New Paltz Forward

Yes, but as in the fall 2020 semester, the number and size of our in-person classes will be greatly reduced as part of our effort to reduce person-to-person density on campus.

We will provide a mix of remote, online and face-to-face courses. A majority of courses (about 75%) will be offered in a fully online/remote format, with the remainder (about 25%) to be offered in-person or hybrid.

Our goal is to provide high-quality learning experiences in ways that maximize the health and safety of faculty, students and staff. To achieve this goal, we are providing faculty with training and resources to prepare pedagogically appropriate, high-quality courses in remote and online formats. We are also scheduling courses in a way that optimizes seated instruction consistent with public health guidelines.

The spring semester will begin as scheduled on Jan. 19, 2021.

However, nearly all course delivery will take place remotely prior to Feb. 1, with in-person instruction beginning for seated and hybrid courses on Feb. 1.

SUNY has approved a limited list of New Paltz courses that will begin in-person instruction on Jan. 25, after meeting remotely the week before.

Consult the complete spring 2021 academic calendar for more details.

SUNY requires all students and employees at all SUNY campuses to complete the Daily Health Screening at my.newpaltz.edu for 14 consecutive days prior to their first on-campus presence in the spring 2021 semester.

For students who plan to move into campus residences when halls open on Jan. 17, this means you must complete the Health Screening every day beginning on Jan. 3.

For members of our community who plan to be on campus for the official first day of the semester on Jan. 19, this means you must complete the Health Screening every day beginning on Jan. 5.

And those who do not plan to be on campus until in-person classes resume on Feb. 1 must complete the Health Screening every day beginning on Jan. 17.

After this 14-day pre-screening period, all students, faculty and staff will be required to attest that they have completed this requirement. The attestation will take place within the Health Screening. They will then be required to complete the Screening on any day they intend to be on campus, as was the policy during the fall 2020 semester.

Essential employees who have had a continuous on-campus presence between the fall and spring semester should continue completing the Health Screening every day they are on campus.

Students who do not complete these Health Screenings, attestations or any other pre-semester requirements will have their card access terminated, and residential students will not be permitted to move in to their on-campus residence.

No. The 14-day pre-screening applies only for the spring 2021 semester, which starts officially on Jan. 19.

Those who are coming to campus during winter session (prior to Jan. 19) must still complete the Daily Health Screening on the days they plan to be on campus, following the existing screening policy, but they do not need to complete 14 consecutive days of screenings prior to being on campus during winter session.

However: SUNY's 14-day pre-screening requirement for spring 2021 applies to all students and employees, whether or not you have been on campus during winter session.

So, if you plan to be on campus on Jan. 19, the official first day of the spring semester, you must complete the Health Screening every day beginning Jan. 5, whether or not you will be on campus that day, in order to gain clearance to be on campus for the start of spring.

In addition to the 14-day pre-screening requirement, there are some other new questions and required attestations in our Daily Health Screening, in accordance with SUNY’s reopening guidance for spring 2021.

As a reminder, students and employees can complete the Daily Health Screening by visiting my.newpaltz.edu.

The Daily Health Screening will now ask if the student or employee has travelled to a noncontiguous state (i.e., a state that does not directly border New York) in the last 10 days.

If they answer yes, they will be asked to attest that they completed the New York State Traveler Health Form and the required testing and/or quarantine based on the length of time they were out of the state. More information about that form and those state requirements can be found at this link.

SUNY also requires that students who will live on campus, take at least one class on campus, work on campus, or use services on campus, must attest that they have completed the seven-day precautionary quarantine prior to returning to campus. This attestation will also take place within the Daily Health Screening. 

SUNY requires that all students must complete a precautionary seven-day quarantine prior to their first time on campus during the spring semester.

This applies to anyone who plans to live on campus, work or take classes on campus, or to use campus facilities such as the gym, library or dining hall.

Students who are planning to come to campus when residence halls open on Jan. 17 should begin their quarantine on Jan. 10.

All other students should plan their precautionary quarantine for the seven days prior to the first day they plan to be on campus in the spring semester.

Students will be required to attest that they have completed the seven-day precautionary quarantine prior to returning to campus. This attestation will take place within the Daily Health Screening at my.newpaltz.edu.

Per SUNY’s requirements for the spring 2021 semester, all New Paltz students must produce a negative COVID-19 test prior to coming to campus, or get tested for COVID-19 immediately after coming to campus.

This applies to any student who plans to live, work or take classes on campus, or use campus facilities such as the gym, library or dining areas.

For many students, the easiest way to fulfill this requirement will be to get a quick, easy, on-campus COVID-19 test within five days after your first day on campus in the spring semester.

The College will offer daily (Monday – Friday) on-campus COVID-19 testing from Jan. 19 – Feb. 4 to help students meet this requirement.

You may also get tested off campus and submit results to the Student Health Service as an email attachment to healthservice@newpaltz.edu. Off-campus test results must be submitted within five days of arrival on campus.

Wherever you choose to get tested, your test must take place either during the three days before or five days after your first day on campus for the spring semester.

So, if you’re planning to come to campus when residence halls open on Jan. 17, you must get tested between Jan. 14 and Jan. 22 in order to meet SUNY’s requirement.

Please note that you must get an individual or pool PCR test; rapid tests are less accurate and do not meet SUNY’s requirements.

More information for students about spring 2021 can be found in our comprehensive What Students Should Know guide.

Students will have their card access terminated, and residential students will not be permitted to move into their on-campus residences, if they do not complete these new requirements.

Specifically:

• Students who do not complete the 14-day pre-screening and related attestation prior to arriving on campus for spring 2021 will have card access terminated
• Students who do not complete the seven-day quarantine and related attestation prior to arriving on campus for spring 2021 will have card access terminated
• Students who do not produce a negative COVID-19 test within three days prior or five days after their arrival to campus for spring 2021 will have card access terminated

More information for students and families about spring 2021 can be found in our comprehensive What Students Should Know guide online.

Yes, all members of our in-person campus population (including students and employees, per bargaining unit agreements with SUNY) will be subject to mandatory COVID-19 surveillance testing, with options for getting tested on campus or submitting results from off-campus facilities.

Our in-person campus population includes anyone who plans to live on campus, work or take classes on campus, or to use campus facilities such as the gym, library or dining hall.

About 20% of our in-person population will be tested every week using a mix of PCR and pool testing.

This surveillance testing will begin on Jan. 19 and will be offered Monday-Friday until Feb. 4.

Information about testing beyond Feb. 4 will be shared with our community and posted in this space as soon as schedules are finalized.

Yes, all faculty who are teaching a remote or hybrid course in spring 2021 are expected to conduct a self-review of their remote courses using the Open SUNY Course Quality Review (OSCQR) rubric.

New Paltz faculty should rely on the streamlined local version of the OSCQR rubric, which can be found at this link.

The OSCQR self-review is designed to help faculty update and improve their courses if needed to meet best practices and to identify any areas where they may need to reach out for additional support.

Additionally, any faculty who are teaching fully asynchronous courses and have not been previously certified to teach online are required to turn in their OSCQR review to their Chair, Associate Dean, or Dean (as determined by their school/college) so that they can get additional support for any assistance needed.

If course remediation is needed, the self-evaluation may be additionally submitted to the instructional design team so they can tailor their support. Your chairs will be provided a spreadsheet of previously certified faculty to assist in the event there are any questions.

