Face coverings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends the use of simple cloth face masks/coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19. Recommendations for fabric masks include two or more layers of densely woven fabric and appropriate fit (snug, but not too tight). The fabric should remain dry and the face mask should be replaced if it becomes wet.

Learn more about the care and use of face coverings and find CDC information and tutorials on fashioning maks for personal use.

Face coverings are not a substitute for the surgical masks needed in health care settings or personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as N95 respirators. PPE should be reserved for health care professionals and others who must come in frequent and close contact with those who are sick, or as otherwise designated by K-State Environmental Health and Safety.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends the use of simple cloth face masks/coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a face covering may aid in preventing the spread of viruses in instances when:

• 6-feet physical distancing is difficult, impracticable or cannot be maintained.
• Persons are together in close proximity for 10 minutes or more.
• The nature of the interaction results in consistent talking, singing or other verbal or respiratory exchanges within close proximity.
• The location is of a type where many people come and go such that movement is likely to impede physical distancing.

A public space is any indoor space other than your own private office; residence, including residence hall room or apartment; or personal vehicle. Public spaces include lobbies, restrooms, cafeterias, classrooms, common spaces of residence halls, conference rooms and break rooms.

There are a variety of resources about the care and safe use of face coverings available here.

All employees must take the Come Back 'Cats — Reopening Kansas State University training. Students should complete a mandatory face covering training that also covers COVID-19 transmission, risk mitigation and the Every Wildcat A Wellcat pledge. Students will log in with eIDs to verify completed training. 

Students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to provide their own face coverings (e.g. cloth or disposable face mask). Learn more about the care and use of face coverings and find CDC information and tutorials on fashioning masks for personal use.

The university will provide all students, faculty and staff with one face covering at the beginning of the semester. Students on the Manhattan, Olathe and Polytechnic campuses will receive their face covering in a welcome kit available at strategic distribution points.

Units may wish to order face coverings to provide to employees or to have ready for emergency situations, such as visitors arriving without a face covering. The Division of Facilities storeroom is a centralized location for ordering face coverings and other cleaning and disinfectant supplies.

There will be several measures in place to help reinforce the face coverings policy. Signage will be posted. Course syllabi will include notification of the requirement to wear a face covering in classrooms and other instructional areas. Employee return-to-work training documents may also include notifications. All employees must take the Come Back 'Cats — Reopening Kansas State University training. Students should complete a mandatory face covering training that also covers COVID-19 transmission, risk mitigation and the Every Wildcat A Wellcat pledge. Students will log in with eIDs to verify completed training. 

The university also will promote the use of face coverings and other preventative measures as part of the Every Wildcat A Wellcat campaign to foster personal health responsibility in our university community.

No. You do not need to wear a face covering while eating or drinking. After removing your face covering for eating, place the face covering into a bag to help keep the material clean and away from other people and items in your proximity. As soon as your meal is complete, wash your hands or clean your hands with hand sanitizer and replace your face covering, then clean your hands again. 

Yes. Face coverings must be worn on campus shuttles or buses.

Everyone — faculty, staff, students, contractors, vendors and visitors — must wear face coverings over their mouths and noses in all indoor and outdoor spaces while you are on university property unless you are alone in your own private office or work space or are alone outdoors. When in doubt, wear your face covering.

CDC guidance does not recommend the use of face shields for normal everyday activities as a substitute for cloth face masks/coverings. It is not known if face shields provide any benefit to protect others from the spray of respiratory particles.

Face shields are not a replacement for cloth face coverings, except in approved instances such as:

• Instructors or speakers while lecturing or speaking to a group to support the ability to project audibly better or to provide an accommodation for a student who may rely on seeing the instructor’s mouth to understand content clearly. The instructor or speaker must be able to maintain at least 6-feet physical distance from all members of the class/group.
• Students who have received permission from the Student Access Center to wear a face shield as part of a reasonable accommodation in those rare instances when the student cannot be accommodated with online teaching/learning.
• Employees who have received permission from the ADA Coordinator to wear a face shield as part of a reasonable accommodation when it is not possible for the employee to perform their job duties remotely.

Face shields must wrap around the sides of the wearer’s face and extend below the chin. Disposable face shields should only be worn for a single use, reusable face shields should be cleaned after each use.

All students must wear a cloth face covering while attending classes in person. Instructors may wear a face shield if they maintain 6-feet physical distance from all persons in the room, but they must wear a mask when entering and exiting the classroom. The primary accommodation for students who are unable to wear a cloth face covering due to documented medical reasons is online teaching/learning. In rare cases, when a student is unable to be accommodated with online teaching, the student may be permitted to wear a face shield. The Student Access Center, or SAC, will contact instructors regarding any students who require an accommodation.

