Academics Spring 22
Academics
Are all classes being taught in person?
Yes.
Is there a masking policy on campus?
Considering case numbers in the HWS community, Geneva and Ontario County, and the current NY State and Ontario County Public Health guidance, masks are no longer required on-campus for fully vaccinated individuals. If faculty wish to institute a semester-long masking policy for your class, please include that information on the syllabus.
However, regardless of vaccination status, masks will continue to be required in the following situations:
- If a faculty or staff member asks their students or colleagues to wear masks within their classrooms or offices. Faculty should please let their students know the classroom plan on or before Monday, Feb. 14.
- Inside health care facilities, such as the Hubbs Health Center and Counseling Center.
- When riding the Shuttle.
- When attending an indoor athletic contest.
For those faculty and staff that want to have a few masks available in the classroom for students who have forgotten theirs, masks will be available for pick up at Campus Safety or with the academic coordinator for the building.
Do the Colleges recommend physical distancing in classrooms?
Although the CDC and New York State have no specific guidelines for physical distancing at colleges and universities, we are recommending that individuals in indoor classrooms remain at least three feet apart.
How will classroom ventilation be handled?
We will be resuming/continuing the classroom ventilation measures in place last year. This includes using the maximum outside air exchange possible in buildings equipped with HVAC systems, flushing the air in these buildings at the beginning and end of the day, disabling air recirculation devices, using the most effective filters possible, and deploying HEPA or equivalent air filtration where appropriate. In addition, Buildings & Grounds has prioritized the preventative maintenance of HVAC equipment on campus in an effort to keep these systems operating at peak efficiency.
Will disinfection supplies be provided in classrooms?
Based on discussions with the Campus Logistics Team and given that evidence that does not support surfaces as a significant point of transmission, the campus does not plan to reorder additional disinfectant supplies. We will have hand sanitizer available in classrooms and around campus.
Will the library be open and are students able to have study groups?
Yes, the library will be open and students are able to have study groups.
Are students who interact with the public in off-campus settings required to be vaccinated?
Yes. If students are participating in an academic, co-curricular or athletic event off campus where they will be interacting with the public, they are required to be vaccinated. If students will be visiting a location where they will only be interacting with those from the Colleges on the trip, then vaccinations are not required. All students participating in an off-campus, public service activity through CCESL, a service project in a class, student teaching, or an early teaching experience, are required to be vaccinated.
As per current academic policies, faculty must provide students unable to attend field trips with an alternative, unless participation is explicitly stated as required in the course description. If a class has a required fieldwork in which students would engage with the broader public and for which alternative arrangements are not possible, or if it is a music course involving wind or brass instruments or singing, faculty should please fill out this form. Joe Rusinko will cross-check the rosters and alert any unvaccinated students that they must either get vaccinated or switch into a different course.
How will music ensembles be held?
Music ensembles will meet in person. Vaccination is required for all music ensembles when singing or when wind or brass instruments are involved.
What will happen to assignments and deadlines if a student becomes ill?
As classes vary greatly, faculty have discretion on how students make up missed class time and assignments. We acknowledge this can be burdensome for both students and faculty, and encourage flexibility where it is appropriate.
If a student cannot get to class because they are sick, will in-person classes be required to have remote components?
No, we are not offering remote or hybrid courses on a regular basis.
What tools are available should it become necessary to enable remote access for students that are temporarily unable to attend?
IT Services is prepared to support any individual student that needs to temporarily transition to remote learning during the semester. Campus "smart" classrooms continue to have webcams/mics and the Zoom Pro licensing has been extended this year for faculty and staff. If an individual instructor needs to move to teach remotely temporarily, faculty should feel free to consult with IT Services; in doing so, faculty should assume that students will continue to leverage on-campus resources. IT Services is also at the ready to pivot and support the community in the event of a rapid campus-wide remote learning transition. Please reach out to the Help Desk if you have questions.
If someone in a class gets COVID, does the class have to quarantine?
Being in a classroom in and of itself where someone tests positive for COVID does not generally mandate quarantine. Specific close circumstances between classmates may warrant testing to see if additional persons need to be isolated, but if most class members are vaccinated, this would not lead to quarantine.
What should a faculty member do if they need to quarantine or be away from an extended period of time to care for a family member?
Faculty should have plans in place should they need to be away from campus for a short period of time due to a personal illness, caring for a child or family member, or a need to quarantine. Faculty might consider whether a colleague is available to cover a class, or whether it makes sense to offer a virtual class or two. If faculty anticipate being out for more than 10 calendar days, please contact OAFA and the department chair so that all can work together to find a solution.
Are faculty allowed to ask for proof of vaccination for the purpose of maintaining classroom and personal safety?
No. Faculty should not ask individual students about their status. A wide variety of federal statutes both protect individual privacy in this area and place strict obligations on the institution and its employees to ensure confidentiality and discretion. Information about vaccine status is centrally managed out of respect for the privacy of our students and to comply with the law.