More information about the self-review process can be found in Interim Provost Barbara Lyman’s initial announcement (dated Dec. 4, 2020) and clarification on timelines and expectations (dated Dec. 17, 2020).

SUNY has mandated that spring break be canceled on all SUNY campuses, and that any days off during the semester must fall on midweek days, as part of the system-wide effort to discourage unnecessary travel during the pandemic.

To provide students with five days off from classes that they would have received during spring break, New Paltz will end the semester two days earlier and has scheduled three individual “Mind, Body, Spirit” days that will be distributed as follows:

• Tuesday, Feb. 23
• Wednesday, March 24
• Thursday, April 15

There will be no classes of any modality on these dates.

The Mind, Body, Spirit days are intended to allow students to rest and recharge for the remainder of the semester. For that reason, the College is encouraging faculty to plan test and assignment due dates so they do not fall immediately after the Mind, Body, Spirit days, to reduce pressure on students to spend these days working or studying.

There are still lots of good options for commuters, other students and faculty who are looking for spaces to study, safely meet with friends or colleagues, or just get some rest between classes.

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.

Most outdoor areas will be open to all campus community members. New benches, picnic tables and other outdoor furniture has been installed around campus to provide additional options, and the College has upgraded outdoor Wi-Fi service to make it easier for people to get work done while sitting outside.

While many indoor spaces are restricted, there are still a number of buildings and areas that are open, including:

• The Sojourner Truth Library’s first floor study areas
• The Atrium Lobby and second floor Scholars Perch
• The Student Union, second floor, outside the Multipurpose Room
• The Student Union, ground floor, Entertainment Commons outside the Bookstore
• The newly renovated Jacobson Faculty Tower Lobby
• The lounge on the second floor of the Humanities building
• First and second floor lounges in Science Hall
• Second floor lounges in Wooster Hall
• The Lobby and second floor lounge in Engineering Innovation Hub
• The College Theatre Lobby

A limited number of campus computer labs are available as well, though they may be operating at reduced capacity and/or hours of operation. Use this link for a full schedule of where and when campus computer labs will be open.

As a reminder, most campus buildings are card access only during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students and employees will need to have their campus ID cards in order to access buildings.

If you lose your ID card, have issues with card access or have other questions, contact Card Services at cardservices@newpaltz.edu or (845) 257-3034.

Our plans for Commencement exercises will be contingent on guidance from SUNY and state and local health departments.

As of December 2020, we have received the following guidance from SUNY regarding Commencement:

“Commencement exercises ordinarily occurring at or near the close of spring 2021 semester will be considered in accordance with guidance from New York State. Campuses should begin to plan and message virtual commencements and/or safely distanced methods of recognition and degree dissemination for their graduates.”

Our Commencement Office is currently considering various options and will communicate them with the campus community once they have been finalized and approved.

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.

While some courses, including labs and studios, experiential learning and fieldwork requirements and others, ideally should be taught in an in-person format, in most cases it should be possible for students and advisors to construct a fully online schedule for spring 2021, with sufficient planning for how they may meet in-person requirements in later semesters.

The Division of Academic Affairs and Information Technology Services have been working continuously with faculty to prepare for both online and seated modalities with content-specific webinars and other training opportunities, including through the Office of Instructional Technology. These sessions and other forms of support will continue into the spring 2021 semester.

We are also working to provide additional free training and resources for students to assist them with the transition to online learning.

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. 

The Disability Resource Center will continue to support students who require accommodations to support online learning in spring 2021. Read more in the Disability Resource Center FAQ about how the Center will adapt to new circumstances in spring 2021.

Students who require accommodations for online learning are encouraged to contact the Center at drc@newpaltz.edu to begin the conversation about receiving services.

The College also generally recommends that students provide advance notice to their instructors when they require accommodations or have other concerns about the course format, as a best practice to sustain open communication between students and faculty.

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. 

No, auditing is temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing guidelines limit available class space, we must prioritize seating for matriculated and non-matriculated students over auditing students in seated classes.

Auditing is also prohibited for online courses, and the majority of our courses this spring will be offered online.

No. Students will still receive the full, state-required 15-weeks of instruction to all credits for which they are registered.

As a reminder, tuition at all State University of New York campuses is set at the state level. The SUNY New Paltz campus administration has no authority to raise, lower or otherwise adjust student tuition costs.

The College is continuing to charge standard tuition and fees, as our academic programs and broader campus operations require intensive human and capital resources, whether in-person or remote. 

Here is further information about some of these charges:

• Tuition: Tuition charges are set at the state level and determined by the SUNY Board of Trustees, not the College. Additionally, many aspects of our academic teaching/learning experiences will continue to be sustained this fall, regardless of the remote environment. 
• Technology Fee: While some students may be off campus and using their own laptop and WiFi connection, this fee supports the College's basic infrastructure that's essential for students and their daily functionality, including in a remote world (things like access to Blackboard, registration and billing, student technology support, etc.). 
• Athletics Fee: This fee was reduced following the SUNY Athletic Conference's announcement that the fall season of competition would be suspended. The remaining fee supports the many Athletic & Wellness Center programs that are continuing this semester, including virtual offerings designed specifically for students who are taking classes remotely.
• Student Health Fee: All of our students, including commuters, can use our Student Health Services through tele-medicine, as well as our counseling services. Students can also get prescriptions, as determined by our campus physicians.
• Gift to New Paltz: This is a voluntary fee that supports students’ free access to major events and traditions at the College, including the Distinguished Speaker Series, Women's Leadership Summit and Hudson Valley Future Summit, as well as free mentoring services with alumni. For many students, the Gift to New Paltz is the first step in support of what will one day be their alma mater. Students may opt out of paying it each semester.

We understand that the pandemic has caused many challenges for our students and their families and we will continue to offer support in whatever ways we can, while maintaining our community's health and safety. 

While in-person gatherings, club events and other student activities look different during the COVID-19 pandemic, the College is continuing to provide a range of services to support a robust student experience at New Paltz this spring.

The Student Activity Fee is set and approved by Student Governance, not the campus administration.

That fee supports many student life programs and infrastructure that will continue to be offered to students, including:

• Coordination and support for our 200+ clubs and organizations
• Resources for Student Governance that will ensure students have a voice during a critical time for our campus community
• Funding for Oasis/Haven, two student-staffed programs that provide peer-to-peer mental health support and crisis intervention services
• Maintenance of the ENGAGE web platform that allows clubs to plan events, recruit new members and express their mission and goals
• Support for the Children’s Center of New Paltz, Inc., a non-profit corporation that provides high-quality, on-campus care for children of SUNY New Paltz students.

We understand and acknowledge that the College may not be able to provide the full extent of student activities right now, but our team is working tirelessly to ensure that students continue having opportunities to engage with one another and our campus community, while also remaining healthy and safe, until our return to more normal operations.

Conducting activities in a modified or virtual way will require all of us to think differently and creatively, but it also gives us a chance to tap into new and potentially revolutionary ways of doing things that will stand the test of time.

New students, including new transfer students, who chose not to attend New Paltz in the fall can defer their application for admission by emailing the Office of Undergraduate Admission (admissions@newpaltz.edu) with notice of their intent to defer.

