Face Covering Requirement

Radford University is requiring face coverings to be worn effective with the campus reopening beginning on July 27, 2020. The University will provide face coverings to all students, faculty, and staff. For students living in on-campus housing, face coverings will be distributed as part of move-in. For non-campus housing, student distribution will vary. Broad-based distribution will be coordinated by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety with support from various campus partners. The Cloth Mask or Face Covering Distribution Plan is available online.

Students will be required to wear face coverings while in class, conducting business on campus, and in shared/common spaces. Faculty will be provided the option to stand behind a clear barrier at a podium or wear a face covering. The clear barrier is preferred as some students require accommodations for comprehension of material being discussed and/or presented. Employees, both faculty and staff, working independently in their offices will not have to wear face coverings. Employees in common areas and shared/meeting spaces will be required to wear face coverings. Face coverings will not be required outside; however, they will be required anywhere that appropriate physical distancing is not possible.

The face covering requirement will be enforced by the local health district and will be monitored by the appropriate University division, department, and/or office. Individuals are asked to exercise social responsibility, as well as kindness, with respect to the face covering requirement. If you encounter students, faculty, and staff who are not wearing face coverings, be mindful that there could be clear and compelling reasons. The full text of the Universal Masking and Cloth Mask Guidance is available online.

Radford University is proud to be part of the Virginia Department of Health’s “Mask Up Virginia” Initiative. For additional information about the importance of cloth masks, students, faculty, and staff are being encouraged to visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/blog/2020/05/11/masks-up-why-you-need-to-be-wearing-a-cloth-mask.