Face masks must be worn at all times while inside any University building. Face masks are not required when outdoors but they are encouraged, especially when participating in any type of group event or gathering.

Additionally, students who attend any indoor, off-campus events or activities of registered student organizations must wear masks at all times.

All face masks must meet the following criteria:

• Fit snugly and securely over the mouth and nose and against the side of the face;
• Be secured by ties or ear loops;
• Allow for unrestricted breathing; and
• In the case of cloth face masks, be able to be laundered and dried without damage or change to shape.
• There are limited circumstances where a face mask is not required while inside a University building. If you have a question, always check for posted signs and instructions:
  • Residence Hall Room: Students living in SAU Housing are not required to wear a mask while in your assigned residence hall room and without guest with the door closed but must wear a face mask while in residence hall lobbies, hallways, elevators, and other common areas.
  • Private Office:  University employees are not required to wear a mask while working alone in your private office with the door closed. A face mask must be worn in common workspaces or when others are present in the employee’s workspace and in all common areas including elevators, hallways, restrooms, and break rooms.
  • Eating or drinking on campus: While actively eating or drinking on University property.
  • Instruction: Vaccinated faculty may elect to remove masks while teaching, but must maintain at least 3-6 feet of social distance.
  • Accommodations: An exemption to the mask wearing community standard will not typically be considered as a reasonable accommodation. Individuals with a disability or health condition that prevents them from safely wearing a face mask may seek alternative accommodations through the Office of Human Resources (faculty and staff) or Student Affairs Accessibility Resources (students).
  • Medical attention: An individual who needs medical attention or services requiring temporary removal of the face mask.
  • Other: Such other limited exceptions as may be expressly approved by the President or Provost or their designees in consultation with public health and infectious disease experts or as may be required by law.

Students, staff, and faculty are also expected to comply with any requirement to wear a face mask issued by state and municipal authorities for any off-campus location.

Wearing a face mask is a COVID-19 Community Standard and violating the community standard may subject members of the SAU community to discipline.

The University will continue to monitor vaccination rates, SAU COVID-19 Testing results and guidance from state and local health experts during the fall semester to ensure the community standard on face masks reflects the latest information.

All members of the SAU community are required to participate in the SAU COVID-19 Testing Program as follows:

• Anyone in the SAU community who is unvaccinated is required to be tested twice per week. COVID-19 testing will be offered on-campus three times a week.
• Due to the high rate of transmission of the new COVID-19 variants, vaccinated members of the SAU community must be tested once every two weeks for monitoring purposes. Research shows that vaccinated individuals can still transmit COVID-19 to others.

Testing will be offered on-campus three times a week. If a COVID-19 test is taken off campus, test results must be uploaded on the SAU Vaccination Information Portal. Test results from either Rapid or PCR tests are acceptable.

Audits of attestations will occur on a regular basis. Students, faculty and staff who are non-compliant with SAU’s COVID-19 Testing Program requirements or are found to have falsified documents may be subject to disciplinary action.

All members of the campus community are expected to comply with this testing requirement.  SAU reserves the right, at the University’s discretion, to take additional action including suspension or dismissal to maintain the health and safety of our campus community. We will also provide regular vaccination events on campus and through our community partners.  

As SAU returns to a typical, in-person experience, we are committed to the well-being of our community – not just physically, but emotionally.

Each time prior to coming to campus, all members of the SAU community should self-assess whether you are experiencing any symptoms using the COVID-19 symptom list on the SAU COVID-19 Response website. If you have any of these symptoms, you should stay home. You should not enter any campus building, attend any class, or report to work.

Supporting each other as we return to a typical, in-person experience will assist all members of the SAU community to do their best work whether it is in the workplace, in the classroom, or elsewhere on campus. It is important to lead conversations and decisions with respect for fellow community members, recognizing that people have different levels of comfort depending on the circumstance.

It is important to respect and honor members of the SAU community who wish to maintain their personal space.

Members of the SAU community are expected to refrain from asking others for their personal health information, such as vaccination status.

Saint Augustine’s University has implemented the SAU COVID-19 Testing Program to protect students, faculty, and staff returning to campus. Under the Program, individuals returning to campus who are participating in in-person employment, clinical, educational or other activities on the SAU campus are required to comply with measures that may include daily health checks, training, regular COVID-19 symptomatic and asymptomatic testing, contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation. The groups of individuals required to participate in regular testing and frequency of those testing requirements is available on the SAU COVID-19 Testing Program webpage. Records related to completion of these measures will be collected and maintained to manage the Program and meet state requirements. We respect your privacy and are committed to providing a transparent notice of our privacy practices describing the steps the University will take to protect the privacy of Program information while ensuring the health and safety of the SAU community