New Paltz Forward FAQs
Yes. SUNY New Paltz is planning a traditional, safe, in-person experience for students in fall 2021, consistent with continued progress against COVID-19 in New York State.
We intend to offer more than 90% of fall 2021 courses fully or partially in person, including more than 1,500 on-campus classes.
These plans are subject to change pending pandemic conditions and/or new guidance from SUNY or the State of New York.
As part of our return to a safe, traditional in-person campus experience this fall, we're planning to provide a rich and lively on-campus experience for students. That includes:
- A return to full residence hall capacity
- More student organization activities and events
- Expanded dining options as compared to the last year
These plans are subject to change pending pandemic conditions and/or new guidance from SUNY or the State of New York.
Yes. As we look forward to easing pandemic-era restrictions, the safety of our students, faculty and staff will remain our top priority.
We will be guided by the same “We Not Me” philosophy that made it possible to sustain activities in and out of the classroom, with low rates of COVID-19 infection and no interruptions during the 2020-21 academic year.
Some of the ways we’re planning to keep our community safe and healthy in fall 2021 include:
- Free, on-campus COVID-19 testing will be available to all students, faculty and staff.
- Free, on-campus vaccination will be available to registered students.
- Campus-based contact tracing will continue, but people who have been vaccinated will not be required to quarantine if they have been exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19.
These plans are subject to change pending pandemic conditions and/or new guidance from SUNY or the State of New York.
All study abroad is suspended for summer and fall 2021, per SUNY administration. New Paltz will follow SUNY guidance on international mobility and study abroad experiences.
Other online international opportunities will be available to students in the upcoming months, including multiple virtual coursework, internship and service-learning programs; other SUNY virtual programs; and Living & Learning Community participation.
The Center for International Programs, in cooperation with the Division of Academic Affairs, will continue to monitor and assess all future study abroad programs.
For further information specific to study abroad, please visit the Study Abroad COVID-19 FAQ page (https://www.newpaltz.edu/studyabroad/about/covid-faq/).
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.
On Monday, May 10, Governor Cuomo announced that the SUNY and CUNY boards will require proof of vaccination for all students attending in-person classes in fall 2021.
The vaccine requirement policy is contingent on a vaccine receiving full FDA approval. As of June 1, 2021, Pfizer has initiated a review to seek full FDA approval for its vaccine, and Moderna has indicated it will do the same soon. It is possible that one or both of these vaccines will receive full approval by the start of the fall semester.
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. For this reason, the recently announced requirement that SUNY and CUNY students must show proof of vaccination to attend in-person classes in fall 2021 is pending full federal approval of the vaccines.
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).
As of this writing, we are awating more information from the state about possible medical and religious exemptions to a COVID-19 vaccination requirement. We will share that information with our community as soon as we have it.
Learn more here about existing vaccination requirements and available exemptions for New York college students.
Yes! The Student Health Service has the single-dose, Johnson & Johnson vaccine available for students who have not yet been vaccinated.
Please call the Student Health Service at (845) 257-3400 or email them at healthserivice@nepaltz.edu if you’d like to make an appointment to get vaccinated on campus.
To schedule an appointment, you must be registered for classes in the fall 2021 semester, 18 years of age or older, with no prior COVID-19 vaccinations.
Anyone who gets the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after getting their shot. It is a one-dose vaccine that does not require a second appointment.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been approved for use by the FDA, the CDC, the State of New York and SUNY.
If a COVID-19 vaccine gets full FDA approval, and the state's vaccination requirement for public college students goes into effect, this would make it much easier for SUNY New Paltz to return to a safe and normal, in-person fall semester.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our community has worked together, and made sacrifices, to ensure the safety of all as our number one priority.
We succeeded in keeping cases low on campus in the 2020-21 academic year, but doing so required us to temporarily suspend many elements of “the campus experience,” including full-capacity in-person classes, academic and co-curricular events, and other activities.
A COVID-19 vaccination requirement – increasingly common at colleges and universities across the nation – would help us take the next step back to a lively, exciting on-campus environment, while still protecting the health of all members of our community.
At this time, SUNY and the State of New York do not require vaccination for campus faculty and staff.
We continue to encourage all campus employees to get vaccinated if they have not already done so, as the vaccine remains our most effective tool in the fight against coronavirus.
