June 24: Interim Update: Return-to-Campus Planning for Fall
Administrator and Staff Return to Campus
Building Occupancy
Daily Health Questionnaire and Authorization to Report to Work
Face-covering Requirement
Additional Protocols
Dear Stern Administrators and Staff:
Following NYU’s email (see below), we are writing to share some additional updates on Stern’s return-to-campus planning for fall. Please consider this touchpoint the first of several to come throughout the summer.
As shared in May, Stern created eight cross-functional transition teams, each focused on high-priority return issues. Their sole charge has been to anticipate, plan, and prepare extensively for multiple return-to-campus scenarios, in close collaboration with NYU leadership and guided by CDC Guidelines as well as New York State and University policies as they are developed and announced.
The health, safety, and well-being of each and every member of the Stern community remains the foundation of all our planning. At this time some protocols are already in place and others are in progress based on the current public health standards and may be adjusted by forthcoming guidance from New York State.
Administrator and Staff Return to Campus
As you know, NYU has announced that we intend to welcome students to campus in the fall, pending the State’s determination that it is safe to do so and the University’s own satisfaction on that count. As Stern returns in the fall we are going to operate with a high level of flexibility.
As we await further guidance from New York State, we expect the need to operate at a much-reduced capacity on-site to ensure physical distancing. This means that we must give priority building access to students and faculty as well as essential on-site employees and administrators and staff who support students and/or faculty. We anticipate a heavy emphasis on telework for those employees whose jobs, based on Unit Head assessments and NYU’s guidance, can continue to be done effectively from remote locations.
The business needs are very different across departments, centers, and programs. Each vice dean or business unit/center/department head will be talking to their teams and determining who will continue to telework throughout the Fall or return to campus on a regular, occasional, or possibly rotational basis. For administrators and staff who wish to request work modifications for the fall, specific instructions will be provided once employees have been notified of their possible return to campus date.
Some employees may have underlying health conditions that may require accommodations for the fall semester. Others may wish to request changes to their work arrangements due to being members of an age group considered to be at higher risk to COVID-19 according to guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (currently age 65 and older).
Requests for accommodations related to a health condition will go to the Office of Equal Opportunity. All other requests for modifications will go to the HR Officer for the school or unit (for the fall 2020 semester, NYU will provide workplace modifications to employees in the CDC-defined high-risk age group). Please note: any administrator, researcher or staff member whose work is not conducive to the requested work modifications will be contacted by HR.
The Stern leadership team will reassess the situation and work plan at the end of the calendar year, December 31.
Building Occupancy
Stern’s building occupancy (i.e., KMC, Tisch Hall, Shimkin Hall, and the Silk Building) will be limited in fall 2020. Specifically, the University has determined that this means:
- Physical Distancing: Maintain six feet from other people at all times and avoid nonessential gatherings of any type (e.g., in break rooms, meetings, lounges, etc.).
- Reducing Density: Limit group sizes for meetings, gatherings, and classroom instruction to no more than 40 people per room, regardless of the size of the room.
- Stairwells: Signage will designate either up or down for most stairwells.
- Cleaning: There will be enhanced cleaning schedules and hand-sanitizing stations will be located throughout the buildings.
- All event spaces are being converted for classroom usage. Fall events will be held virtually or off-campus.
- All classrooms will be reconfigured to accommodate physical distancing and to allow for simultaneous in-person and virtual attendance.
- Classroom schedules may be modified to optimize classroom usage.
The NYU Research Restart Phase 1 included the launch of a Health App to enable employees in the 16 NYU buildings that house research laboratories to self-report symptoms and to receive authorization to come to campus each day. The current NYU protocols for entering these buildings are as follows and may be further revised based
on the forthcoming NYS guidelines.
- Anyone coming to work is required to complete a brief, daily health survey, accessible on smartphone via the NYU app or computer, regarding possible COVID-19 symptoms.
Face-covering Requirement:
- Members of the Stern community and visitors will be required to enter the buildings in accordance with the NYU Face Covering Policy.
- NYU will provide 2-3 reusable face coverings to all employees, with further details on distribution, usage, cleaning, disposal, and compliance under development.
In the coming weeks, we will share new updates and address topics such as:
- Testing
- Elevator occupancy
- Ventilation / HVAC changes
- Details on PPE as noted above, including procedures for non-compliance
Our deepest gratitude, as ever, for your continued hard work and ongoing adaptability under trying circumstances. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
Best wishes,
Raghu Sundaram