August 26, 2020
Medgar Evers College Reopening Plan: Fall 2020
As the 2020–21 academic year begins, Medgar Evers College has published its Reopening Plan. The plan protects the health and safety of our campus community members and ensures that the College complies with all federal, state, and local regulations. You may read the plan in its entirety here.
Key safety measures from the plan include:
- All academic courses will be offered online, with the exception of nursing clinical labs;
- Most online classes will meet in an asynchronous format. Math courses, as well as certain science labs, will meet in a synchronous format;
- Campus buildings will be open only to essential employees, researchers, and students attending in-person labs;
- Signage and markings throughout campus buildings will indicate appropriate social distance as well as reminders for mask use, hand hygiene, and symptoms of the coronavirus; and
- Facilities will be regularly cleaned and disinfected according to stringent protocols;
- Anyone who arrives on campus will be required to undergo a temperature check, wear a mask or face covering, maintain social distance, and practice regular hand hygiene.
Self-Screening
Faculty, students, and staff members who plan to come to any CUNY campus or office for any reason or length of time are required to download the Everbridge Health Screening mobile app. Prior to entering a campus or building, s/he must use the app to take the Wellness Check Survey, which asks five short questions.
This Symptom Checker can be accessed from your mobile telephone each day before you visit a CUNY building. After a brief, one-time setup of the Everbridge app, the daily Symptom Checker takes less than two minutes to complete. It is an important reminder to consider whether you have symptoms of – or have been exposed to someone with – COVID-19 before you enter a CUNY facility. The Symptom Checker results in either a green token (approved to come in) or a red token (not approved to come in), and you will be required to show your results to the screener at your CUNY location upon entry. Those not cleared to enter will be given additional guidance on what they should do next.
Please use this guide for accessing and using the app. Please also review these FAQs if you have a question. You may also email Human Resources at ohr@mec.cuny.edu for assistance.
Tools and Resources
- DEPARTMENT EMAILS
- DISTANCE LEARNING RESOURCES
- FREE INTERNET AND PHONE SERVICE
- APPS AND SOFTWARE TO ASSIST STUDENTS
- Office of Academic Affairs: oaa@mec.cuny.edu
- Admissions and Recruitment: mecadmissions@mec.cuny.edu
- Advising: acadvisecenter@mec.cuny.edu
- Bursar: bursar@mec.cuny.edu
- Financial Aid: finaid@mec.cuny.edu
- Health Services: healthservices@mec.cuny.edu
- Registrar: mecregistrar@mec.cuny.edu
- Student Affairs: studentaffairs@mec.cuny.edu
- Library: Ask_A_Librarian@mec.cuny.edu
- Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 11:00pm
- Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm
- Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am to 6:00pm
- Your first and last names
- Your 8-digit EMPL ID number
- The relevant course name and course number
- The time and day you desire tutoring
- Monday and Friday, 9:00am to 2:00pm: nmcintosh@mec.cuny.edu
- Monday, 2:00 to 6:00 pm: malbert@mec.cuny.edu
- Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00am to 5:00pm: malbert@mec.cuny.edu
- Monday through Friday, 5:00 to 9:00 pm: meclearningcenter2020@gmail.com
- Saturday, 12:00 to 5:00pm: meclearningcenter2020@gmail.com
- Your first and last names
- Your 8-digit EMPL ID number
- Your work attached in a Microsoft Word doc format with detailed assignment instructions from your professor
SPECTRUM will offer free broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription and at any service level up to 100 Mbps. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households. Spectrum has also pledged to open its Wi-Fi hot spots for public use.
COMCAST will provide new, low-income customers complimentary internet service for 60 days. To sign up, visit www.internetessentials.com. The accessible website also includes the option to video chat with customer service agents in American Sign Language. There are two dedicated phone numbers: 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
AT&T will keep public Wi-Fi hotspots open. For AT&T customers that may be in financial difficulty, call 1-800-288-2020 for AT&T broadband, residential wireless, or small business services. Dial 611 from your AT&T device for wireless.
