UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ­— As Penn State’s student body returned and in-person classes resumed on Feb. 15, the University community is reminded of available resources and guidance for the spring semester. The overarching guide to Penn State operations during COVID-19 can be found at virusinfo.psu.edu. More specific guidance is below:

Faculty

Spring Semester planning:

• Spring 2021 planning page on the Keep Teaching website
• Penn State’s Wellness Days website
• Procedures for COVID-19 instructional modes during campus operations due to weather
• Syllabus language for COVID-19 from the University Faculty Senate

Classroom disruptions:

• Guidance to assist faculty with handling situations in instructional spaces
• Classroom Disruption Protocols from the Office of Educational Equity

Testing for faculty and instructors:

• Pre-arrival testing: Faculty and instructors teaching in-person beginning Feb. 15 do not have to have a COVID-19 test before returning to the classroom. 
• Testing for those who have traveled: Those who have traveled outside of Pennsylvania must follow Pennsylvania’s guidelines when returning to the commonwealth.
• Surveillance testing: All employees who are working on campus will be subject to random surveillance testing throughout the spring semester.
• Walk-up testing: Information is available at virusinfo.psu.edu.

Other resources:

• Engaging Students Asynchronously
• COVID-19 resources for students
• Tips for engaging students and building community
• Compendium of COVID-19 guidance for faculty

Staff

Remote work resources:

• Learning resource network
• IT resources and Penn State Human Resources continues to offer various training programs, such as time management and delegation, via Zoom.
• Family and parent resources for those with dependents

Testing for staff:

• Employees listed in the University’s Return to Work database may order a Vault Health mail-in test kit. University Park employees also may use the walk-up testing on campus, however, but they are strongly encouraged to use the at-home, mail-in test kits, when possible.
• Surveillance testing: All employees who are in the University’s return to work database will be in the random surveillance testing pool during the spring semester.

Health and wellness:

• Penn State health guidelines
• A General Contact Tracing Referral Form allows faculty, staff and students to anonymously report information about individuals who have shared information about a positive case with them, or those known to have close contact with a positive individual.
• Employee Assistance Program via Health Advocate 
• Penn State Human Resources is offering information on managing anxiety and stress during this remote working period, and you can learn more about resources to ease spending time at home.
• Webinars, events and classes via Health Advocate will be offered periodically throughout the spring semester.

All Employees

• Penn State COVID-19 Response Center