stay engaged with the University and other students at utep.edu/studentlife.

We are continuing to offer online services including Counseling and Psychological Services and the Virtual Career Center.

I also wanted to let you know that we are nearly done finalizing the fall course schedule. It will be available for you by July 6.

Again, thanks for your patience and flexibility in these unusual circumstances. 

Regards,

Heather Wilson
President

Originally posted June 25  

Restricted Operations Continue

Colleagues,

Thanks to all of you for working through work/safety plans and preparing for a return to limited campus operations. 

The campus COVID-19 working group monitors the public health information daily. All of us had hoped, watching the decline in hospitalizations that started in the beginning of June and the decline in the rolling average new cases for about 10 days starting June 8, that we might be able to announce our intent to shift from “Restricted” to “Limited Campus Operations” next week. 

While El Paso is not experiencing the same significant resurgence of disease that is affecting several other cities in Texas, the public health data does not support a decision to shift our operations to small groups on campus at this point. A few of the charts we watch are included below.

We will stay at “Restricted” campus operations next week. Essential personnel will continue to work on campus. We will continue remote work for all others. Vice Presidents can approve on-campus exceptions. On-campus exceptions are particularly relevant for research labs, which, in many cases, can be operated safely. The Vice President for Research has and will continue to approve researchers on campus with work/safety plans in place.

We will continue to experiment with small groups on campus to test our campus reopening plans. One of those groups is our student-athletes and their coaches. They have been participating in voluntary workouts and applying the safety precautions we plan to implement when the campus begins to reopen: staying home when they are sick, social distancing, covering their faces, washing their hands regularly, avoiding crowds and being tested for COVID-19 on a regular schedule. So far, that approach has worked well. Getting the basics right can keep more people healthy.

Again, thanks for all your work continuing to teach and do research and serve our community, while planning for the fall in highly unusual circumstances. 

Regards,

Heather Wilson
President

Originally posted June 12 

Fall Course Schedule

Students,

I hope you all are staying safe and well this summer. I’m sure you are thinking ahead to the fall – as we are. I wanted to give you a quick update.

Thank you for helping us by responding to the student survey and sharing your preferences about course formats for the fall semester as well as the challenges you are facing. More than 2,500 of you responded. If you haven’t yet completed the short survey, you still have an opportunity to click on the link in your email with the subject line “Miners, Tell us about the Fall” and fill it out.

Our fall course schedule was developed pre-pandemic and it is clear from your feedback that we are going to need a greater variety of options in course delivery to meet your needs.

We are using your feedback to develop a better mixture of face-to-face, hybrid and online courses for the fall. With this work nearly complete, we expect to release a significant portion of the updated fall course schedule in early July.

We offer more than 4,300 different course sections each semester, so you can imagine the complexity of making this adjustment. 

Once the revised schedule of courses is ready, an email will be sent to your UTEP account. Please review the schedule carefully and reach out to your advisor. They will be ready to help you adjust your course plan for the fall in a way that meets your educational and personal needs.  

Thank you again for the resilience and flexibility you’ve shown in a very unusual time.  Thanks also for your patience as we make adjustments and prepare for the fall semester. We are very much looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Warm Regards,

Heather Wilson
President

Originally posted June 02 

Town Hall on Resuming Campus Operations

Please join us for a virtual town hall at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3 through Microsoft Teams. Provost Wiebe, Recovery Plan Task Force Chair Crites, AVP of Environmental Health and Safety Robert Moss and I will explain the guidance for resuming campus operations sent out May 27 and answer questions. In case you missed the email, you can find the guidance and helpful resources here.

To join the town hall on Wednesday, click this link. While the guidance focuses on campus leaders, any employee can listen to the presentation. If you are not able to join us at that time, we will record the event and share a link via email after the fact.

We look forward to sharing information with you and answering questions from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday. 

Heather Wilson
President

Replay the Event    Download the Presentation

Originally posted May 28 

University Library’s Hours, Rules during INTERSESSION

The University Library will be open during Intersession week of June 1 – June 5, 2020, to serve students, faculty and staff. Please note that ONLY the second floor (Collaborative Learning Center computer lab and the Wi-Fi/study areas) is open, and ONLY to university faculty, students, staff. Face coverings and social distancing of 6-feet are required and is actively monitored. Lastly, University officials ask potential library users who are sick to please stay away for the safety of others.

The Library’s Intersession schedule is the following:

Sunday, May 31: CLOSED
Monday – Friday, June 1 – June 5:  9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday June 6 – Sunday June 7: CLOSED

For more information, call 915-747-5672 or visit https://www.utep.edu/library.

Originally posted May 27 

Memorandum for Campus Leaders
From: Heather Wilson
Date: May 27, 2020
Subject: Guidance for Resuming Campus Operations

This memo provides general guidance for all leaders on how UTEP will return and increase operations on campus. We will also schedule web meetings to elaborate on this guidance and answer questions.

The variety of functions and work settings on campus makes a single, prescriptive instruction unlikely to be appropriate or effective. Instead, with this document as a guide, each Principal Investigator, Department Chair, Office Manager and Director – referred to as “leaders” in this document – will develop a written Work/Safety Plan to resume operations.

Until we have a vaccine, we anticipate that local transmission of the disease will fluctuate, and we will have to adapt over time. Attachment 1 is the matrix for how we will operate at different levels of risk. While we will continue to monitor a variety of factors with respect to resuming campus operations, the most important ones relate to the local transmission of disease and impact on El Paso’s healthcare system.

The University leadership will assess, discuss, decide and inform the campus of a change to risk level so that each unit can adjust their operations accordingly.

Essential campus operations have continued while most of us worked remotely. In addition, over the last few weeks, we have taken steps to open a few areas and will continue this gradual testing and learning in the coming weeks to help us refine our plans and operations so that the entire campus can safely transition to “Limited Campus Operations.”

PRINCIPLES

Our return to campus will be guided by the following general principles:

• Continue our mission as a comprehensive public research university that is increasing access to excellent higher education, advancing discovery of public value, and positively impacting the health, culture, education, and economy of the community we serve.
• Protect the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff based on best practices and CDC and public health guidelines.
• Provide campus departments the flexibility to use a mixture of remote and on-campus operations, modified workspaces, and schedule variations to enable each unit to best fulfill its purpose.
• Monitor and adapt to changing levels of COVID-19 in our community.

WRITTEN WORK/SAFETY PLANS

In anticipation of resuming “Limited Campus Operations,” each leader will develop a written Work/Safety Plan. Plans should focus on people who report to you, areas controlled by you, students you support and operations you oversee. Leaders should have a draft of their plan as soon as practical, but not later than June 15. Plans should be reviewed by supervisors and submitted to the appropriate Vice President for approval not later than June 30 .

A gradual opening of campus will help us test processes and improve plans for other units. If your unit wants to volunteer for the initial return to “Limited Campus Operations,” please contact your Vice President.

For buildings or venues that host multiple operations or departments, Building Managers and space stewards will develop and share a “Building Work/Safety Plan.” The Vice President for Business Affairs will approve these plans. The building plan should discuss common areas such as entryways, stairways, elevators, and restrooms. If PI or unit Work/Safety Plans are written before the Building Work/Safety Plan is complete, these unit plans should include minimal suggestions about building safety. Plans can be updated once the building plan is approved and available.

To give you an example of what plans might look like, three “Work/Safety Plans” for limited campus operations are attached – Athletics, the Office of the President, and a research laboratory. These are intended as models to help shape your thinking, recognizing that each unit, department and workspace is different. A checklist for the President’s Office is also included to help serve as an example. (Attachments 2-5)

Leaders are encouraged to solicit input and feedback from their units in the development of their plans and to share draft plans with peers so that we learn from each other and develop shared ownership and broad understanding.

Adaptability and Agility

In preparing their Work/Safety Plans, leaders should anticipate that the disease could worsen in our community, requiring a return to more restrictive operations. To the extent possible, leaders should consider this in developing their Work/Safety Plans.

Protecting the Vulnerable

Based on what we know now, those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are:

• People 65 years and older
• People of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:
  • People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma.
  • People who have serious heart conditions.
  • People who are immunocompromised.
    • Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications.
  • People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher).
  • People with diabetes.
  • People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis.
  • People with liver disease.

Employees who are at high risk and who are scheduled to return to campus should discuss this with their supervisor or contact the Office of Human Resources Leave Administration at HRLeaveAdmin@utep.edu or by phone at 915-747-5202.

Sick Leave

All plans must emphasize that sick employees must stay home. Any employee who comes to work and is ill will be sent home.

Employees with COVID-19-related symptoms will self-isolate for a minimum of three days even if their symptoms improve and will be directed to free testing available in the community. Test results will be required for anyone who has had COVID-19 related symptoms before they return to work.

Employees who are ill and who have no remaining sick leave or personal leave should stay home and contact Human Resources at HRLeaveAdmin@utep.edu or call 915-747-5202 to determine if they qualify for leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

Training

All Work/Safety Plans must address training required for employees. At a minimum, every employee working on campus must receive training on:

• Symptoms of COVID-19
• Stay home decisions
• How the virus spreads
• How to protect yourself and others
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Leaders may add training requirements depending on their operations and activities.

General training material on the required subjects prepared by UTEP’s Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) department will be provided by June 1. This material will be updated as we learn from early units returning to campus.

Attachment 6 has useful references on a number of topics, including ones that might help with training based on individual needs.

Distancing

All return to work plans must address distancing in the workplace. According to CDC guidelines, the recommended minimum separation between asymptomatic individuals is six (6) feet.

