Fall 2020

We’re thrilled to welcome more members of our ChE community back to campus for a public health-informed, in-residence semester. 

Our fall semester is designed to offer students a mixture of both in-person and remote learning experiences designed to deliver the top-quality education that U-M Chemical Engineering is known for, structured to reflect our commitment to public health and our students. 

Following guidance from the University and the College, we’ve built an operations plan that balances safety with current conditions. We’ve created this webpage to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our Fall 2020.

The information detailed on this page should be viewed as a “living” document as we will need to update our answers as conditions and public health dictate.

QUICK LINKS: 

• Campus Maize and Blueprint for the most up-to-date, campus-wide information
• Michigan Engineering COVID-19 Resources for Michigan Engineering-specific resources and information 
• View the following ChE Fall 2020 FAQs  in an easily searchable PDF format

FAQs 

Where can I find the latest University of Michigan information and resources on COVID-19?

Campus Maize & Blueprint is the central hub for the latest U-M and COVID-related announcements and information.

Campus Maize & Blueprint houses the U-M COVID-19 data dashboard, which displays data from campus COVID-19 testing and cases reported to the University Health Service and Occupational Health Services. Data is refreshed daily and excludes Michigan Medicine employees.

Where can I find the latest University of Michigan Engineering information and resources on COVID-19?

Michigan Engineering’s COVID-19 website offers information and resources tailored for the Michigan Engineering community, organized into the following categories:

• Teaching
• Student support
• Research
• Working

Where can I find the latest University of Michigan Engineering information and resources on COVID-19 relevant to students?

The Office of Student Life Well-being webpage offers one-click access to resources to help students connect with others, adjust their study habits, access food and other basic needs, and more.

The Dean of Students Office is available to students, parents/families, and faculty/staff who have questions about student support and assistance (in general and particularly related to COVID-19) and/or who are concerned about a student’s well-being.

Additionally, Rackham Graduate School and The International Center provides updates and resources of interest to our graduate student and international student populations.

For more resources, see the Chemical Engineering’s Resources for Working and Learning webpage.

What daily safety protocols am I required to follow?

• If you feel sick, stay home and away from others. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, isolate and visit Campus Maize & Blueprint for who to contact for next steps.
• Complete your daily ResponsiBLUE Health Screening Check before entering a U-M building or property, or before leaving residence if living on campus.. This is required in order to meet state regulatory requirements for health screening.
• Put on your mask before entering a U-M building or property. With very limited exceptions, everyone is required to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose anywhere on campus – inside buildings, outdoors and on U-M transportation.
• Have your MCard out and ready to swipe. Michigan Engineering buildings will only open when scanned by your MCard. It is prohibited to let anyone else in the building under your Mcard swipe. Each individual must swipe their own card before entering.
• Maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and all others anywhere on campus and inside buildings, including as you approach building entrances and exits. For more information on social distancing and convening, the Office of Student Life has worked with students to create the Wolverine Culture of Care information sheet.
• Maintain personal hygiene. Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If unable to wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Additionally, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Sanitize work and meeting spaces before use. Wipe down any surfaces with a sanitizing agent before you touch them (ex. desk and table tops, lab equipment, computer keyboards, phones, vending machine buttons, etc.). Cleaning supplies are available in labs, classrooms, and Chemical Engineering buildings (Dow and NCRC).
• Follow all campus building signage, including changes to traffic flow and room capacity limitations. To facilitate physical distancing, many hallways, stairways, and entrance ways have been converted to one-way traffic flow and elevator use has been limited. Signage is posted in these cases. Also, each room available for reservations in Dow and NCRC has been assigned a “COVID maximum capacity” based on the required CDC physical distancing density limits.

What should I do if I test positive for the coronavirus or have symptoms?

If you have symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19:

• Isolate: Follow the guidance set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). See Campus Maize & Blueprint for specific instructions.
• Students should isolate, connect with their instructor/supervisor, and call University Health Services (734-764-8320). Students can also schedule a meeting with the C.A.R.E. Center to help navigate their illness and academics.
• Faculty and staff should isolate, contact their supervisor, and alert the Occupational Health Services hotline by calling 734-764-8021. Follow CDC guidelines and directions received from Work Connections.

If you believe you have had sustained close contact (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) with a person who has COVID-19:

• Students should quarantine, following guidance from the CDC. See Campus Maize & Blueprint for specific instructions.
• Faculty and staff notified through contact tracing of exposure to a positive COVID-19 case need to follow CDC guidelines for quarantine for 14 days after their last contact with the case, check their temperature twice a day, and watch for symptoms of COVID-19. See Campus Maize & Blueprint for additional information and resources.

