Moving Forward Together

On May 11, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services declared the end of the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19. As a result, Auburn University has fully returned to pre-COVID-19 operations. University officials will continue monitoring the situation locally, nationally, and globally. Our priority will remain to ensure a safe and healthy campus environment for all students, faculty, and employees.

Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Covid-19 Resource Center

The COVID-19 Resource Center phone number is no longer active. Emails to COVIDresourcecenter@auburn.edu will receive an automated response with information on our common questions, and options to be redirected for questions about testing and vaccinations. This email is no longer being monitored. Since answers to most questions can be found on the COVID-19 Resource Center website we encourage you to check here first.

Employees

If you are an employee and test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19, use the Employee Decision Tree for isolation and exposure guidance. Quarantine is not required for people who have experienced a close contact exposure to someone with COVID-19.

  • It is the responsibility of an employee that tests positive or needs to isolate according to CDC guidance to contact their supervisor to discuss work.

  • Supervisors made aware of positive cases in the work area should work with their HR Liaison to ensure proper leave policies are followed, as appropriate.

  • For additional employment related COVID-19 guidance, employees should contact their supervisor or Human Resources Liaison.

Students

If you are a student and test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19, use the Student decision tree for further guidance. Additional information on isolation and what to do if you have been exposed can be found here. Quarantine is not required for people who have experienced a close contact exposure to someone with COVID-19.

  • Students may be directed by their physician to enter isolation for health reasons and must follow that guidance before returning to in-person university programs or activities.

  • It is the responsibility of students that need to isolate to contact their instructors to discuss missed classes, assignments, tests, etc.

  • Students are responsible for notifying instructors of the reason for their absences in a timely manner. Students who miss class for any reason (COVID-related or otherwise) may be required by their instructor to obtain documentation from a medical professional to have the absence counted as an excused absence. Final decisions regarding absences and coursework/exam management are determined by each individual instructor following established institutional/college/departmental policies and guidelines.

  • Faculty made aware of a positive case in their classroom or work area should not share this information with others.

  • Faculty are encouraged to work with students to address homework or class activities that may be missed. Faculty are not required to offer remote access to courses when the course is intended for face-to-face instruction.

Staying Safe on Campus

Do Your Part! Being part of the Auburn Family means taking steps to keep ourselves safe, look out for one another and keep our campus community strong. The obligation falls on each of us to take personal responsibility for our actions and do our part to continue to keep the Auburn community safe. Please continue to make well-informed decisions about protecting your own personal safety and the health and safety of others.

Get Vaccinated

There is no COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students, faculty, and staff. All members of our community are encouraged to get one of the COVID-19 vaccines and the available boosters to maximize protection against the most serious effects of COVID-19. If you need to schedule a vaccination or booster you may contact the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center at 334-844-4099 to check availability. Vaccines are also widely available at select retail pharmacy locations and other providers throughout the state. You can view a list of all vaccine providers and our vaccine clinics using The Alabama Department of Public Health’s Vaccine Clinic Dashboard.

Get Tested

If you need to schedule a COVID-19 test you may call the Auburn University Medical Clinic's COVID line at 334-844-9825. The Auburn University Medical Clinic offers testing for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Additionally, the Alabama Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard and COVID-19 Table provides a list of testing sites in Alabama.

At-home COVID-19 test kits are widely available at most drug stores and supermarkets. They are also available to Auburn faculty, staff through the AU Employee Pharmacy and for students through the AU Student Pharmacy.

Face Coverings

Face coverings are optional for all individuals on Auburn University’s campus. Students, faculty, and staff can choose to wear a face covering based on their individual health and safety needs. It is also important that we continue to support and respect those in our community who need to, or choose to, wear a face covering.

Stay Home from Work or Class When Sick

All students, faculty and staff are expected to self-assess and monitor their health daily, before coming to work or class, for the COVID-19 symptoms identified by the CDC. If you have symptoms, do not attend work or class, and contact your medical provider. Notify your instructor and/or supervisor if you need to miss class or work.

Isolation and Exposure

The university continues to follow CDC guidance regarding Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19 and What to Do If You Were Exposed to COVID-19.

Isolation

Students, faculty, or staff who test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. Wear a mask through day 10. You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.

When you have COVID-19, isolation is counted in days, as follows:

If you had symptoms:

  • Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive.

  • Day 1 is the first full day after the day your symptoms started.

If you did not have symptoms:

  • Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result).

  • Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested.

  • If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset.

COVID-19 Exposure

Regardless of vaccination status, the CDC is now recommending that instead of quarantining if you were exposed to COVID-19, you wear a high-quality mask for 10 days, monitor for symptoms, and get tested on day 6.

Travel

Students, faculty, staff planning domestic or international travel should continue to follow university and departmental travel policies and guidance. The CDC has additional guidance on travelling including tips on prevention and what to you when returning home.

The top priority of the university in all decisions is the health, safety and well-being of the campus community. As scientific knowledge of the coronavirus continues to evolve, the Covid-19 pandemic changes over time, and government and public health officials issue new orders and guidance, the university will update procedures and plans as needed. The university will follow all state and federal orders and will adhere to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health in order to ensure the safest possible on-campus environment.