Activities that increase the force of exhalation or the depth of inhalation (e.g., singing, yelling or exercising) must also be addressed in plans because these increase the risk of the virus spreading.

Face Coverings

Cloth or spun fiber face coverings can reduce risk of transmission of disease by those who are infectious. Because people can be infectious even when they don’t have symptoms, wearing a face covering protects other people.

While we are in “Limited Campus Operations” and “Low Density Operations,” all employees, students and visitors to campus will be required to wear cloth or spun fiber face coverings when in public and shared areas of campus. All return to work plans will address the use of face coverings in the work space and discuss any exceptions to this University policy. Examples of reasons to not wear cloth face coverings include:

• Different protective equipment is required to do work.
• Medical condition precludes wearing a face covering.
• Individuals are engaged in outdoor, physical exercise (e.g. walking, biking, etc.) and are taking care to remain more than 6 feet away from people outside their household.

Some locations and activities on campus require specialized personal protective equipment (PPE). Leaders should address this in their plans.

Employees will supply and maintain their own face coverings.

Cleaning

The campus is currently undergoing enhanced cleaning in public areas, classrooms and class labs. These areas are serviced at least twice a day, which includes disinfecting doors, knobs, switches and areas that are frequently touched. Restrooms are serviced several times a day and thoroughly cleaned at night. In research areas, floors are cleaned and trash removed daily. Research support staff will continue to clean remaining areas to ensure the correct product is used that will not affect the research being performed. Office areas receive full service once a week with a disinfecting agent. Return to work plans should address supplemental cleaning and disinfection practices in your area.

The University has purchased bulk cleaning and protective materials including hand sanitizer, paper towels, tissues, disinfecting wipes, and a small supply of disposable face coverings for those who forget to bring face coverings. EH&S will make arrangements to provide these supplies after plans are approved and submitted.

Reporting

UTEP EH&S stays in contact with employees and students who are self-isolating because they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have been in close or continued contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

As we return to campus, it will be even more important for employees to inform their supervisors when they are ill. Supervisors will immediately inform UTEP EH&S at 915-747-7162 or COVIDaction@utep.edu.

UTEP EH&S will work with the City of El Paso Department of Public Health to facilitate contact tracing. UTEP EH&S, in coordination with supervisors, the UTEP Head of Emergency Operations (Police Chief Cliff Walsh) and Facilities Management will make an assessment of facilities that may need to be closed for deep cleaning.

Tracking

All Work/Safety Plans will include provisions for keeping track of employees and visitors who are in the workspace by date to facilitate contact tracing if needed.

Signage

Leaders need not plan for signage in their Work/Safety Plans.

A team is developing universal institution-wide signage that will be available for buildings and departments later in the summer. Leaders will be notified about sign distribution and installation.

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

The Recovery Plan Task Force is working with academic colleges, departments and support units to ensure that fall courses have the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and the exceptional instruction and training that our students expect and deserve is maintained. The Task Force has engaged departments and faculty across campus to identify an optimal mixture of face-to-face, hybrid and online courses for the fall, and a survey will be going out to students shortly to get their input.

We will get more information and guidance to faculty, staff and students on fall course delivery before the end of June. This guidance will also include a safety plan similar to that described above for classes that have on-campus meetings.

STUDENT SERVICES

Student services will continue to be provided online as much as possible. All departments have a web presence and are accessible through email. Student facilities such as the Union, Recreation Center and Mike Loya Academic Services Building will have their own Work/Safety Plans.

STUDENT HOUSING

While there are about 50 students who continue to live in University housing, the return of large numbers of students requires special planning. The Dean of Students and staff are developing a plan for residential living based on best practices and health guidelines. Because large numbers of student athletes live in campus housing and athletes return to campus before other students, the Dean of Students is working closely with the Department of Athletics on this plan.

Attachments

1. Return to Work Matrix
2. Athletics Return to Work Plan
3. President’s Office Limited Operations Plan
4. President’s Office Return to Work Checklist
5. Research Lab Limited Operations Work-Safety Plan
6. Resources for Additional Guidance

Originally posted May 20 

Accessing UTEP Library Research Resources

Need a book from the UTEP Library for your research? The Library has instituted a process for graduate students and faculty to checkout books from the Library during this period of limited operations. To checkout a book, please submit a request through email at Ask a Librarian . You will be notified when your book is ready to be picked up at the Library.

Need access to Special Collections? Please contact Claudia Rivers ( crivers@utep.edu ) or Abbie Weiser ( ahweiser@utep.edu ) to make an appointment.

Need to use the Microfilm/Microfiche resources? Please request an appointment through Ask a Librarian .

Please note, face masks and social distancing are required in the Library. For more resources, visit https://libguides.utep.edu/service_updates.

Originally posted May 14 

Recovery Plan Task Force Updates

Colleagues,

I wanted to give you an update on where we are with respect to planning for our return to campus.

The Recovery Plan Task Force, headed by Graduate School Dean Stephen Crites, has been making progress in several important areas. 

Here are a few of the many tasks that are underway across campus:

• The task force is preparing guidance for managers to allow them to plan for limited reopening of their units. 
• Facilities Services has been assessing the size of all classrooms and labs to determine the capacities of each room with social distancing.
• Human Resources is drafting a more permanent telework policy that will work for the long term.   
• Department heads have lists of all fall classes and are beginning planning for which ones should be done in person, which could be hybrid, and which could be taught by distance.
• Environmental Health and Safety is developing training materials and illustrative checklists for every manager to use for planning to return.
• The Provost is evaluating professional development and training opportunities for faculty to continue to hone their newly developed distance teaching skills so that we keep getting better.
• Student Affairs is determining which services and facilities can reopen while ensuring student safety. Registration for fall courses is ongoing, and new students have been admitted and are attending New Student Orientation.

Our initial return will come in small steps through May and early June and grow over the summer so that we gradually establish new ways of working safely together. Each work environment is different, and every area on campus will have to think through how to re-start based on checklists and guidance that Dean Crites and his team are developing.

We know this feels uncertain for many of you, but we will adapt and learn as we go.  Honestly, remote work for a lot of our team is going very well. As long as we maintain our productivity while working remotely, we can do this gradually.

We’ll begin the learning process next week as a group from the Athletic Department will step forward as the first to return to work. Their return to work is also an experiment. We will observe how the group adapts using their plan based on the guidance and training materials Dean Crites and his team have developed and then modify the guidance as needed, based on what we learn.

Likewise, in Academic Affairs, there will be some in-person course activities this summer. We will use those courses to learn lessons for others that follow. The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects is similarly identifying research projects that can increase their campus presence in the coming weeks and developing the guidelines for safely doing so.

Throughout the summer, student services and academic advising will remain operational online, while incrementally opening campus offices in a manner that adheres to recommended safety protocols.

Once we are confident that we have established best practices and effective safety standards, we’ll work to identify other areas and offices on campus we can begin to open.

As we work through the processes outlined above, we will also be working with city and county officials to monitor the spread of the virus and ensure that we are moving forward responsibly for everyone in our UTEP family.

The Office of Student Financial Aid continues to process CARES Act emergency grant assistance. So far, 4,554 students have received over $2.3 million in support. Students should go to   utep.edu/utepcares  to determine eligibility and apply for this grant assistance.

Thanks to all of you for everything you have done to finish the semester successfully and prepare for classes in the summer. And thanks to the many people working hard to help us return to campus safely.

I fully expect we will return to campus in the fall; it will be different from last fall, but it won’t be like this spring either. I continue to have great confidence that UTEP and all Miners will emerge from our homes and neighborhoods stronger than ever.

Heather Wilson

President

Originally posted May 12 

Blood Donations Needed

Attention, Miners!

Help Boost Local Blood Supply!

The UTEP community is invited to roll up its sleeves and donate blood during the month of May.

Appointments are requested. Make an appointment at 877-25VITAL (877-258-4825) or vitalant.org.

East and west side locations are available. Face coverings are required.

Originally posted May 9 

Resilience, Creativity and Kindness

Miners,

As we close the spring semester, I want you to know that I’m proud of you. 

Over the past month, I’ve gotten emails from some of you and talked to others on about five different software platforms that I had rarely used before March. Three things stand out for me in those interactions.

The first is resilience in the face of unprecedented challenge. By resilience, I don’t mean defiance of the reality you have faced, but a quiet determination to figure it out and keep on going. 

One of my favorite movies is  Apollo 13. The real heroes of the film weren’t the astronauts. The heroes were the people on the ground, most of them engineers, who hadn’t planned for the near disaster of that mission but found a way. “We’re going to have to figure it out.”

You figured it out. You found a way. 

The second thing I’ve seen is creativity. I was particularly worried about how our labs, studios and performance sections would adapt to learning over distance. I’m sure there were lots of things that didn’t work well, but I shouldn’t have worried. The distance-enabled ensembles by our music students have made me smile more than once this semester.

And I came across a group of students on the plaza one afternoon testing their senior design project. They were wearing masks, distanced from each other, but working together – building and flying their drone. And they seemed to be having fun, too.

The third thing I’ve seen is kindness. Some of you have taken time to thank instructors – and even to help them when they have struggled with unfamiliar technology. You’ve reached out to each other, and to faculty and staff to make sure everyone was okay.  

Resilience. Creativity. Kindness. 

Yes, you have finished your semester and earned credits toward a very valuable degree. But if resilience, creativity and kindness have been strengthened in you this semester, then you are becoming a better version of yourself.

