Health & Safety Protocols

Your safety matters. Austin Community College District’s health and safety protocols follow guidance from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Texas Department of Health Services, and local health departments. 

The college supports the use of face masks on campus and encourages social distancing to help reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and better ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all students, faculty, and staff, especially those who are most at-risk.

View Austin Community College District's COVID-19 Return to Campus Health & Safety Protocols.

  • Reporting COVID-19 Protocols
    • COVID-19 Reporting 
      Self-Reporting

      · Any ACC student or employee with COVID-19 related symptoms or someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 must inform their professor(s) or supervisor and complete the college's COVID-19 self-report form. Do NOT come to campus or work until instructed to do so. Per the CDC, people with the following symptoms may have COVID-19: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea. This list does not include all possible symptoms.  
      · If you have been in close contact/direct exposure with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 5 days (both before and after they tested positive), you must complete the college's self-report form. The CDC definition of direct exposure or close contact is someone who is within 6 feet or closer to an infectious person for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. You also are required to use the CDC Quarantine and Isolation Calculator to determine your return to campus/work date and other requirements to return. Upon receipt of the self-report form, the student or employee will receive further instructions from the college immediately upon email.
      · As always, call 911 for emergency situations.

       
      Supervisor & Staff Responsibilities

      · Under no circumstances should you disclose the identity of an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 or may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19; this is a violation of their confidentiality.
      · When an individual shares with you that they are positive for COVID-19, urge them to go home or stay home, seek medical care if needed, follow their healthcare provider’s instructions, and complete ACC’s self-reporting form for further instructions on returning to campus/work requirements.

       

    • On-Campus Protocols
        • Sanitize: Wash and sanitize your hands prior to entering a classroom, office, or facility. Hand sanitizing stations, disinfecting wipes, soap, and water are readily available.
        • Social Distance: The college asks that everyone continue to respect the personal space of others and practice safe social distancing, usually considered to be three-to-six feet of separation. Follow floor stickers that are placed throughout the campus to help guide social distancing in high traffic areas. Schedules are staggered and courses have been divided into smaller sections to minimize contact with individuals.
        • Face Masks: Per ACC District Board of Trustees policy, anyone who is 2 years of age or older in an ACC facility is required to wear a face mask effective August 20, 2021. This is consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which makes clear that face coverings, in addition to social distancing measures, are among the most effective strategies in limiting the spread of COVID-19. Non-medical masks will be available for you at ACC facilities should you forget to bring one. 
        • ID Badges: Students and employees are expected to carry their student, faculty, or staff ID badge at all times while on campus. Badges (ID cards) must be visible. Visitors must obtain and wear a visitor badge. Contractors must display proper identification. These may be obtained by checking in at the Campus Manager’s office upon arrival. 
        • Visitor Check-In: Any member of the public entering an ACC facility (not a student, faculty member, or staff person) should report to the Campus Manager’s office for screening and to obtain a visitors badge. 
    • Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols

      • ACC follows cleaning and disinfecting guidance from the CDC and WHO and supplemented with Ecolab expertise for commercial facilities and office buildings. All disinfectants used at ACC are approved by the EPA for use against the Novel Coronavirus. Specific cleaning and disinfecting protocols at ACC include, but are not limited to, the following:

        • ACC's Campus Operations Quality Control staff regularly and frequently clean and disinfect any and all high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, chairs, and restrooms.
        • You are reminded to disinfect personal electronics on a regular basis.
        • Hand sanitizer is available in or near every classroom.
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • COVID-19 Vaccinations
    • ACC offers on-campus COVID-19 vaccination clinics for eligible members of the ACC community. All students, employees, and members of the community who are at least 12 years old are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations at ACC. Please note, those between the ages of 12-17 years old need a parent or legal guardian present. All appointments are walk-up and available on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted. View the schedule here. 
  • Face Mask Protocols
    • Effective Monday, March 21, 2022, face masks are optional.