Students who chose to defer their New Paltz admission application, and then took college course work at another institution, will be required to reapply to New Paltz as a transfer student. If that student had been awarded a scholarship to attend New Paltz as a new student, that will become null and void.

PLEASE NOTE: This policy applies only to new students who chose to defer before the first day of classes; students who chose to defer or withdraw after the first day of classes should consult with Records & Registration (recreg@newpaltz.edu) about the Leave of Absence and College Withdrawal options.

Matriculated students can take a Voluntary Leave of Absence and retain their matriculated status for up to two semesters without having to reapply to return to courses.

Students must file a Leave of Absence form with Records & Registration to qualify for this status.

Students who plan to take courses elsewhere during their leave must have their selections approved prior to leaving.

Students who do not return after two semesters of separation will be automatically withdrawn from the College and will need to apply for readmission if they wish to return.

Please refer to our Leave of Absence policy for more details.

In accordance with SUNY, state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, face coverings (masks) must be worn by all members of the campus community on campus, including in classrooms, conference rooms and other shared spaces, even when six feet for social distancing exists.

Exceptions to this mask-wearing policy include:

• Students do not need to wear masks while in their private residential or personal space, alone or with their assigned roommate
• Employees do not need to wear masks while alone in their personal office space
• Individuals do not need to wear masks while eating meals on campus, while seated and while social distancing is appropriately enforced

Yes, in addition to the reduced density policies outlined above, SUNY New Paltz will require all students, faculty and staff to wear masks or other face coverings in classrooms, lecture halls, common spaces, studios and labs whenever they are occupied by more than one person.

Individuals who arrive to a classroom, lecture hall, common space, studio or lab without appropriate face coverings will be required to leave until they are able to return with a face covering.

All campus community members will be expected to understand and maintain safe social distancing. The current guidance is that we should maintain at least six feet of distance when sharing a space with one or more individuals with whom we are not living.

The College has installed floor markers in strategic locations to illustrate six-foot safety distances. Community members are expected to observe and adhere to these markers where they appear.

The College has taken steps to ensure that students, faculty and staff can meet safely in in-person courses this semester.

We have conducted a review of campus instructional spaces to determine class capacities, using a social distancing parameter of 36-square-feet per occupant.

Among the steps we are taking to reduce density within classrooms and other academic spaces, we have:

• Identified and closed classrooms that are too small to provide appropriate social distancing
• Established new capacity guidelines and seating arrangements for classrooms that are large enough to provide appropriate social distancing
• Relocated lecture and seminar-style courses to classrooms that allow adequate social distance
• Moved course sections that are too large to be accommodated safely to online instruction
• Established strict social distancing protocols for research and lab-based activities
• Reconfigured traditionally non-instructional spaces that can be converted for instructional use while allowing safe social distancing for students and faculty

As in fall 2020, any student who does not comply with mandatory testing, masking, social distancing, Daily Health Screening or other health and safety polices during the pandemic will face disciplinary action.

In September 2020, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras issued uniform emergency disciplinary standards for all SUNY colleges and universities. These standards remain in effect for spring 2021.

Under the Chancellor’s disciplinary standards, students who fail to comply with health and safety protocols and expectations may now face immediate academic and housing suspension, as well as possible expulsion, and student organizations in non-compliance may face a permanent campus ban.

Students who do not complete the Daily Health Screening on days they are on campus, or who do not participate in mandatory COVID-19 testing, will have their card access terminated until they are in compliance.

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 a student does not complete the daily health screening on a given day, their name will NOT be noted as “cleared” to attend class on their professors’ rosters for that date.

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.

All students who are part of the on-campus community (defined as students who live on campus or who come to campus for any reason) are required to be tested individual PCR method.

You must 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.

Employees may not access individual, on-campus PCR testing at this time – all mandated, on-campus testing of employees will be conducted using the pool testing technique.

Pool testing is provided through a partnership with SUNY Upstate Medical University. Like our individual testing, it is also administered in the Awosting Hall Basement Lounge.

Students will be notified via email and NPForward text message when they are required to be tested.

In order to register for on-campus pool testing, please follow these steps:

1. Visit http://register.suny-covid.com/
2. If this is your first time using the SUNY Upstate Medical University portal, please click “Register” to create a new COVID-19 Account, using your New Paltz Hawkmail email account
3. Input your information and follow instructions for when your test will take place. Please be sure to register no later than two days before your scheduled test.

Once you have registered, you may arrive for pool testing at any time during the designated hours of operation. Pool tests will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Employees who are required to be tested for COVID-19 can get tested on-campus via pool testing provided through a partnership with SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Pre-registration is required in advance of participating pool testing. Please use this link to register.

One you have registered, testing is available on a walk-in basis during hours of operation.

Employees who are subject to this mandate will be required to be tested twice this semester.

Email and text message notification will be sent to employees to whom this mandate applies, with detailed instructions and hours of operation.

Pool testing results from SUNY Upstate Medical Center will be reported as soon as they come in. Only those who test positive will be contacted.

Please create an account at http://register.suny-covid.com/ prior to appearing for testing. Be prepared to provide insurance information.

You will need to bring your New Paltz ID to the testing site.

Please also be sure to bring your mobile device with you to be tested, as you will need to use it to scan the code and link your test to your account.

Also, to ensure accurate results, you must not eat, drink, smoke or vape within 30 minutes prior to your test, and must not brush teeth or use mouthwash within three hours prior to your test.

Students and employees who create a pool testing account with SUNY Upstate Medical University will eventually be asked “Do you have a test kit?”

When you get to this point of the account-creation process, you’re ready to go get tested.

The remainder of the registration process, including receiving and scanning your test kit, can be completed at the testing site when you come to be tested.

Please be sure to bring your mobile device with you to be tested, as you will need to use it to scan the code and link your test to your account.

Students and employees who do not come to campus at all during the spring 2021 semester do not need to be tested.

In rare cases, some students and employees who do not come to campus may receive a notification about mandatory pool testing.

If you received such a notification, but do not come to campus and believe you are not required to be tested, you can contact us to confirm your testing status.

Students should contact the Health Center at healthservice@newpaltz.edu to confirm their testing status.

Employees should contact the Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion at HRDI@newpaltz.edu to confirm their testing status.

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.

Yes, 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.

Off-campus testing must be conducted within two weeks prior to their indicated testing dates in order to meet the requirement.

The College asks that students and employees who are required to be tested do everything in their power to appear for testing on the assigned date(s).

We recognize that members of our community may be unable to appear for testing on assigned date(s) for one reason or another.

For that reason, we are extending a five-business-day grace period after your testing week to produce a test result or proof you were tested.

Students who satisfy the testing requirement within the five-day grace period will not have their card access revoked.

All students who are on campus for any reason are required to be tested for COVID-19.

Students who fail to comply with this SUNY-wide mandate will have their card access terminated and will not be permitted to be on campus.

Students can satisfy the requirement by either participating in on-campus testing or submitting off-campus results within five days of your assigned week.

If you have had your card access terminated due to a testing violation, you can have your card access reinstated by participating in on-campus testing or by submitting off-campus testing results. Residential students do not lose access to their residence hall or room and can have limited access restored by providing evidence to Card Services that you have registered for on-campus testing.

Only those who test positive will be contacted. If you test positive, you will receive a phone call and follow up email and text message if you don’t answer.

