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. Learn more about different types of face coverings and find CDC information and tutorials on fashioning masks 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. Face coverings should be worn in any enclosed university-owned public space or any outdoor space where 6-feet physical distancing is difficult to reliably maintain.

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

Students and employees are also required to complete the COVID-19/Face Mask Safety Training and complete the quiz at the conclusion of the training.

Students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to provide their own face coverings (e.g. cloth or disposable face mask). Learn more about different types 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. The plan for distributing face coverings for faculty and staff is in development. 
 
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. Students, faculty and staff are required to complete the COVID-19/Face Mask Safety Training and complete the quiz at the conclusion of the training. 
 
The university also will promote the use of face coverings and other preventative measures as part of a comprehensive campaign under development to foster personal health responsibility in our university community.  

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.  
 
Additional information regarding policy enforcement will be provided in the coming weeks. 

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.

Students, faculty, staff and visitors must wear face coverings over their mouths and noses while on K-State campuses in all hallways, public spaces, classrooms and other common areas of campus buildings, and when in office or other work spaces or outdoor settings when 6-feet physical distancing cannot be maintained. When in doubt, wear your face covering.

Yes. Students and employees are required to complete the COVID-19/Face Mask Safety Training and complete the quiz at the conclusion of the training. Find information on the proper use of face coverings. 

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. Students and employees are required to complete the COVID-19/Face Mask Safety Training and complete the quiz at the conclusion of the training. Find information on the proper use of face coverings. 

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. We encourage faculty to use a face shield when possible while physical distancing themselves to improve verbal communication in the classroom.  If a faculty member is teaching a student with a disability who uses accommodations, the faculty member will receive an email from the Student Access Center 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 face covering when entering and exiting the classroom since face coverings provide more protection than a face shield.

The Division of Facilities storeroom is a centralized location for ordering face coverings and other cleaning and disinfectant supplies. A supply of face shields has been ordered.

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

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. If, after additional education and training, an employee refuses to comply, please work through your college/unit supervisory hierarchy to move the concern to the next level of supervision.  If, after these steps, the employee refuses to comply, please contact Employee Relations and Engagement. Refusal to comply with the face covering policy may result in in denial of access to designated areas or activities and discipline in accordance applicable university policies.   

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

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 to wear a face covering if 6-feet physical distancing cannot be maintained. 

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.

Yes, in very limited circumstances. Individuals who need reasonable accommodations related to the use of face coverings 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.    
 
Signage will be posted to inform individuals of face mask and physical distancing requirements. Signs designating that face coverings are required shall have contact information for those persons needing to request an accommodation to exempt them from the face covering requirement.

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.