The College is currently asking all members of our community who are vaccinated to participate in a voluntary self-reporting process to support our planning for next semester.
Students, faculty and staff can share their vaccination status with the College via their COVID-19 profile at my.newpaltz.edu.
More information and detailed instructions for the vaccination sharing option can be found here.
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.
Students, faculty and staff will be classified as “fully vaccinated” if they meet both of the following criteria:
- It has been at least two weeks since they received the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccination sequence, AND
- They have uploaded their vaccination status to their COVID-19 profile at my.newpaltz.edu.
So, if you receive a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna), you are considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after you get the second shot.
If you receive a one-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson), you are considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after you get the single shot.
As of May 17, members of our community who have been fully vaccinated AND submitted their vaccination info to the College through my.newpaltz.edu are exempt from SUNY’s mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing policy.
This means that vaccinated people no longer have to test every week they are on campus.
Those who have not been vaccinated and shared their vaccination info with the College will still need to test every week that they are on campus, in a continuation of SUNY’s spring 2021 testing policy.
Per CDC recommendation, vaccinated people should still get tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms or in some cases when they are returning to the U.S. from international travel.
Read more here about the testing exemption for vaccinated people.
Students, faculty and staff will be classified as “unvaccinated” if they meet any of the following criteria:
- Have not received any COVID-19 vaccine doses, OR
- Are partially vaccinated (i.e., received only one of two doses in a two-dose sequence, or had final dose less than two weeks ago), OR
- Have completed a vaccination sequence, but have not uploaded their vaccination status to their COVID-19 profile at my.newpaltz.edu.
Yes. SUNY’s mandatory weekly testing policy remains in effect for anyone who has a physical presence on campus and has not been fully vaccinated or who has not shown proof of vaccination.
Those who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or who have not submitted proof of vaccination through my.newpaltz.edu, must get tested for COVID-19 every week they are on campus during the fall 2021 semester.
Per recent bargaining unit agreements with SUNY, this policy applies to unvaccinated employees as well as students. New agreements have been signed by UUP, CSEA, PEF, NYSCOPBA and PBANYS to extend mandatory weekly testing for unvaccinated people through December 2021.
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.
A hybrid course mixes in-person and online class sessions during the semester. It is a highly flexible format that reduces face-to-face time, using online learning for elements of the course that deliver well in an online space, and using reduced seat time for learning objectives that benefit from real-time discussion, feedback or group activity.
An example of a hybrid course might be a mostly online section that meets in person six times per semester for activities such as group projects, hands-on activities, discussion sessions, presentations or other learning activities that benefit most from the seated environment.
SUNY New Paltz has not established an “official” requirement for how much of a hybrid course needs to be delivered in person. We believe that faculty and instructional designers are best able to determine what is pedagogically appropriate for any given course. Hybrid sections should be designed in a way that does not increase the overall number of hours of student time on task for the course.
The College does require that when hybrid sections do meet in person, they use that time for more than just exams. While these sessions may include some exam periods, seated class sessions should also include high impact and best practices in teaching and learning.
A number of different kinds of technologies, materials, resources and trainings are available to New Paltz students, faculty and staff to support online teaching, learning and working.
Students and employees are encouraged to consult with their department chairs or academic deans regarding opportunities and conditions for taking home equipment and supplies for remote use.
New Paltz has web cameras and additional USB wireless adapters for faculty and staff who need to work from home. Faculty may make equipment and software requests using the Remote Teaching Technology Request form.
SUNY has provided some laptop computers for students and some are still available by request and approved based on need; priority will be given to Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students and those eligible for Pell grants. The College has also received a generous gift to support the purchase of 30 laptops for use by students in the Scholars Mentorship Program (SMP).
Temporary study space is available in select unoccupied classrooms through our study space reservation system. These rooms are intended for a single occupancy and can be reserved for a one-hour duration up to seven days in advance.
Students have access to remote learning technology through the Sojourner Truth Library, and can also request distance learning tools, training and assistance through the IT Service Desk.
Students enrolled in a course requiring Adobe Creative Cloud can submit a request to borrow an Adobe Creative Cloud license for the semester. Please note, however, that quantities are limited. Requests for Adobe Creative Cloud licenses can be made through our ticketing system and are subject to approval.
