Baruch College Fall 2021 Safe Campus Reopening Plan

Table of Contents

PART 1: OVERVIEW

I. Introduction

Baruch College will be reopening on-site campus operations starting August 2nd, 2021. We will deliver up to 60% of fall classes in either a face-to-face or hybrid format. Staff will be returning to campus the week of August 2 in preparation for the increased level of faculty and students on-campus presence. Most non-essential staff will have schedules blending on-site and remote work based on operational considerations. Essential staff will resume their normal pre-pandemic work schedules and have been working on-site to prepare the campus for re-occupancy. We have revised our Safe Campus Reopening Plan based on current CUNY and New York State guidelines. This plan supersedes the prior plan.

Our target is to operate our buildings at 50% of normal capacity at any given time during fall 2021. Our key planning assumption for on-site presence is to prioritize support for students and faculty participating in-person and hybrid instructions, and staff providing requisite services needed on campus. We plan to re-open all offices with staffing necessary to provide on-site service during usual business hours. Starting in May 2021, we began to prepare the campus for re-occupancy by deep cleaning all classrooms, workspaces and common areas, while analyzing/setting capacity limits for safe occupancy. We are in inspecting all ventilation systems and making any adjustments necessary to ensure they function in accordance with CDC guidelines for safe occupancy. We will be implementing campus access health screening protocols including student vaccination mandates and robust health screening for faculty/staff that will include either voluntary vaccination verification or frequent testing. Knowing that the single most important factor for a safe and healthy campus is a fully vaccinated campus community, we are participating the #VaxUpCUNY campaign. We will post signage to, to promote healthy practices such as getting vaccinated, frequent hand washing and staying home when feeling sick. We will implement these, and other measures designed to ensure the campus is safe for teaching and learning.

Summary of Operations Fall 2021

Governance

The Campus Reopening Committee is chaired by the Coronavirus Campus Coordinator, Katharine T. Cobb, Vice President for Administration and Finance. Serving on the Committee are members representing all aspects of campus functions: Miriam Allen DC-37 representative;  Andrea Caviness, Executive Director, Human Resources; Robert Curry, Director, Chief for Public Safety; Olga Dais, Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel and Labor Designee; Vincent DiGirolamo, History & PSC faculty representative; Linda Essig, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Finnen, Assistant Vice President for Finance; Mary Gorman, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Strategic Academic Initiatives; Diane Harrigan, Senior Editor/Writer, Office of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs; Serra Hilaire, Assistant Director of Operations for Undergraduate Advisement and Orientation; Samuel Johnson, Psychology;  James Kaznosky, Director, Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management; Art King, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students; Christina Latouf, Vice President for Communications, External Relations and Economic Development; Terrence Martell Eco-Finance Chair of the Faculty Senate, Heather MacCulloch, Director and Interim Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee, Athletics and Recreation; Lawrence Manganello, Assistant Vice President for Campus Facilities Operations; Darryl Minor, Support Services Technician, BCTC (PSC HEO Representative); Michael Richichi, ‎Assistant Vice President for Information Technology; Richard Reyes Romero, Undergraduate Representative; and Briana Staten Undergraduate Representative.

We reviewed the guidance for higher education on Covid-19 health and safety measures from the NYS Department of Health for higher education and other materials located on the New York Forward website and CUNY guidelines on the CUNY website, including “Guidance for Academic Continuity.”

This will be a dynamic and evolving plan. We will adapt based on our experiences, external conditions and changes in CUNY, NYS, and NYC guidelines and mandates. As the CUNY Guidance for Academic Continuity directs, we will “ensure that [our] decisions be guided, first and foremost, by our commitment to equity and our obligation to protect the health and safety of all students, faculty, and staff, along with our commitment to facilitate the maintenance of academic momentum and the achievement of learning outcomes” for our students.

We have a communication hub on our website, Baruch Forward, for safe campus reopening information and will update it regularly. We welcome input from the campus community. You may send questions, comments, and report any non-compliance with the protocols established in this plan to SafeCampusReopening@baruch.cuny.edu.

Part 2: Guidelines

II. People

A. Physical Distancing

Distancing and Masks

• No physical distancing will be required for any outdoor activity.
• For indoor activity, physical distancing will not be required for fully vaccinated individuals.  Unvaccinated individuals should maintain physical distancing.
• Unvaccinated individuals coming on campus will be required to wear an acceptable face mask or covering and must wear the face mask or covering while onsite unless alone in a private office. See Section III: Protective Equipment/Masks for more details on face coverings.
• Public Safety will assign sufficient staff at all entrance points to facilitate campus access screening and prevent congestion

Occupancy Guidelines

• The college will limit overall on-site occupancy to 50% at any given time. Instructional activities prioritized. Class schedules and staffing schedules will take into account that restriction.
• Campus Facilities conducted a physical walk-thorough of departmental work spaces with a representative from each School/Division to provide on-site guidance on measures to achieve capacity limits.
• Using this guidance, managers are scheduling staff and creating work arrangements within the 50% occupancy limits.

Signage

• We will post signage throughout campus to reflect current CUNY/CDC health guidelines for Covid-19 safety in the workplace. The signage shall be used to remind individuals to:
  • Stay home if they feel sick.
  • If unvaccinated, wear face coverings in the building and maintain physical distancing.
  • Report symptoms of, or exposure to Covid-19 and how they should do so.
  • Follow hand hygiene and cleaning guidelines.
  • Follow respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.

