After considerable thought, careful evaluation of possible scenarios and broad consultation, the university has decided that we will resume on-campus instruction for the Fall 2020 semester in a manner modified to address the ongoing pandemic concerns. This semester will consist of a blend of in-person and remote instruction.

Along with a successful transition of our region of Illinois into Phase IV of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, resuming on-campus instruction is predicated upon our ability to provide adequate COVID-19 testing for our entire community, of faculty, staff and students, coupled with a comprehensive plan that looks after the vulnerable, and aims at mitigating and containing any outbreaks. 

For the most updated information, including updates on expectations and protocols, visit covid19.illinois.edu.

COVID-19 Testing – On-campus testing is required for all faculty, staff, or students who have a need to be on-campus for any reason for any length of time. Testing is required of all faculty, staff and students as per stated guidelines beginning Sunday, Aug. 16.  

• See a list of COVID testing locations →

Contact Tracing – The university is coordinating and partnering closely with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to support their work to manage contact tracing for all COVID-19 cases in Champaign County that are related to our faculty, staff or students.

Quarantine & Isolation – All faculty, staff, or students who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate per guidance by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Quarantine requirements apply to those who travel internationally or are placed into quarantine by public health based on exposure to someone who tested positive. More information about quarantine requirements for individuals returning to campus can be found here.

Online COVID-19 Training – All faculty, staff, and students, regardless of whether they are participating in on-campus activities or are 100 percent remote, are required to complete the Division of Research Safety COVID-19 online training. This must be completed before Monday, Aug. 24.

Face Coverings & Social Distancing – We will continue to require everyone to practice social distancing on campus and to wear face coverings in university facilities unless they are alone in a private space. Face coverings are also required for outside campus spaces where sufficient social distancing is not possible.

Fall 2020 Residence – All students will be required to provide their residential address for the Fall 2020 semester through Self-Service. This is to ensure that all individuals on or near campus are included in the mandatory COVID-19 testing program. More information will be provided in a subsequent email. 

Other Fall 2020 Guidance

Instruction after Nov. 20 – Friday, Nov. 20, will be the last day of in-person instruction for the Fall 2020 semester. After this day, Fall 2020 instruction and final exams will utilize alternative delivery methods.

Safer in Illinois App – The university has created an app for faculty, staff and students that will display an individual’s building entry status. 

University Housing Guidance – University Housing’s Coronavirus page provides detailed COVID-19 information about move-in, housing and residential life.

International Travel Guidance – If you enter the United States from another country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) require individuals to self-quarantine. (See more information on quarantine requirements above.) Additional information can be found on the International Student & Scholar Services blog.

Cleaning – Facilities & Services continues to maintain robust cleaning and sanitizing procedures. There will also be sanitation stations across campus to facilitate frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer.

COVID Wellness Team – The university will be encouraging (and, when necessary, enforcing) COVID-19 guidelines in a number of ways, including creating a new COVID Wellness team. This team will include student Wellness Ambassadors, a COVID Wellness Answer Center to answer questions and Wellness Support Associates who will check for compliance at the entrances of buildings and classrooms. This team will be in place by Monday, Aug. 24, the first day of instruction for the Fall 2020 semester.

All faculty, staff, and students, regardless of whether they are participating in on-campus activities or are 100 percent remote, are required to complete the Division of Research Safety COVID-19 online training. This must be completed before Monday, Aug. 24.

The Safer Illinois App has been developed by University of Illinois researchers to assist with contact tracing and to promote the health and safety of all members of the campus community. Use of the app is expected of University of Illinois faculty, staff and students who will spend time on campus. The app is one way in which COVID status will be checked at building entrances. For those not using the app, alternate but more time-consuming methods will be put into place. The app is now available for iPhone and Android users. Learn more →

Access to buildings in which course instruction will take place (which includes both Altgeld Hall and Illini Hall) will be monitored, and restricted to individuals in compliance with campus safety requirements. For access to the building, you must provide appropriate evidence of a negative COVID test and adherence to face covering guidelines. More information →

Altgeld Hall, Room 245

• MWF, 10-10: 50 a.m.  |  SPAN 310 AD2, Javier Irigoyen-Garcia
• W, 2-2:50 p.m.  |  ENG 101 BD4, Gretchen Forman
• W, 4-4:50 p.m.  |   ENG 101 D, Gretchen Forman

Altgeld Hall, Room 314

• MWF, 11-11:50 a.m.  |  HIST 259 B, Felix Cowan
• MWF, 12-12:50 p.m.  |  MATH 535 G1, Eugene Lerman
• M, 3-3:50 p.m.  |  ENG 100 IE3, Gretchen Forman
• M, 3-3:50 p.m.  |  ENG 100 SE3, Gretchen Forman
• M, 4-5:15 p.m.  |  ENG 199 M, Ivanhoe Favila
• T, 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m.  |  LAS 101 16, Murillo Soranso
• T, 12:30-1:50 p.m.  |  LAS 101 22, Murillo Soranso
• W, 4-5:20 p.m.  |  LAS 101 28, Murillo Soranso
• TR, 2-3:15 p.m.  |  BTW 250 S1, William Hechler
• TR, 3:30-4:50 p.m.  |  MDVL 444 G2, Carol Symes
• TR, 3:30-4:50 p.m.  |  MDVL 444 G4, Carol Symes
• TR, 3:30-4:50 p.m.  |  MDVL 444 U3, Carol Symes
• TR, 3:30-4:50 p.m.  |  HIST 445 G2, Carol Symes
• TR, 3:30-4:50 p.m.  |  HIST 445 G4, Carol Symes
• TR, 3:30-4:50 p.m.  |  HIST 445 U3, Carol Symes
• TR, 5-6:20 p.m.  |  SE 361 R, Gayle Spencer
• F, 9-10:20 a.m.  |  LAS 101 45, Murillo Soranso

Illini Hall, Room 23

• MW, 10-11:50 a.m.  |  JOUR 210 AB1, Alison Wood
• TR, 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.  |  JOUR 220 AB2, Carol Lombardi

The Main Office will have limited staffing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Drop-in visits are not allowed. Prior notification (via email to math@illinois.edu or via phone at 217-333-9576) is required in advance. Please note that in-person interactions of all types should continue to be minimized. A process for distribution of departmental supplies and keys is currently under development and will be communicated soon.