I’m proud of you, and I really look forward to seeing you next semester ... and hopefully, not on Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Bluejeans, Blackboard, or Facetime.  :@) 

All the best,

Dr. Wilson

Originally posted May 8 

UTEP CARES – Financial Assistance

UTEP Students,

This semester hasn’t been easy, but you’ve adapted and perservered. Continuing your education will make your life better and will make our community better. Keep going.

A few weeks ago, the federal government created a relief fund to support eligible college students with emergency financial assistance in response to the coronavirus. The federal law is called the CARES Act and the funds are administered through UTEP.

This money may be used to help students with unexpected expenses caused by the pandemic, including things like:

• Paying rent or utility bills due to the loss of income.
• Buying technology like a computer, laptop or Wi-Fi hotspot in order to complete online courses.
• Buying groceries.
• Paying unexpected medical bills.
• Paying for expenses related to childcare.

Funding available through the CARES Act may only go to students who have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and received aid from UTEP. You can start your application and learn more about the application process at utep.edu/utepcares/apply.

Students who have not completed a FAFSA are encouraged to do so. You can find information and start completing a FAFSA here.

Some students are not eligible for UTEP CARES funds. UTEP does have some limited emergency assistance through a fund created by generous UTEP donors. The Paydirt Emergency Loan Program and UTEP’s Food Pantry are also available. Information on how to access these options is available at utep.edu/utepcares.

I look forward to seeing you back on campus soon.

Warm Regards,

Heather Wilson
President

Originally posted May 6

University Library’s Hours, Rules During Finals Week

The UTEP Library will expand its hours May 9-15, 2020, to better serve students, faculty and staff during finals week. Please note that only the second floor (Collaborative Learning Center and the WiFi/study area) is open, and only to University faculty, students, staff. Face coverings are required and social distancing of six feet will be enforced. Lastly, University officials ask potential Library users who are sick to stay away for the safety of others.

The Library’s finals week schedule is:

Saturday, May 9: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, May 10: Noon-6 p.m.
Monday, May 11-Thursday, May 14: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday, May 15: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, May 16-Sunday, May 17: Closed.

For more information, call 915-747-5672 or visit utep.edu/library.

Originally posted April 30

Remote Work Will Continue May 1

Colleagues,

As you are probably aware, both the State of Texas and City of El Paso stay at home orders expire today, April 30. Starting tomorrow, a phased reopening of businesses and services will begin.

Other than essential employees, all UTEP faculty and staff will continue to work remotely for now. UTEP employees should not return to campus on May 1.

The University’s Recovery Plan Task Force, led by Graduate School Dean Stephen Crites, began meeting this week to help us plan to safely reopen the campus. There are many factors to consider, and with students finishing this semester by distance, we have time to get this right. 

The health and safety of students, faculty and staff is our top priority, followed closely by our responsibility to help our students continue their educational progress.

For now, keep working from home. We’ll get information to everyone on how we are going to restart safely.

All the best,  

Heather Wilson
President 

Originally posted April 28

COVID-19 Recovery Plan Task Force

UTEP Students, Faculty and Staff,

We’ve been working remotely for more than a month now. As the state and city begin to plan for an easing of work-from-home directives, we also need to plan how we will safely resume campus operations.

There are a lot of questions to be answered and details to be worked out. This kind of work is best done by a cross-functional team that can create subcommittees or call on special expertise as needed.

I’ve asked the Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Stephen Crites, to lead a task force drawn from across the campus community. The members of this group will use their diverse knowledge and experience to guide us as we safely re-open the campus and prepare for the fall semester. The initial list of task force members is included at the end of this note. Dean Crites may also add to the task force or create subcommittees as needed.

The task force will develop and provide recommendations to UTEP’s senior leadership team on actions, timelines, resources needed, and policies and procedures related to the campus reopening. They will address course delivery methods, facilities that will remain closed or partially open, human resources policies, training, health monitoring protocols, and other matters that, in the view of the group, need to be addressed.

I am grateful to Dr. Crites for his leadership, and to each of the task force members for stepping up to offer their expertise and careful thinking. I know they take this responsibility seriously, and I have confidence that, together, we will develop a recovery plan that will keep our campus community safe and continue to provide our students with the exceptional education they have come to expect.

Heather Wilson
President

UTEP Recovery Plan Task Force Members

• Chair:  Stephen Crites, Dean of the Graduate School
• Steve Aley, Associate Vice President for Research
• Victor Arreola, Public Information Officer
• Beth Brunk-Chavez, Dean of Extended University
• Toni Blum, Associate Provost, Institutional Effectiveness 
• Jeff Darby, Senior Associate Athletic Director
• David Griffin, Department Chair and Professor, Art
• Al Gurovich, Director and Associate Professor, Physical Therapy
• Luis Hernandez, Assistant Vice President, Enterprise Computing
• Diane De Hoyos, Assistant Vice President, Purchasing and General Services
• Nakul Karle, Ph.D. Student, Environmental Science and Engineering
• Jessica Martinez, Student Government Association President
• Catie McCorry-Andalis, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
• Greg McNicol, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management
• Robert Moss, Assistant Vice President, Environmental Health and Safety
• Letty Paez, Executive Associate Dean, College of Health Sciences
• Stella Quiñones, Department Chair and Associate Professor, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
• Joanne Richardson, Assistant Vice President, Business Affairs
• David Ruiter, Associate Provost, Strategic Initiatives
• Veronica Sanchez, Executive Assistant, Office of the President 
• Victoria Suttmiller, Assistant Dean of Students, Auxiliary Services and Operations
• Amanda Vasquez, Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Services
• Sandy Vasquez, Associate Vice President, Human Resources

Originally posted April 17

Town Hall Follow Up

Faculty and Staff,

Thank you to those who submitted questions and listened in on this afternoon’s town hall.

If you were not able to attend, you can watch a video of the full event at this link . If you have additional questions, please continue to email them to townhall@utep.edu. Those questions and answers will be posted on UTEP’s coronavirus website on the FAQs page. 

Thank you for everything you do to make UTEP great. Stay safe!

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Originally posted April 15

Virtual Town Hall

Colleagues,

While everyone has done so well with the transition to remote operations, we are also aware of the need to stay connected and, as best we can, answer questions from faculty and staff.

To be honest, the technologies for electronic town halls were rather frustrating when we tried them the first week of “social distancing,” and the challenges will be even greater with the two of us operating from our own residences without technical support. While we’ve all learned a lot, we’re also aware of our own limitations.

But we are going to give this a try.

On Friday, we will hold a virtual town hall at 1:30 p.m. through Microsoft Teams. We are assured that we won’t bump up against a ceiling limiting how many can log in to listen.

To avoid the frustration of trying to curate questions while doing everything live, we have set up an email address to send questions to in advance: townhall@utep.edu. We won’t avoid hard questions, but we will try to group some if they are similar in the interest of answering as many as we can in an hour.

Please email your questions to townhall@utep.edu no later than 3 p.m. Thursday, April 16.

We look forward to sharing information with you and answering questions on Friday, April 17 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at this link. If you can’t join at that time, we will record the session and share the link via email after the event.

Originally posted April 6

Dear Faculty and Advisors:

Temporary changes have been made to the course grading policy and the course drop date – both applicable only toward spring 2020 courses.

With the support of the Faculty Senate, the Graduate Council, and the deans, the Provost and President have approved the temporary changes effective April 6, 2020, to provide students with academic flexibility and ways to relieve the pressure of the transition to online courses due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Temporary Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Policy for Spring 2020 Courses

Instructors may opt in to allow their spring 2020 courses to be eligible for an (S/U) grading option, to provide individual students to make the choice of grading mode. A passing grade will appear on student transcripts as an “S” (satisfactory), and a failing grade will appear as a “U” (unsatisfactory). Neither an “S” nor a “U” will calculate into the student GPA.  A grade of “S” will meet prerequisite requirements and count toward major/minor requirements. Instructors who would like to make this option available should determine the grading criteria for a passing grade. Click here for frequently asked questions regarding the S/U option, such as how to determine the grading criteria for a passing grade. The deadline for students to request a change from the standard grading system to the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading option is May 7, 2020.

If you should determine that this option is appropriate for your course, please email curriculum@utep.edu with the following information no later than April 17th.

• Name of instructor
• College/School
• Department
• Course prefix and number (e.g. UNIV 1301)
• Course section
• Course day and time

The S/U grading procedures are available here.

Temporary Course Drop Policy for Spring 2020 Courses
The deadline to drop a course has been extended to May 7, 2020. Courses dropped in the spring 2020 semester will receive a grade of “W” (withdrawal) and will not count toward students’ six-course drop limit. Students who elect to drop a spring 2020 course do not need written approval from advisors or instructors. To drop a course, students should simply email records@utep.edu from their Miners email account and include: (1) their name, (2) student ID, (3) course name (e.g. UNIV 1301), and (4) the course CRN (e.g. 25896). The temporary change applies to students who will remain enrolled in at least one class at the institution for the spring 2020 semester. Dropping all courses is considered a complete withdrawal and follows a separate policy.

We ask for your help in our undertaking to increase student awareness of grade implications by reminding students to fully understand any impact these options may have on their:

• path to degree completion,
• military veteran benefits,
• financial aid and scholarship eligibility,
• graduate or professional program applications,
• international student status, or
• other academic standing requirements.

Before dropping any course, we strongly encourage students to discuss these options with their academic, program, financial aid, and athletic advisors. Students should also be reminded of the institution’s behavioral health resources to manage anxiety and other concerns. Links to those offices can be found below.

