Student Experience

Many student jobs will exist this semester, but possibly with reduced hours or adjusted work locations. Please visit Careers at UF for open positions.

Panhellenic Council (sorority) Recruitment

The Panhellenic Council is monitoring the current state of the virus and the nation and will keep all Potential New Members and their families updated on decisions concerning fall recruitment 2020 via our website and social media platforms. Registration for fall recruitment is currently open and closes on August 8 at 11:59 p.m.

It is the goal of the Panhellenic Council to proceed with fall recruitment 2020 as scheduled. Following the National Panhellenic Conference recommendations, the Panhellenic Council has developed four contingency plans for Recruitment 2020, which utilize virtual and physically distant practices to ensure the safety of both our chapter members and potential new members. 

Interfraternity Council (fraternity) Recruitment

Interfraternity Council recruitment is scheduled for August 29-September 4.

Students are encouraged to reach out to their supervisor about the status of their on-campus job for fall semester.

Friendship is an important aspect of the college experience. Although the necessary safety regulations may at first seem to minimize social interaction, the focus is on physical distancing rather than on social distancing. The university will continue to hold events and students will have opportunities to engage in social activities. However, these activities will be necessarily altered to protect all members of the community. Students will also still have the opportunity to get involved in student organizations.

Advisors are available to help answer visa questions at the University of Florida International Center.

Individuals are strongly encouraged to get the annual flu shot, and it is required for health care workers and students who are in a health care environment.

Although the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has long recommended that everyone more than 6 months old get a flu shot annually, this year it is even more strongly recommended by health experts. The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing and by some projections may reach a high enough level in some areas to overwhelm the available health care systems. If a maximum number of individuals get flu shots this year, there should be less demand on the health care systems due to flu and thereby decrease the chances of exceeding the capacity of our health care systems. 

Flu shots will be given to all UF students and employees who want one at multiple locations on campus this fall by the UF Student Health Care Center. Flu shots will be given by appointment only.

Information regarding flu shot scheduling and locations is forthcoming.

UF has a three-tiered approach to enforcing behavioral expectations regarding keeping our campus community healthy and safe: Education, engagement and enforcement.

• Education takes place at all levels of the University and may include informing others of regulations, policies and guidance.
• Engagement reinforces education and provides direction to correct behavior, clarify enforcement mechanisms and end behavior that poses an immediate threat to the health, safety and welfare of community members.
• Enforcement of behavioral expectations to abide by University regulations and policy, state and local law and the instructions of officials can be carried out by any designee of the Vice President of Student Affairs or other appropriate University Official.  Enforcement of behavior found to be a violation of the Student Conduct Code may result in sanctions such as loss of privileges associated with being a University of Florida student or student organization, including suspension and expulsion.

Facilities are adjusting hours of operation as needed.

For Reitz Union hours, please visit: https://www.union.ufl.edu/

For Student Health Care Center Hours, please visit: https://shcc.ufl.edu/

For Newell Hall hours, please visit: https://newell.ufsa.ufl.edu/

For Recreation Sports hours, please visit: https://recsports.ufl.edu/

For library hours, please visit: https://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/

For dining hours, please visit: https://gatordining.com/

To check the status of your local UF/IFAS Extension office, research center or 4-H Camp, please visit https://ifas.ufl.edu/local-updates/.

Students with an active SEVIS record during spring 2020 continuing their education through F-1 visas may take classes in any modality offered by the university, according to federal guidance. New students with an initial I-20 on F-1 visas must take at least one course with a physical presence requirement. Should COVID-19 circumstances result in courses transitioning to fully online mid-semester, current guidance states that students can stay in the U.S. to continue their studies.

For more complete guidance on guidelines for international students in the Fall 2020 semester, please consult the FAQ document prepared by  the UF International Center https://internationalcenter.ufl.edu/updated-information-international-students-fall-2020-frequently-asked-questions

The Disability Resource Center is working closely with faculty members to support student accommodations whether their class is in-person or online.   

Yes, career fairs will have a hybrid option following health and safety guidelines.  For more, visit the Career Connections Center.

Information related to financial aid, including contact information for questions, can be found at the UF Office of Financial Affairs.

All housing account questions can be directed to the Housing Accounts Receivables team at HREUAAccounts@ufsa.ufl.edu.