Positive test results will be shared with Student Health Services and (for employees) will also be provided to the Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion for the purpose of supporting absence from work and ensuring proper tracing protocols.

Per our communication protocols for COVID-19, the College will announce positive cases that impact our on-campus community, but any individual who tests positive will never be identified.

Those who test negative will not receive automatic notification of their results.

If you want to confirm your negative result, you can email the Student Health Service at healthservice@newpaltz.edu. Please allow 3-5 business days after your test to send the email, to ensure test results are available when we receive your request.

Possibly, but for 24 hours or less. 

Pool testing combines samples from 10 people at random. If the pool tests positive, that means one or more individuals in the pool are infected with COVID-19. All 10 individual samples within a positive pool are immediately retested to determine which individual(s) are positive.

There have been cases when this secondary test is not conducted until the next day, due to high testing volume at SUNY Upstate Medical University, which means that everyone in the pool must quarantine until individual results are known.

To minimize the impact of having to quarantine an entire pool, we asked Upstate to reduce our pool size from 12 to 10, which has been approved. Pools are also now sorted into employee or student samples only.

Should residential students need to quarantine while we wait for individual results, they will do so in their own room rather than being moved into Awosting Hall. No contact tracing will be done until individual results are confirmed.

Only individuals who have tested positive will need to isolate for 10 days to protect others from contracting COVID-19.

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.

In spring 2021, Awosting and Mohonk Halls will be kept 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 College has developed a “Pause and Pivot” procedure which can be implemented if the College is so directed by the state’s Regional Control Room, SUNY, the Department of Health or other body.

The complete Pause and Pivot plan has been published as Appendix H on page 7 of our Academic Continuity Plan for Winter and Spring 2021.

The plan outlines steps to be taken to shut down in-person activities, reduce campus density and return to remote operations. More details can be found in the following FAQs.

Pursuant to guidance issued by Governor Cuomo, the College would be required to pivot to fully remote instruction for two weeks in the event that a total of 100 students, faculty or staff within our on-campus community test positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period.

SUNY has provided additional guidance that infection rate should be measured during discrete, defined 14-day periods, rather than as a rolling average, during the spring 2021 semester. SUNY's full memorandum, which includes the list of 14-day periods, can be viewed at this link.

Additionally, Governor Cuomo’s Cluster Action Initiative directs the Department of Health to identify areas in New York that require enhanced public health restrictions based upon cluster-based cases of COVID-19.

Cluster Areas are designated with color-coded zones – Yellow for precautionary zones, Orange for warning zones and Red for the cluster itself – that each carry special restrictions on certain activities including in-person gatherings.

Per the Cluster Action Initiative, any school in an area the Department of Health has designated as a Red Zone or an Orange Zone will be required to go remote only.

The policy applies to colleges and universities, meaning that SUNY New Paltz may be required to go fully remote if New Paltz or the surrounding area sees a cluster of COVID-19 cases and is designated an Orange or Red Zone by the Department of Health.

On Dec. 11, 2020, Governor Cuomo announced new metrics for designating Cluster Areas as Red, Orange or Yellow Zones, based on hospital capacity. More details about those new metrics can be viewed here.

Yes, the campus will remain open during the pause and pivot, and all core operations will be sustained.

During this two-week pause, residence halls will remain open and all resident students will be strongly encouraged to remain on campus. Students will continue to have access to critical campus resources including dining, medical and counseling services. Our policy of not allowing visitors inside residence halls will continue.

While some indoor spaces will be closed, others will be open with access and capacity limitations, to provide on-campus students with places to work and use computers and other technology.

The Sojourner Truth Library late-night study space and the Athletic & Wellness Center will remain open to students with capacity limits in place, according to existing protocols. Please note that the Governor’s Cluster Action Initiative calls for closing gyms in Red and Orange zones, so the Athletic & Wellness Center may be required to close if our region is classified as a Red or Orange zone.

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art would remain open only to students who need access for instructional and course completion purposes.

All courses that include in-person instruction will move online for two weeks. Students and faculty will have access to resources and technical support to ensure a smooth transition.

Lab and studio classes, like other course sections, must be provided remotely during this two-week pause. Faculty are encouraged to communicate with students about what accommodations will be possible to continue course activity in a remote learning environment.

Some arts and science labs will remain open to a limited number of students. Academic departments will make these determinations on a case-by-case basis and will prioritize granting access to graduate students and undergraduate students near graduation.

Offices will be encouraged to strictly observe low density staffing levels or plan for fully remote staffing (where possible) for the two-week period, while ensuring continuity of business and campus operations.

The Telecommuting Pilot Program will remain in effect during the two-week pause. Many employees who are able to perform their job duties from home will not be required to come to campus, nor will they be required to use their accumulated leave time.

Some employees who are identified as “essential” may be required to continue performing their on-campus job duties in order to ensure the safe operation of the College. The Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion, in cooperation with bargaining units, will notify these employees of their essential status and communicate their expected work obligations for the two-week pause.

Student workers will be able to continue in their roles during the pause and pivot. They should communicate to their supervisors that they intend to continue working, and supervisors should work with students to provide alternate work assignments that can be completed remotely. This policy will apply to Work Study students and TAs and GAs as well.

On-campus COVID-19 testing will continue during the pause and pivot, but it will be available only to resident students, essential employees and others who are required to be on campus.

Any members of our community who have been directed to quarantine or isolate in place must comply with these orders.

The College will communicate details about the pause and pivot to our campus community using email, text message, institutional web pages, social media accounts, and posters and other physical media. During the pause and pivot, we will continue publishing important news and information in our existing Daily Digest email newsletter, our online COVID-19 Dashboard and through the college text alert system.

All in-person programs and events, including athletic team activities and Admissions tours of campus, will be halted during the two-week period.

We will be offering virtual programming during this time to help students manage anxiety, provide support and answer questions.

Students are encouraged to continue monitoring campus email and texts for more information.

Dining will be provided by grab-and-go only, with delivery options provided for any students who are in quarantine or isolation on campus. Students can place to-go orders using the GrubHub app.

Yes, residence halls will open on Jan. 17, 2021, and will operate with reduced density as they did in fall 2020.

Residences will be organized by double-occupancy (two students per room). There will be no tripled rooms this semester.

No. We will continue our policy of allowing no visitors into residence halls except with administrative approval.

This policy played a significant role in mitigating spread during the fall 2020 semester, as we saw only a small number of isolated incidences of COVID-19 transmission within halls, mostly related to a single event in August.

This stipulation applies to all residence hall visitors, including New Paltz students who live in other on-campus residence halls – so, students who live on campus will not be allowed to enter residence halls other than their own hall, unless with administrative approval.

Yes, students will be able to travel freely on and off campus, in accordance with the special rules outlined in our plan and elsewhere in the FAQs (including wearing masks in indoor spaces as well as in outdoor spaces where they cannot safely social distance, no visitors to residence halls, limiting unnecessary personal travel, quarantining after travel to high-infection areas as designated by New York State, etc.)

The College strongly encourages students to take a “WE, not ME” approach to their activities this spring, as we work together to keep our campus community – and the broader New Paltz community – safe.  

Please note the following expectations and requirements.

