Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

As we prepare for Thanksgiving and the end to the semester, this is a good time to reflect on what we have faced over the past year while also looking ahead to the spring semester.

Our experiences during the return to campus have informed many of our decisions for moving forward. Much of our success in minimizing the risk of COVID-19 to our community is due to the diligence of students, faculty and staff, and your adherence to the Comets United guidelines.

We encourage all of the UT Dallas community to follow appropriate safety measures as we head into the break and ultimately return to campus in the spring. Please follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and the suggestions Student Affairs has provided students, “Things to Know Before You Go,” so that you can stay healthy and reduce risk on campus.

We are eager to welcome students back for the spring semester, but we cannot let down our guard. Campus life will not yet be able to return to the pre-pandemic form. While the instructional model will be the same as for the fall, we will be expanding the opportunities for face-to-face interactions.

Students, faculty and staff will continue to be required to wear face coverings when on campus or in facilities other than their personal residences and to observe guidelines for physical distancing. Students and anyone working on campus will still be required to complete the Daily Health Check in the spring. Other requirements may be specified for particular situations. The Comets United website remains the main source for information and guidelines.

We are finalizing our plans for the start of the spring semester, so please check your email and the website for those announcements.

On behalf of everyone at UT Dallas, I want to offer you our best wishes for the holiday season ahead.

Finally, I hope that during the winter break that you renew and recharge. Let’s all prepare for a terrific new year.

Stay safe and be healthy.

Rafael Martín
Vice President and Chief of Staff