According to FAU’s Office of the Provost, students who test positive for COVID-19 will continue to receive excused absences when the Fall 2022 semester begins.

“A positive test for COVID-19 would fall under the category of a legitimate class absence, as it is an illness,” said Media Relations Assistant Director Brittany Sylvestri, who spoke on behalf of the Provost’s Office. This office is also known as the Division of Academic Affairs, in charge of all aspects of FAU’s academics and programs. 

Sylvestri also shared that instead of the university expecting documentation to prove a positive COVID-19 test, each separate department or instructor will be responsible for determining what is acceptable and not acceptable to “ensure the absence is due to a legitimate reason such as [an] illness.”

This April, FAU ended all protocols regarding COVID-19 by sending out an announcement that stated that “employees and students no longer need to report a positive test or symptoms to Student Health Services.” 

Resources on FAU’s Student Health Services consist of direct links to the Center for Disease and Control Prevention’s guidelines for COVID-19, which the university will continue to advocate for. However, the Vice President of Student Affairs, Larry Faerman, shared via email that the university will no longer track COVID-19 cases on campus.

Florida continues to be a high-risk area for COVID-19, reporting an average of 11,000 cases per day. In comparison, the United States is counting about 103,000 daily. Florida is one of the leading states contributing to the high amount of COVID-19 cases alongside California and Texas. 

The university is addressing COVID-19 as a common viral disease that will often have outbreaks causing cases to rise as well as periods where fewer cases are reported. In other words, testing positive for COVID-19 during the fall semester will be treated the same as having a cold or influenza.

According to the university’s attendance policy, illness falls under the category of legitimate absences. Therefore, if a student tests positive in the fall, they are to report it to their professors or department heads and take responsibility for missed content in their courses. 

Isabella Visbal is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or DM on Instagram @isabellavisbal