USF Hurricane Milton FAQs (2024)

Updated Friday, Oct. 11 at 4:45 p.m. –

GENERAL INFORMATION:

All USF campuses will remain closed until at least Monday, Oct. 14.

Classes scheduled for Monday, Oct. 14, on the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses will only be held asynchronously, which means students will not have to meet on Monday and will instead receive an assignment from their instructor that does not have to be completed on Monday. No in-person classes will be held on these three campuses on Monday.

USF business operations will resume remotely on Monday, Oct. 14, with only essential and critical employees working on campus. Only USF employees who are 1) classified as essential personnel, 2) identified by their supervisors as critical to campus operations, or 3) working in a facility that will be open on Monday should report to work in person, in consultation with their supervisors. Employees who do not fall into these categories should work remotely on Monday. Please contact your supervisor if you are unsure of your status. Supervisors are strongly encouraged to offer flexibility for those who may need additional time, including for those who are still without power on Monday. This may include adjusting work schedules to ensure employees have the necessary time to focus on their safety.

USF Health is planning to have modified clinical offerings on Monday, Oct. 14. Please refer to health.usf.edu/care or MyChart for regular updates and additional information. The call center will be available Monday to further assist patients and reschedule appointments at (813) 821-8038.

FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS:

What about scheduled exams and assignments? 

Instructors may not conduct class, require assignments or administer exams until at least Monday, Oct. 14. This policy applies to in-person and online classes. Please keep in mind there may be considerable displacement and stress after the storm passes; we expect that instructors will be flexible. Students will receive additional information from their instructors once campus has reopened. This is the same for online courses as well. 

Are events on campus canceled? 

The USF football game against Memphis scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12 at 3:30 p.m. and moved to Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

The decision to move the game from Raymond James Stadium was made in consultation with local law enforcement in the interest of public safety and with respect for the response and recovery efforts under way in the Tampa Bay area following Hurricane Milton in addition to various logistical challenges related to the storm that affected both schools.

Information about attendance opportunities will be forthcoming.

For all other events, please check with the event organizer regarding updates for specific events. All events in the Marshall Student Center are canceled at least until Oct. 14.

Events will start to resume once a campus has reopened.

Are residence halls open?

Residential students should not come back to campus until notified that it is safe to return. USF is prioritizing residence halls and dining in reopening plans, including restoring power to facilities that are still without it currently. We hope to be able to reopen residence halls and dining before Monday, Oct. 14. Residence halls and dining in St. Petersburg may not be able to open prior to Monday as the campus is under a boil water notice from the city until then.

What is open on campus?

All campuses remain closed until at least Monday, Oct. 14.

FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:

International students and parents may send questions to internationalservices@usf.edu or call 813-974-5102.

FOR FACULTY AND STAFF:

Can I teach my classes remotely?  

Classes scheduled for Monday, Oct. 14, on the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses will only be held asynchronously, which means students will not have to meet on Monday and will instead receive an assignment from their instructor that does not have to be completed on Monday. No in-person classes will be held on these three campuses on Monday.

Classes held in MDD (USF downtown) will meet in-person starting on Monday, Oct. 14, as that facility is fully operational.

Please keep in mind there may be considerable displacement and stress after the storm passes; we expect that instructors will be flexible.

At this time, we do not know if additional instructional time will be required. However, you will need to adjust your semester plans to meet the primary Student Learning Outcomes for your course within the remaining semester. The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning offers suggestions for supporting learning following such a disruption.

Only USF employees who are classified as essential personnel and/or those identified by their supervisors as critical to campus operations should report to campus while buildings are closed. Please contact your supervisor if you are unsure of your status. 

When can faculty members and graduate students return to their labs? 

Faculty members and graduate students are encouraged to return to their labs once campus has reopened.  Please do not come back to campus until notified that it is safe to return.

Who should be on a USF campus during the emergency closure?

Only employees who have been identified as essential personnel should report to work when the campus and its business operations are officially closed. For safety and accountability, the university must know who is on campus and their locations during an emergency closing. It is critical that all non-essential personnel (even those deemed critical) stay away from the campus when it is officially closed. However, if non-essential personnel work during an emergency closing, they will be paid regular time for the hours worked.

Per Policy 6-037, essential personnel may include the following: An employee who is essential to the operation of the university, whose absence would adversely affect the health and safety of the campus community or the viability of campus facilities and/or critical infrastructure, as determined by the employee’s department.

