COVID-19 and Reopening Plans - Fall 2021
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Campus Reopening Checklist Menu

Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

As you know, the Governor announced that all CUNY and SUNY students will be required to be vaccinated against Coronavirus COVID-19 to attend in-person classes in the fall. The University will be providing guidelines pertaining to proof of vaccination and the testing protocols that will be implemented. The guidelines will be disseminated to the college community when they are finalized.

CUNY Campus Reopening Checklist – Fall 2021

CUNY Campus: New York City College of Technology

Guidelines for CUNY Fall 2021 Reopening Where Not Everyone is Fully Vaccinated(November 2021)

Reclosing Protocols: CUNY's Guide for Safely Closing On-Campus Operations(November 2021)

CUNY Colleges must develop, and submit for review, a plan for how they will return to mostly in-person instruction and support services in time for the start of classes in Fall 2021. These Fall 2021 Campus Reopening Plans will serve as an addendum to existing approved campus reopening plans, and will, at a minimum, cover the topics included in the checklist below. Campuses are accountable for continuing to follow their approved Reopening Plans and for staying current with any updates to local, State and Federal higher education requirements and incorporating those changes into their operations.

Please confirm that your Fall 2021 Campus Reopening Plan addresses each of the minimum requirements listed below by providing the relevant page references to the content in your Plan that addresses each requirement. This will facilitate review and approval by the Chancellery/COO's Office (Note: The requirements align with and are further described within the accompanying 'CUNY Fall 2021 Reopening Guidance — Key Areas of Focus' document).

Reopening Thresholds: Determining the Extent of Reopening 1. Does the plan describe how the campus has prepared for reopening to greater than 25% capacity for the Fall 2021 semester?
  1. If ‘Yes’, does the plan provide the expected percent of campus capacity for the Fall 2021 semester?
  2. If ‘No’, does the plan explain, why less than 25% capacity target is required?
2. Does the plan describe how COVID transmission rates in surrounding communities are being reviewed to inform campus-reopening plans?
  1. For example, has the campus adhered to CDC thresholds for K-12 students?
    1. Does the plan indicate that full-time remote learning will occur if the area has at least 100 new weekly cases per 100,000 people or a seven-day positivity rate of 10% or greater (as recommended in the K-12 setting)?
    2. Does the plan indicate that hybrid learning (partly remote and partly in person) will occur if the area has 50 to 100 new weekly cases per 100,000 people or a seven-day positivity rate of 8 to 10% does the plan describe (as recommended in the K-12 setting)?
    3. Does the plan indicate that in-person learning (within allowed capacity limits) will occur if the area has fewer than 50 new weekly cases per 100,000 people and a seven-day positivity rate of less than 8% (as recommended in the K-12 setting)?
3. Does the plan indicate how you will monitor for NYS metrics2(see footnote below) that will determine the need for a scale back or shutdown of campus operations?

Campus Plan Page Refs:

14

 

 

 

14
Screening and Testing Preparations: Screening Does the plan describe:
4. How the necessary health screenings will be conducted using the Everbridge app?
  1. How health screenings meet CUNY and New York State requirements?
  2. How personnel performing in person screening activities are appropriately protected from exposure?
  3. How temperature checks will be conducted for all individuals every day ideally, at home, prior to departing to campus before entering any campus facility?
  4. How people will be sent home if they have symptoms?
  5. How contractors and visitors are required to sign in using the Everbridge app?
  6. How campus entrances are monitored and controlled to ensure all individuals are screened?
  7. The method for tracking and tracing employees and students?
  8. The location and use of quarantine and isolation areas?
5. Who has been identified to serve as the campus’ designated Coronavirus Campus Liaison and Coronavirus Campus Coordinator to receive and report COVID-19 exposures?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
N-A

 

 

 

12
Screening and Testing Preparations: Testing 6. Does the plan indicate:
  1. Which individuals will be tested? b.) The frequency of testing?
  2. The method of testing?
  3. Notification of test results?
  4. The process for those arriving to campus untested?
7. Does the plan provide specific testing plans, such as:
  1. Testing for cause when an individual exhibits symptoms?
  2. Random testing of the campus community?
  3. Group testing?
8. Does the plan identify individual(s) responsible for purchasing and administering tests and notifying of test results? 		Campus Plan Page Refs:
Vaccinations 9. Does the plan describe how you will communicate to strongly encourage eligible members of the CUNY Community, particularly faculty, to get vaccinated as a key component for accelerating the return to in-person campus activities?

Campus Plan Page Refs:

15
Prioritization of Instructional Activities Does the plan indicate:
10. That the campus has identified course offerings that will be online, hybrid, or in-person?
11. That in-person instructional activities will be prioritized given the space constraints associated with distancing?
12. Whether technologies are in place to enable hybrid instruction?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
7

7

8
Social Distancing and Capacity Limits Does the plan describe:
13. How people will be socially distanced (6 ft. of spacing) in classrooms, dining areas, libraries, study spaces, elevators, bathrooms and other common areas?
14. That areas will be marked or modified to promote social distancing and capacity limits (as needed)?
15. How the use of common areas and shared spaces will be limited or scheduled to comply with social distancing requirements?