B. Gatherings in Enclosed Spaces

General Guidance for Enclosed Spaces

• We will allow essential college related in-person gatherings if we can do so within guidelines in this plan. We will continue to make use of video-conferencing for meetings to accommodate remote work schedules and any external attendees. No sharing of food if served.
• For students and other Individuals who are vaccinated by Fall 2021, physical distancing will not be a required safety measure for on-campus activities. People who are not fully vaccinated should continue to practice social distancing and wear a mask.
• We will provide study spaces for students; space will be at 50% capacity.
• At this point our conference center and performing arts center are closed for external events but we will monitor the health guidelines and reopen if an event can be held. We will only reopen for use by internal or external groups, if and when, we determine the space can be used with strict compliance with NYS and CUNY guidelines.
• Library
  • The library will be open for on-site use by Baruch College and CUNY SPS students Monday-Saturday at 50% seating capacity by appointment. Due to a shelving renovation project, the fourth floor of the library may be inaccessible for several weeks at the start of the semester, which will decrease available seating by an additional one-quarter.
  • The appointment system will be modeled on the one that students have been using during the past two semesters for reserving access to quiet study spaces on campus.
  • Virtual services will continue to be available to all users.
  • Books will be loaned without a quarantine period, based on recent guidance and current practice at several other CUNY libraries. The lending collection may be unavailable for a period at the start of the semester due to the stack renovation project. When it is available loans will be transacted either using the self-service checkout machine or by mailing requested items to the user. The library plans to add a locker service for contactless pickup during the semester.
  • Reserve textbook loans will be provided through the library’s self-service robotic book lending kiosk during all hours that the building is open. Cleaning supplies will be available at the kiosk for users.
  • Users will continue to be able to request scanning of a limited number of pages through the library system. Scans will be emailed to the user or delivered via Dropbox or OneDrive.
  • Desktop computers will not be available except in staff work areas. Onsite users will be expected to bring their own devices. Baruch users will be supplied with a portable device as part of the College’s technology loan program, if necessary.
  • Printing stations will be operational. They will have cleaning supplies available for users.
  • In-depth reference questions and research consultations will be delivered remotely. Simple reference and directional questions will be handled on site with proper distancing enforced at service points.
  • The group study rooms will be available for individual use by appointment for students who need to attend online classes while on campus.
  • Course-related instruction sessions for other academic departments will be offered in virtual format only.
  • The framework for our reopening plan is the report of the CUNY Council of Chief Librarians, “Resuming On-site Services: Final Report and Recommendations of the CUNY Libraries COVID-19 Task Force April 2021” with the exceptions noted above.
• Cafeterias/Dining Halls
  • We will be operating vending machines and will consider some self-service options for the fall if a vendor contract is in place. At this point the dining area located on the first floor of the Newman Vertical Campus will be used for student study space; this is subject to change once fall needs for the space are determined.
• Computer Labs
  • Computer labs will be open Monday-Saturday at 50% capacity. We will use an appointment system. Students will be able to access all the software that is on the lab computers remotely.
  • Users will be provided with materials to clean the keyboard prior to use.
  • The help desk will operate both virtually and on site.
• Conference Rooms
  • Conference rooms are open.
• Dorms/Housing
  • Only fully vaccinated students will be allowed to reside in the student residence hall; unvaccinated students will not be allowed to live in the residence halls.  See Appendix A.
• Research Labs
  • See Appendix F.
• Early Learning Center
  • See Appendix B.
• Student Health Center
  • See Appendix C.
• Elevators
  • Vaccinated people will not need to physically distance; however Public Safety will monitor elevator usage for over-crowding.  At 50% overall campus capacity, the college has reduced on-site density.
  • We are encouraging use of stairs and escalators where feasible.
  • Custodians will clean high touch surfaces frequently during the day.

• Gyms and Fitness Centers, Including Pools
  • Select student athletics programs are open for the fall semester. See Appendix D.
  • Though the pool was closed during the building shut-down, all routine water testing and pool water maintenance has been maintained.
  • The athletic department will evaluate timing of the resumption of use by other members of the campus community and external groups, including pool and gym rentals and athletic center memberships based on conditions in the fall and CUNY, CDC and NYS guidelines. Students would have the highest priority.
• Lecture/Classrooms
  • See discussion in “People” Section II.
• Student Quiet Study Spaces and Places to take Online Classes
  • College will provide students access by appointment to student study space, using an application currently in use by Academic Advising, Appointments will be in four-hour blocks of time.  Currently, Campus Facilities has set up the dining hall and multi-purpose room located on the first floor of the Newman Vertical Campus for this purpose. We are exploring other options for the fall.
  • Students will bring their own devices.
  • Some students may have a class on-site and an online class the same day.  We will provide a space for students to take the online class on-site if they do not have sufficient time to return home between classes.  Space in the Library will also be available for this purpose.
  • Custodians will clean the space frequently.
• Lobby and Common Areas
  • Custodians will clean lobbies and common areas frequently with particular attention to high touch surfaces. More detail in in Section III Places “Hygiene, Cleaning and Disinfection.”
• Office Space
  • We will be bringing back faculty needed to provide instruction and the staff needed to provide on-site support for students, faculty and staff on site. Vaccinated individuals do not have to  practice physical distancing; unvaccinated will be required to maintain physical distance.
  • To maintain the appropriate capacity for staff to provide on-site service necessary, we will use strategies such as staggered work shifts, combined onsite and work from home arrangements.  Prior to the August 2 return, Campus Facilities will deep clean all of the workspaces.
• Restrooms
  • All restrooms have signage on proper hand washing hygiene.
  • The college has disabled hand dryers in restrooms and will keep restrooms stocked with adequate supply of paper towels and soap. Restroom cleaning will be consistent with the cleaning protocols in Section III.