• Resident students are required to wear masks in residence halls outside of their room/bathroom or suite, as well as do enhanced cleaning within their own living space. Residents should bring cleaning supplies as needed (Facilities will conduct enhanced cleaning of shared spaces). Note that common areas, including kitchens, will be open but social distancing guidelines will be strictly enforced.
• Residents will be required to complete the Daily Health Screening at my.newpaltz.edu every day.
• Students will be expected to quarantine or isolate if so directed due to COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. Resident students may quarantine/isolate at home or on campus in Awosting Hall, our on-campus quarantine facility. Food, trash and laundry services will be provided to quarantining residents. Student Health Service will monitor quarantining students’ health and provide over-the-counter medication as warranted.
• All guidelines will be strictly enforced. If a student does not comply, violations will result in campus judicial charges, as well as progressive sanctions as high as suspension or expulsion and the immediate revocation of your housing license (and permanent denial of campus residency). Failure to meet these directives will endanger the College’s ability to maintain its integrity and operations.
• We ask you to hold yourself and your peers accountable to these expectations. Think "WE not ME" this year.
• Residence Life staff will refrain from entering residents’ rooms or living quarters unless absolutely necessary. They will instead use online and telecommunications and check-ins as appropriate.

Yes, if directed to shut down and return to remote operations, some students may be required to depart campus, except in qualifying circumstances.

We will follow this protocol for resident students in a "Pause and Pivot" event:

• Asymptomatic students will be notified that they must be tested for COVID-19. If they test negative, they will be cleared to depart campus in coordination with families, public transportation, and state and local health officials.
• Students who are quarantining or isolating on campus will be allowed to remain on campus.
• International students and students who do not have other safe living conditions or have limited or no access to technology will be allowed to remain on campus.
• Students will be allowed to leave behind belongings until a later date, when it is safe to return to campus to retrieve them.

Yes, in-person events and gatherings will be offered on a limited basis, and in compliance with current public health policies.

Gatherings within a residence hall floor will be allowed, so long as they follow public health guidelines about social distancing and mask wearing.

Campus groups considering holding a face-to-face event or gathering will be required to submit a brief narrative to the appropriate office (e.g., Records and Registration, Center for Student Engagement, Athletic and Wellness Center, etc.) responsible for space assignments. That narrative must address five questions:

• Could this event be held virtually, rather than in-person?
• What is the COVID-19 health risk associated with this event?
• What is this event’s relevance to the College’s core academic mission?
• What is this event’s value to the institution and the campus community?
• How does this event connect to the College’s third-party relationships, First Amendment responsibilities as a public agency, and civic engagement?

The narrative must be submitted to the appropriate office at least 30 days prior to the event.

If additional review is required, the appropriate office will forward the request to the COVID-19 Planning Team to make a final determination on the priority and safety of the event. Organizers will be notified of the decision at least 10 days prior to the event. Evolving circumstances may necessitate that previously approved events be deemed too high-risk and will need to be held virtually. 

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 spring 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 this spring, 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.

The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announced on Oct. 19, 2020, that the Winter 2020-21 season would be cancelled. The decision was made by the SUNYAC Presidents, in consultation with the SUNYAC Board of Directors.

The announcement stated that "SUNYAC will continue internal planning for the possibility of spring sports. The decision on spring sports will be made at a future date."

We will update our campus community when SUNYAC puts out new information about athletic competition in spring 2021.

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.

Yes. New Paltz Dining Services will continue its successful grab & go service next semester, with indoor dining areas closed and reusable container kits provided to students. Read more about the reusable container kits in the FAQ below.

Dining Services worked with the Student Association and the Residence Hall Student Association to conduct focus groups with students in fall 2020, and have developed a new meal plan based on that student feedback.

The new plan will provide 100 anywhere, anytime meals and $1,100 in dining dollars.

The following food service outlets will be open this spring and accept this new meal plan: Peregrine Dining Hall, Nesters, Grill at Student Union, Chick-n-bap, Pomodoro’s, SUB Connection, Hissou Sushi, Atrium Brew, Roost Convenience Store, Starbucks, and Sweets & Treats.

Additional Dining Dollars can be added to student accounts at any time in any installment of $25. Students can add Dining Dollars by visiting Card Services in Student Union room 64, or by visiting my.newpaltz.edu and finding my.CASaccount.

All students who are enrolled in a dining plan (including resident and commuter students) will be provided with a reusable container kit including a drink cup, flatware and a take-out container at the beginning of the semester.

Residence Life staff will deliver the reusable container kits to students’ on-campus residences upon their arrival at the College.

Commuter students who are enrolled in a dining plan can pick up their kits by visiting the Peregrine Dining Hall cashier station.

Students will be required to bring their reusable container kits to pick up grab & go meals at Peregrine Dining Hall.

After eating, students will be expected to empty their containers into designated receptacles stationed in residence halls and other spaces on campus.

Diners will be able to trade their empty kit for a clean one each time they return to one of the grab & go stations at Peregrine Dining Hall. Dining Services staff will thoroughly clean and sanitize each container kit after use.

The spring 2021 dining plan includes one replacement kit per student per semester. Additional replacement containers can be purchased for $5 at the Peregrine Dining Hall cashier station.

Students will have access to a wide variety of options through grab & go dining, including:

• Simple Servings: This hot brunch and dinner menu will be updated daily and will include varied protein options and vegan side dishes, to allow students to create full meals that meet their specific dietary requirements
• Chef’s Table: This menu offers American regional and international cuisine featuring culinary expertise through familiar recipes and unique flavors
• Salads and Soups: A robust selection of leafy greens, freshly prepared vegetables, toppings and dressings, sourced from local farms whenever possible, alongside made-from-scratch soups that rotate daily
• Sprout: Our popular all-vegan menu offers meals with plant-based and plant-forward items incorporated into every offering
• Homestyle and Brunch Grill: These evening and morning offerings both serve up classic comfort dishes made from scratch, featuring all-time favorites and rotating specials
• Pastries and Desserts: Fresh and homemade cookies, cakes, bars and other treats, made on-site at our campus bakery, to satisfy your sweet tooth

Yes, New Paltz Dining Services developed a number of new policies and practices that will remain in place this spring.

In addition to the grab & go meal service and reusable container policies outlined in other FAQs, on-campus restaurants, cafeterias and food courts will adopt the following policies:

• Touchless entry options including hand sanitizing stations
• One-way traffic in grab & go pick-up areas, and use separate doors for entry and exit where possible.
• Six feet of distance between workers and customers except at the moment of payment or exchange of goods.
• Contactless pay options and pickup wherever possible.
• Provide hand sanitizer and wipes to staff and customers.
• Frequently sanitize high-touch areas such as credit card machines, keypads, and counters.
• Require infection control practices such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage.
• A welcome center displaying important safety and service expectations, including reminding staff and customers about social distance requirements.
• Floor decals and consistent signage to reinforce traffic patterns and social distancing
• Menu toppings and condiments to be portioned by the attendant
• Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings and require workers to wear gloves.
  • If a customer refuses to wear cloth face coverings, they will be denied entry; however, another method of food pickup will be provided.
• Reusable container kits will be stored behind the service area and distributed by an attendant in a sanitary fashion
• No personal refillable containers to be utilized in the dining room, to ensure safety for our staff and guests
• Visibly marked exit with designated instructions for returning containers

Yes. The College partners with Grubhub to make it easy for students to order from their favorite on-campus cafes and eateries and pay using Dining Dollars, Hawk Dollars, or credit or debit cards.