Thank you for your commitment to providing our students with the best academic experience possible under the circumstances, and many thanks to our faculty governance bodies for moving quickly to address this issue.  Although paperwork and minutes of meetings remain to be formalized, support from both bodies was clear and decisive.

Originally posted April 4

Temporary course grading policy changes effective April 6

Miners,

I wanted to clarify some things about the recreation fee as I know there is some concern and frustration about it. 

We announced on March 18 that we would have to close the Student Recreation Center for the remainder of the spring semester because of the pandemic. I wish we didn’t have to, but we did.

The University is providing prorated refunds for unused housing, dining plans and parking permits. The UT System is paying for these refunds out of their reserves. We also waived the $50 per credit hour online fee since it wasn’t your choice to go online for your classes. 

Students voted in 2006 to pay the recreation fee to cover the cost of bonds to build the Student Recreation Center. The fee is $70 per semester. Even if you never use the Rec Center, you are charged the fee. If UTEP were to refund the recreation fee, we would need to take the money from somewhere else that matters to students in order to pay off the bonds.   

To learn more about these refunds, visit the Student, Faculty and Staff Services section of our coronavirus FAQs webpage.

I know, for some of you, this may seem unfair. It’s probably the best we can do with the constraints we have and I’m sorry for any miscommunication. That’s on me. 

Heather Wilson

President

Originally posted April 3

Recreation Fee

The University of Texas at El Paso announced on March 18 that it would close the Student Recreation Center for the remainder of the spring semester. At that time, our intention was to issue students prorated refunds of the mandatory recreation fee, and we communicated that plan to our students. However, The University of Texas System subsequently issued direction to all UT System schools that tuition and mandatory fees, including the recreation fee, will not be refunded.

UTEP will continue to provide prorated refunds for unused housing, dining plans and parking permits. To learn more about these refunds, visit the Student, Faculty and Staff Services section of our coronavirus FAQs webpage. Tuition, the recreation fee and other mandatory fees will not be refunded. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this change may have caused.

Originally posted April 3

Submit Your Virtual Events to the UTEP Events Calendar

The UTEP Events Calendar has been a hub for events organized, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by the University and its departments, schools, colleges, centers, institutes, alumni organizations and officially sanctioned student organizations.

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic stay home order, the UTEP Events Calendar has been updated to allow the community to stay connected with the University from remote locations with the introduction of Virtual Activities. Whether it’s a webinar, lecture, livestream or a group video chat for your club’s meeting, your virtual event can be hosted on the UTEP Events Calendar.

To create an event listing, visit events.utep.edu and click the “Submit an Event” button. Fill out each field with information about your event. To indicate that you are uploading a virtual event, select the “Virtual Activities” filter in the “Events by Interest” section. This option will highlight your event in a special section that lets UTEP community members know they can participate from wherever they are located.

To view upcoming virtual events, visit events.utep.edu and click on the “Virtual Activities” tab. For questions about the UTEP Events Calendar, email events@utep.edu .

Originally posted April 2

New Reporting Requirements

Thanks to all of you for everything you are doing for our students and our community.

I’m sure many of you have seen in the media that community spread of COVID-19 has begun in El Paso. That means that some people have been diagnosed without having known, extended contact with another person who has the disease.

We also have new rules from the City and County restricting travel.

So far, we have only had three staff and one student diagnosed with COVID-19. Three of them have already recovered. The other one is still isolated at home.

With community spread an issue, we need to request additional information from each of you.

Effective immediately:

• All University faculty and staff must self-report any travel beyond 100 miles from the City of El Paso to an email address we have set up for this purpose: COVIDaction@utep.edu
• All University faculty and staff who have traveled beyond 100 miles from the City of El Paso must self-isolate for 14 days. UTEP has been staying in touch with every employee and student in self-isolation and we will continue to do so.

More than that, we really need to know if any faculty or staff member is sick. Effective immediately:

• Any employee who is sick must tell their supervisor.
• Department heads are responsible for submitting reports of illness among staff and faculty within their department to COVIDaction@utep.edu.
  • The report should include who is ill, when the illness began, the last date the ill employee was on campus, whether they have been tested for COVID-19, and any other employees who have been within 6 feet of the ill employee for more than 15 minutes within the past two weeks.

With that information, our Environmental Health and Safety team can make rapid decisions to help us protect each other.

Again, thanks to all of you for staying home unless it is essential for you to go out. It is the best thing we can do to protect our families and each other.

Heather Wilson

President

Originally posted April 1

Course drop deadline extension

Dear UTEP Students:

We want to make sure you stay enrolled and successfully continue your path to a UTEP degree!

If you are considering dropping a course, please know that the  drop deadline has been extended through April 10. A proposal is currently under consideration by the Faculty Senate and the Graduate Council to extend the deadline through the end of the semester.

Before dropping a course, please contact your advisors and professors, and make sure you are aware of the implications dropping a course can have on your financial aid eligibility.

We will keep you informed of any additional extensions.

Originally posted March 27

Tips to Optimize Your Home Internet Usage

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Beginning Monday, March 30, 2020, more than 25,000 UTEP students will be engaged in online learning. These students will join thousands of UTEP faculty and staff working remotely.

The UTEP community is among many others in the El Paso region that are teleworking, conducting business online and taking classes online in order to comply with public health guidelines. With this added strain on internet use across the city, it is important to optimize the performance of your home network.

The University offers the following tips:

Check Your Plan

• For starters, check your internet plan. What speed of service do you subscribe to? Is it enough to meet any new demands? FCC consumer guides on household broadband use and broadband speeds may be helpful for you to determine your home Internet usage needs.

Test Your Speed

• If your speeds are slower than expected, you should contact your internet service provider to find out if they offer troubleshooting tips, or if there is an outage or service disruption in your area that may be affecting your speeds.

• Sometimes a simple router reboot—by powering it off and then back on again—can resolve a problem.

• If these tips don’t work, you may have an equipment issue, such as an outdated router.

• Search the model number on your router to see if it’s capable of providing your subscribed speeds. It might need to be updated to take advantage of higher speeds.

• If updates aren’t available, you may need to purchase a new router or rent an upgraded router from your service provider.

Create an Internet Schedule

• Even the latest Wi-Fi routers with fast service speeds can get bogged down by a family of users trying to do things simultaneously.

• Set guidelines with your family members and discuss daily schedules to avoid performance issues and prioritize usage.

• If your job offers flexible hours, you may be able to work around high-traffic times on your home network.

Microsoft OneDrive

• UTEP faculty, staff and students have the option to use Microsoft OneDrive for Business.

• The University-supported cloud storage system is accessible anywhere, anytime, from any device.

• Current faculty, staff and students can utilize Microsoft OneDrive for Business to store, sync and share files across all their devices.

• Learn more:   www.utep.edu/technologysupport/ServiceCatalog/DATA_OneDrive.html

Explore Your Options

• If you get a good cellular signal in your home, another way to alleviate home Wi-Fi network congestion is to disconnect your cellular devices from your Wi-Fi network.

• You may also be able to use your cellular device as a mobile hotspot.

• Before switching any of your devices to cellular-only service, check your data plan to make sure you won’t go over any data caps and incur overage charges. You can also explore options for fixed wireless service or other cellular alternatives in your area.

• If you’re not seeing congestion on your in-home Wi-Fi network, turning on Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi calling from your smartphone can conserve data and reduce potential congestion on mobile networks.

• Many service providers have committed to providing free Wi-Fi hotspots during the national coronavirus emergency. Some are offering discounts or temporary upgrades at low or no cost during the crisis, or eliminating caps on data plans.

• Learn more about the FCC’s Keep Americans Connected initiative   here.

Originally posted March 27

Coronavirus Updates

Miners,

Thanks to everyone for everything you are doing to keep people healthy and manage the shift to online learning for the remainder of the semester. I appreciate the professionalism and the positive attitudes of everyone in this unprecedented situation.

Making A Difference

Over 1,000 of our low-income students have received emergency assistance through UTEP to get computers or wifi hotspots so that they can finish the semester by distance. Kudos to Student Affairs and Financial Aid for figuring out how to get that done. 

Institutional Advancement has raised over  $7,300 from generous alumni and donors to help students in need.

Information Resources has tripled the capacity of our Virtual Private Network over the past week and has been working with the technology people in colleges to redirect traffic and keep people operating.

And faculty have been helping each other, rapidly learning new skills and shifting content online in preparation for next week. Thanks to all of you – particularly those who have never done online instruction before and are embracing the challenge.

There will be glitches and frustrations next week, to be sure. Let’s do everything we can to help each other and help our students.

Maymester and Summer

Over the past week, the faculty and leadership team have been evaluating how to adapt for Maymester and summer. Dr. Wiebe will be following up with more information for faculty, and Dr. Edens and his team will be getting information to students.

We’ve decided to move Maymester entirely online. For courses that just can’t transition to online, faculty will try, if possible, to move them later in the summer, either in traditional summer semesters or in a late July two-week session that would likely be more amenable to in-person delivery.

For summer semester, we are going to start enrolling students in online courses only. If the situation changes, we will open face-to-face sections. We will be encouraging faculty who are experienced in online instruction to offer courses this summer and opening more of our online courses to enrollment through Finish@UT.

Again, more information to follow from the Provost and Deans.

Fall

For now, we will continue to plan a normal fall schedule and continue to monitor the situation. 