Yes. When walking in close proximity or stopping to talk to others, it is best practice to wear a face covering. Crowded sidewalks, common during passing periods, will make it difficult to maintain 6-feet physical distance. There may be times when you can maintain physical distance and can walk outside without a face covering. If you are in doubt, wear a face covering.

Wearing face coverings should be practiced in combination with other everyday preventive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands, frequently washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and the university's required 6-feet physical distancing policy.

Yes. All employees must take the Come Back 'Cats — Reopening Kansas State University training.

Students should complete a mandatory face covering training that also covers COVID-19 transmission, risk mitigation and the Every Wildcat A Wellcat pledge. Students will log in with eIDs to verify completed training. 

Face coverings are not required when students are in their personal on-campus residence hall rooms/suites or apartments (including private and suite-style bathrooms). You should apply the same thought process that you used while living at home with your family. When you and your roommate first come together at the start of the semester, you should have a discussion around face covering expectations. However, if one of you were to develop COVID-19 related symptoms, then face coverings should be worn until a healthcare professional can been consulted. 

Yes. All employees must take the Come Back 'Cats — Reopening Kansas State University training.

Students should complete a mandatory face covering training that also covers COVID-19 transmission, risk mitigation and the Every Wildcat A Wellcat pledge. Students will log in with eIDs to verify completed training. 

Many students rely on seeing a speaker's mouth to understand content clearly.  This affects students who are hard of hearing, students who speak English as a second language or students who have other difficulties processing verbal language. If a faculty member is teaching a student who requires a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability that has been approved by the Student Access Center, the faculty member will receive an email from the SAC. and a clear shield or mask must be used in order to provide appropriate access.  

If you can maintain at least 6-feet physical distance from the nearest member of your class, then you may wear a face shield instead of a face covering while you are lecturing. You should still wear a cloth or disposable face covering when entering and exiting the classroom since face coverings provide more protection than a face shield.

CDC guidance does not recommend the use of face shields for normal everyday activities as a substitute for face masks. It is not known if face shields provide any benefit to protect others from the spray of respiratory particles.

If you choose to wear a face shield while lecturing, the face shield must wrap around the sides of the wearer’s face and extend below the chin. Disposable face shields should only be worn for a single use, reusable face shields should be cleaned after each use.

The Division of Facilities Storeroom is a centralized location for ordering face coverings and other PPE.

Access the required statement regarding wearing face coverings for course syllabi.

Face coverings must be worn in any public areas, even if you are in your own workspace. However, a workspace is not a public area when it allows for reliably maintaining a physical distance of 6-feet from others and includes a physical barrier between other workspaces. In these areas, a face covering is highly recommended but not required.

While in your private office area, you are not required to wear a face covering when alone. However, when other people join you, then all are required to wear a face covering.

Yes. Face coverings must be worn in a shared vehicle, even if no one else is in the vehicle, to decrease respiratory secretions on surfaces within the vehicle. Contaminated surfaces may still be a source of infection after you have left. If the vehicle is assigned to a single employee, and that person is alone in the vehicle, a face covering does not need to be worn.

We expect everyone who comes to campus to observe our health and wellness protocols. We must all work together to help stop the spread of the virus. Failure to comply with face covering requirements may result in denial of access to designated areas or participation in programs or activities, and/or discipline in accordance with applicable university policies. 

In classrooms, faculty have the right to deny a student entry into the room if the student is not wearing a face mask/covering.

Yes, unless they have received an exemption from the face coverings policy from the appropriate university staff. If individuals are not wearing a face covering in a public space, the first response should be a collegial reminder and an offer of a clean face covering, if one is available. If the individual refuses to wear a face covering, a supervisor (for students this could be a faculty member or a staff member overseeing the area) may direct the individual to leave. For example, a faculty member could direct a student to attend a class remotely rather than in person. As a last resort, if the person refuses to leave, inform the person you are calling the campus police for assistance.

• Manhattan campus police: 785-532-6412
• Olathe campus security guard: 913-307-7318
• Kansas State Polytechnic security officer: 785-826-2909

A resource document is available to help educate others and encourage adherence to the face covering policy.

At no point should an individual put themself into an unsafe situation while attempting to enforce the face-covering policy.

Employees should visit with your immediate supervisor and express your concern. Your supervisor will follow appropriate protocols. Your supervisor will be in a position to ascertain whether the person has an exemption and, if not, to request the person wear a face covering or vacate the space. If the supervisor is uncertain of the exemption status of the employee, the supervisor should engage with Employee Relations & Engagement about further guidance.

