CBE Student FAQs

Our commitment to in-person active learning such as studio and lab work means that there will be many classes for which we will not be able to offer remote learning. if you need to temporarily quarantine or isolate per CDC guidance and/or campus policy, notify your instructors by email as soon as possible AND notify Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) response team. Under these circumstances, your instructors will make all course materials, including lecture recordings where possible, available to you. 

You will not be penalized for not participating in class in person on days when you are isolating or in quarantine.

You may be eligible for an accommodation administered by the Disability Resources for Students (DRS) to take classes remotely if you are a student who is:

1. Immunocompromised
2. Experiencing other diagnosed physical or mental health conditions that preclude you from participating in class in person during the pandemic.

If you think you may qualify for any type of formal accommodation, we encourage you to visit the Disability Resources for Students (DRS) as soon as possible.  Please note that DRS is experiencing a significantly high volume of requests and consultations.  Staff are striving to be as timely as possible; however, you may experience a delay in communications. If your request to DRS for accommodation is approved, DRS will directly notify your instructors (in addition to you) to let them know of your accommodations. Your department chair, and advisor are all happy to be of assistance as you navigate the formal accommodation process.

Situations Not Covered by DRS Accommodation 

If you are a student who is:

1. Living full time with someone who is immunocompromised

OR

1. Unable to travel to the US because you are unable to obtain a visa

These situations do not qualify you to be considered for remote learning accommodations. Students who are living full-time with an individual who is immunocompromised are not eligible for a workplace accommodation through DSO since it does not relate to their own medical condition.

CBE is investing in the primary mode of in-person teaching for all classes, including active learning such as studios and hands-on, our ability to provide remote options are limited to those with approved DRS or those quarantining according to CDC and UW guidance. We want to support our students to the very best of our ability. Please keep your academic advisor informed if any of these policies do not work for you; we may not be able to solve the problem, but the more we know the better we are able to develop options. In some cases, the best option for a student may be to request a leave if they are unable to continue or complete course work. Students should work with academic advisers to determine if this is an appropriate path for them.

The Graduate School is temporarily accepting official test scores for both the Duolingo English Test and the TOEFL ITP Plus For China to assist international students with remote testing options. This policy is currently in effect through the autumn 2022 admission cycle (i.e., students enrolling in autumn 2022).

Consistent with what Ana Mari and Mark said in their message to employees, namely that “Our progress to more in-person classes and operations depends on the effective distribution of vaccines and on each of us continuing to follow health guidance.” Additionally, “normal” may not be pre-pandemic normal. This year, we expect to follow guidance on social distancing and masking in effect at that time.

Based on the State of Washington’s goals for vaccination rates and other projections, UW and CBE returned to largely face-to-face instruction and operations in Autumn quarter.  We the term “largely” in context of knowing that there may be reason to keep some classes and/or operations remote or hybrid. Those are the plans, but we will obviously be tracking public health guidance between now and then. Our plans will be informed by that guidance and may need to change accordingly as we work towards a safe return.

With the end of the state’s Healthy Washington phases on June 30, the University of Washington’s Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses are basing our health and safety guidelines on state and local health requirements and guidance.

The following items apply to all UW campuses and work locations, with certain exemptions as indicated below. UW Medicine and units with clinical operations should continue to follow health-care-specific guidance. Read more about  UW’s Safe Start Status here.

Yes, buildings will be accessible with Husky Card access. We are currently working through guidelines for CBE spaces. We will update the information as we finalize our plans and will email you those plans as well. We expect, at minimum, to continue the winter 2021 quarter arrangements for service bureau access to fabrication, remote access to hardware and software, and remote service for the library.

With fewer people on campus during the pandemic, most UW buildings are accessible only to UW students and personnel via keys or keycards. As more students, personnel and visitors return to campus and as more facilities reopen for in-person services over the summer and into the fall, more buildings will be reopening to public access. Individual units should work with their building coordinators to determine when to reopen buildings for access without keys or keycards. A series of steps outlined in the building readiness checklist must be completed before a building can be fully reopened.

We returned campus housing to full occupancy in the fall, as public health guidelines permitted.  Find more information about how we protect your health and safety in our housing and dining facilities on the HFS website.

The HUB is open with limited operations as an informal learning space for individual UW students, faculty, and staff. There are more than 200 seats available for UW community members to comfortably access WiFi for classes, studying, and work. Reservations are not required for UW students, faculty, staff to visit the HUB. Learn more about visiting the HUB.