As part of our effort to promote contactless payment and keep our students and employees safe, New Paltz Dining Services has made Grubhub the primary form of ordering and payment for campus dining services.

All students enrolled on a dining plan will be expected to download and use the Grubhub app to make purchases at campus dining locations.

Grubhub can be used for dining purchases at the Roost, Sweets & Treats, all Student Union Building cafes & eateries and the Starbucks at Parker Theatre.

Those who do not have their Grubhub account linked to their New Paltz Dining Services account can follow these easy instructions to set it up:

• Download the Grubhub app
• Create an account
• Go to My Grubhub > Settings > Campus Dining
• Affiliate your account with SUNY New Paltz
• Set up your payment methods (including your campus ID card)

New Paltz Dining Services will continue providing exclusively grab & go service at the start of the spring 2021 semester, following health and safety policies and social distancing best practices.

As conditions allow, Dining Services has plans in place to progress through a phased reopening, with dining rooms staged for social distancing and pre-packaged menu items offered as self-serve. This phased reopening would ultimately lead to a final phase where the dining rooms can be open for full service with social distancing.

Our ability to begin phased reopening of Dining Services spaces depends on our campus community’s success in preventing coronavirus transmission, and on state and local guidance related to indoor dining service. 

While some in-person gatherings will be permitted, the College has established strict guidelines and review processes for in-person campus events, as part of our effort to keep all campus community members healthy and safe.

Only pre-approved in-person events will be allowed to take place.

Those who wish to hold a face-to-face event or gathering will be required to submit a narrative proposal to the office that is responsible for scheduling in the requested on-campus space. The Center for Student Engagement will review these in-person event requests in keeping with campus protocols and reduced room capacities.

We recommend that most clubs and organizations plan to conduct their recurring meetings virtually, to promote social distancing efforts on campus and to make it easier for students living off-campus to connect with the group. Student clubs will be able to host virtual programs with no significant review process.

Students are encouraged to use the ENGAGE online software to explore options in campus life, and organize and plan virtual events.

Those who wish to hold a face-to-face event or gathering will be required to submit a request form and narrative for evaluation by the appropriate campus office or committee.

For student groups, the initial review will be conducted by the Center for Student Engagement with further approval by a campus-wide review board. 

Requests should be submitted through the ENGAGE Event Form at least 30 days in advance. A decision will be made no less than 10 days prior to your event.

Event proposals from student clubs and organizations will be evaluated based on a rubric of five questions that can be viewed at this link. This rubric will be used for all campus programs proposed to be hosted by departments, academic programs and student groups.

Click here to read the full FAQ about campus events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yes, in addition to the five criteria for determining whether to allow an in-person gathering, the Center for Student Engagement will consider the following considerations for student clubs and organizations:

• Personal face masks must be required for entry into all events.
• Social distancing requirements must always be maintained.
• Club members and attendees must have completed the daily health screening.
• Student groups will not be permitted to host events off campus.
• Groups structured around physical exercise, performance and musical rehearsal/practices will be restricted to online events, due to the increased risk of coronavirus transmission associated with these kinds of activities.
• Event marketing should remind participants to follow public health guidelines such as wearing a mask, social distancing, and frequent hand washing, etc. Announcements should also be made at the event.
• Student events will be restricted to New Paltz students only with campus ID checked at the door. Advance sign-up is required.
• Outdoor events may not be advertised to non-students/off-campus.
• Groups should implement live streaming (Facebook Live or Instagram Live) for any in-person program that does not conflict with copyright law or contractual agreements.
• Participants shall not be asked to share any items (such as utensils or writing instruments).
• No communal food (buffets, etc.) shall be permitted.  All food must be individually prepared by an approved facility or pre-packaged store bought. Homemade foods are restricted.
• When possible, different doorways should be marked as separate entrances and exits.
• Events should be no longer than 90 minutes in length (from arrival to departure).
• Student groups may not host outside guests, including, but not limited to, other college teams or clubs, high school or college prep programs, parents and family, alumni, and friends.
• Student groups looking to contract outside services must ensure and provide documentation that those vendor(s) will comply with campus standards for mask-wearing, social distancing, cleanliness, etc. Please note there will be a limit to the number of hired personnel permitted at any one program.
• Event capacity may not exceed the adjusted room capacities for social distancing. Outdoor venues will also have established capacities on the current guidelines established by the state. 
• Groups must assist in cleaning high-touch spaces and equipment. Supplies will be provided by the Center for Student Engagement.
• Additional considerations for Events and Gatherings outlined by the CDC can be found here.

Yes, the College has procured a number of Zoom accounts to provide the full functionality of the platform to student groups and organizations.

Accounts will be managed centrally by the Center for Student Engagement, the Student Association Business Office and the Office of Residence Life. These offices can help students schedule and organize group meetings.

To use these Zoom accounts, student groups must submit a request through the ENGAGE platform by navigating to the main Forms tab.

Yes, student and performance spaces will be open with new arrangements, occupancy limits and protocols in place to allow for safe social distancing.

When a studio or performance space cannot be rearranged due to fixed work areas or equipment, they will have a reduced or staggered occupancy, or remote instruction.

All studios and performance spaces will have scheduled, outside-of-class work times, to allow students to use the spaces while also controlling how many people occupy them at any one time.

Campus cleaning protocols will be instituted in studio and performance spaces. Masks, face shields and protective barriers will be required where appropriate.

All courses which require singing will be offered remotely.

Any placements in student teaching will be required to follow state and SUNY guidance, and will also depend upon what is allowed by the school districts.

We will continue to ask all teacher training programs on campus to offer alternative options to students to meet program learning outcomes. We also ask program coordinators and student teaching supervisors to contextualize and individualize assignments, in consideration of each student’s unique tasks, placement and situation.

Student teaching and fieldwork options for spring 2021 may include the following:

• Working with cooperating teachers in the district, if allowed by the district.
• Participate in remote home education assistance (RHEA) where approved.
• Participate in remote instructional activities/tutoring/clinical/administrative experience where approved.
• Complete approved assignments and professional development related to ATLAS Video Lessons.

While it is ideal to hold these courses in person to allow hands-on learning and face-to-face interaction between students and faculty, we must acknowledge that external forces may make it impossible for us to continue to deliver any in-person instruction.

If directed by SUNY or state or local health officials to "Pause and Pivot" to fully remote instruction, we will modify assignments to enable students to complete them from home, provide materials and other special resources to students as we are able, and work together as a community to adapt to environmental factors that are outside our control.

Read more in these FAQs about our “Pause and Pivot” plan to learn about how the College is preparing for the possibility of a sudden shift to remote instruction.

SUNY New Paltz is following guidance provided by the SUNY Administration regarding internships, including by taking the following steps:

• Working with participating students to ensure that appropriate protocols are in place.
• Staying in touch with internship placement sites to ensure that appropriate protocols are being followed.
• Ensuring that students are aware of alternative options for non-licensure programs.

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 College will continue using Starfish, our academic advising platform, to facilitate remote communication among instructors, advisors and students.

Faculty office hours will be held remotely until further notice.

The Center for Student Success will continue to provide tutoring services remotely in spring 2021, and is also working on developing options for face-to-face instruction where possible.

Any face-to-face tutoring will follow social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines.

Certain academic departments with tutoring programs, like the School of Business, will continue to provide remote tutoring services.