C. Operational Activity

• Operational Considerations Involving Staff Scheduling and HR
  • We are reopening the campus on August 2 in preparation for expanded on-site instruction fall 2021.  Staff will be on-site to provide the necessary services to support the instruction.
  • Essential staff will return to their pre-pandemic work schedules.
  • Other staff will return on a blended schedule of on-site and remote work arrangements based on operational needs.  CUNY has developed a set of guidelines CUNY Flexible Work Arrangements – The City University of New York for colleges that we will follow.  In implementing the CUNY policy, we have developed a set of Return to Campus Staffing Guidelines in Appendix E.
  • All offices will be open for on-site service for normal business hours.  Departments will create schedules and work arrangements that will provide sufficient coverage.
  • Mangers with staff with blended work arrangements will continue to use virtual tools for meetings and team conferences and collaboration tools like Dropbox for document sharing to ensure full participation for staff with differing schedules. During the time period when all but essential staff worked from home, managers have learned how to effectively use these tools.
  • We have offered manager and staff workshops on effective practices when staff is working from home and we will continue to offer training on this and other professional development workshops.  We will encourage employees to avail themselves of CUNY guides on this topic.
  • We will continue to provide online training to employees.
  • See also Vulnerable Populations in this section.
• Operational Considerations for Course Scheduling
  • The college will deliver 60% of classes on-site in either a fully face-to-face or hybrid format.
  • We are using various course design tools, including use of cohorts or sections to reduce density as needed.
  • We have coded classes to indicate which ones are fully remote or include hybrid components. We will use “Guidance on Academic Continuity” which provides detailed guidance and recommendations and is updated often.
• Operational Considerations Involving Individuals on Campus
  • All faculty, staff, students and authorized visitors will be required to comply with vaccination and/or testing requirements in place for reopening on August 2nd.
  • People who are not fully vaccinated and those who might need to take extra precautions must wear a mask indoors.  Members of the Baruch community (students, faculty, staff and visitors) will be asked to observe the honors system in complying with the mask requirement.
  • We will no longer use the Everbridge symptom checker for campus access but rely on combined surveillance testing/vaccination protocols that will be in place.  Details forthcoming.
• Operational Considerations for Vulnerable Populations
  • Student Affairs Disability Office will actively engage with students with disabilities to identify issues they may be experiencing with remote learning and identify resources and possible solutions in partnership with BCTC.
  • We will continue to offer the same service to vulnerable population that we have delivered prior to Covid-19 in both face to face and virtual formats.
  • We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations and academic adjustments to allow qualified individuals the opportunity to participate in programs, activities and employment. The College will grant reasonable accommodations to students, faculty and staff related to Covid-19, and streamline the process, as needed, to handle the volume of Covid-19 related accommodations consistent with the CUNY policy.  Link: Procedures-for-Implementing-Reasonable-Accommodations-9.21.2016.pdf (cuny.edu).
• Operational Considerations for Mental Health and Welfare
  • The College partners with Mount Sinai to provide onsite health services for students and the Health Center remains open. See Appendix C.
  • Student Affairs will offer virtual counseling and face to face counseling in some instances if CDC health and safety guidance is met.
  • CARES/CRSAA/ARP provide for emergency aid and other student support. We have and will continue to use those funds, either in the form of direct aid, payments toward balances or other forms of student support as identified in the federal guidelines.   For information about student support services, including international students, click here.
  • Human Resources partners with an employee assistance program, Corporate Counseling Associates, which provides a wide array of free mental health and welfare services and referrals for faculty and staff.
  • The President’s Task Force for the Future has a sub-committee charged with the task of focusing on staff needs, including those working onsite as well as those working remotely. The Committee conducted an employee survey to identify staff needs and based on that survey developed a series of workshops with Corporate Counseling Associates.
  • Human Resources has created a Wellness corner on its webpage that provided information to staff on workshops and training provided by CUNY.
• Operational Considerations for Grading Policies and Academic Support
  • We will comply with CUNY guidelines.
• Operational Considerations for Student Life
  • A full range of student activities and engagement will continue with both on-site and virtual opportunities. Factors to be considered in permitting in-person activities will include:
    1. Implementation of student vaccination mandate,
    2. CDC/NYS guidelines on indoor gatherings and,
    3. Maintenance of overall 50% capacity limit for the college.
  • Student Club space and the new Student Center have dedicated custodial staff who will follow protocols for cleaning protocols described in Section III Places “Hygiene, Cleaning and Disinfection.”  This space will be used as student study space this fall.  Serving food not permitted. This may change if there is a student mandate fully implemented based on CDC guidelines for vaccinated individuals.
  • Fall convocation and new student orientation will be virtual.
• Operational Considerations for Technology
  • Faculty training on online instruction is ongoing and led by the Center of Teaching & Learning
  • Baruch Computing & Technology Center (BCTC) is adding equipment, as necessary, to the classrooms that will be used for onsite instruction to support new requirements, including class discussions between a mix of onsite and remote students.
  • BCTC has augmented the capacity of the help desk by reassigning part-time staff and student assistants who would have worked in campus labs. We will adapt schedules depending on needs to serve faculty, staff and students on-site.
  • The equipment distribution program has distributed over 3,000 devices to students and is prepared to distribute more as needed.
  • The Deans of each of the schools surveyed their faculty to identify needs for equipment, software and support needs for online instruction; each request was addressed and will continue to be so.
  • BCTC, working with departments and the Staff Sub-Committee, will continue to identify and support needs of staff working remotely and on-site.
  • BCTC is working closely with CUNY CIS to manage the College’s security requirements and assess vulnerabilities.
• Operational Considerations for Facilities and Grounds
  • AVP for Campus Facilities has developed and implemented physical, operational and cleaning protocols based on the latest CDC recommendations. We have established cleaning schedules for custodial staff based on CDC recommendations. We will monitor effectiveness and adapt as needed. See details in Section III Places “Hygiene, Cleaning and Disinfection.” We will continue to properly protect staff and provide training.
  • We have established work tasks and schedules for the Building & Grounds trades. We will continue to properly protect them and train them on all health and safety protocols.
  • We will continue to adjust energy and utility usage according to building usage.
• Operational Considerations for Reclosing in the Event of an Outbreak
  • The College successfully moved to remote operations in a matter of days in March 2020 with no prior experience and little interruption in service. We have been delivering instruction, student services and almost all other campus operations remotely since that time and have adapted and improved with experience. If required to return fully remote, we could do so rapidly.
  • We are prepared to return to remote learning for any of the onsite classes in this fall if necessary.
  • We will continuously monitor the local health situation by using NYC and NYS health agency resources for signs of a community spread in areas affecting our faculty, staff and students.  We will refer to the key metrics on NYS Regional Dashboard.  As of June 5th, infection rates in NYC had declined to 04% and 61.3% of those over 18 in NYS has had one dose of the vaccine. Deaths and hospitalization continue to decrease dramatically.  That said we will remain vigilant.  Another guide is the CDC data tracker and the guidelines established by CDC for public schools for scaling back of in-person classes.  Link: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view. Using CDC guidelines, we will return to full remote if 100 new cases per 100,000 people or seven-day positivity rate of 10% or greater; hybrid learning if the areas has 50 to100 new weekly cased per 100,000 people or a 7 day positivity rate of 8-10%.  Per CDC, it is all right to conduct in-person learning if there are fewer than 50 new cases per 100,000 and a seven-day positivity rate of less than 8%.  Link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html#anchor_1616080084165.
  • NYS has also established a set of metrics for colleges and university based on testing results on campus that we will use if we begin administering tests.  Link: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/HigherEducationSupplementalGuidance.pdf.
  • If we see such an outbreak, we will also consult with CUNY and healthcare agencies for guidance on whether to reduce physical presence on campus and to what extent.
  • We will monitor signs of community or campus outbreaks of any other known influenza-like illnesses that may exacerbate the impact of Covid-19. We will use information from NYS and NYC health agencies or campus self-reported cases.
    • If local and state authorities determine that based on a community outbreak, the College must decrease our physical presence or shut down completely; we will adjust essential staff schedules and return to level of onsite presence during the pause.
    • If we take any steps to close down some or all onsite activities, we will advise the campus community through multiple modalities. See Section III. C Communication Plan.
    • See Appendix A, Residential Life Reopening Plan for reclosing plan.
    • See Appendix F, On-Site Research Activities Reopening Plan for reclosing plan.
    • See Appendix B, Early Learning Center Reopening Plan for reclosing plan.
    • We are delivering 60% face to face/hybrid  onsite instruction fall 2021; however, all faculty will be prepared to switch to remote learning, if necessary, for example in the case where a class member tests positive, or the College shuts down all or part of their activities.

