August 25, 2020 As the fall semester begins on August 26, 2020, we recognize that this unprecedented situation requires courage, strength, and fortitude. We commend you for your determination to pursue your education during these difficult times. Please note that classes will be held online (and not in-person) for the fall 2020 semester. The only exception is nursing clinical labs, which will meet in-person on our campus. Online classes will meet in an asynchronous format, which means that students are not required to log into their virtual classrooms on a specified day or time. With asynchronous classes, students do not have to follow a regular schedule to participate in class discussions as they would with in-person classes. The only exception is math courses, as well as certain science labs, as these will meet in a synchronous format. With synchronous classes, students are expected to log into their virtual classes and participate in class discussions on set days and times each week. The entire faculty and staff of Medgar Evers College are here to support you throughout your educational journey. Toward this end, we want to ensure that you have the technology you need, such as laptops and other tools. Tell us what you need by completing the CUNY Technology Needs Form using your CUNYfirst account: http://home.cunyfirst.cuny.edu. Once you log in, you will see a survey on the landing page. Wishing you great success for the fall 2020 semester and beyond. Augustine Okereke, Ph.D. Senior Vice President and Provost

August 17, 2020 Medgar Evers College Reopening Plan: Fall 2020 The following re-opening plan is based on CUNY’s phased approach and protects the health and safety of the Medgar Evers College community. Moreover, it ensures that the College complies with all federal, state, and local regulations regarding re-opening. The plan limits the risk of infection, encourages social distancing, restricts building access, necessitates staggered work schedules, and requires PPE as well as cleaning and disinfecting protocols. Plan for In-Person Instruction The College anticipates that 80% to 90% of all academic courses will be offered through distance education for the fall 2020 semester. Based on the Educational and Emerging Technologies Plan, the College will continue to facilitate and provide support for virtual instruction and learning. MEC requires mandatory disclosures of COVID-19-related health issues for all individuals arriving on campus. If you arrive on campus, you MUST meet these requirements:

• 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.

Health Self-Screening All individuals must complete a health self-screening questionnaire daily before entering any campus building. Only those who pass the daily screening will be admitted. Individuals must not report to any of the buildings or leased space on campus if any of the following conditions occur:

• 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.

Physical Distance

• 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;

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• 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.

 Hygiene, Cleaning, and Disinfecting

• 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.

Conclusion Though this comprehensive re-opening plan serves the College’s needs, its final implementation is contingent on CUNY’s acceptance and approval. The College may need to make adjustments that CUNY deems necessary and so that it may fulfill its mission and teaching objectives. As the situation evolves and more information becomes available, the College will update the campus community accordingly.

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