Campus Readiness
Signage and furniture
In coordination with colleges, departments and building-facilities contacts, signage has been placed in high-density spaces, as appropriate, to guide foot traffic flow, remind people of safety practices and visually mark wait-line spaces. Use only approved signage available through UniPrint.
Furniture in classrooms and common areas has been marked, arranged or removed to support safety practices, including physical distancing.
At least twice a day, the university is cleaning bathrooms and disinfecting high touch-point areas, including door handles, faucets, handrails and other commonly touched surfaces in high-traffic areas.
Facilities Operations and Development (FOD) has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by adjusting its cleaning protocols and identifying additional ways to promote health and safety throughout university facilities and shared outdoor spaces. More information is available on the FOD website.
See below for more information on cleaning schedules and supplies.
PPE safety kits
PPE safety kits are provided to students, faculty and staff at no cost. The kits include one disposable mask, two reusable masks, a thermometer, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.
Students living in residence halls received their kits when they moved in. Regional campuses have also received thousands of kits for students, faculty and staff.
For faculty and staff, kits are available for ordering by departments, offices and units through the eStores program. Additional information has been provided by the Office of Business and Finance.
Cleaning schedules and supplies
At least twice a day during spring semester, the university is cleaning bathrooms and disinfecting high touch-point areas, including door handles, faucets, handrails and other commonly touched surfaces in high-traffic areas.
Cleaning supplies will be provided for individuals by their college or unit to complete the below protocols:
- Individual offices: Individuals will continue to be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting their own workstations. Employees will empty their own office desk-side trash and recycling bins into centrally located containers in order to limit foot traffic.
- Research labs: Lab benches and sinks will remain the responsibility of the lab employees. Shared spaces and high-touch surfaces will require more frequent disinfection and cleaning. Individuals should clean and disinfect shared workspaces before and after use. (Visit the Office of Research for more information about the staged approach to returning to research labs on campus.)
- Kitchen and break areas: Building occupants utilizing break rooms or kitchens should wipe down surfaces after each use, including handles and buttons on water coolers, microwaves and refrigerators.
Employee resources
Ohio State continues to operate with significantly reduced density in the on-campus workforce by continuing teleworking when possible.
Ohio State faculty and staff can find more information on the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes Faculty and Staff page. For more specific human resources FAQs concerning COVID-19, including COVID-19 related work accommodations, please visit Human Resources.
Accountability measures
Accountability measures are in place for those who choose not to abide by required health and safety guidelines. These accountability measures may range from additional training and informal coaching to formal disciplinary action based on existing structures for students, faculty and staff.