USF Hurricane Milton FAQs

Updated Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2:45 p.m. –

GENERAL INFORMATION: 

On Monday, Oct. 7, no in-person classes will be held, and all campuses will be closed. Classes will only be delivered asynchronously, which means students will not have to meet on Monday and they will receive an assignment from their instructor that does not have to be completed on Monday or while the university is closed.  Students and faculty will receive more detailed information separately.  Faculty are asked to be patient, understanding and flexible with their students under the circumstances.

On Monday, Oct. 7, normal USF business operations will continue remotely. Only USF employees who are 1) classified as essential personnel, 2) identified by their supervisors as critical to campus operations, or 3) working in a facility that will remain open on Monday should report to work in person, in consultation with their supervisors. Employees who do not fall into these categories should work remotely on Monday.  Please contact your supervisor if you are unsure of your status.  Supervisors are strongly encouraged to offer flexibility for those who may need additional time to prepare their families, homes and personal belongings ahead of the storm. This may include adjusting work schedules to ensure employees have the necessary time to focus on their safety.

On Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Wednesday, Oct. 9, all classes are canceled, and all campuses will be closed. No asynchronous course delivery will occur for classes scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Only USF employees who are 1) classified as essential personnel or 2) identified by their supervisors as critical to campus operations should report to work, come to campus or work remotely on Tuesday and Wednesday. Non-essential personnel or those not deemed critical to campus operations by their supervisor are not expected to work on Tuesday or Wednesday.   

A decision about resuming classes, reopening campuses and returning to normal business operations for Thursday, Oct. 10, will be made a later time.

As soon as campuses close, academic and research buildings will move to emergency mode to allow response teams to prepare for impending weather. Once buildings move to emergency mode, only emergency personnel will be permitted to enter until campuses re-open.

FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS: 

What about scheduled exams and assignments? 

Instructors may not conduct class, require assignments or administer exams until at least Thursday, Oct. 10. This policy applies to in-person and online classes. Please keep in mind there may be considerable displacement and stress after the storm passes; we expect that instructors will be flexible. Students will receive additional information from their instructors once campus has reopened. This is the same for online courses as well.  
 
Are events on campus canceled? 

Please check with the event organizer regarding updates for specific events.  Events will start to resume once a campus has reopened.

Are residence halls open?

• Residence halls on the Tampa campus remain open as of now. However, depending on the path and intensity of the storm, the Tampa campus may need to evacuate, and the residence halls would have to close.  If that happens, students remaining on campus would be transported to approved county shelters until it is safe to return.
• Residence halls in St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee will be closing by noon on Monday. St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee students who need a safe place to stay will be transported to the Tampa campus. If the Tampa campus is required to evacuate, students remaining on campus would be transported to approved county shelters until it is safe to return.

Residential students will receive more specific information separately, including details on plans to transport St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee students to the Tampa campus on Monday. 

What is open on campus? 
 
All campuses will close on Oct. 7. A decision about resuming classes, reopening campuses and returning to normal business operations for Thursday, Oct. 10, will be made at a later time.    

What about student health and wellness services?

Tampa campus:

Counseling Center:  It will be open on Monday, Oct. 7 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.. After 2 p.m., students experiencing psychological stress can call 813.974.2831 or use online TimelyCare Talk Now feature.

Center for Student Well-Being-SWELL: Any student needing the services of SWELL can contact Jennifer DiPrete at jennifer87@gmail.com from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7. Services will resume when the university reopens.

Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention: Any staff member or student needing crime victim services can contact the Victim Services Hotline at 813.974.5757 during the university closure.

Student Health and Wellness Center: 

Psychiatry:

• Services will be available on Oct. 7 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
• After 2 p.m. on Monday, students can contact our afterhours line by calling 813.974.2331 for medical guidance.
• For a psychological emergency, please call 813.974.2831 or use the online TimelyCare Talk Now feature.

General Medicine/Urgent Care/Sexual Health/Immunizations and CAMLS:

• It will be open on Monday, Oct. 7 for services from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
• After 2 p.m. on Monday, students can contact the afterhours line by calling 813.974.2331 for medical guidance.

Bulls Country Pharmacy:

• The pharmacy will be open for new prescriptions and refill prescriptions on Monday, Oct. 7 for services from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m.
• After 2 p.m., it will close. 
• The pharmacy will check 813.974.2071 voicemail once a day at 3 p.m. to determine if prescriptions need to be transferred to a community pharmacy.

Laboratory Services, Nursing and Immunization and Health Insurance Compliance:

• Operations will continue as usual on Monday Oct. 7 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

USF Sarasota-Manatee and St. Petersburg Campuses

• Health Services will be operating from 8 a.m. until noon on Monday, Oct. 7.
• This is subject to change based on campus evacuation orders by respective counties.
  Students can contact the afterhours line by calling 813.974.2331 for medical guidance during the closure.

Service for the Bull Runner will resume when the university reopens. 
 
Is Feed-a-Bull food pantry open? 
 
Feed-a-Bull food pantry is closed whenever USF campuses are closed. A list of community food pantries can be found  here. 

FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:

International students and parents may send questions to internationalservices@usf.edu or call 813-974-5102. 

FOR FACULTY AND STAFF: 

Can I teach my classes remotely?   

