As part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health of our community, the college’s Health Services office is continuing to provide a weekly update for students, faculty and staff to share COVID-19 testing results and reports of positive cases (on or off campus), as well as important reminders and resources to be aware of during the ongoing pandemic.
LATEST NEWS
Last week, President Ramsammy sent out an email to students, faculty and staff detailing important information on COVID-19 safety plans for the remainder of the semester, as well as Winter Session plans and tentative changes for Spring 2021. Some highlights are below, but please read his message for full details.
- Mandatory Testing for Students on Campus:
- Any student who is on campus for any reason (classes, work study, visiting offices, using services, etc.) is required to be tested once per week for the remainder of the semester. Tests will be administered in the same manner as the college’s pooled surveillance testing (self-administered saliva test) at no cost to students.
- Students are required to be tested prior to leaving campus and upon returning to campus for Thanksgiving and December holidays.
- The only exceptions to these mandates are students who are studying in a 100% remote or online format and do not come to campus for any reason, and students who can provide a negative test result within 7 days prior to returning to campus after a holiday break. Failure to comply with this or other COVID-19 safety measures will result in disciplinary action.
- Remote Learning After Thanksgiving:
- All in-person lecture courses will switch to a 100% remote/online format after Thanksgiving break until the end of the semester.
- Clinical, lab, and applied learning courses will continue to be held in person as originally planned.
- Classes that include both a lecture and clinical/lab/applied learning component will be held in a hybrid format, with the lecture portion being conducted online/remotely and the clinical/lab/applied learning component being held in person.
- Winter Session Schedule: The college has received SUNY approval for our Winter Session plans, including:
- The fall semester will end as scheduled on Dec. 18.
- The college will be closed Dec. 24- Jan. 3; this means all offices and services will be closed as well.
- Winter Session will run from Jan. 4-14 and courses will be held completely in online/remote formats.
- Spring Semester Academic Calendar: The college is awaiting SUNY approval of our proposed plan for the spring semester, but the proposed plan includes the following changes to the academic calendar:
- The spring semester academic calendar will be compressed with extended breaks removed. All courses will start one week later than planned, and end earlier than originally scheduled.
- All spring semester classes will begin on Jan. 25 in a remote or online format. Courses with in-person lab/clinical/applied learning components will be held remotely for the first week of the semester with on-campus instruction scheduled to begin on Feb. 1.
- Spring break has been cancelled, and there will be no Monday or Friday holidays observed in the spring semester with the exception of Friday, April 2. This means classes will take place on Monday and Tuesday, April 4 and 5.
- The last day of spring instruction will be Tuesday, May 11.
CURRENT STATISTICS
SUNY’s COVID-19 tracking website provides data updated daily on COVID-19 cases and testing. During the past week, at Hudson Valley Community College:
- 1346 students, faculty and staff on campus participated in pooled surveillance testing this week.
- 2 of those individuals tested positive to date.
- 2 individuals reported testing positive through testing administered off campus.
COLLEGE RESPONSE
Please know that these individuals are isolating/quarantining off-campus until cleared to return by county and college health officials. As always, enhanced cleaning and disinfection has been completed in areas occupied by individuals testing positive for COVID-19 as well as areas occupied by individuals reporting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 who later tested negative. In accordance with health privacy laws, we cannot provide any personally identifying information about these individuals. College administrators work proactively and directly with county health departments to offer guidance and support to anyone affected by the virus. If contact tracing determines that you may have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19, a county health official or the college’s Health Services staff will contact you. You do not need to take any action unless you hear from them directly.
USEFUL RESOURCES
Detailed information on Hudson Valley’s COVID-19 safety measures and protocols are available on the college’s COVID-19 webpage. You may also contact your county health department for guidance, and or the NYS Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 with questions or concerns.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Please continue to keep these basic safety protocols in mind when you’re on campus:
- STAY HOME IF YOU’RE SICK
- COMPLETE DAILY HEALTH SCREENING
- WEAR FACE MASKS
- MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE
- WASH HANDS OFTEN
- DISINFECT HIGH-TOUCH SURFACES
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our campus community safe and healthy.
Published: Mon, 23 Nov 2020 13:05:46 +0000 by c.potvingiordano