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Planning for an In-Person Fall 2021 
from Chancellor’s Office on CoronaVirus

Read full at: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/

January 5, 2020

Dear CUNY Community:

As we open a year that holds great promise to begin anew, I wanted to update you on the efforts that are underway to sustain our university’s excellence.

As you know, we will continue to operate in a largely virtual modality in Spring 2021, leveraging the solid foundation we have built for effective online and hybrid teaching and the remote provision of student support services. But now that the first vaccines have been approved, and their distribution has begun, we are starting to plan for our next academic year.

Fall 2021 may seem far away but the scheduling of courses is beginning like it normally does across our campuses, so that administrators and department chairs can plan the classes that will be offered and so that students are able to sign up for them later in the Spring. With that in mind and after consulting with University stakeholders, I am pleased to announce that CUNY will plan for a safe and gradual return to mostly in-person instruction and support services in time for the start of classes in Fall 2021.

Even as we prepare for the resumption of in-person learning, we fully expect that our digital footprint will remain larger than it was pre-pandemic, particularly in areas where distance learning can enrich the traditional in-person instructional modality. We will work collaboratively with our campus communities to identify such opportunities, and to keep building on the beneficial practices that have emerged during these most trying of times.

It is also worth noting that even as we anticipate better times ahead, at present we continue to face a grave public health crisis. The coronavirus still poses a serious ongoing threat to our safety and wellbeing, as individuals and as a community. I cannot overstate the importance of remaining vigilant in our exercise of caution, and the necessity to uphold the measures that enabled us to reach this point. Mask wearing, handwashing and social distancing continue to be as important as ever, and anyone who plans to visit a CUNY campus or facility must continue to observe established protocols, including the required use of our Everbridge health-screening mobile app.

Additional guidance on Fall 2021 will be shared in the coming months, and as we have learned this past year, plans may need to be adjusted to reflect the ever-evolving circumstances of these most uncertain times. Our primary objective, now and moving forward, is to ensure that the reopening of our physical classrooms prioritizes the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff above all else.

I wish you the best in the new year and much success if you are starting a winter session or fall session II this week, and in the coming semester.

Sincerely,

Felo

 

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/health-screen-reminder-and-update

September 10th Update from Chancellor’s Office on CoronaVirus

Read full at: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/

SAFETY FIRST

Safety has been at the center of every decision that we have taken. Our governing consideration is to remain fully operational with the smallest possible number of people on campuses and in offices. Across all colleges, fewer than 2% of the nearly 50,000 course sections for the fall semester will be fully in person, minimizing the need for students and staff to have to travel to our campuses. Services such as food pantries, computer labs, libraries, and child-care centers, will be open to some degree as needed.

We believe this is the safest and most effective way to maintain the academic momentum of our students while safeguarding the health and safety of the entire university community. To ensure the health and safety of those who need to attend an in-person class, no one will be allowed to enter a CUNY campus without first undergoing a health screening (more about this below). Occupancy limits will be applied and enforced in all campus spaces, including classrooms, where there will be a minimum of six feet of distance between seats and instructors and students will be required to wear masks and prohibited from sharing resources between classrooms. Enhanced cleaning protocols will be in place, with campuses undertaking deep cleans of each classroom multiple times per day. Campuses will ensure that there is a remote substitute for any quarantined or high-risk students.
 

WELLNESS CHECKS

To enable health screening, CUNY has selected the Everbridge Safety Connection Pro/Contact Tracing mobile app. The application is expressly focused on higher education and is designed to create confidence for students, faculty, staff and parents when returning to CUNY colleges and offices. It is also easy to use.

• Starting Aug. 26, students, faculty, staff and visitors planning to come to a CUNY campus or office for any reason or length of time, will be required to use the app to take a Wellness Check Survey prior to entering a campus or building.

The quick survey involves five short questions and is accessible through Everbridge’s health screening app. Please use this Instructional Guide for accessing and using the app. Visitors should use the Visitors’ Guide for instructions. Based on the answers provided, you will receive confirmation on your phone or email that clears you to enter the college or office. Those not cleared to enter will be given additional guidance on what they should do next. Please also review these FAQs if you have a question.

 

SAFETY ‘MUSTS’

• It is always mandatory for every person to wear a mask while on campus. Please consult the University Guidance on Cloth Face Coverings and additional guidance from the CDC. CUNY continues to make having a sufficient supply of masks and face coverings a top priority. To date, we have procured more than 145,000 masks for distribution to campuses and offices.
• Social distancing and hand washing are as important as ever to stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Take it seriously. Always maintain a physical distance of at least six feet on campus and when gathering with individuals outside the classrooms and other areas. Please remember to wash your hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds; use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable.

NEED TECH?

With almost all of CUNY’s fall classes being delivered online, it’s crucial for me that students have the right technology in place. We purchased Chromebooks and iPads in the spring to enable students to continue their academic progress online. More recently, we procured thousands of Wi-Fi hotspot devices for student use.

If you are a student and don’t have all the tools you need to start strong, your college may be able to lend you a device and provide you with software for your courses. Tell us your needs today through the CUNY Technology Needs Form.

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/new-campus-access-procedure-0


https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/new-campus-access-procedure


https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/community-reads-project


https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/message-president-boudreau-and-provost-liss


https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/nys-covid-19-return-work-training-requirement


https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/restarting-research-update



https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/summer-four-day-workweek-2020



https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/restarting-research