USF Hurricane Milton FAQs (2024)

Updated Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 9:45 a.m. –

GENERAL INFORMATION:

From Tuesday, Oct. 8, through at least Thursday, Oct. 10, all classes are canceled, and all business operations and campuses are closed. Students and faculty will receive more detailed information separately. Faculty are asked to be patient, understanding and flexible with their students under the circumstances.

Only USF employees who are 1) classified as essential personnel or 2) identified by their supervisors as critical to campus operations should report to work, come to campus or work remotely on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Non-essential personnel or those not deemed critical to campus operations by their supervisor are not expected to work on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

As of now, we anticipate holding classes asynchronously on Friday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Oct. 12, which means students will not have to meet on Friday and Saturday and will instead receive an assignment from their instructor that does not have to be completed on Friday or Saturday. No in-person classes will be held on Friday or Saturday.

As of now, we anticipate resuming remote USF business operations on Friday, Oct. 11 with only essential and critical employees working on campus.

A final determination about class schedules, campus reopening and remote business operations on Friday, Oct. 11 will be made Thursday evening once more information is available.

As soon as campuses close, academic and research buildings will move to emergency mode to allow response teams to prepare for impending weather. Once buildings move to emergency mode, only emergency personnel will be permitted to enter until campuses re-open. Please do not come back to campus until notified that it is safe to return.

FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS:

What about scheduled exams and assignments?

Instructors may not conduct class, require assignments or administer exams until at least Friday, Oct. 11. 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. The facilities team will assess the conditions and overall situation after the storm has passed to determine if any further adjustments are necessary.

For all other events, please check with the event organizer regarding updates for specific events. All events in the Marshall Student Center are canceled Oct. 7-10.

Events will start to resume once a campus has reopened.

Are residence halls open?

  • Based on the latest weather information, USF closed the residence halls on the Tampa campus at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Students who live on the Tampa campus were encouraged to leave the area if they have options to do so safely. Students who live on the Tampa campus and need a safe place to stay were transported to Jennings Middle School on Tuesday morning. Jennings Middle School, located at 9325 Governors Run Dr., Seffner, FL 33584, serves as an approved Hillsborough County shelter during a hurricane.
  • Residence halls in St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee closed at noon on Monday, Oct. 7. Students from those two campuses who need a safe place to stay were transported to the Tampa campus, and they will also be transported to Jennings Middle School with the Tampa campus students. All students who go to the shelter will remain there until it is safe to return.

Residential students will receive more detailed information separately about exact times and locations for evacuations and eventual plans to return once it is safe to do so.

Can USF students who don't live on campus go to the shelter at Jennings Middle School?

No, Jennings is not available for non-residential students. USF students who are not campus residential students who need a safe place to go should identify an approved county shelter.

Is Jennings Middle School open to the general public or is it only open to USF residential students?

Jennings Middle School is not open to the public as a Hillsborough County shelter. It is open to USF residential students and some students from the University of Tampa.

County shelters for off-campus students:

Hillsborough: Emergency Evacuation Shelters | Hillsborough County, FL (hcfl.gov)

Pinellas: Emergency Information - Pinellas County

Pasco: Pasco County to Open Shelters Ahead of Milton (pascocountyfl.net)

Manatee: Emergency Shelters - Manatee County (mymanatee.org)

Sarasota: Hurricane Evacuation Centers | Sarasota County, FL (scgov.net)

The nearest public shelter to the USF Tampa campus is Pizzo Elementary School, located at 11701 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa.

The nearest public shelter to the USF St. Petersburg campus is Gibbs High School, located at 850 34th St. S., St. Petersburg.

What is open on campus?

All campuses are closed as of Oct. 7. As of now, we anticipate holding classes asynchronously on Friday, Oct. 11, which means students will not have to meet on Friday and will instead receive an assignment from their instructor that does not have to be completed on Friday. No in-person classes will be held on Friday. We anticipate resuming remote USF business operations on Friday, Oct. 11 with only essential and critical employees working on campus.

Are USF dining halls open?

Dining facilities on all three campuses are closed. The latest information regarding hours of operation can be found here.

Are parking garages open for parking while the campuses are closed?

Yes, parking garages are available to those with a USF parking pass.

What student health and wellness services are available?

Tampa campus:

Counseling Center: Students experiencing psychological stress can call 813-974-2831 or use online TimelyCare Talk Now feature.

Center for Student Well-Being-SWELL: Services will resume when the university reopens.

Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention: Any staff member or student needing crime victim services can contact the Victim Services Hotline at 813-974-5757 during the university closure.

Student Health and Wellness Center:

Psychiatry:

  • Students can contact our afterhours line by calling 813-974-2331 for medical guidance.
  • For a psychological emergency, please call 813-974-2831 or use the online TimelyCare Talk Now feature.

General Medicine/Urgent Care/Sexual Health/Immunizations and CAMLS:

  • Students can contact the afterhours line by calling 813-974-2331 for medical guidance.

Bulls Country Pharmacy:

  • The pharmacy will be closed through the duration of the storm. The pharmacy will check 813-974-2071 voicemail once a day at 3 p.m. to determine if prescriptions need to be transferred to a community pharmacy.

Laboratory Services, Nursing and Immunization and Health Insurance Compliance:

  • Operations have concluded through the duration of the storm.

USF Sarasota-Manatee and St. Petersburg Campuses

  • Students can contact the afterhours line by calling 813-974-2331 for medical guidance during the closure.

Service for the Bull Runner will resume when the university reopens.

Is Feed-a-Bull food pantry open?

Feed-a-Bull food pantry is closed whenever USF campuses are closed. A list of community food pantries can be found  here.

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?  

Tuesday, Oct. 8 through at least Thursday, Oct. 10, all classes are canceled, and all campuses will be closed. No asynchronous course delivery will occur for classes scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Instructors may not conduct class, require assignments or administer exams prior to Friday, Oct. 11. 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.

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?

USF Health clinical facilities will be closed on Wednesday, Oct. 9, Thursday, Oct. 10, and Friday, Oct. 11. USF Health patients may call (813) 821-8038 or utilize MyChart to reschedule their appointments.

USF Hurricane Milton FAQs (2024)
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