Apps and Software for Dyslexic Learners
- DD’s Dictionary: A Dyslexic Dictionary
- Dyseggxia
- Dyslexia Quest
- Happy Math Multiplication Rhymes
- Phonics with Phonogram
- ReadToMe 2
- ReadToMe 2 Lite
- Rhymes
- SoundsLiteracy
- What is Dyslexia
- Autism DDT Letters
- Autism iHelp – Comprehension
- See. Touch. Learn.
- Sequences for Autism
- Sight Words – Record and Read
- Speech With Milo
- Verbal Me
- Words on Wheels
- Accessnote
- Be My Eyes – Helping Blind See
- Color Identify
- Dragon Dictation
- Light Detector
- Saytext
- Talking Calculator
- Taptapsee
- Visual Brailler
- Complete the health self-screening questionnaire beforehand on your telephone or when you arrive on campus. This questionnaire must be completed every time you arrive on campus. (See below for more information.) If you answer “yes” to any question, you will not be allowed on campus and sent home;
- Wear a mask or face covering for entry into all buildings;
- Your temperature will be taken before entering any building. If your temperature is equal to or higher than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit, you will not be allowed on campus and sent home. If this occurs, notify Human Resources and your supervisor immediately.
- Individuals are experiencing (even mild) symptoms of a respiratory infection or other COVID-19-related symptoms;
- Individuals must not return to campus until they are symptom-free for at least 72 hours;
- Individuals who experience these symptoms should immediately contact their physicians and self-quarantine if advised to do so;
- Individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days;
- Individuals have had known contact with any person(s) suspected of having, under investigation for, or who has a confirmed active case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
- Social distance of six feet from each other will be required at all times, unless essential for laboratory safety and only with the use of additional personal protective equipment (PPE);
- The College will put in place other protective measures, including physical barriers such as clear glass dividers (sneeze guards) between high traffic areas;
- Occupancy limits have been established by phase at the building level to comply with state guidelines. Restrictions include all students, personnel, contractors, and visitors. During phase 2, occupancy will be limited to 20%, and this will increase after two weeks of steady or improving health metrics to 50% for phase 3. CUNY and New York State will determine the timing of further occupancy above 50% for phases 4 and 5;
- Occupancy limits have also been defined for specific types of locations in each building, such as open-plan, shared lab, and office spaces; enclosed lab and office spaces; and common areas (e.g., elevators, restrooms, conference rooms). Signs are posted throughout the buildings as a reminder of these limits and detail appropriate traffic patterns in corridors and stairwells to further limit interactions;
- Individuals should review the proper way to put on, take off, clean, and discard required PPE (masks or face coverings). More information can be found here;
- Masks or face coverings must be worn inside all buildings at all times, except in closed-door private offices and for as little time as possible while eating, drinking, or changing masks;
- Suitable mask types include cloth, dust, and surgical unless work requires more extensive PPE (e.g., N95, face shield);
- Face shields are not considered an alternative to masks or face coverings, but may provide additional protection if work requires individuals to be within six feet of each other for any period. Masks and face coverings must be worn in addition to a face shield;
- Disposable masks will be provided if an individual needs one while on campus;
- Disposable masks worn inside laboratory spaces should be disposed of at the end of the day. Cloth masks should be washed daily;
- Disposable gloves are available throughout the buildings.
- Frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is strongly encouraged to reduce contact transmission, that is, before and after touching shared objects unless clean gloves are worn;
- Hand sanitizer will continue to be available throughout the buildings and in conference rooms. This will be available in addition to handwashing stations in each restroom;
- High-touch surfaces, such as elevator buttons and door handles, common areas, and restrooms, will be cleaned regularly by MEC custodial staff, according to requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Health;
- No sharing of food or beverages is allowed;
- In the case of a confirmed COVID-19 case of an individual who has been in a MEC building, Facilities Management will coordinate cleaning and disinfecting, including the areas accessed by the individual and high traffic, common areas.
