New Paltz Forward

SUNY New Paltz will keep many of the health and safety policies that helped protect our students, faculty, staff and campus guests in 2021, with some new updates to reflect the current state of the pandemic in our region.

Full details on our spring 2022 COVID-19 policies can be found at this link.

Some key highlights:

• The COVID-19 vaccination requirement for all students remains in effect. All students with a campus presence must be vaccinated, and all who are eligible must get a booster shot.
• Unvaccinated individuals must get a COVID-19 test every week they are on campus.
• Campus-based contact tracing, quarantine and isolation will continue, with a reduced isolation and quarantine period in line with new CDC guidance.

These plans are subject to change pending pandemic conditions and/or new guidance from SUNY or the State of New York.

New York State and SUNY announced in May 2021 that all students at public universities will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend in-person classes.

That policy went into effect on Aug. 23, 2021, when the FDA gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

All students at all SUNY and CUNY campuses are now required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or to be approved for a medical or religious exemption.

More details about SUNY’s student vaccine requirement policy here.

Yes. SUNY and New York State have issued guidance requiring all students who are eligible to get booster shots to remain in compliance with existing vaccine mandates.

Per the CDC, you are eligible for a booster five months after getting your second Moderna or Pfizer shot, or two months after getting your Johnson & Johnson shot.

One you get your booster, you can confirm your status with the College by logging into my.newpaltz.edu and uploading your booster information to your COVID-19 Profile.

Yes. New York State public health law already requires post-secondary students attending colleges and universities to demonstrate proof of immunity against certain diseases, including measles, mumps and rubella.

In order for these requirements to be permitted under the law, available vaccines must have full FDA approval.

On Aug. 23, 2021, the FDA gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, and SUNY’s policy requiring all SUNY students to be vaccinated went into effect.

Yes. New York State public health law allows college students to be exempted from existing immunization requirements if a doctor verifies that a vaccine would be detrimental to the patient’s health (medical exemption) or if they hold “genuine and sincere religious beliefs which are contrary to immunization” (religious exemption).

Use this link for the Medical Exemption request form.

Use this link for the Religious Exemption request form.

More information about medical and religious exemptions is available at the Student Health Service website.

Students, faculty and staff who have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine can upload their information by logging into my.newpaltz.edu and clicking "View your COVID-19 profile."

From there, look for the option to Submit Vaccination Information. You'll need to let us know which vaccine you received, and on what date(s). You'll also be asked to upload a photograph of your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (That image will be deleted from campus drives after approval of your vaccination status).

The College collects this information as part of our institutional COVID-19 management.

More information and detailed instructions for the vaccination sharing option can be found here.

Student vaccination information disclosed to the College may be shared with College officials on a need-to-know basis as a necessary element of our campus COVID-19 management and within what is allowed by federal and state law (FERPA).

This may include employees who are involved in campus contact tracing, quarantine and isolation protocols, and general health and safety personnel, among others.

Vaccination figures for our community will also be reported to SUNY and New York State and will be used to help inform planning for on-campus programs and activities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), there is no need to wait for the flu shot or another vaccination if you’ve recently gotten the COVID-19 vaccine (and vice-versa: There's no reason to wait on the COVID-19 vaccine if you’ve recently received a flu shot or other vaccination). 

You can even get multiple vaccines during the same visit (though it’s recommended to get the two shots in different arms!).

From the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccines resource page:

“You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines at the same visit. You no longer need to wait 14 days between vaccinations. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an immune response, after getting vaccinated and possible side effects of vaccines are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines.”

SUNY New Paltz offers regular on-campus flu clinics for students – click for more information and to schedule an appointment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are the leading national sources of good information about research and development of vaccines.

The CDC maintains a comprehensive vaccine information hub online that is updated on a regular basis with new information. The CDC also updates these pages to explain what scientists and doctors do not yet know about the vaccination process, as research is ongoing.