How do I know if I’m considered Essential Personnel?

The vice president, deans, and directors or their designees of the college, division or department will identify essential personnel. Your supervisor will notify you if you are part of this group and must come to work during the emergency closure.

Will I be required to work if I’m not considered Essential Personnel?

The vice president, dean, and director or their designees of the college, division or department may identify additional critical roles necessary to continue university operations. Your supervisor will notify you if you are part of this group and must work during the emergency closure.

If the university has closed for an emergency, will I get paid?

The following guidelines will determine if you are paid for an emergency closure: 

Exempt employees are not eligible to earn special compensatory leave during the closure.
Special compensatory leave is provided to staff employees required to perform essential duties for hours worked outside of their regular work schedule to prepare for or respond to a declared university emergency, as determined by the SVP, Chief Administration Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer or designee.
Employees who are not required to work during an emergency closure are granted administrative leave in an amount equal to the number of hours scheduled to work during the closure or in an amount necessary to bring them up to their normal hours for the work week.
Salaried Temporary employees will receive their regular pay.
Employees who are on a previously-approved leave of absence that began prior to the administrative closure day, shall not have the leave of absence changed for such administrative closure time. However, if an employee has not started their leave prior to the announcement of the closure, the employee can cancel their leave request for the day(s) the university is closed. Administrative leave for closures shall not apply during a leave of absence (i.e.: Sick leave, Annual Leave, Medical Leave of Absence, FMLA, Parental Leave, Leave without Pay, etc.). University-wide exceptions to this may be approved by the SVP, Chief Administration Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer based upon business needs.
Hourly Temporary employees will not receive administrative leave during an emergency closure, but if the workload permits it, a supervisor may adjust an employee’s schedule during the affected pay period to allow the employee to work additional hours in the work week.

What happens if USF is open but I can’t come to work because I live in an evacuation zone or have to stay home with my children whose school was closed?  

The university understands that circumstances like an evacuation or school closing may impact your ability to come to work during a storm situation. Although the university monitors school closings, we cannot guarantee that USF will close its business operations, even if other schools close. For extenuating circumstances such as these, you may request to use your annual leave to cover your absence. 

When should I return to work, and what time should I arrive?  

Please check www.usf.edu, USF’s official social media channels, MyUSF or email for updates on how long the university will be closed. On the day the university reopens, you should report to work at the time you would normally start your shift. If the university opens later than the start of your scheduled start time, you should report to work as soon as the university reopens. 

If I am an exempt employee and I work during the closure, am I eligible to earn special compensatory leave?

No. Administration, Faculty, and Staff Exempt employees are expected to work the number of hours necessary to accomplish their assigned responsibilities.  

I work a four-day work week, 10 hours each day. How many hours of administrative leave do I get for an emergency closing, eight hours or 10 hours?  

You may be eligible to receive up to 10 hours of administrative leave, which is equal to the number of hours in your regular workday, not to exceed your normal hours in a workweek. 

I am designated to be on-call. Will I continue to receive on-call pay during the closing? 
Yes, unless your supervisor advised you in writing prior to the emergency closure that you were not on-call during the closure. 

When I am on-call during an emergency closing, which rate do I receive?  

If the closure is on a regular workday, then your on-call rate is the one for the workday. However, if the closure is on the weekend, your on-call rate would be the one specified for the weekend.

After the hurricane passes, what additional resources are available for employees?

Below are some links to Hurricane guides and resources that may be helpful.

Hurricane Guide (English)
Hurricane Guide (Spanish)
Florida Disaster Guidance
FEMA Hurricane Milton Resource
Search for Help by Zip Code
Government Hurricane Info
Employee Assistance Program Crisis Resources
Employee Assistance Program Natural Disaster Guide (Updated with state-by-state resources for 2024)
USF Federal Credit Union

Employee Hardship Assistance Program for USF employees
These guides have relevant information, like helping your children recover from the emotional impact of the storm and dealing with finances in the aftermath. They can also help with any needs for food, shelter and clothing.

The Employee Assistance Program can be reached at 1-800-327-7451, and continues to provide free counseling services and connections to local resources to help you cope with the feelings of fear, sadness, anger and hopelessness related to these kinds of natural disasters.

Additional information for employees can be found here.

FOR PATIENTS:

I have an appointment at the Morsani Health Center, can you help me?