Health

While so many of you are working remotely from home, I wanted to encourage all of you to follow all of the best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

We have had three staff members and one student test positive for COVID-19 after traveling. When that happens, we immediately work with them to identify any contacts they may have had at UTEP and where, if at all, they were on campus. Then we let all of you (and the public) know, while protecting their privacy. We think that is the best thing to do for all of us.

UTEP does have a number of students and faculty who returned from abroad who are in self-quarantine.  We check in with them every day and see how they are doing.

This brings up an issue on which we need your help. Normally, you would call in and let your supervisor know that you are staying home because you are sick. Now, I’m asking you to call your supervisor and let them know if you are feeling ill so that the UTEP Office of Environmental Health and Safety can connect with you every day and monitor your symptoms. Otherwise, we won’t know about it and we can’t help you or help protect and monitor others.

Again, thanks for everything you are doing to keep educating our students during a very unusual time.

Regards,

Heather Wilson

President

P.S. Glad the earthquake yesterday was mild. You can’t make this up . . . :@)

Originally posted March 27

University Bookstore eBook & Shipping Offers

The following University Bookstore shipping options are available to the campus community:

1. Access to eBooks at No Additional Charge: Visit follett.com/RedShelf to gain access to eBooks at no additional charge with your .edu email address. You can access up to 7 eBooks through the end of the semester, free of charge.

2. Free Online Shipping Offer: Free Shipping on all items with no minimum purchase. This includes various formats of course materials, supplies, apparel, technology and more.

3. Free Shipping on Textbook Rental Returns & Deadline Extensions: The Bookstore is offering free shipping return labels and is also extending the non-return period without penalty to assist with increased returns by mail.

For more information, please visit the University Bookstore. Detailed information can be found by clicking on the COVID-19 message on the homepage.

Originally posted March 26

Third UTEP Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19

On Thursday, March 26, a third male employee of The University of Texas at El Paso tested positive for COVID-19. The employee traveled to the same out-of-town event as the first two employees who tested positive and returned to El Paso on Thursday, March 12.

He is in self-isolation and recovering at home.

The employee had limited access to the Foster Stevens Center on March 13. The facility has been isolated and cleaned regularly with disinfectant. It was also closed and disinfected again March 24.

Campus officials and support services are in contact by phone with the employee on a daily basis.

The following are recommendations to stay safe:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash immediately after use.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.

Originally posted March 26

The Student Health and Wellness Center's (SHWC) main priority is the health and safety of our students.

ALL STUDENTS needing services from a SHWC health care provider must FIRST CALL (915) 747-5624 or (915) 747-6348.  A healthcare provider will discuss your health care needs and then schedule an appointment if necessary.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walk-in appointments are no longer possible at this time.

To learn more about staying healthy during this pandemic visit the following links:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

CDC: What to do if you are sick

Originally posted March 26

Shipments to Central Receiving

Faculty & Staff:

In response to the COVID-19 health crisis and “Stay Home, Work Safe” Order issued by the City of El Paso, many UTEP employees have begun to telecommute.  

Central Receiving continues to receive items that have been ordered prior to March 26, 2020, and will continue to operate on a limited basis.

Departments are requested to minimize ordering of non-essential items. For essential ordering, please contact your Purchasing Buyer to address any logistical considerations. 

Originally posted March 26

Access Banner NOW! No VPN needed

In an effort to make accessing Banner easier and more efficient, Banner is now available from off campus without VPN.

Originally posted March 26

Contacting the Technology Support Help Desk

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

The Technology Support Help Desk is currently experiencing a high call volume. Please know we are working hard to continue providing the level of service you deserve and are trying to answer your calls as quickly as possible. 

We value your time and would like to remind you that inquiries and requests may also be submitted by email to  helpdesk@utep.edu  or online . We ask that you please include your contact information and a representative will contact you as soon as possible.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Technology Support

Originally posted March 25

UTEP DINING SERVICES UPDATED HOURS OF OPERATION

To ensure the health and safety of our customers and staff, hours of operation for dining services have changed.

TEXAS WESTERN CAFÉ
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
March 25-27
8 A.M. – 2 P.M.

All other venues closed until further notice. for more information, please call 915-747-5628.

Originally posted March 24

Two UTEP Employees Test Positive for COVID-19

On Tuesday, March 24, two male employees of The University of Texas at El Paso tested positive for COVID-19. The employees traveled to an out-of-town event and returned to El Paso on Thursday, March 12.

Both employees are in self isolation and recovering at home.

Campus officials and support services are in contact by phone with the employees on a daily basis.

One of the employees had limited access into the Foster Stevens Basketball Center and the Larry K. Durham Sports Center on March 13. Both facilities have been isolated and have been cleaned regularly with disinfectant.

The following are recommendations to stay safe:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash immediately after use.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask

Originally posted March 24

Stay Home - Work Safe Directive

The City of El Paso has issued a 'Stay Home - Work Safe' emergency directive that requires residents to remain in their homes except to obtain essential services or engage in essential activities and work for essential business and government services.This order goes into effect today, March 24, at 11:59 pm and will remain in effect until further notice.

Effective immediately, all employees, other than those who have been designated as essential employees, should, at the direction of their supervisor, begin telecommuting if they have not already done so. Essential employees are designated for the continued operations of the university.  Vice Presidents will receive a complete list of authorized essential personnel.

The following facilities will remain accessible to essential personnel:

• Administration Building
• Central Receiving
• El Paso Natural Gas Conference Center-Telecommunications Department only
• Facilities Services
• Hertzog Building
• Housing (Miner Village, Miner Heights, Miner Canyon)
• Information Technology Security Office
• Laboratory Animal Resources Center
• Memorial Gym-Food Pantry only
• Union Basement-Information Technology only
• University Library-Collaborative Learning Center only
• University Mail Services
• University Police Building

The Student Health Center will be open to serve students remaining on campus.

For enrollment assistance (e.g., admission, registration, and financial aid) call 915-747-7321 or email enrollmentservices@utep.edu . 

For resources regarding coronavirus, please visit:

UTEP coronavirus toll-free information line 877-747-8983

UTEP coronavirus website

Temporary Remote Work Policy

Temporary Remote Work Agreement (Downloadable Form)  

For questions and to submit your approved remote work agreement please email:  remotework@utep.edu

Originally posted March 24

Stay Miner Strong

Dear Miners,

As you return from spring break and begin to navigate the remainder of the semester, we want you to know that all of us at UTEP care deeply about you, your family and your loved ones. We find ourselves in an unprecedented situation, one that is causing a great deal of uncertainty. For many of you, having to complete your coursework online, submit assignments remotely, and take final exams via online platforms is not something you had planned on doing. For others, the postponement of events such as Commencement and the inability to come together in a manner that we have grown accustomed to has caused sadness and disappointment. I want to reassure you that your academic, physical, and mental well-being is our top priority.

An impressive on-campus team is working to safeguard the health and well-being of the entire University community. We meet daily and continue to monitor the situation in El Paso County and work with partners both here and in Austin, including the UT System, to take actions that protect the health of students, faculty and staff. 

We want to encourage you to read all bulletins and announcements sent to you via your UTEP email account. You should also regularly visit UTEP’s dedicated coronavirus website for more information, particularly answers to frequently asked questions. UTEP also has a strong presence on social media, so check your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites on a regular basis. 

UTEP faculty are working around the clock to ensure that the transition to online coursework for the remainder of the spring term will not impair or impede the delivery of high-quality courses. Faculty are deeply committed to your success and are rising to the challenge of remote teaching and learning. Understandably, remote learning is different from that which occurs face-to-face. Some assignments will no longer be possible and some expectations no longer reasonable. Faculty have this week to finalize plans for online course delivery and will reach out to you with specific instructions. However, be assured faculty will remain flexible and adjust to the situation accordingly. 

If you have questions, we want to provide timely and accurate answers. Faculty and staff are prepared to assist you during these uncertain times. You are encouraged to reach out to faculty, staff or departments directly via phone or by email with questions you may have. For more general questions, you may call UTEP’s coronavirus hotline at 1-877-747-8983. 

The following information may be of particular interest and help:

• Students impacted emotionally or experiencing increased anxiety, worry or concern are encouraged to contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 915-747-5302 or visit https://www.utep.edu/student-affairs/counsel/ . Counseling and Psychological Services continues to provide services to students.

• Students who are facing unexpected financial hardship due to COVID-19 are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at studentfinancialaid@utep.edu . Staff will work closely with you to determine if any supplemental financial support may be available, including funding for technology needs.

• Regarding technology, If you are a student who received financial aid for either the fall 2019 or spring 2020 semester(s) and do not currently own a computer, there may be grant assistance to help you purchase a computer, internet hotspot, or tablet so you can access your classes and course materials. Please email a request for this grant support to: studentfinancialaid@utep.edu . Be sure to include your full name, UTEP ID#, and a reliable phone number. We will contact you regarding your eligibility for grant assistance.

• If you are not currently receiving financial aid, but still need assistance to purchase a computer, the Paydirt Emergency Loan Program is available to assist students. The maximum loan amount is $500. You can apply for this loan by emailing gchairez@utep.edu to request your personalized online application link.

• If you are feeling ill and need medical assistance, please contact your healthcare provider. If you plan to visit the Student Health and Wellness Center, please call ahead to receive instructions on how best to access services.