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) will offer advising, tutoring and support to our students remotely.

SUNY and the College have provided EOP students wil loaner laptops for use in their studies.

EOP students will be given priority for student housing and will therefore have access to on-campus technology resources.

EOP counseling and advising will continue using WebEx and Starfish as the key platforms to advise our students. In-person counseling will be limited to specific student cases and only when a student and advisor are following all the safety protocols instituted by the College. Tutoring will be provided remotely through Blackboard Collaborate Ultra.

EOP has also instituted WebEx drop-in times to allow students to get personal attention without an appointment. This practice has been very successful and will continue in spring 2021. 

The Scholar’s Mentorship Program (SMP) has transitioned its teaching-learning, advising and active student engagement components to interactive modules in an online/virtual environment.  

SMP courses will use Blackboard Ultra, WebEx and Zoom to deliver remote instruction to students. 

Student support activities will continue using Starfish to aid student progress and provide online/virtual advisement when academic concerns arise. 

SMP events will move to online/virtual platforms as well. The program will train student leaders, such as liaisons, managers and student assistants, to aid with fostering a sense of community in the online environment until we return to an in-person setting.

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is developing support services to help our students create structure and stay organized while working independently in a combination of on-campus and online classes.

Please note that the DRC is not offering face to face proctoring of tests and exams during the pandemic. The DRC strongly encourages faculty to use Blackboard to administer tests.

The DRC will continue providing the following student services uninterrupted:

• Advocacy
• Outreach to faculty to help both students and faculty with accommodations
• Finding alternate format textbooks or converting textbooks when the needed formats are not readily available
• Note taking support
• Student meetings (WebEx)
• Serving as a campus resource for all issues involving disabilities and accommodations including offering training related to disabilities and accommodations

The following DRC programs and services will continue in online, video and Webex formats:

• New Student Intake meetings
• Documentation review (in which we discuss barriers and determine accommodations on a case by case basis)
• Navigating New Paltz video (focused on questions about online learning)
• Face-to-face weekly meetings
• ASD academic support meetings
• Office Hours
• Test prep sessions
• Stress reduction sessions
• Group study sessions
• Academic support sessions

The Student Association is holding governance meetings (Senate, Council of Organizations) and committee meetings (Budget and Finance, Programming, etc.) in person where possible, while also making meetings open and accessible virtually.

Our Executive Board is available to meet virtually for “office hours” with students.

The Student Association provides the service of ENGAGE along with other factions of the College, they will continue to use this platform as a way to allow clubs to organize and plan events virtually, and to allow students to explore campus life options.

Students can find more updates on our social media platform (@sunynewpaltzsa) and ENGAGE.

Since University Police staff are still physically needed to be on campus and our jurisdiction is limited to the actual physical location of the campus, UPD has only lightly modified its daily operating procedures.

UPD will continue moving their community outreach events online, as they've done for the virtual Coffee with a Cop and community town halls.

The Student Escort Service will be on-foot only with appropriate social distancing, and is subject to staffing shortages.

Mail Services is located in the basement of the Haggerty Administration Building and will be open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., in spring 2021.

The campus community should plan to use both mail windows in the hallway outside of Mail Services. One window is for students, and one is for faculty and staff. Signage is posted that identifies each window.

All students, faculty and staff must follow mask-wearing and social-distancing guidelines when picking up mail. 

Mail Services will continue its contactless delivery procedure for packages. This is more time-consuming and may result in longer lines than usual, but it is a necessary precaution to ensure a safer, socially distant transfer of parcels. 

Mail equipment will be sanitized frequently, Mail Services employees will continue to wear masks and gloves and there are barriers at both mail windows. 

Due to a rotating on-campus schedule, Mail Services staff will not be delivering mail as a standard practice. Students, faculty and staff should plan to pick up and drop off their mail and packages, including for the Residence Halls. 

Depending on daily volume, Mail Services may provide spot deliveries to departments that have packages. Mail Services staff will call those departments before delivery. 

LLI courses can continue this spring, but there will be no in-person offerings.

Under normal circumstances, the College provides classroom space to the LLI on a space-available basis and at no cost to the program.

Due to class scheduling changes needed to maintain appropriate social distancing, classroom space is limited during the pandemic and as a result, LLI will not be able to use classroom space.

We encourage LLI to make use of readily available web-conferencing tools to facilitate their class sessions. We will continue to otherwise support LLI’s programming through the website and e-mail announcements. We will also continue to provide administrative support for the LLI through Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS).

Fraternity and sorority recruitment activities, new member education and initiation programs must be conducted virtually for spring 2021.

Student engagement staff are supporting a virtual model for our campus chapters, which have included a virtual recruitment fair, virtual collection of paperwork and moving online the mandatory trainings related to hazing and Title IX.

The Telecommuting Pilot Program first announced in March 2020 has been extended through April 2, 2021 for all represented and MC employees.

Supervisors and employees will work together to continue telecommuting plans and staggered campus schedules to the extent that these plans meet operational needs. These plans can be updated as employee needs and operational needs change. Updated plans should be sent to The Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion.

Some units on campus will be deemed essential and will return to campus presence (while maintaining social distancing and using provided PPE) to prepare for operations and instructional needs as students and other employees return to campus this spring.

Supervisors can deem employees essential by providing proper notice that campus presence (whether staggered or full-time) will be required in order to meet operational needs.

The Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion is available to help with general questions, with communication regarding essential employee status, or with altering of telecommuting plans.

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.

Faculty will move their office hours and academic advising to remote platforms, and schedule consultations with students by telephone, video conference or email.

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.

The College is following New York State Department of Health travel guidance for the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be viewed in full at this link. Please note that this guidance is subject to change at any time.

Of note, the state currently requires that anyone traveling into New York from non-contiguous U.S. states or other countries must quarantine for 10 days even if asymptomatic, or produce a negative COVID-19 test.

The College’s Daily Health Screening has been updated for the spring 2021 semester with a new question about whether the student or employee has travelled to a noncontiguous state (i.e., a state that does not directly border New York) in the last 10 days.

If they answer yes, they will be asked to attest that they completed the New York State Traveler Health Form and the required testing and/or quarantine based on the length of time they were out of the state.

The College is mandating that any students or employees with travel plans out-of-state or internationally for official campus business register their plans. 

Additionally, please be advised that the Governor has also 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.

All employees working in on-campus spaces are expected to understand and adhere to requirements for safe social distancing and mask usage. Current guidance is that individuals should maintain six feet of distance and wear a face covering when an office space is occupied by more than one person. Masks are required when using elevators.

Offices must consult with Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion before inviting visitors to campus.

Offices are encouraged to continue using practices that avoid or reduce the frequency of in-person interaction by, for instance, using email, phone and web conferencing for meetings when possible, and using lock boxes and trays outside of offices for deliveries.

Lunch breaks in common eating areas or break rooms should maintain required social distancing of six feet per person.

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.

The State of New York has mandated a hiring freeze and the parameters have been set by the Office of the Budget. Under these parameters, there is to be no net increase in FTE or salary expenditure, with limited exceptions for those positions that contribute to revenue generation or are critical to mission, health and safety.

All requests for staffing or salary increases must be submitted to the Vice President of the area involved and will be reviewed by Cabinet in accordance with the parameters articulated in the directive from the state budget office.

