Students & Instructors

Fall 2021

Welcome to Fall 2021

Way to go Lobos! Our vaccination rate is going up and our incentive program has been extended to September 30, 2021.

UNM is requiring COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption, upload proof by September 30 at the vaccination verification site.

Find information about vaccination requirement and exemption requests here: UNM Administrative Mandate on Required Vaccinations.

Individuals who receive an exemption must provide regular proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test.

UNM is offering free on-site COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics at Main Campus and Valencia Campus locations. Vaccines are available in the Student Union Building (SUB) Atrium, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Aug. 27 and the same times throughout September. Valencia Campus Clinics are available in the Learning Resource Center, Learning Rooms 101A and 101B on Aug. 30 and 31.

The vaccine is free and no appointment is necessary.

Covid-19 Vaccination at a variety of locations may also be scheduled through the New Mexico Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccination site.

Masks are required indoors and in classrooms until further notice. Individuals who do not follow this requirement will be asked to leave classrooms and indoor spaces and may be subject to disciplinary action.

Student support resources: use this student guide link to access a landing page assembling links to UNM main campus resources, including food pantry, mental health, tutoring, and more.  Students can also add the guide to their my.unm page.

COVID-19 Symptoms and Exposure, Academic Flexibility and Student Support:

Please do not come to a UNM campus if you are feeling sick and are experiencing symptoms of illness. Students should contact their instructors and let them know that they are experiencing symptoms and should not come to class. Students who need support addressing a health or personal event or crisis can find it at the Lobo Respect Advocacy Center.

UNM's COVID-19 Rapid Response Team (RRT), comprised of medical and emergency response professionals, will operate in Fall 2021 and in coordination with the New Mexico Department of Health and its contact tracing team.  RRT evaluates a range of COVID-19 transmission and positive data, addresses exposure events from positive students and manages follow-up around communication, medical care, testing, and isolation. 

All positive cases in the state are reported to the New Mexico Department of Health, which provides follow-up contact tracing. Faculty are not responsible for identifying potential contacts of students who report having tested positive for COVID-19.

INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS CONCERNED ABOUT COVID-19 AND EXPOSURE

Students who are identified as having possibly been exposed either on campus or in a residence hall due to proximity to an individual confirmed to be COVID positive may be advised to obtain testing via email notification.  Please watch for any emails from the UNM Rapid Response Team (RRT) for detailed information. 

If you have a concern about a potential exposure to COVID-19, you should:

  1. Take a minute to understand what constitutes a Close Contact to someone with COVID:
    1. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period who has COVID-19.  Read the CDC Quarantine Guidelines.
  2. If you are VACCINATED and NOT having any symptoms (asymptomatic), we recommend that you follow the advice of the CDC and get tested on days 3-5 after the exposure. You will need to schedule this testing at a community location as we do not have the capacity for asymptomatic testing on the UNM campus.  This test needs to be a viral test to be valid. Find a testing location near you at the New Mexico Department of Health website.  We also strongly advise you to:
    1. Wear a mask in all public indoor settings for 14 days or until you receive a negative test result.
    2. Monitor yourself for any COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days and immediately seek medical advice if symptoms occur.
  3. If you are UNVACCINATED and NOT having any symptoms (asymptomatic):
    1. You will need to schedule a COVID-19 viral test at a community location as well. Find a testing location near you at the New Mexico Department of Health website. 
    2. While waiting to get your test results back, you must self-quarantine for 14 days, or until you receive a negative test result, to prevent the possibility of transmitting the virus to others. That means:
      1. Stay in your residence or room; if you must leave, stay at least 6 feet away from other people at all times
      2. If possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.
      3. Wear a mask at all times when you are outside of your room or home (which includes walking to a shared bathroom)
      4. Attend classes remotely, not in person, while in quarantine
      5. Utilize carryout or mobile ordering pickup for food service
      6. Have no visitors in your room or home or participate in any in-person socializing
      7. Clean any shared spaces before and after use
      8. Wash your hands frequently
      9. Wipe bathroom surfaces with sanitizer/disinfectant before and after use
      10. Monitor yourself for flu-like symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills, body aches)
  4. If your test comes back positive:
    • You must self-report immediately.
    • Call SHAC at 505-277-3136 (or your own medical provider) if you are having symptoms or other concerns.
    • Begin self-isolating following the NM Department of Health Self-Isolating Guidelines
    • If you have mild symptoms or no symptoms, you do not necessarily need to seek medical care.
    • Notify your faculty regarding the length of time that you will be unable to attend face to face activities. Your UNM faculty will not require a medical release for this.
    • You may be contacted by contact tracers from the NM Department of Health to determine the extent of your exposure. Please cooperate with this process to prevent the risk of additional infections.
  5. Have questions related to COVID-19? Call the New Mexico Department of Health Coronavirus Hotline at: 1-855-600-3453.

Classroom Occupancy and Modalities: On UNM's Main Campus, the average classroom occupancy level for Fall 2021 is 50% of capacity. 70% of classes are at 60% capacity and below. 48% of classes are at 45% capacity and below.  Departmental decision-making about classroom preferences and enrollment led to scheduling some classes at greater than 80% capacity. On UNM's main campus, 66% of courses are face-to-face, 12% are hybrid, and 22% are online max. UNM has taken steps for supporting HVAC systems and facility air exchange following CDC guidelines.

Requests for accessing a face-to-face or hybrid class remotely:

Instructors should not feel that they must offer a course for the entire semester simultaneously in person and remote streamed (sometimes called "hiflex"). Qualified students may request accommodations for the semester by working with the Accessibility Resource Center. Possible accommodations may include attending class remotely but only in cases in which the instructor agrees that remote attendance will not lessen the learning experience and only when the student has a documented need for an accessibility accommodation. Instructors may choose individually to stream a few classes on a temporary basis for students who request that flexibility when they are sick or are encountering other COVID-19 constraints.

*For additional information please see the FAQ page