As this situation has unfolded and steps have been taken as a campus to address COVID-19, we have all been struck by the resiliency, empathy and compassion our students have exhibited. We would have expected nothing less, given the caliber and character of students who attend UTEP. However, we have been truly amazed with the level of compassion and camaraderie by UTEP students in recent weeks. Students have helped faculty navigate new technology, donated non-perishable items to the UTEP Food Pantry, assisted an international student through the process of booking a flight home, brought staff and faculty lunch because they would not have a chance to take a break, and consoled a fellow athlete who had their season cut short. This is how we show our communities that we love them and that we have their best interests in our thoughts and in our hearts. Stay strong and stay positive. We will get through this together as UTEP Miners!

Originally posted March 24

Remote Work for Student Employees

Miner Student Employees & Supervisors,

Due to ongoing developments with COVID-19 and changes in UTEP campus operations, a number of you likely have questions about how student workers will be affected, especially those who depend on university paychecks to cover their college expenses.

The health and well-being of our Miner community and the academic progress of our students are our top concerns, and we recognize that financial stability is an important element of student success.

As UTEP transitions to a remote workforce, we want to provide our student workers as much flexibility as possible to continue working. To that end, both student employees and supervisors should follow these guidelines:

• Supervisors should enable student employees for remote work, exercising their full ability to flexibly identify activities, tasks and mechanisms for that work. We have provided some useful resources  to help supervisors consider and develop various alternatives that are suitable for work assignments during the remote working period.
• When working remotely, the student must have a Temporary Remote Work Agreement Form on file with their supervisor. This form can be found on the UTEP Temporary Remote Work Policy webpage.
• To cover any gaps regarding their remote work options, student employees are empowered to work on their professional development. The Office of Human Resources has compiled a list of Online Professional Development Resources that can be accessed anytime from anywhere.

For students who have not yet done so, please contact your supervisor regarding your work assignment, completing your Temporary Remote Work Agreement, and with any questions you may have.  Thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time.

Best,

Mark McGurk
Vice President for Business Affairs

Originally posted March 24

Even Stronger

Miners,

The City of El Paso has announced a stay home/work safe order starting at 11:59 p.m. tonight. The distance education we are providing at UTEP is exempted as “essential,” and we will get you more information later today on how this will work. 

For now, I would ask you to focus on three things.

First, let’s take care of each other. El Paso is a caring, family-oriented city. That’s true in our neighborhoods and places of worship; it’s also true on our campus. Even after all of the planning and preparation we’ve done over the past few weeks, the next few days will be hectic as we continue to adapt to circumstances that none of us expected. So, let’s help each other.

Second, let’s expect ourselves to get the work done. There are going to be glitches and frustrations and distractions, but each of us has a vital role to play educating 25,000 students remotely and recruiting thousands more who want to start at UTEP in the fall. We have grants to administer and proposals to write, contracts to process and projects to plan. We will do it differently, but let’s just cinch down and get it done.

Third, the most important thing we will have when we come back together is you. We all worry about the economic impact of defeating this virus, but there is one thing I know. The communities that thrive in this globally connected, knowledge-based world will be those that educate their people. UTEP will play a vital role in the recovery of this community after the virus has passed, and we have to start preparing for that recovery now. 

I know some of you may be worried that sheltering at home may mean that you will be laid off at a really tough time because you can’t do your job from home. We don’t want to lose you.

Talk to your supervisor and get guidance from them on the tasks you need to plan to do from home. Getting that work done is the priority.

If your supervisor doesn’t have enough, I have a task for you.

We never have enough time to spend on professional development – making ourselves better at what we do. When we come back, we will need every ounce of intellect and energy you have to help our community recover. 

Any hourly employee – including any student employee – who cannot work from home and is not “essential” on campus should take their next two weeks of work hours to develop themselves. There are plenty of free resources out there and our Human Resources team has gathered some of them here . 

It can be online or offline; in your area or in an area you would like to cross train into. It can be a hard skill or a soft skill. It just has to be something that will make you a better employee when we come back to this beautiful campus.

All staff employees and student employees who will be working remotely should complete and submit the remote work form here with your plan. I know you will keep track of your time and let your supervisor know what you are working on. And, if you think of it, send me a Tweet or Instagram post on what you are learning.

We will come back even stronger.

Go Miners!

Heather Wilson    

Click here to watch >>

Originally posted March 24

New UTEP Tool Provides Help for Updating Department Web Pages

UTEP’s online presence is in many ways the public face of the University. It is frequently the initial, and often the primary, interface we have with students and their families, prospective faculty and staff, researchers, alumni, donors, supporting agencies, the media and the general public. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University’s web pages are especially important as a means to communicate with each of these groups.

With that in mind, University Communications launched a new website dedicated to answering common questions that will help departments update their websites. 

The new web page at  www.utep.edu/cms  provides step-by-step tutorials on creating, editing and publishing content; code for creating various page styles and features; page templates; and a list of webmasters.

If you have additional questions after reviewing the website, please contact the University Communications web project managers at  web@utep.edu .

Originally posted March 23

Colleagues,

While I hope all of you took some time to recharge over the weekend, I’m sure many of you monitored the continued news about COVID-19. 

There are over 200 counties in Texas that have no cases of COVID-19 and the Governor has not ordered a statewide shelter-in-place order. Dallas is in a very different situation, with a major international air travel hub and more than a third of all of the cases in Texas. Every community and University is different and the state is supporting local decision making based on the circumstances in each community.

Having talked to local officials on Sunday, there is no evidence of community spread in El Paso, and the public seems to be acting responsibly with respect to congregation and social distancing. The few currently identified cases were people who contracted the disease elsewhere and traveled here or reside in the same household with those who did. At the same time, we all know that there is skepticism because of delays in testing and receiving results from testing which justify continued measures to keep people at home if they don’t have to leave home.

Early prevention efforts are important, and the decisions to prohibit large gatherings, close bars, and encourage working remotely to the maximum extent possible are prudent.

We’ve canceled face-to-face classes this week to give faculty the time to shift to distance delivery of their courses. Even small class sections will be shifted to online format. For labs and performance courses, faculty are identifying creative ways that students might gain and demonstrate competencies without being together on campus.

Whether it is a work day or not, every employee should be observing social distancing guidance, washing your hands regularly, avoiding social situations with more than 10 people and avoiding crowds.

While faculty are used to working from home and can do so quite easily, it is not always so easy for staff. In some cases, our staff who are paid hourly are in jobs that might be almost impossible to shift to remote work. That is why I want us to make prudent decisions on a case-by-case basis and give supervisors and employees flexibility.

We continue to monitor the situation in El Paso County and take actions every day that make sense to protect the health of students, faculty and staff and help reduce any impact on our healthcare system.

While we monitor the situation constantly, UTEP will continue to exercise the following guidance:

Remote Work: Vice Presidents in consultation with direct reports should actively identify maximum ways employees can work remotely in your areas – with priority for vulnerable populations – while continuing the mission. As many employees as possible should be working from home. Some disruption or confusion is likely and offices that are open will have fewer employees. If student employees can work remotely, they should be allowed to do so.

Length of Day: Offices are authorized to lengthen opening hours in circumstances where the work must be done on campus in order to reduce social interaction while allowing all employees to get their jobs done at staggered times. 

Consolidation: For offices that provide face-to-face service, supervisors will assess whether that service can be provided while observing social distancing guidance. Supervisors may consolidate offices or go completely online or distance enabled even if there is a disruption in service with the approval of their Vice President. Not all offices on campus need to have their doors open this week. The request form to work remotely is here.

Public health guidelines: All offices and employees will follow best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including social distancing, handwashing, and staying at home when sick. Employees should also stay at home if a household member is sick.

It’s an anxious time. Keep helping each other. There are resources for you, as an employee, as well here.

Finally, I wanted to thank all of you for taking the situation we face seriously and taking appropriate actions to keep yourself, your colleagues and our students safe and healthy.

Heather Wilson

President

Originally posted March 23

To our Miner Nation family and friends,

As many of you may already know, The University of Texas at El Paso is taking measures to ensure the safety of our students, staff and faculty during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The fast-unfolding events stemming from the novel-coronavirus have created concern and uncertainty for all of us as we continue to adjust and adapt to a new norm in the way we interact with one another, approach our jobs, and live our lives.

A complete list of UTEP’s efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 can be found at: utep.edu/coronavirus.

Students remain our top priority, and we are doing all we can to make sure they can complete the semester and remain on track to their degrees. This is especially true for our graduating seniors.

Changes in our educational delivery and loss of work have created significant financial hardships for a great number of our students; many of you have asked how you can help.

UTEP has created a Student Emergency Fund to help students in these very uncertain times. Funds can be used for emergency travel, unexpected expenses related to food, transportation, and access to necessary resources for remote learning. To help, please visit: pickaproject.utep.edu/studentemergencyfund (UTEP’s official crowdfunding page). As always, we are grateful for your support.

With the coronavirus having greater impact in the United States, our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the pandemic. It is our sincere hope that the concerted efforts we are all making today will lessen the virus’ impact tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Jim Senter
Athletic Director and Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Originally posted March 23

Computer Technology Financial Support

As you are already aware, beginning Monday, March 30, 2020, all courses for the spring semester will move to remote online delivery. We understand that this transition to online learning may be a burden for some students who do not have access to a computer at home. The following two programs may help.

• If you are a student who received financial aid for either the fall 2019 or spring 2020 semester(s) and do not currently own a computer, there may be grant assistance to help you purchase a computer, internet hotspot, or tablet so that you can access your classes and course materials. Please email a request for this grant support to:  studentfinancialaid@utep.edu. Be sure to include your full name, UTEP ID#, and a reliable phone number. We will contact you regarding your eligibility for grant assistance.