We found this list of the Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines especially helpful.

Another useful CDC resource is this list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Vaccines.

New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine resource hub includes a great deal of information about how and when residents can get vaccinated.

The state is also reporting on its progress to date on their COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker, which is updated daily with new numbers on doses administered, broken down by region.

Many counties are also publishing vaccine information online. Ulster County offers tools for finding vaccination sites (most counties are running their own sites in addition to the state-operated locations). Dutchess County and Orange County provide similar online services to their residents, as do most other counties in New York.

As of March 14, 2022, masks are optional in most indoor areas on the SUNY New Paltz campus.

College leadership made the decision to relax our indoor mask requirement after careful review of pandemic trends and new state, SUNY and CDC guidelines, and in consultation with the COVID-19 Cabinet and county health officials.

As always, we will remain in close contact with SUNY and health department partners and will react quickly to modify these policies should conditions or guidance change.

Read more here about the new mask-optional policy.

Yes. Masks must be worn at all times by everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in the following health-related spaces:

• The Student Health Service
• The COVID-19 testing site at Awosting Hall
• The state-run testing site at College Terrace
• The Psychological Counseling Center
• The Speech-Language and Hearing Center
• The Athletic Training Facility in Elting Gym

Also, please note that the federal requirement to mask on all public transportation (trains, buses, airplanes, etc.) remains in effect.

SUNY New Paltz will not enforce individual requests by faculty that students wear masks in specific courses. No conduct charges will be brought against students who fail to comply with such requests.

We know that some in our community may ask others to voluntarily wear masks in campus spaces where it is no longer required, and we hope that people respect such requests from colleagues, peers and professors.

SUNY New Paltz will not enforce individual requests by employees or offices that visitors wear masks in those areas, with the exception of the health-related areas listed above.

We know that some in our community may ask others to voluntarily wear masks in campus spaces where it is no longer required, and we hope that people respect such requests from colleagues, peers and professors.

Yes. The College will continue to distribute our current supply of N95s from the Mail Room in Haggerty Administration Building to all students, faculty and staff members with campus ID.

According to the CDC:

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms.

Vaccinated people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should contact their health provider to explain their situation and, if directed, schedule a COVID-19 test.

Students can contact the Student Health Service at 845 257 3400. Employees should contact their physician.

They should mask and isolate themselves from others until they have a negative test result, and/or follow any other directions given by their physician.

We encourage those who are experiencing symptoms to be tested for COVID-19. Students who are experiencing cold-like symptoms can get tested at our on-campus testing facility, unless they have been otherwise directed by a physician. We ask that employees who are experiencing symptoms be tested off campus, if possible.

Unvaccinated people who have been exposed to a COVID-positive person should isolate themselves from others and contact their health provider to explain their situation and, if directed, schedule a COVID-19 test.

SUNY New Paltz contact tracers will direct unvaccinated students who have been exposed to quarantine. See more about campus contact tracing here.

Vaccinated people who have been exposed to a COVID-positive person should monitor symptoms for 14 days and get tested between 3-5 days after the exposure.

They should mask and try to social distance until you have a negative result from your test. They should avoid being around immunocompromised people during those 14 days.

People who are vaccinated and boosted will not need to quarantine after an exposure if they are not experiencing symptoms, per with CDC guidance. If symptoms develop, isolate yourself from others and get tested.

SUNY New Paltz contact tracers will not direct vaccinated students who have been exposed to quarantine unless they are experiencing symptoms. See more about campus contact tracing here.

Any student or employee who is not vaccinated and has a campus presence must be tested every week, per SUNY and New York State policy.

This includes students who have an approved vaccine exemption. It also includes employess represented by all bargaining units (UUP, CSEA, PEF, NYSCOPBA and PBANYS), per agreements between the units and SUNY.

Unvaccinated people who must test weekly may choose to do so on or off campus. Those who test off campus must upload their results via their COVID-19 profile at my.newpaltz.edu for them to fulfill the testing requirements. 