SUNY campuses are given local control of hiring decisions, but must document their decision-making process, which is then incorporated into the documentation that must be submitted for consideration by Cabinet. 

Impacts on effective dates of salary increases will be determined by the state via payroll bulletins provided to the College. The College will communicate any changes to employees.

Yes, in order to adhere to established social distancing guidelines, most indoor spaces on the New Paltz campus are now limited to approximately 10-20% of their original maximum capacities.

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.

Outdoor walking paths remain open to the public with the requirement that those using these spaces maintain social distancing and wear a mask when they cannot maintain social distance.

Sports fields and courts, including the gym and swimming pool, are for campus-only use until further notice.

Yes. All divisions have completed social distancing assessments of their office areas, and worked with the Office of Emergency Management for guidance on how to address the needs in that office.

Where six feet of distance is difficult or impossible to maintain in the office space, divisions have reconfigured them to maintain distance while preserving function.

In areas where proximate interactions are unavoidable, clear barriers are being used.

In service areas where standing in queue is sometimes unavoidable, floor markers have been installed to indicate six-foot safety distances.

Waiting areas for individuals visiting campus offices have been eliminated. Offices have developed alternative procedures for those waiting for appointments.

Facility hours will be adjusted to meet at least the minimal needs of food service and a small window for programming time. 

Gathering spaces and rooms will have modified layouts to promote social distancing. Floor signage and plexiglass partitions for the HQ Welcome Desk in the Atrium will be in place. Safety and cleaning measures will be put in place for shared/communal equipment (i.e. - club keys, portable computer carts, etc.). 

The Athletics & Wellness Center and Elting Gym remained open in fall 2020, with access restricted to students only, and we will begin the spring 2021 semester with the same system in place.

However, the reopening of these facilities is subject to state health guidance that may change as conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic evolve.

Recreational activities will be scheduled in blocks of time to allow for expanded cleaning protocols. Staff will supervise and maintain a safe environment for all who use the facilities or participate remotely.

Virtual wellness programming will continue to be offered to all students, faculty and staff, and members. Wellness staff will strive to offer synchronous (rather than pre-recorded) classes whenever possible, to increase a sense of connection amongst participants. Staff are also exploring options for offering wellness classes outside and in person.

In recognition of the recreational benefits and growing popularity of e-sports, wellness staff will continue promoting e-sports and e-intramural opportunities for students. 

Yes, the Library will begin the semester open but with reduced occupancy and other protocols in place to ensure safe social distancing. As conditions evolve over the course of the semester, the Library may move to more or less restrictive policies.

Visitors are required to reserve seating in advance. Complete instructions are available here: Library Booking/Reservation System.

The Library has also implemented a curbside pickup program to accommodate students, faculty and staff in safely checking out books and other materials. Learn more about Curbside Borrowing via this link.

Students and faculty can also get daily assistance online via the Library's Ask A Librarian page.

Online databases and resources remain available to students and faculty through our Sojourner Truth Library digital holdings and subscriptions.

Library staff are trained and available to assist faculty and students with checking out materials from our collection or arranging inter-library loan, whether the Library is open for in-person use or via online service provision.

The Library has been collecting data on required course materials and will make available as many as possible for remote access. For those materials that cannot be made accessible, alternative content will be provided in consultation with faculty. 

Research help for students will be delivered via online resource guides, and real-time and asynchronous librarian consultations. 

Library liaisons to academic departments will coordinate access to resources, information literacy, management instruction and research help as needed, using chat, email, web conferencing and other tools.

The Speech-Language and Hearing Center provides vital professional learning opportunities for our students, while also providing valuable services to community members.

In order to continue providing these opportunities and services, the Center will be open on a limited basis in spring 2021 with new restrictions and safety protocols in place.

The Center will adopt usage of personal protective equipment, social distancing practices and lower density than in typical semesters.

The audiology clinic will maintain a limited schedule within the constraints of social distancing and lower density.

The speech clinic will operate remotely with no in-person services.

We may rely wholly or partially on simulated clinical experiences (Simucase) and teletherapy.

The Dorsky Museum was open during the fall semester on its typical exhibition schedule, while operating at reduced capacity with a maximum number of occupants allowed in each gallery at a time. This system will continue in spring 2021.

Museum staff and visitors are required to wear masks and adhere to social distancing. The museum will hold events and outreach virtually and in person, adhering to current guidelines for group gatherings.

Planetarium shows at the Kirk Planetarium will be suspended indefinitely, as the close quarters inside the Planetarium make adequate social distancing impossible.

However, the Planetarium has been publishing regular virtual shows as videos on the College's YouTube page, and will continue this practice during the spring 2021 semester.

Observatory events are outdoors and can be held with social distancing and mask usage.

Yes, the Children’s Center of New Paltz, Inc., will continue providing childcare services, with new health and safety protocols in place.

Protocols include but are not limited to the following:

• Conducting and documenting daily health screenings of all children, staff, parents, and students.
• Outdoor drop-off, pick-up and health checks, to eliminate the need for parents to enter the Center.
• All staff will wear face masks.
• Face masks will be recommended, but not required, for all children over the age of two.
• Groups will be limited to 15 children and two adults, and classrooms and groups will not combine.
• Indoor activities, nap and story time will be time limited.
• Cleaning practices will be increased and expanded.
• Parents will be required to pick their children up within 30 minutes, in the event a child gets sick while under the Center’s care. Children who get sick will remain separate from the group until picked up.

Classrooms and other spaces are cleaned and disinfected daily. In the event a space has not been cleaned and disinfected since the time of exposure, the Office of Emergency Management will direct that the space be secured through our electronic access control, placarded to prevent unwanted entry, and cleaned and disinfected after 24 hours of closure.

Upon completion, the space will be permitted to be re-occupied. If seven days have passed since the positive case was last in a given space, additional cleaning and disinfecting will not be required, per current CDC guidance.

Custodial teams have developed detailed cleaning and disinfecting plans for each type of occupancy on campus.

Cleaners will perform focused cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces including doorknobs, handrails, light switches, elevator buttons, etc., in addition to regular performance of routine cleaning. Effective disinfection requires that the surface first be pre-cleaned of any visible dirt or grime. Disinfectant will then be applied and allowed to sit for 10 minutes before wiping off, to ensure disinfection of the surface.

Campus administrators will coordinate third-party disinfecting for spaces on campus recently occupied by infected individuals, as needed. The Office of Emergency Management will direct the closure of these facilities as needed.

The plan for cleaning and disinfecting areas occupied by infected individuals is as follows:

• Close off areas used by infected persons.
• Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
• Wait 24 hours before you clean or disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
• Clean and disinfect all areas and surfaces used by the infected person(s), such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls and ATM machines.
• Once the area has been appropriately disinfected, it can be opened for use.

Areas that have been unoccupied for seven days or more only need routine cleaning to reopen the area.

Once buildings and departments have been re-occupied, they will receive the same level of cleaning and disinfection as other campus spaces.

Custodial staff are cleaning classrooms daily, using CDC-approved disinfectant on high-touch surfaces.

The College will also provide disinfectant spray, paper towels and wipes in classrooms. We strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff to keep a personal supply of disinfectant or cleaning wipes with them and use them frequently to keep the spaces around them clean.

We also request that campus community members contribute to our effort to keep campus safe and clean by wiping desktops, lecture stands, keyboards and other surfaces after use.

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