Most HUB offices remain available remotely. Please contact individual offices for information.

Private Space for Students

Students can reserve a private conference room for scheduled interviews, mental health services/appointments, or non-departmental testing by completing this form.

Reservations are required to use the space and can be submitted two weeks in advance. Students may request one reservation of up to two hours per week.

The UW registrar has announced that there will be a notation added to transcripts. “Transcript Comment: The COVID-19 outbreak impacted Winter 2020 grades. Some courses display CR/NC rather than numeric grades.” For more in-depth information contact your departmental advisor, and find full details on these and other issues on the UW Registrar’s FAQ site.

No. Having taken online classes in the 2020-2021 school year will not affect your time to degree in CBE programs. However, if you are enrolled in a class that is canceled or postponed, you may need to enroll in a different class to meet your graduation requirements. As we return to in-person learning, if you have questions or concerns regarding fulfilling program requirements, please contact your program adviser.

We understand that your family’s financial situation may have changed as a result of COVID-19. Students can request changes to their award by completing a “change in financial situation – parent,” or “change in financial situation – student” form using the revision request website.

There will work-study opportunities. We are working across UW to put employment guidelines in place to make sure our employees are all safe. This may require students to fill out an attestation form before coming on campus to work (if they cannot work remotely).

Student decisions for leaves and deferrals in our degree programs may have an impact on financial aid, gifts, or employment. Students should contact their advisors to understand the impact of student status on finances.

Yes. CBE launched the CBE Student Emergency Fund in May 2020 to support students facing housing/rent, food, medical, and other substantial urgent expenses. Students may submit emergency aid requests via the central Emergency Aid Portal (applications will reopen on Sept 30th). Please be sure to indicate that you are a CBE student requesting aid from the CBE Emergency Fund in your application form. Applications submitted via the Emergency Aid Portal are reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid in partnership with the College of Built Environments and approved applicants may receive funding from the UW’s central Emergency Aid Fund and/or the CBE Student Emergency Fund. In addition, CBE launched a Student Stipend request page to help students with smaller, less urgent needs. Request support here.

In order to ensure the health and safety of the University campus community and the public, face coverings are required to be worn at the University of Washington, regardless of vaccination status:

• Indoors when other people are present, and in all public and common areas, such as lobbies, hallways, stairways, restrooms, elevators, and in shared vehicles;
• At any outdoor in-person event hosted or sponsored by the University or conducted on University of Washington premises with 500 or more people in attendance.

For other outdoor settings, face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn outdoors by all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, when in crowded settings and in settings where there is a decreased ability to consistently maintain a physical distance between others.

If you are sick with any potential illness, you must stay home, regardless of your vaccination status.

COVID-19’s most common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath. If you’re symptomatic, take the following steps to protect yourself and your loved ones:

Get tested and stay home until you receive your test result.

• Husky Coronavirus Testing participants: Report your symptoms in the daily survey to receive testing instructions. You will hear from the UW COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team if you test positive.
• If you are not enrolled in Husky Coronavirus Testing, you can still sign up for testing through the program, or access testing through public testing sites, pharmacies, or potentially your health care provider. To protect the health of other people, do NOT visit a doctor’s office, urgent care clinic or other health facility without notifying them that you may have COVID-19.

If you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19, immediately notify the UW COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206.616.3344. UW medical center personnel should contact their respective employee health services.

Follow public health guidelines to help you recover and protect loved ones from getting sick. Stay home, stay masked and stay 6 feet away from other people and pets whenever possible. For more about the steps you’ll need to take, see our FAQ, “What do I do if I have confirmed or suspected COVID-19?”

You can also learn more from Public Health – Seattle & King County and the Washington State Department of Health.

The following COVID-19 testing options are provided at no cost to you.

Husky Coronavirus Testing program: We strongly encourage participation among employees and students. If you are not enrolled, you can still sign up now to be tested.

Free testing is also available through local public health departments:

• 1. • Public Health – Seattle & King County testing sites
     • Pierce County testing sites
     • Snohomish Health Districts testing sites

3. UW medical center personnel should contact their respective employee health services.

Additional testing options

• 1. Hall Health Center: COVID-19 testing is available by appointment only. Call 206-685-1011 to schedule.
  2. UW Medicine offers testing for current patients. Visit the patient portal to make an appointment.
  3. Some pharmacies offer COVID-19 testing that is billed to your health insurance.
  4. Your personal health care provider may be able to arrange testing.