•  If you are not currently receiving financial aid, but still need assistance to purchase a computer, the Paydirt Emergency Loan Program is available to assist students. The maximum loan amount is $500. You can apply for this loan by emailing gchairez@utep.edu to request your personalized online application link.

All of us at UTEP remain committed to ensuring that every student finishes the semester without disrupting their educational progress. If you have any questions, please call the Office of Student Financial Aid at 915-747-5204.

Originally posted March 23

Student Business Services - IN-PERSON SERVICES

The UTEP Student Business Services Office will remain open.  However, at this time we will be observing Center for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines.  Because there is no way to maintain six-foot social distancing, all services will be conducted over the phone or via email.  IN-PERSON SERVICES WILL BE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED until further notice.

We will continue to be available during our normal business hours via email, sbs@utep.edu, or by phone at 915-747-5116 for questions regarding your account.

For processing of payments:

• A drop-box, for personal checks, money orders and cashier’s checks only, is available at the front entrance of the Mike Loya Academic Services Building; please note your student ID on the check or money order and it will be processed the next business day;
• Electronic checks will be accepted via Pete's Payment Options (at no cost);
• Credit card payments will be accepted via Pete's Payment Options (1.9% convenience fee is applicable);
• In-person payments, including cash, will not be available in the office at this time.

We apologize for this inconvenience during this time, but the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have during our normal business hours at 915-747-5116 or via email at sbs@utep.edu.

These are challenging times, and we sincerely hope you and your family are well and safe.  We look forward to welcoming you back to campus in the future.

Originally posted March 20

U.S. - Mexico Border Restrictions

UPDATE: The White House has released additional details on the restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border. “Non-essential” travel that will be restricted includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature. U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals with valid travel documents will be exempted and allowed to cross the border. Entry for trade and business travel will continue to operate with additional screening.

Today, it was announced that the U.S. and Mexico have reached an agreement to restrict all non-essential travel in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. This includes the ports of entry in the El Paso/Juárez area. It will be effective at midnight March 21, 2020.

Examples of essential travel include travel to attend educational institutions, for medical purposes, for emergency response and public health services, and for individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade. As this situation continues to develop, we will share additional information.

The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Mexico have also suspended routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services as of March 18, 2020. Exceptions will be made for certain emergencies. Contact the Embassy or consulate in your area directly for specific information on available services.

Members of the UTEP community who are unable to cross the border to return to their normal place of residency may need to seek out temporary living arrangements with friends or family members if available. Those individuals who need assistance finding a place to live should contact Elisa Espinosa at eespinosa4@utep.edu or 915-747-6117.

• Students are expected to continue to fulfill online or other course requirements once courses begin remotely on March 30.
• Difficulties with internet access or completing course requirements online should be discussed directly with the professor. 
• Staff and faculty who are unable to report to work due to the border restrictions and need assistance should contact Sandy Vasquez at svasquez@utep.eduor hrs@utep.edu, or call 915-747-7873.

International students who are impacted by the border closure should report any changes in their temporary or permanent residency to the Office of International Programs at oip@utep.edu or 915-747-5664. For more information, visit https://www.utep.edu/student-affairs/oipsa/office-of-international-programs/home/oip-coronavirus-guidance.html.

The UTEP community is working together to support our students, staff and faculty impacted by recent developments at the border. We will continue to update the community as we receive new information.

Originally posted March 20

Information Technology Update on Available Resources and Phone Capabilities

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Information Technology is working to address some of the technology questions that have been brought to our attention during this time.

We understand that staying connected and communicating with your team members and colleagues is imperative.  We encourage the use of Microsoft Teams for administrative collaboration not linked to teaching.  Microsoft Teams is an online collaboration tool where you can create one-on-one or team chat sessions.  You can also hold online meetings with audio and video with a simple click of a button inside the application.  We strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features by viewing the online tutorials we have provided in the "Features" section of the UTEP Microsoft Teams website.

With the availability of this tool, the “Call Forwarding” feature to most of the campus phone lines will be disabled. This feature will be reserved for continuing operations by select technical support and administrative groups. 

For those who have approved remote work arrangements and currently receive an institutionally paid Communication Device Allowance, please include your cell phone numbers as part of your “Out-of-Office” voicemail message.  The call-forwarding feature will not be enabled if you fall within this group of individuals.

For individuals who do not have internet access at their remote location, we have a limited number of mobile hotspots available for checkout.  With consideration to this, we are asking that you please submit an application here.  Furthermore, many cell phone providers include a mobile “HotSpot” Internet service as part of their cellular subscriptions.  If you are authorized to work remotely and do not have internet service, we encourage you to use this option if free. Instructions for enabling your smartphone’s “HotSpot” can be found in our Working Remotely website, under the “Enabling a Mobile HotSpot” section.

For assistance with Microsoft Teams and for any other technology related inquiries, please contact the Technology Support Help Desk at helpdesk.utep.edu.

Originally posted March 19

Special Administrative Forum Town Hall

UTEP President Heather Wilson and Interim Provost John Wiebe were available Monday, March 16, for a special Administrative Forum to discuss the University’s efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic with faculty and staff. The event was held in the Undergraduate Learning Center with overflow to other auditoriums in order to incorporate the CDC guidelines for social distancing.

Click here to watch »  See the PowerPoint Presentation »

Originally posted March 19

Coronavirus Update

The University of Texas at El Paso is actively working to keep our students, faculty and staff updated while adapting to the evolving situation related to COVID-19. For information on the latest announcements and decisions related to University operations and programs visit, video updates page.

Originally posted March 18

Coronavirus Update

Over the past days and weeks I have been deeply impressed by the seriousness of our faculty and staff and your determination to keep everyone healthy to the best of your ability and complete the semester without disruption of educational progress.

I particularly appreciate hearing the stories of tech savvy faculty members who have stepped up to help peers navigate the transition to online course delivery, IT professionals working long hours to ensure systems will handle the new load, and staff members everywhere adjusting to new protocols with grace and humor.   

The situation nationally and across Texas is changing rapidly. The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System provided new guidance late yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday, based on input and advice from all of the UT System Presidents and in consultation with the leadership of the Board of Regents, the Chancellor announced additional extraordinary measures. His guidance recognizes that each of our institutions and communities is unique, and we have the latitude necessary to help students finish requirements for degrees while keeping people healthy.

This further guidance implements the decisions made by the Chancellor as well as local guidance from the City of El Paso promulgated yesterday evening.

1. In light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance prohibiting gatherings, Spring Commencement will be postponed until the fall. Graduating students will receive their degrees as scheduled, but the ceremonies we all look forward to will be held at a later date to be determined. We know this is a tremendous disappointment to many of our students and their families.

2. All UTEP course instruction will be provided online for the remainder of the spring semester. There will be no on-campus classes. Even small class sections that could be structured to provide “social distance” will be shifted to online format. Faculty should continue their work to shift to online courses and adjust their syllabi to finish the semester as scheduled, even though we will have lost a week of instruction when distance-enabled classes start.

3. For labs or performance courses that are difficult to deliver by distance education, faculty should, to the maximum extent possible, identify creative ways that students might demonstrate the competencies required by the course without students being together on campus. The intention is to complete credits in the current academic term to the maximum extent possible, particularly for graduating seniors. Deans who believe they have labs or performance courses that cannot be delivered by alternate means should discuss options with the Provost.   

4. Because not all UTEP students have access to computers at home, UTEP is arranging for several campus computer labs to be reconfigured to comply with public health requirements for social distancing and will follow enhanced cleaning protocols. More information will be forthcoming on which labs and operating hours.

5. The Dean of Students is working with students who are currently residing on campus to develop an individualized plan for each of them. Campus residence halls and student dining programs will be limited to students who do not have a suitable alternative. 

6. We expect Systemwide guidelines regarding students who have paid for residence halls, dining plans, and other specific related campus services they cannot use. We will ensure that students are treated fairly in this regard. Because, in some cases, these costs and fees affect eligibility for financial aid, we are working on this carefully and will communicate directly with students shortly when we have a clear path forward.  

7. In order to increase social distancing, all supervisors should continue to review possibilities for employees to work remotely in their area of responsibility. HR is working on a temporary policy and guidelines for supervisors. This information will be shared soon, likely by the end of the day.  

8. The Chancellor’s new guidance gives campuses flexibility concerning continuity of research. Expect specific guidance on research later today.

9. Effective at 5 p.m. today, the following facilities will be closed:

All athletic facilities
Student Recreation Center
Public section of the El Paso Natural Gas Conference Center
Ross Moore Building

10. All library fees and late fees are waived until further notice.

11. The YWCA childcare center on campus is working with families to move its location to accommodate greater social distancing. Families who use the childcare center will receive communication directly from the YWCA.

Again, thanks to all of you for your leadership and commitment to each other, to our mission and to the health of our community. We will continue to provide updated information and answer questions. Information is available on the COVID-19 website at www.utep.edu/coronavirus.

Heather Wilson
President

Originally posted March 17

UTEP Spring Commencement Postponed Until Fall

In accordance with the guidance of The University of Texas System, The University of Texas at El Paso will postpone spring Commencement ceremonies.

Graduating students will receive their degrees as scheduled, but the ceremonies will not take place until the fall. The date in the fall will be announced as soon as that decision is made.

The decision follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for large gatherings.

Originally posted March 16

UTEP Student Who Returned from Overseas Tests Positive for COVID-19

A female student at The University of Texas at El Paso who returned from extended overseas travel Saturday night, March 14, went directly into self-isolation as directed by UTEP’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety. On Monday, she tested positive for COVID-19.