D. Mail and Campus Deliveries

• Mail and campus deliveries come to the Mailroom and Receiving on the ground floor of the ITB/Library Building. Currently, these Offices are open Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 10 am until 3 pm. With the fall semester, these Offices will return to normal business hours, five days a week.  See Mailroom and Receiving hours on website.
• Our Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Officer established health and safety processes and protocols for the staff for contactless delivery and other practices to minimize interactions between individuals; EHS Officer trained the staff on those practices and protocols.
• The Mailroom is currently delivering mail to department offices and will continue to do so.

III. Places

A. Protective Equipment/Masks

• We have provided essential staff currently working onsite with personal protective equipment (PPE) and have trained them as to the proper use.
• Vaccinated individuals will no longer be required to wear a mask on campus.  All unvaccinated individuals will continue to be required to wear a mask to enter campus and must wear the mask at all times while onsite unless alone in an office. We will provide disposable masks to any individual arriving without a mask, or who requests one, at the entrance points to the buildings.
• Individuals may use their own acceptable masks or face covering but will not be required to provide their own face covering. Acceptable face coverings include but are not limited to cloth (e.g. homemade sewn, quick cut, commercially available), surgical masks, and face shield (with a face covering underneath). Users should consult the guidance below for these types.  Masks with exhalation valves are strongly discouraged.
• Cloth, disposable, or homemade face coverings are not acceptable for workplace activities that typically require a higher degree of protection for PPE due to the nature of the work (e.g. if working with flammable materials or chemicals, ensure face coverings are flame-resistant). If contact with hazardous materials require protection that is more stringent, the Environmental Health and Safety Officer will conduct a hazard assessment of the hazardous agent will be used, where the hierarchy of controls will be employed to eliminate, substitute, engineer control, administratively control, and/or create protective barriers for workers.
• All staff who are using disposable face coverings provided by the College must be trained in properly wearing these. The following instructional video demonstrates how to wear a disposable face covering. Additionally, the CDC offers the following guidance on properly wearing face coverings. Additionally, the EHSO can be made available to perform remote demonstrations of how to wear a face covering while on campus.
• Individuals choosing to wear cloth or other acceptable face coverings should consult the guidance below for additional information on cloth face coverings and other types of personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as instructions on use and cleaning and disinfection. When masks, both disposable and reusable, are visibly soiled, moist, and damaged, they should be appropriately disposed of (disposable and/or cloth) or cleaned (cloth). The CDC offers the following guidance on care and cleaning of reusable face coverings. Additionally, individuals should follow care directions for commercially purchased face coverings from the manufacturer.
• Individuals should not share disposable masks.
• Disposable masks are considered single use and should be placed in the trash after your shift or if it is soiled, damaged (e.g., stretched ear loops, torn or punctured material), or visibly contaminated.
• Staff performing cleaning and disinfection must use disposable gloves, clean hands immediately after discarding glove, and wear eye protection when there is a potential to splash or splatter to the face. Eye protection, face coverings, and gloves have been provided to each custodian for each shift they work.
• We have analyzed projected need, based on planned physical presence, and will maintain sufficient supplies to accommodate. Our EHS Officer, in collaboration with Public Safety and essential staff supervisors, manages the distribution and inventory management of PPE currently as follows, and will adapt his inventory analysis based on the likely decrease in need based on the fact that there is no longer a requirement that fully vaccinated individuals wear a mask:
  • Supervisors for essential staff distribute face coverings to staff at a rate of one per staff per day.
  • The inventory of needed PPE is calculated by the estimated days or schedule of essential workers and total number of essential workers.
  • The management of each essential group provides a weekly report of actual PPE distribution to the EHS Officer. The EHS Officer then compares actual with projected usage and makes a determination of when additional PPE is needed to maintain a minimum 3 months of inventory. Currently we have sufficient inventory for essential staff, based on our calculation.
  • We have sufficient inventory for the rest of the calendar year based on planned staffing schedules and above usage rate.
  • As noted, we will provide any requested face covering to faculty, staff, students and visitors prior to entering the building. Public Safety will distribute at entrance points and keep track of PPE distribution to determine trends for future procurement and maintaining inventory.
  • This information is logged and sent to the EHS Officer who is charged with inventory management and distribution to supervisors and Public Safety.
  • We will draw upon current inventory to satisfy entrant’s requests; EHS Officer will replenish inventory, based on tracking information on requests to replenish inventory as needed to maintain a minimum three-month inventory.

B. Hygiene, Cleaning and Disinfection

The CDC continues to update cleaning requirements periodically and the College will adhere to best advice available utilizing this as its primary guidance. Specifically, the College utilizes the following definitions and levels of “cleaning”:

• Clean: routine, frequent, everyday removal of potential contaminants and debris through use of soap and water and or other mild detergent or cleaning products where required.
• Enhanced Clean: Routine, frequent, everyday cleaning of common areas with specific attention to enhanced cleaning to include high touch surfaces such as turnstiles, light switches, door handles, etc. and restrooms.
  • We will implement a team of 1-2 custodians per shift, daily for each campus building to perform high touch cleaning continuously throughout the day. The remaining custodial staff will focus on enhanced  cleaning of bathrooms as well as routine cleaning of common areas.
• Disinfect: Detailed cleaning, as needed, for an area suspected or known to have had a person with a positive COVID case. This will include the closure of the area per CDC guidelines and may employ the use of advanced cleaning techniques and EPA approved disinfectants.  Any cleaning activities in these spaces will be performed specifically after that space is shut down for at least 24 hours and has been thoroughly ventilated.
• Cleaning frequencies shall be defined as at least 1x per shift, daily plus. Disinfection occurs if there is an area with a known or suspected COVID-19 case, where staff have been advised to quarantine.

When focused on high-touch surfaces, the CDC states in its latest guidance that “cleaning with soap or detergent should be enough to further reduce the relatively low transmission risk from fomites in situations when there has not been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 indoors. In situations when there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 indoors within the last 24 hours, the presence of infectious virus on surfaces is more likely and therefore high-touch surfaces should be disinfected.”

Surfaces frequently touched by multiple people, such as door handles, bathroom surfaces, and handrails, should be cleaned with soap and water or detergent. These surfaces will be cleaned at least 1x per shift, daily plus. More frequent cleaning may be required based on level of use.