UF’s Aid-a-Gator financial assistance program is available for students and employees. Visit the Aid-A-Gator website for more information. If you want to help students and employees with financial need, you can donate to these programs.

If you have a financial hardship and are struggling to purchase food, UF’s Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry is available for you.

Faculty will use different approaches to online exams.  The university is working on general guidelines (based on the experiences from the spring final exam period) for faculty in order to optimize the process and to foster student learning while being mindful of possible academic integrity concerns.

No. UF is committed to providing an outstanding teaching and learning experience, whether it is face-to-face, online, or hybrid. UF has assembled a world-class instructional faculty and has invested heavily in instructional design of courses, their delivery, and associated materials. In fact, UF is nationally recognized for its online programs, and instructors are continuously honing creative and innovative ways to ensure an effective learning environment no matter the format.

Yes. Through Sorority and Fraternity Affairs, we are working closely with Greek Chapter House Corporations to develop plans for each individual chapter house that meet UF Health guidelines.

Please email reopen@ufl.edu for additional questions not answered here.

Classes are being held online for summer sessions with some resources, such as dining halls, open for students who must stay on campus. UF expects to reopen in the fall.

This fall, additional spaces for study and student life activities will be available. De-densification will be necessary for safety reasons in libraries, computer labs, dining halls, and other group gathering spaces. Plans are still being developed and more information will be available this summer in time for students coming back to campus for the fall semester.

Southwest Recreation Center and Lake Wauburg are currently open. For adjusted hours and guidelines, please visit UF Rec Sports.

Updates on athletics are available on the university athletics pages.

Although the purposes of these programs will remain the same, there will be necessary modifications made to support our COVID-19 Protection Plan. The Preview program for undergraduate students is being offered virtually.  

Fall academic programming will be designed to accommodate remote instruction for as many students who desire it as possible.

Campus residence will operate with a reduced capacity, and we have adjusted occupancy within some rooms to promote safety of our community.

Additional changes to housing will include new room configurations (some small doubles changed to single rooms), furniture rearranged, enhanced and increased cleaning of public areas, cleaning supplies available to students, hand sanitizing stations, social distancing guidelines (posters, social media, university emails), etc. Professional and student staff are receiving additional training regarding the health and safety regulations and you will be able to direct questions to your Residence Assistant (RA) and the Main Housing Office on the corner of S.W. 13 Street and Museum Road.

Your financial aid will be calculated as it has in past semesters:  Pell Grants, Florida Bright Futures Scholarships, and other aid will be adjusted to reflect your enrollment level (total number of credits that apply toward your degree program) after drop/add ends.  You can view enrollment requirements the UF Office for Student Financial Affairs.

Financial aid disbursements typically start after classes begin and certain types of aid must wait until after the drop/add period before the award amounts are finalized and disbursed.  The financial aid disbursement schedule will align with the change in the fall class schedule.

For at least 10-14 days prior to arrival to campus, we strongly encourage you to limit your exposure to people who do not live in your household to the greatest extent possible. 

If you must travel or work, or otherwise share common spaces with people who don’t live in your household, please adhere to UF’s behavioral guidance and make sure you are in the habit of these best practices before you arrive to campus.

Academic Advising in each college is providing advising services remotely. Please contact academic advising within your college to schedule a virtual appointment.

The University of Florida has a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, which is publicly posted on our website. The purpose of this plan is to facilitate preparedness and actions for responding to a myriad of events that pose a threat to the safety and security of our students, patients, faculty and staff. These threats range from hurricanes to the challenges associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Our emergency management plan creates structures within the university, with dictated roles and responsibilities guiding the efforts of individuals in every facet of our large academic and healthcare communities. Leading the university’s emergency management response is a group of senior leaders and staff members representing our health colleges, hospitals, academics, and operational management, among others. Among the group’s primary responsibilities are actions currently taking place at UF:

• Providing information and recommendations during this public health emergency, with the Student Health Care Center director serving as the university’s lead public health official.
• Providing health services and resources, including medical and behavioral health, for UF students and employees. 
• Coordinating operations and programs specific to public health such as mass vaccination clinics and alternate medical treatment sites, as evidenced by the recently opened COVID-19 testing facility in The Villages.
• Facilitating information and education for the university community.