The Business Office will be available for faculty and other customers by appointment only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Only one staff member will be working in the Business Office on each of those days. Appointments should be made by emailing math-business@illinois.edu at least three business days in advance. The Business Office door will be locked at all times. 

The Graduate Office, Undergraduate Office and Communications Office will continue to operate fully remotely and those offices will all be locked at all times. 

Department offices may be reached at the following email addresses:

• math-grad@illinois.edu
  For questions about the graduate program, including admissions, information for current graduate students, doctoral prelims or thesis defenses
• mathadvising@illinois.edu
  For questions regarding undergraduate advising for any math students, including students in the Actuarial Science Program
• ASRM-advising@illinois.edu
  Questions specifically regarding undergraduate advising or students in the Actuarial Science Program
• math-hr@illinois.edu
  Faculty, staff, or student employees with questions about appointments, time sheets, visas, etc.
• math-business@illinois.edu
  Faculty, staff, or student employees with questions about pay, reimbursements, fund accounts, grants, etc.
• math-comm@illinois.edu
  Questions regarding the department’s webpage and communications/marketing-related inquiries
• math-it@illinois.edu
  Questions related to computing resources, resources for remote access, etc.
• math-facilities@illinois.edu
  Questions about offices and space assignments
• math@illinois.edu
  General questions about the department that do not fall into one of the above categories

*Please note: We encourage you to copy your message to the individual staff member who you wish to reach.

Campus mail delivery to the Math Department will resume in the week of August 17. The mailroom will remain locked at all times except for Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Faculty with keys may access the mailroom at any time. The mailroom will not be staffed except for Thursdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Please do not leave the mailroom door unlocked or ajar. Mail will be delivered once per week, on Thursday mornings. For internal department communications, we strongly recommend the use of electronic methods such as email and Box whenever possible. Personal deliveries should not be sent to the Department.

There will be limited service for the copiers in 250 Altgeld Hall. If you note a problem with one of the copiers, please report it as soon as possible to math@illinois.edu.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to conduct virtual advising during the Fall 2020 semester. Please reach us via email or phone as follows:

• Email: mathadvising@illinois.edu
  For email, please include your questions, name, 9-digit UIN, and netid. We will answer your questions directly via email or schedule a Zoom appointment for a more in-depth conversation as needed. If you need a Zoom appointment, please mention times in Central Time that would be convenient for you.
   
• Phone: +1-217-244-7310
  The main Math Undergraduate Office phone line is usually staffed weekdays (except holidays) from 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Central Daylight Time. If you are sent to voicemail, please include your name, phone number, UIN. It is recommended that you also email mathadvising@illinois.edu for the most immediate response.

Thank you for being patient and flexible during these extraordinary times. Please reach out to us with any issues or concerns you may have. We look forward to continuing to provide you with expert academic advising.

Travel by employees (both domestic and international) on University business remains restricted. Approval of both the Chair and the Dean is required, and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. More information →

The administration strongly discourages travel by individuals from outside the local community to campus. Individuals not employed by the University will not be able to enter University buildings due to the aforementioned restrictions on building access. At this time, campus is unable to provide COVID testing for individuals who are not University of Illinois employees or students. Please consult with me in advance if you believe that you have a compelling reason to invite someone to campus for an in-person visit. The Business Office has been instructed to refer all requests for travel advances or travel reimbursement to the Department Chair.

No in-person department-wide events will be scheduled until further notice. The State of Illinois continues to prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people in a single location. In particular, we will not hold a Fall 2020 welcome picnic, or a Homecoming event, or the Retirees’ Luncheon. The Fall 2020 faculty meeting will be held online. In-person department colloquia will not be held because the total possible attendance for such an event may exceed the 50-person limit.

Individuals associated with the department who are requesting to hold a Department sponsored or Department funded event will be required to complete an Event Policies Form and agree to follow specific restrictions. New University restrictions on the number of individuals allowed in classrooms will also apply to any events, including seminars and other research talks. Please note that the previously mentioned restrictions on travel also mean that—at present—people not affiliated with the University will be unable to enter Altgeld or Illini Halls due to the building access policies.

The COVID Ombuds is a new position created for the upcoming year. This individual serves as a secure and anonymous resource for anyone associated with the Math Department who wishes to communicate any COVID-related concern. This may range from concerns about lack of adherence to University regulations, to health and safety concerns, to concerns of students or employees about pressure to commit to in-person activity. The COVID Ombuds will report directly to the Department Chair. Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may request that the Ombuds communicate the nature of the concern to the Chair in broad terms. Some requests for anonymity may not be possible to fulfill due to University policy or safety concerns. However, the purpose of this position is to provide a mechanism for individuals to relay COVID-related concerns quickly, safely, and securely. The Math Department’s COVID Ombuds in 2020-21 is Karen Mortensen.

We know study spaces are an important part of the student experience, so several classrooms have been approved as study space rooms by the COVID-19 Executive Steering Committee. Room schedules for each space can be found outside the classroom. When in these rooms, students must social distance and wear a face covering.

For a list of classrooms available for study space, see this page on the Office of the Registrar website.