Multilingual information about COVID-19 testing options is available from the Washington State Department of Health.

All University units must follow the current UW COVID-19 Face Covering Policy.

The UW requires all individuals to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. A mask or other suitable face covering is required indoors when other people are present and in all public and common areas, such as lobbies, hallways, stairways, restrooms, elevators and shared vehicles.

UW Medicine clinical personnel should continue to follow UW Medicine policies, and masks are encouraged for everyone when in crowded outdoor settings where distancing isn’t possible.

When and where can I receive a vaccine?

What is the Husky Coronavirus testing program?

The Husky Coronavirus Testing program tests for current coronavirus infections — not antibodies from past infections — and is organized into four main components.

Return-to-campus testing: All students, faculty and staff planning to be on a campus or at a UW facility are encouraged to enroll in the testing program — especially those who will be there at least once a week and/or who live in shared housing, such as on-campus housing, fraternities and sororities. This way we can identify anyone who contracted COVID-19 at home, and we can provide proper support and self-isolation options. Testing is conducted based on your answers to the enrollment questionnaire, and those at lower risk – such as those who only come to a campus sporadically or who don’t report having any symptoms – are less likely to receive a test in this phase.
Community testing: A subset of UW community members enrolled in the program will be selected to be tested each week, with an emphasis on those who who have more contact with others, such as essential workers and students in on-campus, Greek or communal housing. With a goal of approximately 1,000 participants each week, this system will help detect asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic cases so that we can provide support and the community members who test positive know to self-isolate in order to avoid infecting others.
Symptomatic testing: All program participants will receive a daily e-mail or text message asking about symptoms. If you reply that you have symptoms or that you think you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you’ll be eligible to receive a test.

If you want to be tested but do not wish to enroll in the Husky Coronavirus Testing program, other options for testing are still available to you. See “I want to get tested for COVID-19, where can I go?”

Rapid response testing: If someone in a shared living or working environment receives a positive test, we can respond with broader testing for anyone in that environment who may have come into contact with them, with the goal of stopping the further spread.
Tests are processed at the Brotman Baty Institute and the program is being conducted as a research study with the approval of UW Research’s Human Subjects Division.

You can enroll now.

Along with following the 3Ws (Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Watch your distance.), getting as many people who will be on campus or at a UW facility – or living near a campus – to enroll in the program AND participate when asked to take a test is vital to preventing outbreaks.

You can find COVID-19 frequently asked questions on the UW coronavirus website here.

When state and University restrictions are relaxed, you will need to revise your COVID-19 Return to In-person Research Plans according to the new guidelines and have the new plan approved as per the original process.

It is likely that new state health and safety requirements will be different for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. The central administration is working in partnership with EH&S on vaccine verification tools to implement new requirements appropriately.

Currently, employees who can telework but would prefer to be on site may return anytime if it is safe and operationally feasible.  However, if an employee has been teleworking and is being asked to return prior to September 10, units must generally provide them with at least 30 days notice before they ask them to report to work in person.  Please work with your unit (Department, School, or College as appropriate) to follow their process for members of your research group who are not currently spending time onsite.

Most software should be available through the CBE Resource Page.

The UW has a computer loaner program run out of Kane Hall. Students can reserve laptops for the entire quarter. You can find more information here. However, supplies are limited. Additionally, CBE will have a limited number of computers available for students to borrow. More information on this will be coming soon.

Most of the software required for CBE courses is available for your use on the CBE Citrix Application Server. This allows you to use software without installing it on your computer. You will, however, need to install the Citrix receiver software. To do this, please follow the instructions in the “How to Connect to the Citrix Application Server” section.

If your computer is too old to support Citrix Applications, please email your instructor or CBE IT for help at behelp@uw.edu.

CBE and the UW have numerous resources available for students with technology needs including loaner programs. You may learn more about these resources below and we will soon share information about the new CBE Student Stipend request site which may also be used for technology support if the need is not met by the below resources.