The university also has a more detailed plan that guides its response to infectious disease spread and pandemics. These documents are exempt from public disclosure pursuant to Florida Statute 1004.0962 (Campus emergency response) due to the fact that they contain sensitive information that, if publicly released, could create a security risk for the university’s students, faculty and staff.

The university is committed to transparency regarding its response to and management of campus operations during the COVID-19 outbreak.

No. The university plans to remain open and operational for the entire fall semester.  Faculty teaching face-to-face courses have the option of continuing face-to-face instruction and final examinations following Thanksgiving, but are being encouraged to structure the course so that students have the option of completing the course remotely after Thanksgiving if they wish to do so.  In addition, the residential halls and dining courts will remain open for students who need/decide to remain on campus after Thanksgiving. Fall contracts will continue through the end of the fall semester. 

Campus tours and visits are cancelled. For updates, please visit UF Admissions.

We will send information about spring only housing in September.

It is imperative that any individuals who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 contact the Student Health Care Center at (352) 392-1161 to discuss symptoms with a nurse or medical provider before your visit to ensure proper protective measures are taken to prevent further risk of spread to others. Additionally, telehealth visits and phone triage are also available to assist patients with COVID-19 concerns. If you don’t already have a UFHealth MyChart account, you can register for one and activate it immediately by logging onto mychart.shands.org. Download of the Zoom app is required for telehealth visits.

The UAA is currently working with UF Health and other health officials to model various capacity/attendance scenarios that include various allocations for students. Students can go to FloridaGators.com/students for further information on the student ticket lottery system.

Lab-based courses on campus will be planned and implemented differently by different faculty.  There are two possible approaches. One approach might be a reduction of the number of labs and rotation of students to participate in smaller groups to allow each student to experience each lab (e.g., students will be able to complete all labs offered). Another approach might be a reduction of the number of labs with a portion of students completing some labs in-person and another portion of students doing different labs in-person and/or supplementing with virtual labs or simulations.

In general, our ability to receive visitors is extremely limited. Campus visits and tours for prospective students have been suspended through mid-September.

When returning to campus, all students, faculty and staff are asked to adhere to the following practices.

• Physical Distancing: Whenever possible, maintain a physical distance of 6 feet from others while on the University of Florida properties and in common spaces until further notice.
• Face Coverings: Wear a mask or cloth face covering when in UF and UF Health facilities, with only a few exceptions for children less than 2 years old or those who are ill. For those who are unable to wear a face covering, face shields will be an acceptable alternative. Face coverings are to be worn in all classrooms, in patient care areas, and when in public/common areas, including lobbies, conference rooms, elevators, stairwells, bathrooms and lounges. Face coverings are also required on employee and visitor shuttles. Exceptions include when in private offices, private work spaces with adequate physical barriers, and well-ventilated outdoor spaces where appropriate physical distancing can be maintained. ​​
• Wash Hands Frequently: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Stay Home When Sick: If you are sick, please stay home. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

For more information, please visit the UF Health website.

UF’s custodial team is conducting their usual, daily, disinfecting cleaning in areas such as public restrooms along with doing a deeper disinfectant cleaning in all common/lobby spaces. They are increasing the daily wiping down of high touch surfaces in all residence halls to include:

• Doors doorknobs, handrails, elevator push buttons
• Desks, tables, chairs, arm rest of chairs
• Counters, offices, phones, keyboards, laptop keypads in common spaces
• Bathroom fixtures, toilets, sinks
• Water fountain push buttons

Areas are being cleaned using microfiber cleaning cloths which are frequently changed and being disinfected using Diversey Oxivir TB.

Supervisors are monitoring desk area locations to ensure hand sanitizer bottles are kept replenished at the desk and not allowed to run low.

Staff are focusing on after-hours cleaning for areas that are visibly soiled and immediately cleaning those locations.

As normal if students have a cleaning concern, they can submit an iService ticket.

Throughout campus, in addition to their normal operations, custodial staff have increased disinfecting activities in all campus buildings they serve. Special attention is being given to bathrooms, frequently touched surfaces and common areas.

UF has always capped the number of people attending in-person classes, usually due to room constraints.  Because of the new requirements for physical distancing, classrooms accommodate fewer people than previously.