email : Webview : New Social Distancing Guideline for Campus Research Spaces

Office of the Vice President for Research

This message has been distributed to all UT employees with Principal Investigator (PI) status, as well as all UT graduate students and postdocs.

Dear PI Colleagues, Graduate Students, and Postdocs,

I wanted to let you know that in addition to last week’s announcement about extended research shift hours and Animal Resources Center services, the Fall 2020 Planning Executive Committee has decided to adjust social distancing guidelines for on-campus labs and research spaces. Previously, the Research Level 3 requirement was that there be only one person per 200 sq. ft. of floorspace. Beginning immediately, and with approval from your associate dean for research, you may now schedule your teams so that there is one person per 125 sq. ft. of floorspace, and we’ll be updating the research plan, toolkit, and other documents to reflect this change. This modification brings the research enterprise into alignment with social distancing requirements in other campus spaces and may make it easier to schedule your cohorts while maintaining a 50% workforce density cap. As I mentioned last week, too, we are able to make this change in part because of the low COVID infection rate on campus, but should conditions change, we’ll adjust accordingly.

And a few reminders:
Please remember to consider using SURE Walk, UT Night Rides, or a UT shuttle if you’re on campus after dark. Your safety is paramount.

Schedule a UT Night Ride

Also, please continue to volunteer for proactive community testing. It’s only through frequent testing that we can be confident we’re making the best decisions for those of us on campus. Keep in mind that you can be tested as frequently as once a week, results are available within 1-3 days, and there is no out-of-pocket cost to UT employees and students.

Make a PCT Appointment

And finally, don’t forget that today is the last day for early voting in Travis County. Most locations, including those on campus, are open until 7 p.m., but a few locations will be open until 9 p.m. tonight. You can check the wait times for early voting and on Tuesday, November 3, by visiting the county clerk’s website. Don’t forget that UT employees can take time off to vote as well.

Check Polling Location Wait Times

I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: these are stressful and difficult times, and I thank each of you for your continued patience and flexibility. I hope that adjusting shift hours and the square footage requirement renormalizes operations a bit and makes it easier for you to conduct on-campus research.

I’m proud of all you’re doing; we’re in the semester’s home stretch.

Sincerely,

Alison R. Preston, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Research

This communication is from Principal Investigators – Official.
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