More information about COVID-19 testing for the SUNY New Paltz community is available here.

As we did in fall 2021, SUNY New Paltz will conduct periodic surveillance testing of our vaccinated campus population in spring 2022.

Those who get a COVID-19 booster shot are exempt from this periodic surveillance testing and do not need to get tested unless they are experiencing symptoms.

We will test roughly 20% of our vaccinated, unboosted students and employees weekly, so those individuals should plan to get tested about once every five weeks this spring.

Click here to view the surveillance testing schedule for vaccinated (unboosted) employees in spring 2022.

Click here to view the surveillance testing schedule for vaccinated (unboosted) students in spring 2022.

This surveillance testing helps protect our community by allowing us to identify breakthrough cases in vaccinated people who may be less likely to experience symptoms, and implement the contact tracing and isolation protocols that are proven to reduce community spread of the virus.

Yes. The College and our partners at Enzo Labs will continue to provide COVID-19 testing at Awosting Hall during the spring 2022 semester. Testing will be available Monday-Friday beginning Jan. 24.

ENZO Labs testing is by appointment only, at least 24 hours in advance. No same-day appointments will be accepted. Please use this link to schedule your appointment.

If you have not already registered an account with ENZO Labs, you will need to do so before making an appointment. You can use this link to sign up for ENZO Labs testing. This only needs to be done once (and most students and employees have already done so).

Results from Enzo Labs testing are generally available within 2-3 business days after testing.

The Student Health Service also has limited capacity to provide additional individual PCR testing for students with COVID-19 symptoms. If you are experiencing symptoms, please contact them at 845-257-3400, or contact your physician.

Yes. On Jan. 11, SUNY New Paltz become one of 20 SUNY campuses hosting a state-run COVID-19 testing site providing PCR tests to all members of the general public, including any students, faculty and staff.

The testing site will be hosted at the College Terrace and will operate Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Appointments can be scheduled here. The site will maintain capacity for approximately 225 appointments per day and up to 50 walk-ins.

Students and employees should please note that the state-run site is not connected to their campus COVID-19 Profile. If you choose to get tested at the state-run site, you will need to manually upload your test results at my.newpaltz.edu.

Yes, students and employees who are required to be tested may elect to be tested off campus by their health care provider rather than participating in on-campus testing.

Those who choose to be tested off campus must submit their test results to the College in order to fulfill SUNY and campus testing mandates.

Test results can be uploaded to you COVID-19 profile at my.newpaltz.edu.

The screening questionnaire can be quickly completed by logging into my.newpaltz.edu on either a desktop or mobile device. The screening will pop up immediately the first time you log in each day, and can also be found by clicking on your COVID-19 Profile in my.newpaltz.edu.

The screening will ask if the student or employee is planning to be on campus that day. If that response is no, the screening is complete and the response is recorded for compliance record.

Those who are planning to come to campus will be required to take and report their temperature, indicate the presence of any COVID-19 symptoms and report any exposure to confirmed cases.

Any member of our campus community who has not gotten vaccinated AND uploaded their vaccination info at my.newpaltz.edu must complete the Daily Health Screening every day they are on campus, by logging into my.newpaltz.edu and answering all questions.

Students and employees who are vaccinated and uploaded their info do not need to do the screening, and should not see it when they log in.

If an on-campus student is diagnosed with COVID-19, they will be directed to isolate for five days.

They will have the option of isolating on campus in Awosting Hall or off campus at their home or other residence. Off-campus students will be directed to isolate off campus.

This five-day isolation period has been reduced from 10 days, following CDC guidance issued on Dec. 27, 2021. More information about that change is available here.

In all cases of confirmed diagnosis, the College will deploy our contact tracing protocol to notify confirmed close contacts of their potential exposure.

The College is holding Awosting Hall unoccupied and available for students who live on campus and must be quarantined or isolated.