• AVP for Campus Facilities, working with Chief Superintendent has developed cleaning regimens, including frequency, areas to be particularly addressed and products to be used. Building and Grounds will maintain a log of completed activities.
• Staff are reminded that hand washing with soap and water for 20 seconds is more effective than the use of hand sanitizer through various communications strategies by the posters displayed in each restroom (training, signs, campus virtual messaging).
• Stations for hand sanitizer (when available) have been and will continue to be placed at building entrances and exits and other locations where restrooms are not conveniently available.
• Occupants of the campus will be responsible for cleaning their own workstation. We will provide workspaces with multi-surface spray cleaner and paper towels to support self-service of touch points, including copiers.
• Campus discourages sharing of supplies, equipment, workstations and food.

Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) and Other Air Quality Measures

• In preparation for safe reopening in fall 2021, Campus Facilities is conducting a full assessment of building ventilation systems and making all necessary adjustments to those systems to ensure they are fully functional and meet CDC and ASHRAE (American Society of Heating. Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) recommendations for adequate ventilation for intended use of all our spaces. CUNY ventilation system consultants are providing support for this process and on-site inspection of all of our systems.  Prior to reopening, CUNY consultants will provide a provide report on each building stating whether the ventilation systems are adequate for intended occupancy.
• Consistent with those guidelines, we have maximized the intake of outside air in the building wide HVAC systems in ITB, Vertical Campus, Administration Building and Newman. The Field Building (17 Lex) is served for the most part by window units. For those units, we have opened the fresh air intake vents. For areas in the Field building where these actions do not bring in sufficient fresh air, we are installing in window stops 4-6 inches from the bottom of the window so those windows can be opened without jeopardizing safety and security. Finally, we will equip, those labs, offices, rooms will be equipped with additional free standing HEPA units that will assist the existing systems in meeting the minimum fresh air requirement as necessary.
• In addition, the College has upgraded filters to MERV 13 minimum, where applicable.
• Continue to run and maintain all HVAC systems 24/7 in all buildings. Reduce load consistent with occupancy to minimize energy consumption and costs.
• HVAC system maintenance and filter replacement during the Covid-19 pandemic will abide by the following procedures:
• Workers performing maintenance and/or replacing filters on any ventilation system with the potential for viral contamination will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including a properly fitted respirator (N95 or higher), eye protection (safety glasses, goggles or face shield) and disposable gloves (to be disposed of immediately upon completion of task and before touching any eye protection or respirator PPE).Filters should remain snug in their frames.
• When feasible, filters will be disinfected with a 10% bleach solution or another appropriate disinfectant, approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, before removal.
• Filters (disinfected or not) will be bagged and disposed of in regular trash.
• Once maintenance tasks are completed, maintenance personnel are expected to immediately wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with greater than 60 percent alcohol.

Water Treatment

• Our toilet water systems are flushed more frequently and treated with bleach including each water closet, urinal and sink.
• All utility water systems including cooling towers are maintained regularly by internal engineering staff and inspected and tested yearly.

C. Communications Plan

• The Campus Safe Reopening Plan has been posted on Baruch Forward website.  In addition to the Reopening plan, this website provides an up-to-date, one-stop shop for information about all aspects of College services in the Covid-19 environment. The site provides easy access to a variety of resources, support, and services for the campus community to navigate our virtual campus.  Our recent transition to WordPress has led to significant improvements overall to user experience in terms of content and navigation.
• We have actively participated in #VaxUpCUNY campaign, by sending out a campus-wide message and highlighting vaccination information and resources on our webpage devoted to COVID-related information.
• The President created a “Task Force for the Future” which issued its initial report that included recommendations for fall 2020 as well as more long-term recommendations. The work will continue. The Task Force report is posted on Baruch Forward website.
• The President has held a series of Town Halls for faculty and staff to address questions about the fall semester and will hold another Town Hall in July.
• We are collaborating with VP for Communications and her staff to develop an effective multi-platform communications strategy for providing information to faculty, students, and staff including emails, short video clips, social media and other modalities.
• Student support services implemented communication plans, and will continue to improve those plans, to engage, support and advise all current and prospective students. We have implemented the Bernie Bot, an artificial intelligence technology.  Link: https://students.baruch.cuny.edu/
• Human Resources sends out a regular newsletter containing relevant updates and benefit information.
• We have posted signs as indicated in this plan with reminders on proper hand and respiratory hygiene and other health messages.
• For mandated reporting and notices when an individual who has been on campus tests positive for Covid-19. See “Processes” Section IV.
• The College will collaborate with building management at the Student Residence and the Annex on a communication plan concerning building protocols and plans.
• If we determine it is prudent to shut down or return to an earlier phase, we will:
  • Notify all onsite staff of schedule change immediately.
  • Notify all students and faculty in on-site classes immediately.
  • We will use email, CUNY Alert, our webpage, social media, and text messages.
  • In addition to general campus-wide communications, faculty will notify students in onsite classes; supervisors will notify staff.

IV. Processes

A. Screening and Testing Roles

• The Coronavirus Campus Coordinator (VP for Administration & Finance) is responsible for compliance with the plan and may delegate responsibilities depending on the activity, location shift, or day.
• The Public Safety Director will oversee screening of faculty, staff, students and visitors at the different entry points to the campus and sill ensure sufficient staffing is in place to accomplish this task.
• The Coronavirus Liaisons (HR Director) will review, complete and report Covid-19 exposures

Coming to Campus

• Students, faculty and staff must comply with all vaccination and/or testing mandates in place.
• All faculty, staff, students and campus visitors who are sick must stay home or return to home if they become ill while on campus.
• Any faculty, staff or student diagnosed with Covid-19 by their health care provider must notify the Coronavirus Liaison.
• Before returning to campus, faculty, staff or students who have been sick with Covid-19, tested positive for Covid-19, or have been potentially exposed to someone with Covid-19 must follow CDC guidance to self-isolate or stay home.
• Faculty, staff or students who have traveled must follow current CDC guidelines and NYS Department of Health guidelines which may require quarantine when returning from certain locations before coming to campus.
• Faculty, staff or students who have traveled must follow CDC guidelines and NYSDOH guidelines, which require quarantine when returning from certain locations before coming to campus.

Screening

• Vaccination mandates and/or testing mandates will be implemented in the form in place on August 2.  Details are forthcoming. We will advise the college community of the details as soon we are notified by CUNY. Based on those changes, many of below screening requirements may change.
• We will suspend the use of the Everbridge symptom checker once the vaccination/testing protocols are in place and rely on individuals to stay home if they are sick.
• All faculty, staff and students will need a valid College identification card and will use it to swipe in at turnstile or card swipe device.  We have limited entry points to campus buildings and all entry points are staffed by Public Safety officers who only allow entry to those who are authorized.  Public Safety will assign sufficient staff at all entry points to facilitate screening and prevent congestion.
• Visitors must be authorized by senior leadership and comply with testing/vaccination protocols in place at the time. Details are forthcoming.
• Public Safety Director will refer any confirmed Covid-19 cases to Liaison for follow-up and Coordinator for review.
• Records of all screening and the results (cleared or denied access and no other information) will be maintained by Public Safety and secured when not under review.