Visit Campus Maize & Blueprint for additional, detailed directions.

Do I need to isolate or quarantine if someone in my building tests positive for COVID-19?

Current CDC guidance indicates that individuals should quarantine if they were in sustained close contact (within 6 feet of a case for more than 15 minutes) with a person who has COVID-19. Individuals should isolate if they are experiencing symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 without symptoms.

Visit Campus Maize & Blueprint for additional, detailed directions.

Do I need to take the ResponsiBLUE health attestation everyday even if I am not on campus?

While individuals who will not be on campus on a given day are not required to take the ResponsiBLUE health attestation, all community members are highly encouraged to do so. Daily use will help make using the tool a healthy habit, and the aggregated data gathered will provide useful information about the overall health of the U-M community.

Do visitors and vendors need to take the ResponsiBLUE health attestation?

Yes, anyone who will be on U-M property or inside U-M facilities must take the ResponsiBLUE health attestation. Visitors and vendors must use the guest version of ResponsiBLUE.

Where do I have to wear a mask or covering on campus?

Everywhere, with very limited exceptions.

U-M’s mask policy indicates that with very limited exceptions, all faculty, staff, students and visitors are required to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose anywhere on campus – inside buildings, outdoors and on U-M transportation.

Are there exceptions for times when I’m required to wear a face mask or covering on campus?

The U-M Face Covering Policy for COVID-19 lists exceptions. If you believe you require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to be exempt from wearing a face mask/covering, please contact the Office for Institutional Equity.

What should I do if I see someone on campus without a mask or face covering?

If you see someone not wearing a mask on campus, you have options for choosing to address the situation:

• Politely remind them to wear one
  • If they don’t have one, offer to help them find one. Classrooms and offices in Michigan Engineering buildings should have spares
  • If they refuse, you may choose to leave the area and report the incident. Non-compliance can be reported to your supervisor, an advisor or leader in your academic department or to the Office of Student Affairs.
• If you’re not comfortable confronting noncompliance, please remove yourself from the situation and report the incident.

Additionally, individuals can call the COVID Concerns Reporting Line to submit any public health concerns: 734-647-3000.

Employees and students who repeatedly do not wear a mask and have not been granted a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be subject to the University’s misconduct and disciplinary policy or the Office of Student Conflict Resolution.

What do I need to enter buildings on campus, such as NCRC and Dow?

Faculty, postdocs, and graduate students must complete, if you have not already done so, you the following safety training module before you return to campus: COVID 19: Working Safely in U-M Research Areas

Staff must complete, if you have not already done so, the following safety training module before you return to campus: COVID-19: Working Safely at U-M:

For anyone who plans to be on campus:

• If you feel sick, stay home and away from others. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, isolate and visit Campus Maize & Blueprint for who to contact for next steps.
• Complete your daily ResponsiBLUE Health Screening Check before entering a U-M building or property, or before leaving residence if living on campus. This is required in order to meet state regulatory requirements for health screening.
• Put on your mask before stepping onto campus. With very limited exceptions, everyone is required to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose anywhere on campus – inside buildings, outdoors and on U-M transportation.
• Have your MCard out and ready to swipe. Michigan Engineering buildings will only open when scanned by your MCard. It is prohibited to let anyone else in the building under your Mcard swipe. Each individual must swipe their own card before entering.
• Maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and all others anywhere on campus and inside buildings, including as you approach building entrances and exits.

Will undergraduate students have access to the research labs?

Per guidance from the University of Michigan Office of Research (UMOR), only senior students who already have experience working with the same research team (laboratory, human, field and studio research) can resume in-person research and scholarship at this time. Undergraduates at any year of study are welcome and encouraged to join research teams if their work can be done remotely. Research leadership will reassess this policy on October 1 to determine whether more undergraduates can safely resume in-person research and scholarship.

For those interested in exploring ChE-specific research opportunities, review the 2020 Undergraduate Research Project Description document and watch for new opportunities in the weekly email announcements sent by Undergraduate Student Advisor Brittiany Smith.

Can I use my office or desk space?

Graduate students: Attendant to authorized on-campus activity, yes, graduate students can use their offices for the following specific uses:

• Waiting between two in-person classes where it would be impossible to return home
• Waiting for short periods of time between wet lab experiments. Offices cannot be used for research purposes beyond those permitted short intervals

Faculty: Attendant to authorized on-campus activity, yes, faculty can use their offices while waiting between teaching in-person classes where it would be impossible to return home.

Staff: Individuals with a private office or situated within an office with a door should keep their door shut at all times. Signage on doors indicate that visitors should knock and await a response before entering a space.

