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Current policies and status
Stanford is in a phased recovery of operations due to COVID-19. Below is an overview of our current policies and protocols. These will be adjusted as the public health situation changes.
COVID-19 vaccines are being administered by health care providers to eligible individuals based on criteria set by public health authorities. For the most current information, visit the Vaccinations page.
Classes will be mostly remote for the spring quarter, with limited classes offered in-person. Teaching Commons and Teach Anywhere offer resources for instructors.
On-campus housing for the spring quarter is being offered to graduate students, new transfer students, juniors and seniors and approved undergraduates with special circumstances. Dining halls provide takeout meals, with CleanDining protocols. A compact outlines protocols for those living in R&DE-assigned housing or coming to campus.
Research and some other essential in-person campus activities are operating on-site. Guidance for researchers is available. Otherwise, faculty, staff, postdocs and students who can work remotely are asked to continue doing so until school/unit leaders determine that return to on-site work is needed. Work Anywhere offers resources.
COVID-19 testing is required on a twice-weekly basis for students who live on campus or come to campus frequently. Starting January 4, 2021, surveillance testing also is required for faculty, staff, and postdocs who are approved to work on-site. Dashboards provide aggregated results for the Stanford community.
Health Check to self-report health status is required on a daily basis for students on campus and for employees and postdocs working in-person at a Stanford facility. Training on COVID-19 hygiene is required before returning to work at a campus location for the first time.
Maintain physical distance from others at all times – generally at least 6 feet. Wear a face covering indoors (unless you are in your apartment, dorm unit or personal office and no one else is present who is not a member of your household) and also outdoors whenever 6 feet of physical distance cannot be maintained from people who are not in your household.
Gatherings are generally prohibited, both indoors and outdoors, with some exceptions for university-led academic activities and other activities. Students in R&DE-assigned housing can gather with members of their registered “households” of up to 8 people and as of April 14 can participate in on-campus outdoor gatherings for up to 3 separate households with no more than 24 students total in one gathering.
Nonessential visitors to campus are limited under the campus zones program. Public events, performances and exhibitions are not occurring in person. Certain essential visitors (including spouses/partners and minor dependents) are allowed in student residences. New appointments of visitors, including visiting scholars, visiting postdocs, visiting student researchers and others, are restricted.
University-sponsored travel is restricted. Employees arriving from travel of more than 150 miles away from Santa Clara County or San Mateo County can return to the Stanford main campus or Stanford Redwood City campus after receiving a negative COVID-19 test 5 or more days after their arrival back (or after 10 days without a COVID-19 test). SLAC employees may have different policies. Students should continue participating in Stanford’s regular twice-weekly testing for students.
Athletics activities are being provided additional flexibility under a revised Santa Clara County order. Stanford Athletics will be in touch with student-athletes and coaches about the effects on team activities.
Exercise outdoors is encouraged, subject to physical distancing. Pool reservations and other recreational offerings are available for those approved to be on-site.
COVID Dashboards
Stanford’s COVID dashboards provide daily and weekly updates about COVID surveillance testing, isolation, and prevalence in the Stanford community.
Latest Updates
First-dose vaccinations available
All Stanford employees and students who are unvaccinated are encouraged to visit one of Stanford Health Care’s vaccination sites for a first-dose vaccination from Tuesday, April 27 through Saturday, May 1.
Read more about First-dose vaccinations availableStudent vaccination this fall
In a message to the campus community, Provost Persis Drell writes that Stanford plans to require all undergraduate, graduate and professional students coming to campus this fall to be vaccinated for COVID-19, with accommodations for those who cannot take a vaccination for medical or religious reasons.
Read more about Student vaccination this fallTesting, Prevention & Care
Frequently Asked Questions
For COVID-19 related information for the Stanford community from prevention strategies to university operations to finding help:
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Other Resources
Learn Anywhere
Information and technology resources for students to set up internet access at home and attend classes online.
Learn more about attending classes remotelyTeach Anywhere
This guide provides you suggested actions to take quickly when making the shift from teaching in a classroom to teaching anywhere.
Visit the Teach Anywhere websiteResearch Continuity
Guidance and information on research continuity, sponsor agency, funding opportunities and COVID-19 research at Stanford.
Learn about research continuityWork Anywhere
Technology resources, services, and equipment to enable the success of Stanford’s distributed workforce — no matter where your “office” may be.
Visit the Work Anywhere websiteStanford COVID-19 research & crisis response
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic poses a humanitarian crisis unprecedented in its scale of complexity, calling for coordination and collaboration between many fields of study.
Learn about Stanford’s response plan to unite COVID researchStanford scholars and researchers lend their expertise to tackling the COVID-19 crisis
Stanford scholars in fields ranging from history to virology to artificial intelligence have been lending their expertise to the study and analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected more than 2.5 million people worldwide.
Learn about Stanford scholar’s expertise and ongoing COVID-19 work