Tuesday, July 22, 2020
On July 9, 2020, the Board of Trustees approved a resolution recognizing that by “(i) reducing the density of individuals on the University campuses and (ii) offering classes and support services in a primarily online and remote format, the University can better ensure the continued health, safety, and welfare of its students, faculty, and staff and further ensure continuity of educational curricula and better outcomes for our students, and preserve the availability of its physical spaces for those academic programs and support services that require them.”
Consistent with this resolution, a Task Force convened by the President worked diligently on a re-opening plan to ensure that Medgar Evers College creates a safe and healthy environment for its students, faculty, staff, and the immediate community. For the Fall 2020 semester, most courses will be offered through distance education. The Task Force was charged with developing a plan to address topics such as our modes of instruction, classroom occupancy, distance learning, staff returning to campus, and virus testing. Within this reopening plan, the three most important factors are:
- Protecting faculty, staff, and students, and surrounding community health and safety;
- Maximize the success of the students with their education and the faculty in their research and creative activities; and
- Fully meet the expectations of New York State and CUNY.
The report of the taskforce places utmost priority on the safety and health of the students, faculty, and staff, while we maintain the integrity of the academic enterprise. The plan includes health and safety measures to sustain the operation while recognizing that the most effective way to minimize the spread of COVID-19 is to reduce drastically the number of people on campus.
As a result, the College has chosen to re-open in Fall 2020 with at least 80% - 90% of its courses offered in the online format. For classes that may run in person, the College will ensure that structures are in place to allow for the decrease in seating. A standard classroom designed for 30 students will be reduced to meet the recommended social distancing standard. In alignment with the Board’s resolution, most courses that will run in person are those that are considered highly experiential, such as labs or clinical studies, and support services such as food pantries.
These are particularly challenging times and we will continue to ensure our campus community remains safe.
Sincerely,
Augustine Okereke, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President & Provost
Updated 4/16/2020
Loaner Laptops Are Available (Laptop Distribution Has Ended)
Medgar Evers College is committed to providing students with academic continuity, despite interruptions due to COVID-19. To ensure that students are able to continue their education and complete assignments, loaner laptops are available for any student who does not have access to a personal computer off campus.
Interested students must email studentaffairs@mec.cuny.edu in order to secure a laptop. All requests must include student’s first and last name, 8-digit EMPL ID number, and telephone number. In addition, a MEC student identification card will be required at pickup.
Students who have access to a personal computer off-campus are strongly encouraged to reserve use of loaner laptops for students who do not have such access. In addition, all students are required to maintain a distance of at least six (6) feet between themselves and other members of the college community during their visit to campus.
Inquiries about the laptop retrieval process can be directed to the Office of Student Affairs (studentaffairs@mec.cuny.edu).
Thank you,
Office of Student Affairs
Update: 3/19/2020
Reaching Key Departments on Campus During Distance Learning
The manner in which we deliver services may be changing; however, Medgar Evers College’s commitment to you remains the same. As part of the College’s efforts to protect the health and safety of our community, many of the services you rely on will serve you virtually for the foreseeable future. Listed below are the dedicated email addresses to reach key departments on campus.
Office of Academic Affairs: oaa@mec.cuny.edu
Blackboard Support: Steve Wymore: swymore@mec.cuny.edu
Admissions and Recruitment: mecadmissions@mec.cuny.edu
Advising: acadvisecenter@mec.cuny.edu
Bursar: bursar@mec.cuny.edu
Financial Aid: finaid@mec.cuny.edu
Health Services: healthservices@mec.cuny.edu
Registrar: mecregistrar@mec.cuny.edu
Student Affairs: studentaffairs@mec.cuny.edu
Help Desk and Technical Support: helpit@mec.cuny.edu
Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we transition to our new normal given the challenges of COVID-19.
Updated 3/18/2020
As we move to distance learning, please review the CUNY Blackboard User Guide for Students to help you get started. Blackboard Collaborate for Students and Faculty gives detailed instructions on how to get the most out of the online environment for learning.
Visit the the student online resource center at www.mec.cuny.edu/students. There you can review the current academic calendar, access CUNYfirst, log into your MEC email, receive Help Desk support, and much more.