Students and visitors should contact the faculty or staff member who is supervising the person or the space where the infraction occurred (for example, the instructor or department head). The instructor or department head will be in a position to ascertain whether the person has an exemption and, if not, politely direct the person to wear a face covering or vacate the space.

Employees are expected to comply with the face covering requirement as a condition of employment, as well as for the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues, and the K-State community.

Employees who do not comply should be reminded of the policy by their supervisor and provided additional education and training as needed. Employees may require accommodation, and if this is the case, please direct employees to the ADA coordinator in HCS. If the employee does not have an exemption, and if after additional education and training, an employee refuses to comply, you may direct the individual to leave the space. As a last resort, if the employee refuses to leave, inform the employee you are calling the campus police for assistance.

If the employee leaves without issue, proceed with disciplinary action in accordance with university policies. Employee Relations & Engagement in HCS is available to assist with guidance around disciplinary action.

If the employee refuses to leave, call campus police to assist in removing the employee. At no point should the supervisor or other employees put themselves into an unsafe situation while attempting to enforce the face-covering policy.

• Manhattan campus police: 785-532-6412
• Olathe campus security guard: 913-307-7318
• Kansas State Polytechnic security officer: 785-826-2909

Following the removal of the employee, proceed with disciplinary action in accordance with university policies.

If you feel uncomfortable telling your immediate supervisor about a colleague not wearing a face covering, you can talk with another supervisor in your unit, such as a department head, dean or vice president. If for any reason you are not able to visit with a supervisor in your unit, please contact Employee Relations and Engagement.

If a student is not wearing face coverings, the first response should be a collegial reminder and an offer of a clean face covering, if one is available. If the individual refuses to wear a face covering, you may direct the individual to leave the space, and if available, join the class remotely or participate in virtual office hours or advising sessions. As a last resort, if the student refuses to leave, inform the student you are calling the campus police for assistance.

If the student leaves without issue, the instructor has the option of completing the Code of Conduct form to ensure consistency in policy application. This information will be used to track frequency of requests for compliance.

If the student refuses to leave, call campus police to assist in removing the student. At no point should the professor or other students put themselves into an unsafe situation while attempting to enforce the face-covering policy.

• Manhattan campus police: 785-532-6412
• Olathe campus security guard: 913-307-7318
• Kansas State Polytechnic security officer: 785-826-2909

Complete the Code of Conduct form. The Office of Student Life will look further into the issue and take the non-compliance with the request to leave into consideration of further accountability measures.

The Office of Student Life follows a defined procedure in the event of a violation of the face covering policy.

• 1^stoffense: Warning letter sent to the student with information regarding the policy and potential next steps.
• 2^ndoffense: Administrative hearing with OSL Dean to discuss the policy and any concerns being raised.
• 3^rdoffense: Student Review Board hearing where student could face sanctions up to removal from the classroom, university property, or temporary loss of student status.

Elevated concerns could allow for skipping of steps or addressing the behavior through the Threat Management Policy.

Please contact the K-State employee who is supervising the person or the space where the infraction occurred. The K-State employee who is supervising the project or space will be in a position to ascertain whether the person has an exemption and, if not, politely direct the person to wear a face covering or vacate the space.

The first response should be a collegial reminder and an offer of a clean face covering, if one is available. If the individual refuses to wear a face covering, you may direct the individual to leave the space. As a last resort, if the individual refuses to leave, inform the person you are calling the campus police for assistance.

If the individual refuses to leave, call campus police to assist in removing the individual. At no point should the supervisor or other employees put themselves into an unsafe situation while attempting to enforce the face-covering policy.

• Manhattan campus police: 785-532-6412
• Olathe campus security guard: 913-307-7318
• Kansas State Polytechnic security officer: 785-826-2909

The K-State employee who is supervising the project or space will look further into the issue and take the non-compliance with the request to leave into consideration for further accountability measures.

Faculty, staff, and students can download a digital version of a pocket card that details what to say to someone who is not wearing a face covering.

Physical versions of the cards have been distributed to employees at the Manhattan, Polytechnic and Olathe campuses.

Download now.

Yes, in very limited circumstances. Individuals who need reasonable accommodations related to  the use of face coverings due to a documented medical condition may contact the ADA coordinator at charlott@k-state.edu (for employees) or the Student Access Center, or SAC, at accesscenter@k-state.edu (for students) for assistance.   

According to the CDC, cloth face coverings should not be worn by:

• Children younger than 2 years old.
• Anyone who has trouble breathing.
• Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance.

Yes. Scientific understanding of COVID-19 is still evolving and currently it is not known if those who have had the disease can be reinfected and become contagious again.