March 5, 2021

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. I write to you today to provide further guidance on the COVID-19 safety protocols following Gov. Abbott’s March 2 Executive Order that will lift the statewide mask mandate and allow Texas businesses to resume operating at 100 percent capacity effective March 10. 

The UH COVID-19 Coordination Committee met this week, considered various factors, and recommended to me that for the safety of all involved, the University of Houston continue to exercise its existing guidelines at least until the COVID-19 vaccine has been made widely available to our community. After consulting with governance groups who overwhelmingly support the committee’s recommendation, I am asking that the University of Houston faculty, staff, students and visitors continue to observe the existing COVID-19 safety protocols, which include:

1. Required face covering on campus other than while eating, drinking or speaking
2. Maintaining six feet of social distance
3. Practicing hand hygiene by washing and sanitizing them often

I further encourage you to take advantage of the on-campus COVID-19 testing options. This week, the Student Health Center has started administering COVID-19 vaccines. As more vaccines are made available, the Center will inform the campus about the availability of appointments for additional faculty, staff and students who meet the state’s eligibility guidelines and choose to receive the vaccine.

I would be remiss if I did not thank you for adhering to University’s safety protocols and thus avoiding any major outbreaks on our campus.  It is particularly praiseworthy if one considers the fact that 3,496 students are living on campus, nearly 1,059 courses are being conducted either face-to-face or in HyFlex mode, and all research labs are open.

So, I thank you for your cooperation in keeping yourself and those around you safe. I certainly hope that we can get back to a more normal campus environment soon because I miss seeing you and I miss the energy on campus.