Updated 3/10/2020
Medgar Evers College Student Coronavirus (COVID-19) Academic Continuity Plan
Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York State on Saturday, March 7, 2020 as the number of coronavirus cases in New York State increased. Medgar Evers College is committed to the safety of our students and the continuation of our academic operations in case of any interruption in classroom instruction. The entire teaching faculty and students must be prepared to teach and be taught fully online at any time.
Medgar Evers College faculty were first notified on March 8, 2020 with detailed instructions. Our Academic Continuity Plan is as follows:
With the recognition that some Medgar Evers College faculty will need additional hands-on instruction in the use of Blackboard for course and instructional delivery to students, instruction will be offered.
Some courses at Medgar Evers College are taught by adjunct faculty who are not trained to teach online, and so instruction will be offered.
We have many students who have never taken an online or Blackboard course and may be unfamiliar with how to enroll and take an online course, and so instruction will be offered.
Additionally, the following actions will be taken to further implement our Academic Continuity Plan:
On Tuesday March 10, 2020, all students will be notified that if they have not used Blackboard in any of their classes, they will need to attend a Blackboard training session.
Beginning on Thursday March 12, 2020, large-scale training of students will begin. The exact times and locations will be announced on Wednesday March 11, 2020.
All current faculty members should immediately inform their own students by Blackboard and/or email that students who have not taken a Blackboard or online course will need to attend training offered by the College starting Thursday March 12, 2020. Please encourage your students to frequently monitor their College email accounts. Faculty currently teaching online should give their students any additional guidance as needed.
Chairs and any faculty with instructional oversight of students attending nursing clinicals and other majors where instruction is conducted outside the College should make additional accommodations. The policies of the facilities where students attend instruction must be monitored and followed.
All students and faculty must monitor their College email accounts.
The College's Health Services provides information about COVID-19 here: https://www.mec.cuny.edu/student-affairs/health-services.
The College is committed to updating our website frequently. We also encourage you to visit the CUNY's coronavirus webpage for updates here: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus.
If Medgar Evers College or CUNY closes before training is completed, you will receive Blackboard self-training links that you can use to attend training sessions and classes online.
ATTENDANCE AT A BLACKBOARD LEARNING SESSION IS REQUIRED IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED. ALL COURSES WILL CONTINUE ONLINE.
Location: Edison O. Jackson Auditorium, Academic Building 1
Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13
9:00–10:30am
11:00–12:30pm
6:00–7:30pm
Saturday, March 14
9:00–10:30am
11:00–12:30pm
6:00–7:30pm
Additional sessions will be announced.
Each session will last 45 minutes with an additional 15 minutes for questions. There will a 30 minute interval between sessions to ask further questions. If CUNY or Medgar Evers College tranisitions to fully distance learning, you will need this training in order to continue your coursework.
You will need a valid spring ID card in order to access the library and use library online resources. You will need access to these resources to continue your coursework online.
If you do not have a valid spring ID card, you must go to the Security Office/Student ID Center in room C109 in the basement of Academic Buliding 1, and then go to the library for access to distance education and online resources.
If you do ave a valid spring ID card, stop by the library as soon as possible to get your ID code, which will allow you to access the library's online resources.
After attending a training session, you are encouraged to go to the library and practice accessing Blackboard.
Further communication about the Academic Continuity Plan will be managed by the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA). Mr. Ian Josephs will be the contact person for OAA. His email is teachonline@mec.cuny.edu. Please only contact Mr. Josephs for urgent questions as he will likely be fielding many questions via email and telephone. We cannot guarantee that telephone messages will be returned if there is a large volume of requests. You will be fully informed of any updates.
Provost
Dr. Augustine Okereke
Office of Academic Affairs
Medgar Evers College
A malicious website is pretending to be the live map for Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by John Hopkins University and is directing users to visit a malware website. Visiting this website infects the user’s computer or mobile device with the AZORult trojan, an information-stealing program which can exfiltrate a variety of sensitive data from the user’s computer. It is likely being spread via infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, and social engineering. Anyone searching the internet for a coronavirus map could unwittingly navigate to this malicious website and have their data compromised.
Please be extra vigilant while accessing your email and browsing the internet.