Faculty can create Breakout Rooms during online synchronous sessions by using Blackboard Collaborate. Faculty can learn more online about creating Collaborate Breakout Rooms and students can learn more about participating in Collaborate Breakout Room sessions.
Faculty can also create breakout rooms within the WebEx platform. Visit this link to learn more about those pending WebEx upgrades.
We also have a limited number of 90-day auto-captioning licenses for WebEx; if you are interested in a pilot license, please fill out a request form.
Faculty, staff and students also have access to Knowmia, a recording and multimedia storage platform, which can be accessed at newpaltz.knowmia.com.
In addition to recording and storage, Knowmia also has engagement features, such as quizzing and conversations; automatic closed captioning; and a mobile app. Visit our support site for more information about getting started with Knowmia.
All students and employees will be expected to complete an online health screening each day they intend to be on campus, to support the College’s effort to conduct effective contact tracing and protect the health and safety of all members of our community.
The daily health screening is required by the state as part of the Reopening New York Checklist for Higher Education Institution Reopening Plans.
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 in the COVID-19 Screening section under Announcements.
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.
The College encourages students and employees to save the health screening app link to their phone home screen for easy access. Android phones should provide a prompt to add the app to their home screen. iPhone users can add the app to their home screens by using the share option while on the webpage and selecting the Add to Home Screen option.
If students are on campus and have not done their daily screening for three consecutive days, their card access will be disabled and they will be unable to enter most campus buildings or attend in-person classes until they remedy the situation.
The only remedy for three health screening violations (which shuts off card access) is to do the health screening three days in a row, whether or not they intend to be on campus those days.
A professor who does not see that date’s confirmed health screening clearance cannot permit the student to enter the classroom, regardless of whether or not they are wearing a mask or other face covering.
There can be no exceptions for anyone regarding completion of the daily health screening as a first step each day.
Students who indicate symptoms or possible exposure to COVID-19 in the Daily Health Screening will receive instructions to contact the Student Health Service, to remain in their residence hall room (if living on campus) or to remain at home (if living off campus).
The Student Health Service, the student’s Residence Director (if applicable), and the instructors of the student’s in-person courses (if applicable) will be notified that the student did not pass the Screening for that day.
The Health Service will make a clinical judgment about the likelihood of COVID-19 based on the unique circumstances of each student’s case.
If the Student Health Service determines that the symptoms are unlikely to be COVID-19-related, they may clear the student to be present on campus and in subsequent seated classes, as long as future health screenings reveal resolution of symptoms and no exposure.
If the Student Health Services suspects that the symptoms are COVID-19-related, the student will be required to quarantine. If COVID-19 is confirmed by testing, the student will be required to isolate. Residential students may quarantine/isolate in Awosting Hall or at home. Commuter students will quarantine/isolate off campus. Both will be monitored by Student Health Services, the College’s contact tracers and, under some circumstances, county health officials.
SUNY Employee Relations has confirmed that employees are required to participate in screening practices as identified by the employer. Employees who fail to adhere to these parameters may be subject to disciplinary action.
Employees who report an elevated temperature, the presence of COVID-19 symptoms and/or recent exposure to confirmed cases will be directed to quarantine via on-screen directions from the screening app and via email.
Employees who present with a raised temperature, symptoms or recent exposure will not be permitted to report to campus and will be referred to Benefits for support and guidance.
The Benefits Office and the employee’s supervisor will be notified automatically by email if indicated by answers on the screening.
Employees who report a temperature or symptoms, but who feel able to work remotely, will be accommodated and will not be required to use time.
Individual testing is the most common kind of COVID-19 testing. One sample is tested using one test kit, providing a positive or negative result for the individual who underwent testing.
Pool testing is an FDA-approved technique in which multiple samples (usually about 12 people) are combined into a single “pool” or batch and tested all at once.
The technique uses the same polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology as individual diagnostic tests, but by pooling multiple samples it allows more people to be tested quickly using fewer testing resources.
Pool testing isn’t meant to verify whether any one person has COVID-19, the way an individual diagnostic test does. Rather, it’s part of a broader surveillance strategy that allows for efficient screening of people who are asymptomatic.
If a pooled sample tests negative, then all individuals within that pool can be presumed negative.
If a pool sample tests positive, a second round of individual tests (called “reflex” tests) is administered to determine which individual(s) within that pool has COVID-19.