However, please note that based on the latest guidance from the University of Michigan Office of Research (UMOR), “all work that can occur remotely will continue to be done in that manner, including office and dry lab work.”

How do I reserve a room in NCRC or Dow?

Each Michigan Engineering department has developed its own system for reserving meeting and conference rooms available within their facilities. However, many Engineering departments–including Chemical Engineering–are using the Study Spaces at U-M website to coordinate reservation requests for student study space.

ChE offers conference/meeting spaces, as well as undergraduate and graduate student study spaces, available for reservations in both NCRC and Dow.

To view Dow and NCRC room capacity, availability and request a reservation, see the  ChE Room Reservation document available on Google Drive.

Additionally, Study Spaces at U-M is a tool designed to help students find and reserve:

• designated study spaces
• computer stations
• a space for you to take a remote class
• a dedicated quiet touchdown spot between classes

Students can reserve:

• Library spaces (NOT including CAEN Labs)
• Central Campus study spaces
• North Campus study spaces (including CAEN Labs)

See How to Reserve Study Space for reservation instructions.

On North Campus, Michigan Engineering has designated several “common spaces,” which are available to students for use as study and break spaces. These spaces include:

• Beyster
• GGB Galleria
• GGB Blue Lounge
• EECS
• Chrysler Center

Additionally, the University has also installed four large canopies for the North Campus community to maximize outdoor spaces for academics and community:

• Gerstacker Grove
• Stamps
• Duderstadt (Bonisteel side)
• NAME

View the canopy locations on the Michigan Engineering COVID-19 website. The canopies are non-reservable; space is first come, first served.

Will there be studying spaces available on campus for small groups?

Yes. In NCRC and Dow, the department has identified several rooms that can be reserved as a studying space for undergraduate and graduate students for up to 90 minutes, including a GSRA study space.

To view Dow and NCRC room capacity, availability and request a reservation, see the ChE Room Reservation document available on Google Drive. Students who reserve ChE-maintained rooms are expected to follow all existing public health guidance and UM policies.

Where do I go for student services support?

ChE’s front desk in the Dow building (3074A H.H. Dow) will be staffed in person from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Our undergraduate office (Dow 3146) will be staffed in person from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. For students requiring immediate assistance, signage located on the Undergraduate Office door (Dow 3146) will provide instructions on how to enter a virtual queue that is monitored 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Our graduate office (B-28 NCRC, G040S) will be primarily staffed remotely, though

staffed mostly virtually, on campus occasionally to accommodate requests for in-person advising meetings

How do I schedule an advising meeting?

Undergraduate students can schedule advising appointments with Undergraduate Student Advisor Brittiany Smith by either emailing brittijs@umich.edu or using the online scheduling system MyAdvising.

Graduate students can schedule advising appointments with Graduate Program Coordinator Susan Hamlin or Professor Lola Eniola-Adefeso, Vice-Chair for Graduate Education. Appointments will be primarily scheduled as virtual meetings; however, in-person meetings can be arranged with Ms. Hamlin at the student’s request.

• To schedule a meeting with Susan: email Susan at hamlins@umich.edu
• To schedule a meeting with Dr. Eniola-Adefeso, email her assistant, Kelly Raickovich, at raick@umich.edu

Where can I eat on North Campus?

Dining options are currently limited within NCRC:

• Picasso (NCRC’s cafeteria) currently remains closed. No date for re-opening is currently available.
• Market Twenty 4 Seven in NCRC, Building 32 remains open

Dining options are more plentiful on the rest of North Campus:

• All retail cafes and markets (including Mujo’s and Blue Market) reopened on August 31 for the fall semester. For a list of Michigan Dining’s North Campus locations, see MDining’s Hungry on North Campus flier.
• For the most up-to-date hours of operations, visit Michigan Dining’s Menus & Locations webpage.
• For contactless entry and mobile ordering, download the GET mobile app

Sitting down to eat: Kitchenettes and break areas can be used to store or heat-up food, per guidance from U-M Environment, Health & Safety. However, these spaces are considered non-essential common space and must be restricted from being used for longer periods of time, such as eating.

Instead, individuals should opt to eat at their desks or other locations away from others. A limited number of tables are available in break areas off of the B32 lobby, located near the food stop kiosks. Additionally, tables can be found in various locations across NCRC in break areas. However, most of those tables have been reduced to one person per table.

As weather permits, students are also encouraged to seek outside seating options.

Additionally, four large canopies installed across North Campus allows community members to maximize outdoor spaces for academics and community. You can view the exact locations of these non-reservable canopies on the Michigan Engineering COVID-19 website.

What resources are available to the ChE community?

Visit Chemical Engineering’s Resources for Working and Learning webpage for a collection of resources available to our community.