Campus leadership has worked collaboratively with faculty representatives and consulted with public health officials and medical experts to develop a comprehensive set of guidelines to help protect the health and safety of our community.
UMKC has a notification process for employees. Start with this step:
Do not visit campus or any public areas. Follow the advice of your health-care provider, cooperate with contact tracing with public health officials and continue to practice good health hygiene.
If you test positive, stay home. Within four hours of your learning of your positive test, you need to start the process for notifying UMKC so we can notify campus of a positive case and begin necessary sanitization.
Based on the latest guidance from local health experts, UMKC requires students, faculty, staff and visitors to wear masks in public indoor settings.
The University of Missouri System policy calls for individual campuses to follow local public health requirements for masking, and continues to recommend masking in indoor settings. At UMKC, that means face coverings will continue to be required in all public indoor settings, including our classrooms, labs and other learning spaces.
For those who are unvaccinated, masks are required in both indoor and outdoor settings on campus.
Masks are still required in hospitals or other health-care settings, and public transportation settings.
Learn more on the Health and Safety page.
Our campus attendance policy outlines attendance expectations and excused absences. Although students are generally required to provide documentation for excused absences, flexibility is encouraged this academic year. Students should be encouraged to quarantine and get tested if they have even mild COVID-19 symptoms. Faculty do not need to simultaneously offer a face-to-face and remote course, but should have contingency plans in place for making course material and assessments available to any student who is unable to attend class for an extended period of time with an excused absence.
If a student contacts you with concerns about attending classes and requests accommodations, or they need accommodations in an online course, please direct them to Student Disability Services (816-235-5612). For online course accommodations, the Instructional Design and Technology team can assist you in providing the accommodations needed.
Yes, free rapid testing is available on campus by appointment at go.umkc.edu/covidtesting.
For information regarding on-campus vaccine clinics, visit our Vaccines page.
Vaccines are widely available at drugstores, hospitals, clinics and other sites throughout our community, and we continue to offer vaccinations to members of our campus community through our partners at University Health Truman Medical Center. Register online or call (816) 404-CARE (2273) and press option 1.
UMKC faculty, staff, students and volunteers who have direct patient contact are required to be vaccinated.
Supervisors are encouraged to provide telework options to employees, including non-exempt employees, whose job duties can be performed remotely without hampering operations. UM Human Resources has information and tools available if considering flexible work arrangements.
Benefit-eligible Administrative, Service & Support employees and certain non-regular academic employees may use the following paid time off:
12-month faculty may use any of their unused four weeks (20 days per year) of annual leave, CRR 320.070 Academic Appointments. Non-benefit eligible employees will be approved for leave without pay.
Please consult your university, hospital or system human resources for additional guidance.
University travel, domestic and international, will resume with people following all guidelines and restrictions according to the CDC. This includes study-abroad programs.
Please visit the CDC for the most up-to-date guidelines for quarantine following international travel.
For more information about the university's liability, please see MO Senate Bill 51.
This fall, we anticipate allowing only university-sponsored events to be held on campus. All campus COVID-related policies effective at the time of the event must be followed. For indoor events with food, room capacity should be limited to 50% or otherwise allow for social distancing while masks are removed for eating/drinking. For indoor events without food, there are no room capacity modifications.
Off-campus university events will follow the protocols/policies of the off-campus venue and any municipal ordinances in place at the time of the event.
Please refer to the UMKC Event Policy guidance for more information.
Addressing workplace concerns during a virus-related outbreak are complex and ever-changing. First and foremost, help employees reduce unwarranted fears by focusing on facts provided by the CDC and remain consistent with the messaging provided by the university.
Employees should be supported and provided a safe and inclusive environment. Obtain information about the source of their concerns to consider alternative working arrangements, if feasible. Consult with Human Resources to determine if accommodations are appropriate based on reliable information.
Under these situations, supervisors are encouraged to provide telework options to employees, including non-exempt employees, whose job duties can be performed remotely without hampering operations. UM Human Resources has information and tools available if considering flexible work arrangements.
Please consult your HR Business Partner for additional guidance