Testing

• We anticipate we will be conducting on-site surveillance testing for the fall semester.  Details forthcoming.  At this point, the College is not conducting onsite testing but relies on multiple free Covid-19 testing sites located throughout NYC including within close proximity to campus and the residence hall. When and if this changes, we will advise the campus community.
• We encourage faculty, staff and student to utilize NYC free Covid-19 testing centers.
• Any faculty, staff, or student who has been on campus who receives a positive Covid-19 test must notify the Liaison.
• See Residence Hall, Early Learning Center and Student Health Service Plans appended for specific testing protocols for those populations.

B. Tracing and Tracking

• The Coronavirus Liaison is the point person to receive reports of any individual on campus or in the Student Residence, including faculty, staff, students, or visitors who have been diagnosed with Covid-19.
• Upon receiving a report of an individual who has tested positive, the Liaison will immediately notify the Coordinator who will notify appropriate state and local health department and the SVC for Institutional Affairs.
• In the case of an individual who has tested positive, the College will develop plans and with local health departments to trace all contacts of the individuals in accordance with the protocols of the NYS Tracing Program.
• Based on the results of contact tracing, the Coronavirus Liaison will notify those who have had close/sustained contact with an individual diagnosed with Covid-19 and advise the person to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms and follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.
• In the case of the students on campus and students in the Residence hall, the Coronavirus Liaison will work with Dean of Student Affairs on tracking contacts and notice to those with close/sustained contact.
• Any individual who comes to campus or while on campus is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms (such as fever, shortness of breath) will be asked to return home.

Isolate and Transport Those Who are Sick

• We have designated rooms 108B and 108C in Field Building/17 Lexington Ave and room 1-153 in the Vertical Campus as isolation rooms to be used. Current practice is that Public Safety receives all reports of sick individuals on campus. An individual may self-report, an observer may report, such as an instructor in a class or friend of the sick individual, or Public Safety may observe the person exhibiting signs of illness or injury. Public Safety is responsible for assisting the individual. Public Safety will immediately separate and isolate any individual on campus exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms to the designated isolation until the individual is off campus.
• Public Safety will follow protocols currently in place for handling ill individuals. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the individual will return home or Public Safety will contact emergency medical services to take the person to the hospital.
• See Residence Hall plan, appended for protocols for resident exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms.
• See Early Learning center plan, appended.
• See Student Health Center plan, appended.

Tracing for Disinfection Cleaning

• Once the Coordinator has determined that a campus occupant has been diagnosed with Covid-19, the Coordinator will trace occupant’s behavior and identify areas where the occupant was communicable.
• To determine the time frame to be applied, the Coordinator will assume the occupant has been communicable up to 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms and that areas may be tainted up to seven days after the positive occupant has been in them.
• Once the Coordinator has identified where the occupant has been, those areas will be closed off for 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting pursuant to CDC protocols.
• Campus Facilities will work closely with Public Safety, the department impacted and communicate the scope disinfection cleaning and subsequent restrictions on accessing the area. We will post appropriate signage and work with Communications on appropriate campus communications.
• See Residence Hall plan, appended.
• See Early Learning Center plan, appended.
• See Student Health Center plan, appended.

REFERENCES

CUNY Guidelines: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/reopening-guidelines/guideline-safe-campus-reopening/

CDC Higher Ed Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/colleges-universities/considerations.html

CDC Workplace Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html

CDC Cleaning Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html

CDC Mask Guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

NYS Higher Ed: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/Higher_Education_Detailed_Guidelines.pdf

NYS Office Guidelines: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/OfficesSummaryGuidelines.pdf

OSHA Preparing Workplaces, COVID: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

AIHA General Office Guidelines, COVID: https://aiha-assets.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/AIHA/resources/Reopening-Guidance-for-General-Office-Settings_GuidanceDocument.pdf

NYS Emergency COVID Regs : https://regs.health.ny.gov/volume-1a-title-10/content/subpart-66-3-covid-19-emergency-regulations

CDC Data Tracker: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view

PART 3: Appendices

Appendix A: Baruch Residential Life Opening Plan

Physical Preparation

• Each room will be assigned two or three students, depending on the size of room.
• Most common areas will be open. A reservation system will be created by the landlord if students throughout building are unable to comply. Spaces will be cleaned multiple times daily as provided by the landlord.
• Students who test positive and/or need to quarantine will do so in a vacant rooms, which have private bathrooms.
• An urgent care is located on 97th and Lexington Ave, as well as one on 3rd avenue and 96th street, each one block away from the residence for testing.
• Elevators capacity encouraged to maximum of 4 riders.
• Check in has been staggered to ensure limitations within elevators, and in the lobby are observed. Signage promoting social distancing posted in hallways, lobby and entryways.

Operational Preparation

• All residents must be vaccinated and that unvaccinated individuals will not be allowed to reside in any CUNY dorm.
• No guests are permitted in the Residence Halls.
• Programming to occur will be available both in-person and virtual, including floor meetings with RA.
• Check in is staggered with students.
• Hand sanitizer stations are throughout common areas.
• Touch barrier tissue dispensers are available in the elevators.
• Plastic barriers in place at security station as one enters the building.
• Up to three students will be assigned to a room. Each room has a private bathroom inside.
• Students will be informed of the risks involved in living in a residential building. They will be required to sign documentation accepting the risks, agreeing to conform to social distancing, cleaning procedures, and other safety protocols when they receive their assignment at check in.
• To the extent possible students are strongly encouraged to purchase and pack sanitizing and cleaning supplies and bring them at move-in. Residents may also pre-purchase and have these supplies delivered to the residence hall. Residents are encouraged to bring supplies to support themselves during a mandated quarantine (e.g. extra bed sheets, towels, clean clothing), such as nonperishable items, favorite snacks, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper. Bedding and other bulk items can be sent ahead of time, and packages will be delivered directly to the resident’s room.
• Residents must bring a supply of face masks and a thermometer with them for use throughout the semester. If packages are sent ahead of time, students are to send Student Life Services an email prior to arrival requesting delivering those items to the room. That email address is 1760sls@60guilders.com.
• Modified student rules have been put in place, such as:
  • No guests at any time.
  • No more than 3 people in a room, including the resident. All people in a room must follow social distancing.

