Wildfire Air Quality Policy

Dear Members of the USF Community:

As you know, wildfires are currently burning in California and across the western United States, disrupting lives and destroying property. The smoke has affected air quality as far away as the East Coast.  

While San Francisco, or any of our additional campus locations, are not affected at this time, conditions can change very quickly in wildfire situations, and we want you to be aware of the active monitoring and preparation USF is doing and of our plans going forward.

We will continue to adhere to our Wildfire Air Quality Policy. If the air quality index (AQI) in San Francisco, or any of our additional campus locations, exceeds 100, we will activate our Emergency Operations Center and any decisions regarding cancellations or schedule changes will be communicated to the community via our emergency notification system, Dons Alerts.

We have sufficient supplies of N95 respirator masks to distribute to students and employees, if and when the AQI reaches unsafe levels.

If classes are canceled, the university will continue to operate; residence halls and dining halls will be open and staffed. 

We will keep all members of the community informed about changes to schedules or operations by Dons Alerts, email, social media, and other means of communication.

We encourage faculty, staff, and students to ensure you are signed up to receive Dons Alerts and that your contact information is up to date. See instructions on myUSF »

The safety, security, and wellbeing of our community members is our highest priority. I know you join us in sending prayers of gratitude to the firefighters and other first responders who are helping keep communities in California and the western states safe. 

Sincerely,

Eric Giardini
Director, Campus Resilience

Diane Lynn Nelson
Assistant Vice President, Human Resources