Dear Faculty and Staff,

As the Spring semester wraps up, our post-pandemic future is starting to take shape.

With half of all U.S. adults having received at least one dose of the vaccine, the success of the vaccine drive at the Champions Club at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium breathes new hope and excitement as we plan for the Summer and Fall semesters. Through the collaboration of UF Health Screen, Test & Protect and the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County, more than 24,000 have been vaccinated at the Champions Club since April 5, including 5,100 on the first day. To facilitate access to the vaccine, we have worked with the health department to expand the capacity to do on-the-spot registration, clearing the path for walk-up appointments.

Since the collaboration began in January, UF Health Screen, Test & Protect has helped inoculate more than 30,000 people in Alachua County. Further, with the effort of other vaccination sites, nearly half of Alachua County residents over 16 years of age have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Much of that would not have been possible without the help of members of our campus community, who eagerly signed up to get vaccinated and encouraged those around them to do the same.

It is with this progress in mind that UF updated its Campus Events and Gatherings Policy earlier this month, exempting several activities from the request/approval requirement. That includes UF-hosted or sponsored events held off-campus, routine UF academic or administrative on-campus meetings, and on-campus gatherings with fewer than 15 participants. However, departments and participants still are responsible for complying with all other aspects of the Campus Events and Gatherings Policy.

We’re grateful for each and every single one of you. Last year, at the height of the pandemic, our challenges seemed daunting. But now, with our first in-person commencement ceremonies in more than a year already underway, we are able to reflect back on the hard work by our faculty and staff that have helped us — including our students — achieve so many successes up to this point. We’re excited about what lies ahead for UF in the post-pandemic world.

Joe Glover, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Charlie Lane, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

David R. Nelson, M.D., Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, UF & President, UF Health

David Norton, Vice President for Research

Win Phillips, Chief of Staff, Office of the President

Key Links:

Vaccine Availability: https://coronavirus.ufhealth.org/vaccinations/vaccine-availability/

Campus Events and Gatherings Policy: https://policy.ufl.edu/policy/campus-events-and-gatherings-in-response-to-covid-19-effective-april-2-2021-to-present/