As the university continues to respond to the evolving circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to providing up-to-date information to our community. Below you will find this week’s new and updated answers to frequently asked questions regarding university news, policies and resources.
Please refer to the Fall 2020 Plan website for the full lists of Fall 2020 FAQs pertaining to health and safety, Main Campus students, Georgetown Law students, F-1 and J-1 international students, research and travel; the Georgetown University Community Compact; and messages to the community about the fall semester.
General FAQs
How can faculty and staff access campus buildings?
Faculty and staff should have GOCard access until August 16, and should notify their supervisor to advise them of your plans to access the building. In the event of an access problem while on site, please contact GUPD at 202-687-4343. If you believe you do not have access, please complete the GOCard Door Access Request form to request GOCard access to the university buildings you need to enter. You can review your access by logging into the Access Request Portal and selecting “My Access.”
Beginning on August 17, if you have been approved to work on campus, you will be required to show your Building Access Badge from the GU360 website to gain entry to university buildings staffed by a public health screener. Please access your Building Access Badge from the GU360 website by going to the GU360 Building Access page (you will not be able to access your Building Access Badge until August 17). We recommend that you create a bookmark on your iPhone or Android mobile device by following these instructions. Your Building Access Badge must be green to gain access. Red badges will be denied entry.
For more information about the University’s building access procedures for the Main Campus and the Medical Center for the Fall 2020 semester, please review this August 7 message from Provost Robert M. Groves, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences Edward B. Healton, and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Geoffrey S. Chatas.
Which faculty and staff have been approved to be on campus?
You have been approved to work on campus if:
- Your supervisor has identified you as someone who needs to work on campus and submitted this information to the appropriate university leader (e.g., Executive Vice President or Chief Operating Officer);
- The appropriate university leader has approved this submission;
You have received an invitation to download the One Medical mobile application, downloaded the app, and signed the consent form, which authorizes One Medical to release COVID-19 test results and daily risk assessment information reported through the mobile application to Georgetown; - You have complied with the University’s testing protocols; AND
You have completed the Fall 2020 Affirmation and signed the Georgetown University Community Compact on the GU360 website.
How has the university considered accessibility in its Fall plans?
As we plan for the Fall, we affirm our collective responsibility to ensure equitable access to our academic programs. Access challenges affect a broad swath of our community and range from the need for new or different academic accommodations for students with disabilities and learning differences, to disparities in access to technology, to new responsibilities for dependent care. Guided by the principles of Universal Design for Learning, we have created a host of accessibility-related resources that are available to both faculty and students, including the CNDLS Guidebook on Accommodations and Accessibility, a comprehensive guide to accessible course design with practical instructions, recorded webinars and suggestions for further reading, and an Accessibility Resources for Students page linked to all Canvas course sites. For additional assistance, faculty may request an individual consultation with CNDLS staff, or contact the Academic Resource Center about specific accommodations for their students. The global crisis and its effects on our community are evolving on a daily basis, demanding new forms of collaboration and support for one another. We urge faculty to check in with students regularly about their changing access needs.
University Operations and Finances
What is the University’s plan for the fall 2020 semester?
Courses for all students will begin in virtual mode. We plan to introduce in-person course elements as soon as health conditions permit.
In early July, we had announced our intention to bring approximately 2,000 undergraduate students, including the members of the first-year class, to our Main Campus. We have revised this approach based on current pandemic conditions. We will not be able to bring to campus the members of the entering undergraduate class, the class of 2024, at this time. We will limit the density of our undergraduate residence halls by housing only students who have been approved through the Housing Stability Application process, students who have been invited to return to campus because of academic requirements and members of the incoming first-year class who are F1 visa holders.
Select activities—such as biomedical, life, and physical sciences research—will continue to take place on-campus according to our established plans.
Will University staff work on campus to support residential students?
Vital campus services, including Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD), Student Affairs, Georgetown University Transportation Shuttles (GUTS), Facilities Management, and Residential Living staff remain physically on campus.
If you need an appointment or to speak with a nurse or provider, you can call the Student Health Center at 202-687-2200 or send a message through the MedStar portal. To reach CAPS, call 202-687-6985 and someone will respond to you promptly. For after-hours CAPS emergencies, call 833-960-3006.
How can I access religious services and Campus Ministry?
Chaplains and residential ministers are available remotely. Masses and religious services will be live-streamed as much as possible; information will be sent out through individual chaplaincy channels.
What is the status of HoyaKids?
HoyaKids and Georgetown Law Early Learning Center remain closed. For those enrolled in our HOYA Kids program and required to be at work, we are working to ensure that we can provide care for those currently enrolled in care. Specific details will be provided to enrolled parents.
How can faculty and staff get mail?
All packages and mail addressed to academic or administrative buildings on Main Campus will be delivered directly to our Central Mail Services department in the Harris Building. Auxiliary Business Services has been in touch with individual departments that will retain on-campus delivery. If you are placing a new order, you should use the Whitehaven Street address.
You can pick up mail and packages from Mail Services in the Harris Building at our Central Mail Services department at Room B116, 3300 Whitehaven Street on Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. If you need to make special arrangements for pick-up or if you’re expecting an urgent package, please contact Carl Dyson or Gideon Pinckney or call 202-687-5245. When picking up mail and packages from the Harris Building, you may park in the circle in front of the building for up to 10 minutes. You will need your GOCard in order to access the building.
If a package is en route to a closed or GOCard access-only academic or administrative building, there will be signs on the door directing carriers to redeliver to the Harris Building. We cannot guarantee that carriers will read the signs and redeliver your package, so please use the tracking information and reach out to carriers directly if your package is en route and may be affected. The Research Building loading dock remains open Monday to Friday during the day to accept deliveries to Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) buildings.
Starting August 17, when faculty and staff will no longer have GOCard access to the Harris Building, anyone coming to pick up mail or packages will need to call 202-687-5246 when they arrive so the Mail Services onsite team can meet them outside the building.
Will faculty and staff still be charged for parking?
For the Fall 2020 semester, we will not charge on-campus parkers a parking fee through payroll deduction until further notice. If there is a future change in the university’s on-campus status, parkers will be contacted regarding whether they want to continue on campus parking. Previously submitted cancellation requests will not be processed at this time.
If you have additional questions, please refer to the Office of Transportation Management’s page of frequently asked questions.