COMMUNITY BRIEFING TOP QUESTIONS
Is it safe to return to campus?
We’re working to create a safe learning and living environment. We also know that New York State successfully drove down infection rates and has safely moved through four phases of reopening over many weeks. Our Return to Campus plan takes into account best guidelines and policies from federal, state, and local health officials. Hundreds of members of the Pace Community, including students, faculty, and staff, were involved in developing our Return to Campus plan, and we worked with other institutions across the state and our local healthcare partners to build the best plan for the safety of our community. Medical professionals in our College of Health Professions have signed off on our plan.
What precautions will be required on Pace’s campuses?
We will observe social distancing guidelines and reduce density everywhere on our campuses. Signage will guide you on room capacities, and traffic flows. Everyone on Pace’s campuses will be required to wear a face covering, especially in common areas (e.g., classrooms, stairwells and elevators, meeting rooms, etc.) and when in the presence of others beyond your residence hall “family unit.” Face coverings are mandatory everywhere outside your residence hall unit. The University will provide all faculty, staff, and students with welcome “goodie bags” containing items such as two reusable cloth face coverings and hand sanitizer. You will be required to complete an online training module on these policies before starting the semester.
How will testing and quarantine work for students arriving for fall semester? Are there different rules depending on where students are coming from?
These policies are subject to change, because
New York State’s travel advisory guidelines
are changing. Since the Community Briefing, for example, 10 new states were added to the list of states from which admission to New York requires quarantine, and one was removed. Remember to check your Pace email and the Return to Campus website for updates. As of July 22, 2020, this is our policy for testing and quarantine:
- All students coming to Pace University must receive a negative diagnostic test result within the 14 days prior to arrival on campus. Students should be aware of testing turnaround times in their state and get tested with sufficient time before their planned return to campus. Students whose pre-arrival test is positive should remain at home until at least 10 days after the onset of their symptoms and at least 72 hours after all symptoms have resolved. Find a testing location near you.
- All students coming from “hot zone” areas designated by New York State, including those who have visited “hot zone” areas during the 14 days prior to coming to campus, must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York. Pace will provide quarantine quarters for residential students who live in “hot zones.” Commuter students must self-quarantine at home, and metro-area residential students may choose to self-quarantine at home.
- Students under mandatory 14-day quarantine must be re-tested, with a negative result, before they can come to campus. A student under quarantine who tests positive must stay quarantined until at least 10 days after the onset of their symptoms and at least 72 hours after all symptoms have resolved.
- All residential students must be re-tested during their first week on campus. Any students testing positive will be required to isolate. Pace has established isolation rooms in residence halls for any students who display symptoms or test positive during the semester.
In what formats will courses be delivered this fall, and when will we know how my classes are being delivered?
Courses will be offered in one of four instructional modalities:
- Fully on-campus, the traditional in-person format with no online instructional elements; or
- HyFlex, or hybrid-flex, which enables simultaneous live, synchronous instruction to both an online group of students and an on-campus group of students; or
- Web-assisted, in which the course will be delivered with some combination of on-campus and online elements; or
- Fully online, in which all classes will be delivered online and may be delivered synchronously (with live attendance on a set schedule) or asynchronously (with no requirement to be online at a specific time).
Next week, updated class schedules, complete with teaching modalities (e.g. fully on campus, HyFlex, web-assisted, or fully online), will be available on the
Pace Portal
. It is important to carefully review your class schedule. Once you receive information about your course schedule and teaching modalities, please contact your academic advisor for guidance.
You will have until August 24 to make adjustments to your schedule. After the start of fall semester, you will be able to take advantage of the traditional Add/Drop period.
With all the restrictions, will there be space for students to relax and gather?
Yes. We know that working, studying, and socializing with peers is an integral part of the college experience, and we’re determined to let you do that—safely. Common areas like hallways, lounges, and dining halls will be outfitted with signage to assist people in socially distancing, and face coverings will be required in these common spaces. But you’ll be able to interact with your friends and classmates while observing these precautions.