Any student who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days. This includes both unvaccinated and vaccinated students.

The five-day isolation period is reduced from our previous 10-day period, following CDC guidance that was issued on Dec. 27, 2021. More information about that change is available here.

Per CDC guidance, fully vaccinated individuals (vaccinated and boosted if eligible) who are exposed to COVID-19 do not need to quarantine unless they are symptomatic. Fully vaccinated students who do not display symptoms will not be asked to quarantine following an exposure.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated students will need to quarantine if they are in close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual for longer than 10 minutes. They will also be required to follow CDC recommendations for travel quarantine and any other quarantine guidelines issued by the state or county health departments.

In 2022, students who live on campus will not be permitted to quarantine on campus if they are eligible for a booster but haven’t gotten it yet. Read more about that policy here.

While quarantining or isolating on campus, students will be provided with a refrigerator/microwave, food, support, wellness checks, and laundry and trash services. Once students move out of quarantine, the space they occupied will be thoroughly cleaned.

The communication protocol for suspected or confirmed student cases of COVID-19 is as follows:

• Whether the student lives on or off campus:
  • Contact tracers will be deployed to interview them about where they have been and with whom they have been in contact.
  • The Student Health Service will notify the student’s in-person course instructors about their positive result, so that the student will not be penalized for missed classes during their isolation.
    • Faculty teaching fully online classes will not be notified when a student tests positive.
    • If the student works on campus, the students’ supervisor(s) will also be notified in the event of a positive test.
  • Contact Tracers will notify close contacts (defined as contacts within six feet for 10 minutes or more in the last 48 hours prior to the positive test) about their possible exposure, and give directions based on each contact’s vaccination status.
  • Student Health Service will also notify Ulster County health officials of the positive diagnosis, unless the student does not reside in Ulster County or has returned home to another county. In these cases the student will be instructed to inform their County health officials.
• If the student lives on campus and chooses to isolate on campus:
• The Quarantine/Isolation Coordinator for the Department of Residence Life will be notified and will arrange for on-campus isolation in coordination with Dining Services, Facilities Management, the Office of Emergency Management and the student’s home Residence Director.
• When Student Health Service clears a student to exit quarantine/isolation, they will notify the student’s in-person instructors and the Quarantine Coordinator (if the student lives on campus).

The College will continue sharing updates about positive cases in our campus community on our COVID-19 Dashboard.

The Student Health Service will notify faculty members when a student in their in-person class tests positive. This is done primarily to support the student by confirming with faculty that the student will be in isolation and unable to attend in-person classes for a period of 10 days.

In most cases like this, the faculty member will not be identified as a close contact (defined as contacts within six feet for 10 minutes or more in the last 48 hours prior to the positive test), and will not be directed to quarantine or test for COVID-19.

All members of our community should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and arrange to be tested if symptoms develop.

The College will follow the latest Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), state and local health department guidance about how long quarantine should last for people who test positive for COVID-19, and when people can come out of isolation.

Students who are uncomfortable attending in-person classes are encouraged to consult with their faculty and/or academic advisors about altering their course schedule and their plan of study.

The Division of Academic Affairs and Information Technology Services have been working continuously to develop faculty proficiency in teaching both online and seated modalities with content-specific webinars and other training opportunities.

We are also working to provide additional free training and resources for students to help ensure they can succeed in online learning settings.

Yes, our protocol for cases when an instructor is unable to complete a course is unchanged from the pre-COVID-19 era.

If a faculty member becomes unable to teach due to illness or for other reasons, their faculty colleagues will work with the department chair and other academic leaders to make arrangements for course instruction to continue in the original instructor’s absence.

Yes, the College is allowing visitors in indoor spaces and at campus events.

All visitors and guests are expected to follow our COVID-19 health and safety polices while they are on campus.

Yes, in-person events resumed as normal in fall 2021 and will continue through the spring semester, in accordance with SUNY and New York State guidance for such events.