Cleaning Protocol

• Kitchen and laundry facilities, as well as elevators, will be cleaned multiple times a day.
• UV Air filters will be changed on an accelerated basis.
• Public restrooms located on first floor will be cleaned multiple times a day.
• Should a student test positive, the landlord will be notified, and additional cleaning of public spaces will occur. If a student leaves the residence hall for the semester due to illness, the landlord will be notified and after 24 hours have passed, they will clean and disinfect the room.
• The following cleaning schedule will be followed by the building landlord:

Quarantine Procedures:

• Students who need to quarantine (due to exposure to someone who has tested positive, tested positive themselves, will do so in a vacant room for a minimum of 10 days. Guidelines for self-quarantine can be found here.
• Students will notify their RA of the need to quarantine via email, including start date. RA’s will provide information to the Residence Life Coordinator.
• The Residence Life Coordinator will maintain the list of students who are on quarantine with active dates, including those students who are traveling out of state so that the quarantine can be enforce upon return.
• For any possible positive cases reported through the above process, the RLC will inform Vice President Art King and immediately notify the Coronavirus Liaison. The process is in compliance with the guideline that the Campus Liaison receives the completed mandatory health screening assessment templates from students, faculty and staff, and be notified immediately of any possible positive cases.
• While in quarantine, students are expected to remain isolated in their rooms and are prohibited from entering common spaces. RA’s will check in daily on students in quarantine to ensure compliance, and RA’s will discuss the student’s wellbeing with him/her. RA’s will connect infected students with campus resources such as the Counseling Center, Student Health Center, Office of Student Life, and other appropriate campus academic support services.
• Students are encouraged to get tested for Covid-19 at any one of the Urgent Care centers located within a block of the building.
• Students are encouraged to notify their doctor or the Baruch Health Center of their symptoms for regular screening throughout the quarantine. If symptoms advance, 911 will be called to transfer student to nearest hospital.
• Students are encouraged to notify their parents of their symptoms and if they are transported to the hospital.
• Students who are in quarantine are able to have food delivered via the deli that is part of the building premises at their own expense. Outside food deliveries will be coordinated with front desk staff to be dropped off at student’s door for contact-less delivery.
• Deliveries such as medicine and other essential goods for those on quarantine will be coordinated with the front desk staff to be dropped off at student’s door for contact-less delivery.
• Students on quarantine are able to access the following campus services remotely: Counseling Center, Health Center, Student Academic Consulting Center, Office of Student Life (student groups), Writing Center, Office of the Dean of Students (medical withdrawals) and Academic Advising. RA’s checking on students will remind/promote these services as needed.
• Virtual programming will be offered to encourage socializing and online connections between residents who are quarantining. Resident Advisors will have virtual events for residents to connect and build community with other residents. 1760’s Student Life Services will also promote building wide virtual events for residents to take part in.
• Trash will be picked up each morning at 9:00 am outside of the student’s room while on quarantine.
• Residence Life staff will deliver packages and letter mail shortly after 7pm each day to students in quarantine.
• Residents must bring a thermometer with them and check their temperature every day during the 10-day period.
• If at any time the resident’s temperature is above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) the resident must notify the College and/or 1760sls@1760third.com ​​immediately.
• Should a resident develop a fever or other Covid-related symptoms, they must immediately alert the residential life staff.

Should the Residence Hall need to be closed:

• In the event the Residence Hall must close entirely, students will be notified (email, building signage) of need to leave the Residence Hall with their belongings.
• When to close the residence hall is at the discretion of the Vice Presidents of Student Affairs, and Enrollment Management and Strategic Academic Initiatives, but must be considered should 15% of residents or 10 students test positive for Covid-19. Determination will be based on number of students impacted, durations of quarantine, and any extenuating circumstances. Students will be given a minimum of three days to evacuate the building.
• Students will be required to formally check out of their room, including returning keys, etc. This will be done by signing a provided document regarding the move out process.
• For those students who are in quarantine if/when residence hall should close, they would use an electronic form to complete check out, leaving their keys in their room. A designated time frame will be established for those on quarantine to exit the building separate from the rest of the population.
• For those students unable to leave on short notice (such as international students), if available, students will be provided with a housing alternative within CUNY. Transportation to the new location will be provided. Student must not have Covid-19 symptoms or test positive to enter housing at a new location.
• RA’s will also be required to leave the building in the event of a shut down.

Appendix B: Early Learning Center Reopening Plan for Fall 2021

Physical Preparations:

• Center Hours:  The center will be open for children Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Friday 8:00am – 12:30pm for in-person childcare.
• Hand sanitizer will be available in common areas and at reception desk.
• Plexiglas installed at reception desk.
• The center will maintain a 3-month supply of PPE to ensure adequate supplies are stocked. A minimum of 1000 surgical masks, 200 face shields and 150 KN-95 masks will be maintained on site at all times.
• Maintaining a Healthy Environment: We will continue to perform water flushing, regular cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day with frequently touched surfaces cleaned and disinfected between use. Adequate amounts of the necessary health and cleaning supplies to help protect against Covid-19, including hand sanitizer, soap, and bleach solution will be maintained. All toys, materials, art supplies and classroom equipment will be cleaned before the semester begins.
• Sharing of items will be discouraged. Adequate classroom supplies will be available to minimize sharing. Toys will be placed in individual containers and will be shared by no more than two children at a time. Toys will be cleaned and disinfected between uses.
• Each child’s belongings will be kept separated from others’ and individually labeled containers will be available.
• Ventilation: Windows will be safely opened to allow increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible. Outdoor activities will not be held.