Campus Plan Page Refs:

N_A
Continued Adherence to Public Health Requirement Does the plan indicate:
16. That employees, students and visitors will be required to wear a face covering?
  1. That the type of face covering needs to be appropriate for their task?
  2. If not, are they required to be isolated and/or distanced from others?
  3. That face coverings and PPE are readily available to all employees?
  4. That face coverings are provided to students, if needed?
17. That protocols are in place to prohibit sharing of food and beverages (e.g. buffet style meals, snacks), unless individuals are members of the same household?
18. That handwashing stations, soap and towels will be available in all common areas?
19. That hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be available to employees and students at high touch surfaces, including elevators and keyboards?
20. That approved official signs that promote social distancing, proper hygiene, and proper disinfection practices will be placed in all common areas.
21. That non-essential gatherings are restricted?
22. That policies are in place regarding extracurricular programs and which activities will be allowed?
  1. That areas are being regularly cleaned and disinfected?
  2. That cleaning logs are available?
23. That appropriate cleaning chemicals are being used?
24. That protocols will be in place for campus community members to report when any of the above steps are lacking?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
N_A

 

 

 

 

11

 

14

14

NA

14
Facility Preparations Does the plan describe:
25. The physical changes needed to meet capacity and density guidelines for classrooms, libraries, study spaces, practice and rehearsal spaces, studios, and making spaces, housing and dining services, office and administrative work spaces, open gathering and event spaces, etc.?
26. The preparations in place to prevent infection (e.g. open hours, ventilation, HVAC, designated entries and exits, etc.)?
  1. Whether barriers are in place for public facing employees?
  2. Whether building utilities such as HVAC and plumbing have been addressed and maintained?
  3. How the use of outdoor space is being maximized, where possible, to facilitate the safe return to campus?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
N_A 18
18

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Human Resources Does the plan describe:
27. How all personnel will be properly trained?
  1. That all students, faculty, and staff will be trained on how to adequately put on, take off clean (as applicable), and discard PPE?
  2. That all students, faculty, and staff will be trained on proper hand and respiratory hygiene?
  3. That all students, faculty, and staff will be trained on social distancing protocols?
28. How the campus has categorized employees who will be required to work on-campus and those for whom remote work will continue?
29. Consistent with density limitations for employee spaces, how the campus will modify work policies to ensure that hybrid teams (i.e. with some personnel in-person and others remote) can function effectively during the return to in- person work?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
Prioritization of Instructional Activities 30. Does the plan describe how the campus will prioritize in- person activities related to instruction over extracurricular activities that may need to remain in a hybrid or virtual format during the Fall 2021 semester?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
Student Success Preparations Does the plan describe:
31. The accommodation process for vulnerable populations on campus and individuals unable to return to campus?
32. How the campus has considered the needs of its various student bodies, including those related to COVID (e.g. through financial support, advising, medical or mental health support, etc.); out-of-State and international students (e.g. given travel restrictions, visa obligations, quarantine requirements, etc., others)?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
7
Dorms Does the plan describe:
33. The operation of residential living (if applicable) that includes capacity limits and a modified set of rules for students to follow?
  1. Plans to test and/or quarantine students at move-in?
  2. Plans for isolation and quarantine spaces and support systems for students required to isolate or quarantine?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
N/A
Does the plan describe:
34. How policy and protocol updates will be communicated to the campus community?
35. How campus communications will encourage students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated?
36. That approved reopening plans will be conspicuously posted at the campus and on the campus website for faculty, staff, and students to access?

Campus Plan Page Refs:
7

16

Notes:

1 Consistent with the Chancellor’s announcement: www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/university-updates/planning-for-an-inperson-fall-2021/

2 Per NYS Higher Education Supplemental Guidance: “Whenever the lesser of 100 individuals or 5% of the total on-campus population–inclusive of students, faculty, and staff–of a higher education institution location test positive for COVID-19 within a rolling 14-day period, the location must immediately (1) transition all in-person learning to remote format(s) and (2) limit on-campus activities for a period of 14 days. Provided, however, that a higher education institution location which tests an average of at least 25% of its total on-campus population for COVID-19 each week as part of an ongoing policy of surveillance testing shall not be required to transition to remote learning or to limit on-campus activities unless the greater of 100 individuals or 5% of the total on- campus population test positive using a 14-dayrolling average.” www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/HigherEducationSupplementalGuidance.pdf

As COVID-19 Campus Coordinator, I certify that the Campus Reopening Plan submitted to the CUNY Chancellery/COO’s Office for review, meets the minimum requirements as described on the list above.

Name: Miguel Cairol
Title: Vice President for Administration & Finance
Signature: Miguel Cairol
Date: 6/15/2021