COVID-19 Updates and Guidance > FAQs > Classes and Academics for Students

Classes and Academics for Students

1. Health and Safety Compliance

While DePaul no longer requires masks, wearing a mask indoors on campus is highly recommended. Masks are available at the first-floor desk areas near building entrances. If you are joining a meeting or gathering and a participant asks you to wear a mask, please do so.

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​No. Students who are only enrolled in online classes do not need to comply. As a result, they may not participate in any in-person classes or any on-campus co-curricular programs or experiences on either of DePaul’s campuses this fall quarter.

If they are interested in doing so, they are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19, or have received a medical or religious exemption from the requirement. They must also upload their immunization documentation through Campus Connect. 

The vaccination requirement is a major part of the university’s efforts to keep the DePaul campus community safe.​


If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s instructions.​

Students who do not feel well should not attend in-person classes and get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible. Please check your course syllabi for attendance policies and reach out to your professors to​ let them know you are ill. 

Please reach out to your instructor with questions about your options for a specific course. If you are seeking an administrative withdrawal from one or more courses, consult with the Dean of Students. 

No. Like any other medical treatment and condition, an employee's vaccination status is personal health information, which is confidential under university policy. Like students, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated or seek an exemption. 

If a student, faculty, or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they should visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website​ at for the most up-to-date instructions on quarantine, isolation and safety measures.

As directed by CDC, individuals should inform their close contacts.  If a student reported that they attended class during their infectious period - two days before symptoms or two days before day of test if no symptoms - faculty can send a notification to the class regarding possible exposure. It is important to protect privacy as much as possible and not reveal names of those who tested positive.  An example of notification:

 “I am writing to inform you that an individual has recently tested positive for COVID-19. You were present at the same location with this individual on [Insert day of class].  Please visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website to review their guidance following exposure. This includes wearing a mask for 10 days. As always, you should self-monitor for symptoms. If you begin to experience symptoms do not come to campus, test immediately and call your healthcare provider to discuss questions regarding symptoms.

Please visit DePaul's COVID-19 Testing Resource page for information on how to find testing locations. Rapid tests are also available at DePaul if you do not have access to testing. 

Keep in mind it is our responsibility, as directed by the CDC, to maintain the privacy and anonymity of those individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19. Please remember to honor this commitment to privacy for those who contract the virus."

DePaul is closely monitoring the situation and following guidance from the Chicago Department of Public Health, as we have since the start of the pandemic. If you are in a course that is scheduled to meet in person, please follow that course's attendance policy.

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Submit a question

If you can’t find an answer that you’re looking for, please email DePaulCommunityHealth@depaul.edu.​​

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