All health and safety policies for unvaccinated people, including visitors, will be in effect for these events, as for all other campus activities.

Event policies are subject to change as COVID-19 conditions evolve.

If you are attending a ticketed event at SUNY New Paltz, such as a music or theatre performance, or are visiting the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, please follow these policies:

• DO NOT ATTEND in-person events at SUNY New Paltz if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have recently been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• If you are a SUNY New Paltz student, faculty or staff member, you can gain admittance by showing your campus ID.
• If you are not a student, faculty or staff member and are 17 years or older, you must show photo ID and proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event. Proof of full vaccination may include a CDC vaccination card or a valid New York State Excelsior Pass. 
• Children between the ages of 5 and 17 must show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event. 
• Children under the age of 5 are exempt from the vaccination requirement, as the CDC has not approved vaccination for this age group. Children this age must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
• Masks are no longer required in performance venues, but all guests are welcome to wear masks if they prefer to do so.

If you are visiting spaces on campus that are open to the public, you are not required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

However, the College strongly encourages visitors to respect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff by being fully vaccinated and/or having a recent negative test if you are planning to be present on our campus.

There are some programs and situations, such as the Lifetime Learning Institute and open events at the Athletic & Wellness Center, when people who are not students, faculty or staff may have a sustained, regular presence on our campus.

Campus guests involved in these types of programs should follow these policies:

• DO NOT ATTEND in-person events at SUNY New Paltz if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have recently been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• Provide proof of vaccination to the designated contact for that program.
  • For Example: Lifetime Learning Institute members participating in in-person courses must be fully vaccinated, and must show proof of vaccination to the program coordinator. The College will confirm the proof of vaccination, update the member’s records, then destroy the proof of vaccination documentation.

Student Health Service (SHS) will work with the campus community to raise awareness of and encourage activities that should decrease the effect of COVID-19 on this campus, including social distancing, use of face coverings, frequent hand washing and staying home if sick.

Student Health Service will be open Monday – Friday, but in order to reduce exposure walk-ins will not be allowed. Students must make an appointment before visiting.  

Triage nurses will be available for phone assessment and will advise students on self-care measures, schedule in-person consultations as needed, and direct students to emergency services, if warranted.

SHS will also make greater use of telemedicine to continue providing health services to students in the safest manner possible.

Masks will be required for in-person appointments. No one will be allowed to accompany a student to their appointment. Students will be taken directly to an examination room where hand cleaning protocols will be required of the student at the beginning and end of their office visit. 

Student Health Service will help ensure that students have access to COVID-19 testing when needed and will work with local health departments to coordinate quarantine, monitoring and treatment efforts.

Yes, flu shots will be given out at the on-campus Health Center and at local pharmacies.

In addition to the Health Center, the following medical facilities are located in the New Paltz area:

• New Paltz Family Health Center: 279 Main Street, New Paltz, NY, (845) 255-2930
• CareMount Medical: 264 Main Street, New Paltz, NY, (845) 255-7900
• Health Quest Medical Practice: 514 Route 299, Highland, NY, (845) 691-9200
• FirstCare Medical Center (functions as an Urgent Care Facility): 222 Route 299, Highland, NY, (845) 691-3627

If a student has an urgent medical problem and they are not sure how to proceed, they may reach the Student Health Center’s on-call physician outside of regular office hours by calling (845) 257-3400.

The on-call physician is available to discuss urgent medical questions with students by telephone and to help the student caller identify their options for care.

Students who require in-person medical attention can go to FirstCare Medical Center, which functions as an Urgent Care Facility and is located at 222 Route 299, Highland, NY, (845) 691-3627.