This testing strategy is most efficient in areas with low prevalence of the disease, where most test results are expected to be negative. This makes pool testing a good fit for SUNY New Paltz’s campus community, where roughly 99% of on-campus COVID-19 test results have been negative since the beginning of the fall 2020 semester.
Individual PCR testing uses a single test for each individual tested. It is the best testing method available to determine if any one person has COVID-19.
Students, faculty and staff can make an appointment for on-campus, individual PCR testing. Please use this link to register for individual PCR testing, and please make your appointment at least one week prior to your assigned testing date. Note that you will need your health insurance information to make an appointment.
Please only make an appointment during your mandated week. If space is available, we will send a notice of availability for opt-in testing.
Our testing partner, Enzo Labs, is on campus at least one day per week to serve our students. Results are generally available within 2-3 business days after testing.
The Student Health Service also has limited capacity to provide additional individual PCR testing, and can also write prescriptions to allow students to get tested at community testing sites. Contact them at 845-257-3400 to learn more.
The College will enact the following protocol if a student tests positive:
- Residential students with a confirmed diagnosis will be relocated to an on-campus quarantine facility (students may opt to quarantine at home). Residential quarantined students will be provided with food, trash and laundry service. Student Health Service will monitor residential quarantined students’ health and provide over-the-counter medication as warranted. Students must quarantine until cleared by Student Health Service; generally 14 days post-exposure or 10 days from onset of symptoms, per CDC guidelines.
- Awosting Hall will again be set aside as unoccupied for the spring 2021 semester, and will be available to quarantine residential students as needed.
- Commuter students with a confirmed diagnosis will be directed to quarantine at home, and will not be allowed to return to campus until asymptomatic for 14 days from exposure or 10 days from symptom onset, per CDC guidelines.
- In all cases of confirmed diagnosis, the College will deploy our contact tracing protocol to notify classmates, and faculty members of their potential exposure.
- Positive cases in the campus population will be reported to the local health department, as required.
- Student Health Service will report student cases.
- The Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion will report employee cases.
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.
- Tracers will notify other individuals as appropriate, and will also notify Facilities if the student has been in common spaces on campus within seven days.
- 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.
- All of the faculty teaching courses in which the student is enrolled will be notified, whether those courses are in-person, remote or hybrid.
- The notification to faculty will not necessarily include instructions to quarantine. Faculty and classmates should not need to quarantine unless contact tracers confirm that they have been in close contact (10 minutes or more within six feet, without wearing a mask). In such cases, contact tracers will instruct faculty and classmates will be instructed to quarantine.
- If the student lives on campus:
- The student’s instructors and the Quarantine Coordinator for the Department of Residence Life will be notified. The Quarantine Coordinator will in turn notify 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).
Campus-wide notifications will be sent only when there is a clear danger to the campus community, such as if there were a suspected or confirmed case when a student, faculty or staff member was known to have been on campus during the potential infection period.
The College will continue sharing updates about positive cases in the Daily Digest email newsletter, only when those positive cases affect our in-person community.
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 pool testing.
Employees who choose to be tested off campus will be required to submit testing results to the Benefits office. These records can be sent as a scanned attachment to benefits@newpaltz.edu or results can be dropped off in the secured lock box outside the Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion at Haggerty Administration Building room 603.
Students who get tested off campus email their test results to healthservice@newpaltz.edu as soon as they receive them.
No. On-campus pool testing will be provided to employees free of charge.
Employees will be asked to provide insurance information upon registering for testing. Insurance will not be billed for the initial pool test; however, if the pool tests positive, insurance will be billed for the secondary “reflex” testing that is necessary to determine which sample(s) within the pool are positive for COVID-19.
Any costs associated with “reflex” testing that are not covered by an employee’s insurance will be paid by the College.
The College is keeping certain residence halls unoccupied so they can accommodate residential students who must be quarantined on campus due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19, direct exposure to COVID-19, international or other travel where CDC recommends quarantine, or any other purpose as indicated by applicable CDC, State Department of Health, or Ulster County guidelines.
Residential students with a confirmed diagnosis or exposure who live in corridor-style housing will be relocated to Awosting or Mohonk (students may also elect to quarantine at home). Such students’ roommates will also be required to quarantine.