She has not been on campus since her return to El Paso.

All UTEP students returning from overseas travel were contacted while overseas and told to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return.

Campus officials and support services are in contact by phone with the student on a daily basis.

Originally posted March 16

Special Administrative Forum Town Hall

UTEP President Heather Wilson and Interim Provost John Wiebe were available Monday, March 16, for a special Administrative Forum to discuss the University’s efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic with faculty and staff. The event was held in the Undergraduate Learning Center with overflow to other auditoriums in order to incorporate the CDC guidelines for social distancing.

Click here to watch »

Originally posted March 13

Coronavirus Update

UTEP senior leaders met again today to discuss responses to the COVID-19 virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended community mitigation strategies to help slow transmission of COVID-19 and in particular to protect individuals at increased risk for severe illness, including older adults and persons of any age with underlying health conditions.  

The State of Texas has declared an emergency, as has the federal government. This guidance implements new directives based on these events.

Goals

The University has established goals to guide our decisions:

1. Keep students, faculty and staff healthy to the best of our ability.
2. Complete the semester without disruption of educational progress.
3. Participate in community mitigation strategies to slow the transmission of respiratory virus infections as recommended by public health experts.
4. Otherwise, minimize disruptions to daily life and university operations.

It is not possible to anticipate every individual situation or to give everyone specific direction on the thousands of decisions made every day at UTEP. We are a large, complex organization. In several areas of this guidance, we have intentionally built in flexibility so that faculty, staff and students can make individual decisions based on their unique circumstances. As educated, creative people committed to our mission and the community we serve, we expect you to help each other and solve problems keeping the goals in mind. 

We also must anticipate potential additional changes in operations. We will continue to monitor events, and community health in particular, and adapt to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We will continue to communicate with all of you.

A Word to Our Students

There are a lot of things I love about UTEP students. You work hard. You are resourceful. You care for others. You are talented and intelligent.

We will do everything we can as faculty and staff to keep you on track for your degree. But this is going to require hard work and flexibility from you, too. We know that.

In every challenge, an opportunity. 

This is the time for each of you to take greater responsibility as emerging professionals and community leaders. I would ask each of you to renew your commitment to master the material in your courses this semester. More than that, I would also ask you to help each other and even pitch in to help your professors and your community.

General Guidance for All

• If you feel sick, stay home.
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

If you believe you have come into contact with the virus, contact a medical provider and limit exposure to others. If a fellow employee or student is exhibiting symptoms, encourage them to do the same.

Schedule and Teaching Modifications

In order to align with El Paso Community College and the public schools, and to allow faculty time to modify course delivery methods, face-to-face classes for the week of March 23-29 are canceled.

UTEP will remain open for faculty and staff. Business operations and student services will continue, while observing social distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Classes that are already taught by distance (hybrid or online) will continue as scheduled.

Clinical rotations for healthcare students will continue and will be subject to the guidance of the healthcare facility at which students work. 

Starting March 30, UTEP will move to remote delivery of course content wherever possible.

In cases where course content cannot be delivered remotely, such as some laboratories and performing arts courses, faculty should work to reconfigure their classes for alternative delivery that would achieve social distancing. In some cases that may mean moving to larger venues that will permit maintenance of adequate personal space. The Registrar’s Office will help with moving classes.

In those few cases where adaptation is not feasible, faculty members should seek approval of alternative plans from their chairs and deans.

Faculty should communicate directly with their students concerning plans for their courses.

The University is offering extensive training for faculty to transition their courses to distance or hybrid format. A list of available resources and scheduled training sessions is here .

Social Distancing

The Centers for Disease Control recommends implementing social distancing measures to reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses.

Faculty and staff should increase physical space between people in your work areas to about 6 feet. 

Classes that remain in-person should also be reconfigured for the social distancing requirement.

Staff will use their discretion to minimize non-essential in-person meetings.

Wi-Fi and Campus Computing Centers

The campus remains open. There will be more information forthcoming about which computer labs will be open, staffed and cleaned in accordance with best health practices.

Telework or Work from Home

UTEP employees who are at increased risk of severe illness, or who work in offices where close proximity makes social distancing measures difficult, should discuss options for adjusting office locations, telework or working from home with their supervisor.

Every job is different. While most jobs require people to be here on campus, supervisors should review the responsibilities of their work unit and, when feasible, encourage their employees to telework when the mission of the unit can be accomplished without being physically present in the workplace.

Supervisors may also adjust schedules and working hours to meet social distancing guidance.

Public School Closures

Next week is spring break at UTEP and at local public schools. We expect faculty and staff have made plans for the care of their children during spring break.

Faculty and staff with unexpected childcare responsibilities caused by school closures should discuss options with their supervisor.

Employees are reminded that, in general, children should not accompany their parents to work.  Given the disruption of activities for health-related reasons, this is particularly unwise at this time.

Cleaning

Janitorial staff have been instructed to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. 

While we recognize that supplies have been limited in local stores, offices are encouraged to try to have hand hygiene products readily available for visitors and employees.

Travel

University-sponsored international and domestic travel is suspended, with the exception of travel to and from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Exceptions to this policy for faculty or staff conducting research-related or mission-critical functions will require approval from your supervising vice president. Student exceptions require approval by the Dean of Students.

Those wishing to travel internationally for personal reasons are highly encouraged to follow all CDC guidelines and understand that self-isolation will be required for 14 days after returning to the United States. All international travelers must report their travel to UTEP’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety using an online form or by calling 915-747-7124.

There are currently no reporting requirements for personal travel, but we encourage you to follow guidelines from the CDC.

Postponements and Cancellations

Faculty or staff that are hosting large gatherings (e.g. more than 250 people) will cancel these events or move to smaller groupings.

For University units that serve high-risk populations – particularly the elderly or those with underlying health conditions – gatherings of more than 10 people will be canceled.

In accordance with the declaration of a state of emergency in Texas, we expect other large gatherings by organizations renting space from the University, including those at the Don Haskins Center, will be postponed.

Originally posted March 12

Coronavirus Update

UTEP senior leaders met this afternoon to discuss new travel advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of State related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

Earlier today, the CDC and U.S. Department of State issued new global travel advisories due to the global impact of COVID-19. In response, UTEP is revising travel guidelines for all members of the University community.

University-sponsored international and domestic travel is suspended effective immediately, with the exception of travel to and from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Exceptions to this policy for faculty or staff conducting research-related or mission-critical functions will require approval from your supervising vice president. Student exceptions require approval by the Dean of Students.

Those wishing to travel internationally for personal reasons are highly encouraged to follow all CDC guidelines and understand that self-isolation will be required for 14 days after returning to the United States. All international travelers must report their travel to UTEP’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety using an online form or by calling 915-747-7124.

There are currently no reporting requirements for personal domestic travel, but we encourage you to follow guidelines from the CDC.

Originally posted March 11

Coronavirus Update

UTEP senior leaders met again this morning and continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation closely in consultation with public health officials.

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in El Paso County. Based on the current risk assessment, UTEP is not changing the University schedule or shifting to online courses at this time.  

We are prudently planning in the event that we have to change our operations. For example, we are making sure all our faculty are well prepared to do online education, if needed. If we have to change our operations for public health reasons, our goals will be to keep people healthy and complete the semester without disrupting the educational progress of our students. 

As we head into spring break next week, please remember that students, faculty and staff traveling to countries with a CDC risk assessment Level 2 or above must report their travel to UTEP’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety using an online form or by calling 915-747-7124. Upon return to the U.S., these individuals must self-isolate for 14 days before coming back to work or school. For more details about self-isolation, please visit this CDC page.

We continue to guide faculty, staff and students to behave in ways that reduce the likelihood of infection.

• Practice good hand hygiene, including washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home, rest and avoid close contact with others when you are sick or have a fever.
• Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

For more information, please visit www.utep.edu/coronavirus.

Originally posted March 6

Coronavirus Update

UTEP officials are now suspending all University-sponsored travel to regions with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notice Warning Level 2 or above or a coronavirus State Department Travel Advisory Level 3 or above.

Students, faculty and staff traveling for personal reasons, including spring break, to a country with a CDC risk assessment Level 2 or above must report their travel to UTEP’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety using an online form or by calling 915-747-7124. Upon return to the U.S., these individuals must self-isolate for 14 days before coming back to work or school. For more details about self-isolation, please visit this CDC page.

Individuals traveling for business or personal reasons are encouraged to check the CDC’s COVID-19 travel page, State Department travel advisories, and the International Air Transport Association’s list of travel and entry restrictions for the latest information before departing. This information is changing on a daily basis, so it is important to follow updates from national, regional and local health authorities. Note that if you leave the country, your trip may affect your ability to return to the United States and campus.

Currently, there are no known cases of COVID-19 in El Paso County.

We encourage everyone to take steps to protect themselves from COVID-19 and other illnesses by being mindful of the following:

• Practice good hand hygiene, including washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home, rest and avoid close contact with others when you are sick or have a fever.
• Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Please visit www.utep.edu/coronavirus for more information and additional ways to protect yourself. 

Further information about UTEP travel resources, policies and procedures can be found at www.utep.edu/travel or by calling the UTEP Travel Office at 915-747-5171. Specific questions related to study abroad activities, including faculty-led programs, should be addressed to the Office of International Programs and Study Abroad at 915-747-5664.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this uncertain time. We continue to monitor developments related to the outbreak.