For students experiencing severe medical problems, there are Emergency Departments at the following area hospitals:

• HealthAlliance Hospital: 105 Mary’s Avenue, Kingston, NY, (845) 338- 2500
• MidHudson Regional Hospital: 241 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY, (845) 483-5000
• Vassar Brothers Medical Center: 45 Reade Place, Poughkeepsie, NY, (845) 454-8500

We recognize that student mental health needs have increased during the pandemic, and that more students than ever before are attempting to succeed academically while living through traumatic circumstances. 

The Division of Student Affairs has reorganized services and staffing to supplement the Psychological Counseling Center’s (PCC) intervention services to allow for more outreach, prevention implementation and coordination.

The PCC, the Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH) and SUNY have made training available to faculty, staff and students on both Psychological First Aid and suicide prevention. SUNY’s Mental Health Matters website, https://www.suny.edu/mental-health/, offers additional online suicide prevention training.

An enhanced, online Crisis Response Protocol/Reporting Form will be provided for faculty, staff and students to report students of concern and incidents of bias. 

SUNY and the PCC continue to offer 24/7 crisis triage.  

The PCC will continue to offer clinical services both remotely and in-person, though the majority of clinical services (including individual, group therapy and crisis-related assessment and intervention) will be offered remotely.

To deliver in-person services, the PCC staff will be staggered on a rotational basis to keep the office physically staffed five days a week during normal business. The waiting room, one of the largest spaces in the Center, will be temporarily converted to a triage room for students in acute emotional distress, to best facilitate recommended social distancing. The conference room will be modified as a second triage room.

Students who come directly to the PCC experiencing significant emotional distress but not of life-threatening nature, may be directed to wait in place or return to their room and wait. While waiting to be contacted for triage, they will be directed to self-help phone apps to aid in self-deescalating or regulating their anxiety.

The Division of Student Affairs has compiled a list of local agencies and support networks that are open and providing valuable services to members of the public, including students.

Use this link to view the Local Resources List on the Student Affairs website.

The list is being updated regularly with contact information for organizations offering information about COVID-19; crisis intervention and assistance; help with food insecurity; substance abuse disorder treatment, including Narcan kits and training; resources for LGBTQ+-identifying individuals; and more.

The Student Crisis Fund provides quick-response, one-time grants in the event of a qualifying emergency. Funds can be used toward essential academic needs (books and supplies); replacement of lost or damaged items; or basic needs such as utilities, childcare, short-term housing or transportation. Average awards are $100-$1,000.

Click here for the Student Crisis Fund application.

Students with special circumstances are encouraged to contact Student Financial Services to learn more about what additional resources are available. Please note that the office is practicing social distancing strategies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). To help us maintain the best customer service possible, please submit any financial aid questions or concerns via e-mail to fao@newpaltz.edu.

Yes. The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) and SUNY approved a SUNY-wide telecommuting program in 2021, and extended that policy through June 30, 2022, for M/C employees and all bargaining units, except for PEF.

This program grants the College authority to support telecommuting arrangements from all employee classifications.

While we welcome the added flexibility this provides our campus, we remind employees that telecommuting is not an entitlement and may not be possible for all areas or all positions. Decisions on telecommuting remain at the discretion of the College.

More details about the SUNY telecommuting program are available at this link.

Yes. Under guidance issued in March 2020 by the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER), employees are provided with up to 14 days of paid sick leave, without charge to accruals, when subjected to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation.

A mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation may come from a Public Health Officer (for example, a County or City Department of Health or a written statement from the individual’s attending physician or local health officer attesting to the quarantine and the necessity of the absence).

Should an employee need to remain quarantined or isolated, the second and third periods of paid sick leave will require a positive COVID-19 test in addition to an order of quarantine or isolation. Employees who choose not to obtain a test will be required to charge their sick accruals for absences.

More information about COVID-19 leave is available at this link.

Yes, the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance remains open, whether in person or remotely, to assist with identifying, securing and managing external funding for research and creative activities as well as assisting with research integrity and compliance.