Resources:

CBE Online Learning Resources Page – access CBE tele-conferencing platforms, various software options, and trainings/tutorials

IT Connect’s Software for the UW (UWare) – access software at free or reduced rates available to University of Washington students

Gain access to discipline-specific software (such as Adobe Suite, Rhino, and more) using your own computer via the CBE Remote Access Lab (software performance is determined by the lab machine, not your computer)

The Digital Commons outer lab will have modified access to fewer workstations for in-person use which can be accessed with your Husky Card. In response to the evolving pandemic, all users will be charged the $2/foot CBE rate for Gould Hall plotting until further notice.

The Archnet plotter room is available on a limited basis for a single occupant at a time with your Husky Card. Students may also install Archnet drivers on their own computers and may then send plots to one or more of the Archnet plotters without being physically in the space until it’s time to pick up their plot.

Laptops are available on loan to students via the UW Student Technology Loan Program and you can access CBE software on these laptops via the CBE Remote Access Lab mentioned above.
A very limited number of laptops are available on loan via the CBE/BE Library Student Loaner Program. We ask that you please only use this option when all other options above, particularly the CBE Remote Access Lab and UW Student Technology Loan Program, have been exhausted.

If you have further questions about any of the above technology-related resources, please contact be-help@uw.edu for assistance.

SEVP has communicated temporary changes to F-1 policy and practice through different communications (listed below). ISS continues to use this guidance as we advise students on their F-1 status during COVID-19. ISS will continue to update its information page as details become available.

• April 2021: Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program would extend its March 9, 2020 Policy Directive guidance for the 2021-22 academic year.
• April 2021: The U.S. Department of State announced consulates and embassies around the world would continue to resume visa services on a post by post basis as conditions and staffing allows. If you have confirmed travel plans to begin studies in the U.S., be sure to contact the nearest embassy or consulate to determine whether you can qualify for expedited processing. If your I-20 start date is 9/29/2021 for autumn quarter, you may need to wait until later in the summer to obtain a visa appointment since UW classes do not begin until late September. Continue to monitor travel guidelines, restrictions, check visa wait times in your region, and review updates on the embassy or consulate’s web page for the most up-to-date information.

Students can also read COVID-19 Guidance from the government directly on the websites below:

Department of Homeland Security – Study in the States: COVID-19 Resources
Department of State guidance for J-1 students – Exchange Visitor Program Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Every student’s situation is different. UW’s International Student Services (ISS) office encourages you to review the Final Quarter Checklist to understand your options. If you have additional questions or wish to meet with an ISS adviser, complete the ISS Have a Question form so an ISS adviser can reply to your specific questions.

• UW Coronavirus FAQ page – UW up to date information on academic and administrative procedures affecting all operations of the University of Washington broadly
• UW Coronavirus Resources for Students
• UW Coronavirus Resources for Faculty, Staff, and Academic Personnel (includes Student Employees)
• UW COVID-19 Prevention Plan for the Workplace – measures based on requirements, regulation, and guidance from the Governor’s Office, State Department of Labor & Industries, and public health agencies
• UW Back-to-Workplace COVID-19 Safety Training – required online training for faculty, staff, and student employees, takes a little over 30 minutes
• UW COVID-19 Face Covering Policy
• The Huddle – UW School of Medicine website devoted to daily updates on COVID-19 care from a medical perspective
• HR leave policies & procedures – staff protocols on annual leave policies & procedures