Students with a confirmed diagnosis or exposure who live in suite-style housing may be able to quarantine in place if the quarantine building is full, because they are already self-contained and everyone within the suite will have been exposed.
While quarantining or isolating on campus, students will be provided with a refrigerator/microwave, food, support, wellness checks, and laundry and trash services. Length of quarantine and conditions for return to campus activities will be determined by Student Health Service consistent with CDC and New York state guidelines.
Once students move out of quarantine, the space they occupied will be thoroughly cleaned.
No. Because all in-person classes are taking place with students and faculty masked and maintaining a minimum of six feet of social distance, students and faculty will not be required to quarantine just because they shared a classroom with someone who tested positive.
Faculty members will be notified if a student in one of their classes has tested positive, but there will be no expectation that students or faculty in that section quarantine if they have been compliant with in-class policies on masking and social distancing.
This is in accordance with current SUNY, state and CDC guidance that quarantine is necessary only in cases when a person has been without a mask and has spent more than 10 minutes within six feet of an infected person.
If our contact tracers discover that such an unmasked, close contact exposure has occurred, students and employees may be directed to quarantine.
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.
Governor Cuomo issued new guidance for the State of New York, which will be in effect for our campus. Under the new guidelines, individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end their quarantine after 10 days without a testing requirement as long as no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period.
Yes, the Student Handbook has been amended to call attention to the expectation that residential and commuter students adhere to COVID-related safety protocols.
Residential students will sign a housing license addendum advising them of public health policy, expectations of the College concerning those policies, and potential consequences for not complying with policies.
Under the Division of Student Affairs reorganization, the Director of Student Conduct will take primary responsibility for enforcing student rights and responsibilities.
Student conduct matters, including Title IX education and enforcement, will be handled remotely where possible.
All study abroad is suspended for fall 2021, per SUNY administration. New Paltz will follow SUNY guidance on international mobility and study abroad experiences.
Many virtual opportunities are available for students interested in global learning this fall. The SUNY Global Commons involves students in projects with non-governmental organizations through study of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
You can learn about more opportunities at the SUNY database of virtual programs, which includes options open to all SUNY students, suitable for every major, through partner organizations and institutions in nations all around the world.
Applications for spring 2022 programs are now open and the application fee has been waived for all students.
For further information specific to study abroad, please visit the Study Abroad COVID-19 FAQ page.
We are aware that specific populations (students, faculty, and staff) are more vulnerable to the health risk of COVID-19. Moreover, some vulnerable student populations are also more likely to experience marginalization, alienation, academic challenges and attrition, and students of color will be coming to our campuses with heightened anger, fear, and anxiety in the wake of recent events across the country. These concerns about equity and inclusion add an additional dynamic in our goal of supporting vulnerable populations.
Our plan for spring 2021 outlines the array of services we will continue to provide students to support their academic success, physical and mental health, safety, and belongingness. Some recommendations and practices include:
- Students who are at high risk or are otherwise concerned about their safety in seated classrooms will be advised to visit their advisor to choose online courses.
- To the degree that remote learning is necessary during a portion of the year, students in research-intensive, performance, studio and other applied learning courses or programs will need additional and creative support to accomplish learning objectives.
- Students with disabilities will work with our Disability Resource Center to access the services they need to be successful either in a seated class or remotely.
- We will continue to administer our student crisis fund program and campus food pantry.
- We have an ADA accommodation procedure in place to support faculty and staff who, for medical reasons, cannot safely return to campus.
- Faculty who do not feel comfortable returning to campus but for whom ADA accommodations are not applicable should visit with their Academic Dean about possible flexibility in scope of obligation and/or schedule within the operational needs of the college.
- Faculty, staff, and students should consult with their Department Chair and Academic Dean regarding opportunities/conditions for procuring or taking home equipment, supplies, or other resources for remote use.
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.
No. The statewide Telecommuting Pilot Program expired in its current form on July 2, 2021.
Under the current guidance, SUNY campuses will resume in-person instruction and residential operations for the fall and offices will resume in-person services and operations.
SUNY administration is working with the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) and campuses on a system-wide telecommuting policy that will be submitted to the State for review and approval. This is an ongoing process and the policy is still in development.
SUNY New Paltz has developed a new flexible work framework for certain employees in summer and fall 2021.
