Top 6 Things We Have Done to Make Campus Safe
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 24, 2020) — Hey Wildcats! We are so happy to have you back on campus. To prepare for your return, University of Kentucky’s Facilities Management division created six internal workstreams — space, campus navigation, custodial services, informational signage, building systems and construction — to make sure every inch of campus was ready for the campus restart.
Here is a list of the top six things we have done to make classes safe for students, faculty and staff.
- Space: New layouts for all of the university’s 365 general classrooms have been developed using a 6-foot distancing planning guideline to establish safe distancing. In addition, a list of alternate classrooms has been identified including space in the Gatton Student Center.
- Building Systems and Utilities: New building system schedules will be in place to operate systems that ensure appropriate air exchanges and ventilation rates while occupied. Buildings will be monitored throughout the day. To ensure appropriate water quality at all times, UK has a water flushing program in restrooms, water refill stations and general building systems. Water bottle refill stations will be available; however, water fountains will be disabled.
- Campus Navigation: Outdoor spaces will have signage indicating physical distancing following CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines. Adirondack chairs, hammock stands, patio areas and wall seating areas will be spaced accordingly. Designated outdoor locations including outdoor canopies that have been identified as assignable space will be connected to SAP/EMS/Astra for scheduled use.
- Cleaning Protocols: In buildings serviced by Facilities Management, staff will clean and disinfect public spaces and common areas and commonly touched surfaces, including classrooms, primary entrances, hallways and restrooms. These areas will be a priority for additional cleaning throughout the day. Restroom facilities will receive a minimum twice daily cleaning and disinfecting. Hand sanitizer stations will be placed at primary entrances to all buildings, elevators and classrooms will have hand sanitizer and wipes. This includes residence halls and parking garages.
- Informational Signage: Over 35,000 signs have been installed in restrooms, building entrances, pathways, parking structures, bus stops, construction areas and classrooms. These are intended to remind us to be diligent, practice physical distancing, wears masks, wash hands, etc.
- Construction: Protocols have been established for our contractors working on campus to follow established guidelines in support of our campus community.
For more information visit www.uky.edu/coronavirus/about/campus-restart.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.