Campus Operating Update: Revised CDC Guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that fully vaccinated individuals — those who have received their final COVID-19 vaccination at least two weeks ago — no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline, and vaccination efforts continue.Consistent with the revised CDC guidelines and recommendations from the university’s on-call COVID-19 Task Force, effective Monday, May 24, the University of Central Oklahoma will no longer mandate the use of masks or social distancing.

Those who have not been vaccinated should continue to wear a mask, preferably a surgical or KN-95 mask, to protect themselves and others. Those who have been vaccinated may continue to voluntarily wear a mask if they choose.

Additionally, the revised CDC guidelines mean the university can return to Level 1 operations, as defined in the university’s  . . .  read more

The University of Central Oklahoma plans to hold classes in-person for the fall 2021 semester. A significant part of those plans includes continued adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and encouraging all students, faculty and staff to get the COVID-19 vaccination when eligible.

“We’ve committed to creating an environment . . .  read more

UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar updates the Central community on the decision to extend Level 4 Operations one week, through Feb. 7. Barring significant changes to local COVID-19 data and trends, the university will return to Level 2 operations Monday, Feb. 8. Under Level 2, classes that were originally intended to meet in-person during the spring semester will begin meeting in person with face masks and distancing in place. Students enrolled in an extended classroom section will continue to join virtually per their professor’s instructions. Campus offices will return to working arrangements in place prior to Thanksgiving break. The following measures will remain in place through Feb. 7:

• Most in-person classes will continue remote synchronous instruction (virtual) through Feb. 7. Some classes, such as labs, clinicals and fine arts, will continue to meet in person during this time. Online classes will continue as planned.
• Campus facilities will remain open,

 . . .  read more

The University of Central Oklahoma will adjust campus operations for the start of the spring semester and temporarily shift most in-person classes to synchronous virtual delivery through Jan. 31 due to the surge in reported cases of COVID-19 and related hospitalizations and deaths in Oklahoma County. Classes for the spring semester are set to begin . . .  read more

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the university calendar for the spring 2021 semester will include the following one-time changes:

Winter Break will be extended by one week.

• Spring 2021 classes will begin Tuesday, Jan. 19.
• Employees will receive an additional week of paid leave from Jan. 4-8. Staff will report back to work Jan. 11.

Spring Break, scheduled for March 15-19, will be eliminated from the spring 2021 semester schedule.

• Students and faculty will continue classes

 . . .  read more

Extended Classroom Options are Almost Ready

Last month, we shared our fall class instruction options. This includes in-person courses, 100% online courses, alternative instructional delivery and  new extended classroom option for some courses. Extended classrooms are virtual seats for in-person classes where students will join the class online at the same time as in-person students. These students will have the same professor and opportunities for interaction during class. For example, a classroom that traditionally would have a maximum capacity of 30 students might now only have 20 students attend in person. The remaining 10 students would participate virtually through the extended classroom. This will help us follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for social distancing.

Academic departments have examined every in-person class for the fall semester to determine which ones would be able to utilize the extended classroom environment. We will send announcements via email, social media and the UCO website when these courses . . .  read more

President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar updates students on the university’s COVID-19 response and plans for fall. The fall class schedule currently is being updated to reflect changes in capacity and delivery. An additional announcement will be sent once the changes are complete with instruction on how to find and enroll in classes in the varying delivery . . .  read more

We recently sent an email detailing the university’s working plan for fall 2020 classroom instruction. Some of the differences in the class options were not completely clear to some of our students. We hope the following information helps clarify options for fall 2020. The bottom line is that we will offer classes in person and online in an effort . . .  read more

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Central Oklahoma has sought ways to continue classroom instruction while also preventing and slowing the spread of the virus. Incorporating feedback from the faculty and colleges, the university has drafted a working plan for the fall 2020 semester that will allow the university to resume in-person . . .  read more

While planning continues for a safe return to in-person instruction for the fall 2020 semester, we have made decisions on changes for the instructional calendar that are intended to support our overall health and safety efforts. These changes include:

• Eliminating fall break Oct. 15-16 and continuing with class instruction during this period;
• Concluding in-person classroom instruction by Nov. 24, prior to Thanksgiving Break Nov. 25-27;
• Continuing class activities virtually during Quiet Week, Nov. 30-Dec. 4; and,
• Conducting final exams online Dec. 7-11.

Plans regarding class sizes and other measures to ensure social distancing and safety for in-person classroom instruction are ongoing and will be announced at a later date. The fall semester is still set to begin Aug. 17. I want to extend my gratitude to our co-interim Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs Dr. Charlotte Simmons and Dr. Gary Steward, Jr., our college deans, department chairs and all faculty and staff working to prepare for student success during this unique academic year. Their care and concern for the safety of our campus community is unparalleled.

Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar
President