Flexible work options are not available for all employee classifications due to state employment regulations that prohibit local changes to classified service positions.
The flexible options framework is currently available to UUP and MC employees only.
This framework empowers supervisors and employees to explore more flexible approaches to work while supporting operational needs, excellence in service, and our institutional values.
Flexible work planning may not be appropriate for all areas, given the needs of the students we serve in the classroom, in their campus residences, and in other campus settings. Plans must be approved by divisional leadership such as a vice president, assistant/associate vice president, or dean, following discussion between an employee and supervisor.
College leadership recognizes that members of the faculty may be vulnerable to COVID-19 or may have immunodeficient or immunocompromised family members, and who may be uncomfortable teaching in person for health reasons.
We will accommodate such faculty in all possible cases by offering them opportunities to teach remotely and online, and will also provide the ability to participate in service and research activities virtually.
In cases where courses have been prioritized for in-person delivery, it may not be possible to provide faculty with the opportunity to teach these courses remotely and online – not all faculty requests to move to remote instruction can be accommodated through flexibility in scope of obligation and/or scheduling, as some courses cannot be adjusted or staffed differently.
Faculty who are responsible for instruction will be consulted to understand individual concerns about teaching in person, and the College will undertake these conversations with care and reasonable consideration. There will be a process established to solicit these concerns and to attempt to address them within the operational needs of the College.
Employees are encouraged to work with their supervisors in consultation with HRDI to share concerns and establish strategies for meetings these needs. Options may include continued telecommuting plans, VRWS, temporary changes in FTE, as well as some leave benefits. Each case is specific and HRDI is available to provide further support, as needed.
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.
Effective Jun. 30, 2020, all work-related travel will be very limited and will require pre-approval by the applicable Dean and Provost or Vice President.
All pre-approved travel requisitions must be submitted to the travel office prior to travel taking place. If travel is not pre-approved, it will not be reimbursed. All travel cards have been deactivated to discourage fraudulent activity.
Please also be advised that the Governor has issued an Executive Order directing that state employees who voluntarily travel to high-risk states or other countries after June 25 will not be eligible for COVID-19 paid sick leave.
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).
Faculty and staff may have health issues that pose a higher risk or may have higher risk due to age. In addition, employees may have concerns about risk to children, elders or others for whom they are primary care givers. These individuals should work with their physicians and the Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion to complete appropriate paperwork and make an appropriate accommodation plan. More information, including HRDI’s workplace accommodation request form, is available here.
Students should work with their physicians and the Disability Resource Center to complete appropriate paperwork and make an appropriate accommodation plan.
In cases when employees report a temperature or symptoms and do not feel able to work remotely until these conditions resolve, the College will follow campus and New York State Payroll guidelines.
Specifically:
- An employee who is quarantined and not well enough to work remotely or whose work can’t be performed remotely will receive 14 calendar days of leave (in addition to any accrued sick leave). This does not have to be used continuously.
- An employee who is quarantined and who is healthy enough and able to perform work remotely, can work with no charge to quarantine or other accruals.
- In the case that an employee does not qualify for quarantine leave, an employee can use sick, FEPSLA or unpaid time.
Employees with questions about these policies can contact Benefits for support and guidance.
Yes. Campus visitors, including local community members and prospective students here for tours, can come enjoy outdoor walking paths and other open areas on campus.
Masking and social distancing policies remain in place on campus, and all guests are expected to follow these policies while on campus.
Many indoor spaces remain card-access-only, with entrance reserved for students, faculty and staff with active SUNY New Paltz ID cards. These spaces are closed to the public, with few exceptions.
During summer 2021, the College will begin to allow some visitor tours in interior spaces this summer. These will be reserved primarily for prospective students and their families.
Yes, campus leadership is asking all visitors to campus – including prospective students who are here for tours – to continue wearing masks and maintaining social distance while on campus at this time.
This masking policy for visitors aligns with the policies for students, faculty and staff that were published on May 19, 2021.
These policies will remain in effect while we await further direction about New York’s adoption of new CDC guidance relaxing health and safety policies for fully vaccinated people, and how this new guidance will be implemented on campuses and at other state agencies.
We hope to get updated masking and distancing policies from the New York State Department of Health soon, and will share that information with the campus community as soon as we receive it.
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