On Monday, Oct. 7, classes will only be delivered asynchronously, which means students will not have to meet on Monday and they will receive an assignment from their instructor that does not have to be completed on Monday or while the university is closed. Students and faculty will receive more detailed information separately. Faculty are asked to be patient, understanding and flexible with their students under the circumstances.  

On Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Wednesday, Oct. 9, all classes are canceled, and all campuses will be closed.  No asynchronous course delivery will occur for classes scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday. Instructors may not conduct class, require assignments or administer exams prior to Thursday, Oct. 10. This policy applies to in-person and online classes. Please keep in mind there may be considerable displacement and stress after the storm passes; we expect that instructors will be flexible. 

At this time, we do not know if additional instructional time will be required. However, you will need to adjust your semester plans to meet the primary Student Learning Outcomes for your course within the remaining semester. The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning offers suggestions for supporting learning following such a disruption. 

Only USF employees who are classified as essential personnel and/or those identified by their supervisors as critical to campus operations should report to campus while buildings are closed. Please contact your supervisor if you are unsure of your status.  
 
When can faculty members and graduate students return to their labs?  

Faculty members and graduate students are encouraged to return to their labs once campus has reopened.  
 
Who should be on a USF campus during the emergency closure? 

Only employees who have been identified as essential personnel should report to work when the campus and its business operations are officially closed. For safety and accountability, the university must know who is on campus and their locations during an emergency closing. It is critical that all non-essential personnel (even those deemed critical) stay away from the campus when it is officially closed. However, if non-essential personnel work during an emergency closing, they will be paid regular time for the hours worked.

Per Policy 6-037, essential personnel may include the following: An employee who is essential to the operation of the university, whose absence would adversely affect the health and safety of the campus community or the viability of campus facilities and/or critical infrastructure, as determined by the employee’s department. 
 
How do I know if I’m considered Essential Personnel? 

The vice president, deans, and directors or their designees of the college, division or department will identify essential personnel. Your supervisor will notify you if you are part of this group and must come to work during the emergency closure. 
 
Will I be required to work if I’m not considered Essential Personnel?

The vice president, dean, and director or their designees of the college, division or department may identify additional critical roles necessary to continue university operations. Your supervisor will notify you if you are part of this group and must work during the emergency closure. 
 
If the university has closed for an emergency, will I get paid? 

The following guidelines will determine if you are paid for an emergency closure: 

• Exempt employees are not eligible to earn special compensatory leave during the closure.
• Special compensatory leave is provided to staff employees required to perform essential duties for hours worked outside of their regular work schedule to prepare for or respond to a declared university emergency, as determined by the SVP, Chief Administration Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer or designee.
• Employees who are not required to work during an emergency closure are granted administrative leave in an amount equal to the number of hours scheduled to work during the closure or in an amount necessary to bring them up to their normal hours for the work week.
• Salaried Temporary employees will receive their regular pay.
• Employees who are on a previously approved leave of absence that began before (and includes) the administrative closure day, shall not have the leave of absence changed for such administrative closure time. Administrative leave for closures shall not apply during a leave of absence (ie: Sick leave, Annual Leave, Medical Leave of Absence, FMLA, Parental Leave, Leave without Pay, etc). Any university-wide exceptions to this must be approved by the SVP, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer based upon business needs.
• Hourly Temporary employees will not receive administrative leave during an emergency closure, but if the workload permits it, a supervisor may adjust an employee’s schedule during the affected pay period to allow the employee to work additional hours in the work week.

What happens if USF is open but I can’t come to work because I live in an evacuation zone or have to stay home with my children whose school was closed?   

The university understands that circumstances like an evacuation or school closing may impact your ability to come to work during a storm situation. Although the university monitors school closings, we cannot guarantee that USF will close its business operations, even if other schools close. For extenuating circumstances such as these, you may request to use your annual leave to cover your absence.  
 
When should I return to work, and what time should I arrive?   

Please check www.usf.edu, USF’s official social media channels, MyUSF or email for updates on how long the university will be closed. On the day the university reopens, you should report to work at the time you would normally start your shift. If the university opens later than the start of your scheduled start time, you should report to work as soon as the university reopens.  
 
If I am an exempt employee and I work during the closure, am I eligible to earn special compensatory leave? 

No. Administration, Faculty, and Staff Exempt employees are expected to work the number of hours necessary to accomplish their assigned responsibilities.   
 
I work a four-day work week, 10 hours each day. How many hours of administrative leave do I get for an emergency closing, eight hours or 10 hours?   

You may be eligible to receive up to 10 hours of administrative leave, which is equal to the number of hours in your regular workday, not to exceed your normal hours in a workweek.  
 
I am designated to be on-call. Will I continue to receive on-call pay during the closing?  
Yes, unless your supervisor advised you in writing prior to the emergency closure that you were not on-call during the closure.  
 
When I am on-call during an emergency closing, which rate do I receive?   

If the closure is on a regular workday, then your on-call rate is the one for the workday. However, if the closure is on the weekend, your on-call rate would be the one specified for the weekend.

Additional information for employees can be found here. 

FOR PATIENTS: 

I have an appointment at the Morsani Health Center, can you help me? 

USF Health clinical facilities will be open on Monday, Oct. 7. Decisions about Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Wednesday, Oct. 9, will be announced later. USF Health patients may call 813-821-8038 to reschedule their appointments.