Work-related travel will continue to be very limited during the 2021-22 academic year and will continue to require pre-approval by the Provost or the divisional Vice President. International travel is banned until further notice.

All pre-approved travel requisitions must be submitted to the Travel Office before employees’ travel occurs. If travel is not pre-approved, it will not be reimbursed.

More information about employee travel in 2021-22 is available at this link.

We recognize that some faculty, staff and students may have health issues that raise particular concerns related to COVID-19.

We encourage these campus community members to file appropriate documentation for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

For issues related to their own medical conditions, including immunocompromised status, faculty members requesting a change in teaching modality should pursue the process for ADA-based accommodations, if they have not already done so.

Further, faculty who have an immunocompromised dependent who lives in their household may also request a change in teaching modality by presenting the request to the chair and dean. Faculty can support these requests by providing medical documentation confirming the immunocompromised status of a dependent in the household to the Benefits office (benefits@newpaltz.edu, subject: Dependent Supporting Information). This information will be held confidentially except, as warranted, to inform the chair and dean of the legitimacy of the request

Students should work with their physicians and the Disability Resource Center to complete appropriate paperwork and make an appropriate accommodation plan.

The SUNY New Paltz COVID-19 Response Team includes representatives from across the academic and administrative units, including all five academic deans and specialists in emergency management, health services, information technology, online learning, human resources, diversity and inclusion, student affairs, communication and government relations.

Members of the COVID-19 Planning Team include:

• Donald P. Christian, President
• Barbara G. Lyman, Interim Provost
• Shelly Wright, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Communication & Marketing
• Stephanie Blaisdell, Vice President for Student Affairs
• Michele Halstead, Vice President for Administration and Finance
• Jeffrey Gant, Vice President for Enrollment Management
• Tanhena Pacheco Dunn, Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
• Erica Marks, Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations and Executive Director, SUNY New Paltz Foundation
• John Reina, Chief Information Officer
• Scott Schulte, Director of Emergency Management
• Laurel M. Garrick Duhaney, Associate Provost for Strategic Planning & Assessment
• Laura Barrett, Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
• Kristin Backhaus, Dean, School of Business
• Dan Freedman, Dean, School of Science & Engineering
• Jeni Mokren, Dean, School of Fine & Performing Arts
• Rene Antrop-Gonzalez, Dean, School of Education
• Shala Mills, Assistant Vice President for Graduate & Extended Learning
• Rich Winters, Director of Community & Government Relations
• Matt Skillman, Director of Digital Media

Many other faculty, staff, students and village/town officials have contributed to our decision-making and planning, including as members of subgroups focused on Academic Planning, Classroom Density and Space Allocation, Faculty Teaching Preferences, Residence Life Logistics, Testing and Tracing, Personal Protective Equipment, Self-Reporting Symptom Process, International Students, Student Behavior Enforcement, Promoting Positive Student Behavior, Communication and Signage.

The full list of contributors can be found in our full Fall 2020/Spring 2021 COVID-19 Plan, beginning on page 2.

Additional consultation is ongoing with members of our community including student leadership, faculty governance and union leadership. 

The COVID-19 Response Team is focused on continuing to fulfill the College’s educational mission in a fiscally responsible way, while maintaining the health and safety of all students, faculty, staff and the New Paltz community.

The planning adheres to core guiding principles outlined by SUNY System administration for the planning process:

• Put safety first: When making financial decisions, safety comes first
• Protect the core academic areas of excellence
• Maintain our fundamental mission: The broadest possible access to world-class teaching, research and scholarship
• Sustain academic programs and achieve operational efficiencies
• Demonstrate agility in responding rapidly to workforce needs
• Be mindful of and support vulnerable populations

The NYS requirements for a mandatory pause are no longer in effect, meaning that there is no longer a defined threshold of COVID-19 cases or positive test rate that will trigger an automatic pivot to fully remote instruction.

However, SUNY administration retains the authority to pause campus activities in the event of increased COVID-19 transmission.