What faculty should know about the in-person semester start on Feb. 1

January 28, 2021 Andrew Bruso

The following message was sent via email to faculty and staff on Jan. 28.

Dear Members of the Faculty:

As we prepare for a smooth start to in-person classes on Monday, Feb. 1, we thought you would appreciate some information and guidance about SUNY mandates that may impact the semester start. We begin with important spring academic calendar clarifications. The rest of the message is devoted to changes in COVID-19 testing requirements, very consequential impacts for students, and extensive opportunities to get COVID-19 testing on our campus.

1. Important Calendar Clarifications

Academic Calendar Changes and Finals Schedule
We remind faculty that late changes to the academic calendar related to the cancellation of spring break required us to schedule an earlier end to the semester, and earlier dates for final exams. Please review the spring 2021 finals schedule using this link.

Changes to Mind, Body, Spirit Days
Please note that the original Mind, Body, Spirit (MBS) days have been changed at SUNY’s direction. These dates, when no classes must be held and no assignments made due, are now the following:

Tuesday, Feb. 23
Wednesday, Mar. 24
Thursday, Apr. 15

Final Exam Modalities Are the Same as Class Modalities
We have heard from some faculty that there is confusion about when finals will take place, and how they will be delivered this semester. Spring 2021 finals will be administered in the modality of the class: remote, hybrid, or in-person. This is a departure from the fully remote finals schedule we adopted in the fall semester, as part of our strategy to reduce campus population density after the Thanksgiving holiday.

2. SUNY’s COVID-19 Testing and Screening Requirements, and Consequences for Students

SUNY’s new COVID-19 testing requirements for students mean that if students have not done their daily screening or weekly test, they will not be able to participate in in-person classes, as their card access will be disabled until they remedy the situation.

SUNY requires students to provide proof of a negative test before attending class, working on campus, or using the gym, library or dining services. We have messaged students repeatedly to let them know that proof of a negative test will activate their card access this spring.

If students fail to test during a week in which they are on campus they will be held accountable, with repeated violations resulting in a denial of access to campus.

Please also note that if students fail to complete their health screening for three days on which they have been on campus, they will not be able to participate in in-person classes, as their card access will be disabled until they remedy the situation. SUNY mandates that the remedy for three missed health screenings is to submit three screenings, so students will not have access for at least three days after their third violation.

If your students contact you to let you know that they cannot enter the building for class, please remind them of the requirement to test and to complete the daily screening in order to gain access. More information about new return-to-campus requirements for students can be found on our New Paltz Forward FAQs page. Again, we thank you for reminding your students of these requirements.

3. Please Make Allowances during the First Week of Classes

While on-campus testing has been available since Jan. 15, we ask that faculty be lenient in creating opportunities for students to make up any work they may miss during the first week of class, prior to being tested.

4. COVID-19 Testing on Campus – Multiple Times and Extended Schedules

All testing will take place at our on-campus testing site in Awosting Hall. Please use this link for a searchable map of campus.

The remaining testing-upon-arrival schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 28: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 29: Enzo Testing (appointment only – sign up here)
Monday, Feb. 1: 12 – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 2: 12 – 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 3: 12 – 4 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 4: 12 – 4 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 5: Enzo Testing (appointment only – sign up here)

5. SUNY’s Weekly Testing Mandate Commences Feb. 8 and Applies to All Students, Faculty and Staff with an In-Person Presence on Campus

Faculty and staff are not required to provide a negative test result before engaging in in-person instruction or other in-person activities on campus as students are, but SUNY mandates that you test within five days of the first time you are on campus, and continue to test weekly beginning Feb. 8 for any week you are physically on campus for any reason.

Daily, Full-Time COVID-19 Testing Begins Feb. 8

COVID-19 testing will be offered five days a week at Awosting Hall throughout the spring semester, according to a new, full-time schedule that will go into effect on Monday, Feb. 8. Pool testing will be provided from Monday – Thursday, and make-up PCR testing will be provided on Fridays.

The Monday – Thursday pool testing schedule will include an employee-only testing hour from 9 – 10 a.m., and an extra evening hour from 5 – 6 p.m. to accommodate students and faculty who are only on campus for evening classes. No appointment is necessary for pool testing, but preregistration with SUNY Upstate is required.

Symptomatic individuals may NOT participate in pool testing. Students with COVID-19-like symptoms should contact Student Health Service at (845) 257-3400, and faculty and staff with symptoms should contact the Office of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion at (845) 257-3171.

Individual PCR Testing by Appointment

In addition to all-day pool testing Monday – Thursday, we will continue to offer Friday make-up testing days provided by our PCR testing partners at Enzo Labs. Friday PCR testing is by appointment only. Please use this link to sign up; faculty and staff should enter the letter “E”, then their employee ID number, where the scheduling form asks for student ID.

Please Follow the Schedule for Your Group

To avoid overcrowding at the testing site, we are asking students and employees to make an effort to follow this schedule for weekly testing, beginning Feb. 8:

	Students	Employees
Monday	School of Education School of Fine & Performing Arts	CSEA
Tuesday	School of Business Undeclared/Non-matriculated	UUP
Wednesday	School of Science & Engineering Psychology majors	UUP
Thursday	All other College of Liberal Arts & Sciences majors	PBA, PEF, NYSCOPBA, M/C, CAS
Friday	Make-up days for students/faculty/staff with Enzo Laboratory for individual PCR testing. Appointment required.

6. When Can I Expect to Get My Test Results?

COVID-19 pool test results are expected within three days of testing, and Enzo PCR results are expected within five days of testing. Members of our community who test positive or are members of a positive pool will be notified as soon as we receive results.

We remind our community that these are only estimates; we are dependent on our partners’ ability to process tests, and cannot guarantee exact result times.

As we did last semester, we will notify individuals if they are part of a positive pool, and ask that they quarantine until we receive the reflex test results. When the reflex results come in, we will notify all members of the positive pool of their individual test results. Those who test negative will be cleared to come out of quarantine, and those who test positive will be given instructions to isolate.

We are working on a portal where individuals will be able to check for their test results and hope to share an update about that service soon.

Thank you in advance for your efforts to support these health and safety measures to enable another safe and successful in-person semester.

Barbara G. Lyman, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Stephanie Blaisdell, Vice President for Student Affairs