• PPE A limited amount of Personal Protective Equipment (masks, face shields, gloves) is available by prior arrangement from the Dean’s Office. Contact CBE Facilities Coordinator Meegan Amen, meegan@uw.edu for assistance.
• Cleaning Supplies Cleaning supplies (cleaner, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer) are available in each classroom, lab, studio, and office suite. Please take only what you need. Please contact Meegan Amen (meegan@uw.edu) if supplies in a particular room are running low.
• Custodial Services Cleaning Process UW’s Coronavirus FAQ contains a University Operations section which addresses the UW’s cleaning process. UW Building Services has also created a video describing the UW’s cleaning process for campus spaces.
• CBE Student Loaner Laptops The College has a very small number of laptops formerly in the BE Library loaner pool that are available for loan through the end of Winter quarter. Since there are so few laptops, and there are other ways to gain access to CBE software (visit the Digital Commons, remote into powerful lab computers using the Citrix Application Server or the new CBE Remote service) it is important to allocate these laptops to students with the most challenging situations. Please email CBE Computing (be-help@uw.edu) to discuss options.An alternative to a CBE loaner laptop is a laptop from the UW’s centrally-managed Student Technology Loan Program.  While these devices do not have the Adobe Suite and are generally not powerful enough to run CBE software, they can provide a way for students to access CBE’s Citrix Application Server and use the CBE Remote service. The CBE Remote service includes access to the Adobe Suite on more powerful desktop computers.
• Other Loaner Equipment The College also has other (non-laptop) equipment formerly in the BE Library loaner pool, including cameras, sound meters, light meters, and digital audio recorders. Loan times for these are one week. Please email CBE Computing (be-help@uw.edu) to arrange an equipment loan.Alternatively, the UW’s Student Technology Loan Program has some non-laptop equipment available for loan to UW students.
• Digital Commons The Digital Commons computing lab in the basement of Gould Hall will be open for use by CBE students and other UW students taking CBE classes. The Digital Commons Classroom will be closed both to address sanitation and distancing issues, and to allow those computers to be dedicated to remote class use via the CBE Remote access service. To maintain appropriate distancing, in-person capacity of the Digital Commons will be reduced to approximately 16 physically-available workstations. Cleaning supplies are available at the help desk and around the lab. Lab users must use available wipes and cleaner to sanitize their workstation area before and after use.The Digital Commons help desk will have very limited on-site staffing. Please check the Digital Commons page for staffing details, or email be-help@uw.edu to schedule a time to visit if you need in-person help.
• Archnet The Archnet printer/plotter room, Architecture Hall G51, will be open to CBE students. Since maintaining physical distancing in such a small room is difficult, only one person in addition to the Archnet Manager will be able to use the room at a time. One workstation will be available to send jobs to the Archnet printers and plotters. Students are therefore strongly encouraged to connect their laptops to Archnet printers to limit their need to be in the Archnet space. Cleaning supplies are available; Archnet users must use the available wipes and cleaner to sanitize the workstation and any other equipment that is used. Please email Archnet (archnet@uw.edu) with any questions.
• Service Bureaus To provide laser cutting and 3D printing, CBE will continue the service bureaus established during Spring quarter 2020. There will be a charge for service bureau products to partly recover materials costs. To facilitate no-contact payment and pickup, there will be an online credit card payment form and a pickup location in Gould Court. Details for submitting jobs to the laser cutter and 3D printer service bureaus are available on the Fabrication Labs page.
• LIMITED Laser Cutter Access To accommodate trained students who prefer to use the laser cutters themselves, we have worked with UW Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) to develop a set of protocols allowing limited physical access to one laser cutter in Gould 350.During Winter Quarter, the RED laser cutter in Gould 350 will be available to CBE students who have completed CBE laser training. New users will not be trained until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. More information on this new service is available on the Fabrication Labs page.
• BE Library Please see the UW Libraries Student FAQ for Fall 2021 for information on library access.
• COVID-19 + Admissions FAQ Information for Graduate, International, Prospective, and Undergraduate Students is available at http://intranet.be.uw.edu/students/faqs/.

• Washington State Department of Health (DOH) – State of Washington site responsible for public health updates statewide
• US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – Federal agency responsible for nationwide responses to epidemiological events and actions

Prepare for when classes can’t meet: itconnect.uw.edu/learn/prepare/

Working Remotely: https://itconnect.uw.edu/work/working-remotely/

CBE Online Learning Resources: http://intranet.be.uw.edu/timely-resources/

Technologies that are currently available for you are listed below with some training guides and links:

• Zoom (video conferencing, group meetings)
  • Downloading and Signing Into Zoom For The First Time (1:17)
  • Scheduling A Recurring Class Session In Zoom (4:45)
  • Your First Zoom Class Session (7:49)
• Canvas
  • https://canvas.uw.edu/
• Panopto (lecture capture)
  • https://uw.hosted.panopto.com/
  • Panopto can also be launched from a Canvas course page

The Registrar’s Office has a COVID-19 FAQ page, which contains a Grading section approximately 40% of the way down the page that addresses a number of questions.

Academics: Vikramditya Prakash: t: 206-616-9091, e: vprakash@uw.edu

Finance/Administration: Rachel Ward: t: 206-616-2440, e: wardrm@uw.edu

HR: Gary Winchester: t: 206-685-9369, e: winchga@uw.edu

Operations/IT/COVID issues (CBE COVID Site Supervisor): Mark Baratta: t: 206-543-4872, e: baratta@uw.edu

Facilities/COVID issues (Backup CBE COVID Site Supervisor): Meegan Amen: t: 206-616-2439, e: meegan@uw.edu