Operational Protocols:

• The Center will operate for in-person programming only at 60% classroom capacity with a maximum of 14 children and 4 adults at a given time.
• taffing: Lorraine Mondesir (director), Sophia Solomon (lead teacher), Mariestel Adon (assistant teacher), assistant teacher (TBA), Patricia Morel (administrative assistant) Lynn Effros-Schaul (teacher), and Ganna Velychko (social worker).
• Staff not fully vaccinated will be required to get tested for Covid-19 before the semester begins and receive additional testing weekly. Staff with positive results will not be able to return to work until they test negative for Covid-19.
• Face coverings are a necessary component for the ELC plan for reopening and for ensuring the safety of staff, families, and children. The center will procure and distribute appropriate PPE for staff and children’s use (if needed). A 3-month supply will be maintained at the center and orders placed to ensure the appropriate PPE will be available for use.
• Parents and Children: 2 student-parents are interested in continuing enrollment. 6 new parents have submitted applications and received registration packets.
• Upon entrance to the center, parents will sign their children in at the reception desk. One adult will be available to accept each child after an initial health assessment and temperature check. Parents will be reminded that if a child presents symptoms at any point of the day, they will be contacted to immediately pick up the child. Only children and staff will have access to the center beyond the reception desk.
• Mandatory daily health screening practices for all staff and children as they enter the center. Each staff and parent will be required to complete a questionnaire to determine whether the individual has been in close contact with anyone who tested positive for Covid-19 within the past 14 days, tested positive for Covid-19, and/or has experienced symptoms of Covid-19, before they are allowed to enter the program. Any person with a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit will not be accepted into the program.
• Children who test positive or have been exposed to Covid-19 will be asked to remain absent from the ELC until they test negative, or have gone 14 days without symptoms.
• The center will continuously support physical distancing by staggering schedule for children’s arrival and departure. Signage will be placed on entrance to the center, staircase and in all common areas.
• Hand sanitizer will be available in common areas and at reception desk.
• Physical Distancing guidelines and mandatory use of face coverings will be enforced for all individuals while in the building.
• Physical barrier will be needed for reception desk at the entrance to the center.
• Food Handling: The ELC offers breakfast and snack to all children. Children bring their own lunch. One staff will be identified to prepare breakfast and snack. The center will provide all food in individual containers. Seating will be panned to ensure that children and adults sit 6 feet apart except for adults assisting children with meals.
• A log of everyone entering the center, including employees, parents, children and any essential visitors who may have close proximate contact with other individuals, will be maintained. The log will contain contact information so that all contacts will be identified, traced and notified in the event an employee, parent, child or visitor is diagnosed with Covid-19. All persons will be notified by phone, text, or email.
• The staff will be separated from everyone as soon as a positive case of Covid-19 is suspected. All areas used by the infected staff will be closed off for 24 hours and cleaning and disinfecting will be scheduled after the 24-hour period. Soap, Bleach and water as per the EPA’s recommendations.

Cleaning Protocols

• Maintaining a Healthy Environment:  The ELC will continue to perform water flushing, regular cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day with frequently touched surfaces cleaned and disinfected between uses. Friday afternoons will be reserved for cleaning and sanitizing classroom equipment and materials that cannot be immediately sanitized, professional development, and curriculum planning. Adequate amounts of the necessary health and cleaning supplies to help protect against Covid-19, including hand sanitizer, soap, and bleach solution will be maintained. The building owner will perform all cleaning as outlined in the lease. All toys, materials, art supplies and classroom equipment will be cleaned before the program begins.
• Sharing of items will be discouraged. Adequate classroom supplies will be available to minimize sharing. Toys will be placed in individual containers and will be shared by no more than two children at a time. Between use, toys will be cleaned and disinfected.
• Each child’s belongings will be kept separated from others’ and individually labeled containers will be available.
• Children’s Bathroom Use: Adults will continue to support children with bathroom needs as outlined by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Cleaning and sanitizing protocols remain in place for bathroom surfaces. Staff will be required to wear face masks, face shields, use gloves, and follow cleaning and sanitizing protocols after changing diapers, and after toilet use. Physical distancing will be practiced at all times during children’s bathroom use.

In the need to close:

• Parents will be notified immediately of any concerns.
• NYC Department of Health will be notified.
• Dependent on circumstances, if possible, the ELC will first reduce hours of operation from four days a week to two days a week. The final step will be to reduce to no days a week if needed.
• In the event of closure, virtual programming and remote learning will be implemented.

Appendix C: Student Health Center Fall Reopening Plan

Physical Preparations:

• Hours: Days of the week (Monday to Thursday) & shift options are subject to change.
  • Monday: Shift options: 9a-5p or 10am-6p
  • Tuesday: Shift options: 9a-5p or 10am-6p
  • Wednesday: Shift options: 9a-5p or 10am-6p
  • Thursday:  Shift options: 9a-5p or 10am-6p
  • Friday: Remote, available for ten (10) remote encounters during the following shift options: 9 am to 5 pm, or 10 am to 6 pm
• Hand sanitizer will be available at the waiting area, exam rooms, bathrooms and reception desk.
• Surgical masks will be available at the reception desk and exam rooms.
• The center will maintain a 3-month supply of PPE to ensure adequate supplies are stocked.
• Maintaining a Healthy Environment: water flushing, regular cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day with frequently touched surfaces cleaned and disinfected between use. Adequate amounts of the necessary health and cleaning supplies to help protect against Covid-19, including hand sanitizer, soap, and bleach solution will be maintained.

Operational Protocols:

• All unvaccinated student-patients coming to the Student Health Care Center must wear masks. Cloth coverings and bandannas are not permitted. Cloth face masks are acceptable. Surgical masks are required for those needing to wear masks, and the Student Health Center staff will provide a surgical mask upon arrival if the unvaccinated student-patient arrives wearing a non-surgical face mask.
• Walk-ins will be permitted with the condition that unvaccinated student-patients wear a mask. Student- patients with COVID-like symptoms must call for an appointment and will first be seen by video visit and referred appropriately.
• Student-patients are not permitted to have visitors accompany them during their visit except under specific circumstances.
• Two staff will open the center at 10:00 am and two staff will close the center at 3:00 pm.
• Unvaccinated student-patients and staff will participate in CUNY’s weekly surveillance testing program. Staff with positive results will not be able to return until they test negative.
• Appropriate PPE for staff is distributed. A 3-month supply is maintained at the Student Health Care Center and orders placed to ensure the appropriate PPE will be available for use.
• The Student Health Care Center will continuously support physical distancing by staggering the appointments for student-patient arrivals and departure.
• The lactation room will be available by appointment only with one person to occupy during a visit.
• Hand sanitizer will be available at the waiting area, exam rooms, bathrooms and reception desk.
• Physical Distancing guidelines and mandatory use of face coverings for unvaccinated student-patients will be enforced while in the Student Health Care Center.
• Seating will be planned to ensure that unvaccinated student-patients sit 6 feet in waiting area.
• The staff will be separated from everyone as soon as a positive case of Covid-19 is suspected. All areas used by the infected staff will be closed off for 24 hours and cleaning and disinfecting will be scheduled after the 24-hour period. Soap, bleach and water as per the EPA’s recommendations.

Cleaning Protocols:

• Maintaining a Healthy Environment:  The Student Health Care Center will continue to perform water flushing, regular cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day with frequently touched surfaces cleaned and disinfected between use. Adequate amounts of the necessary health and cleaning supplies to help protect against Covid-19, including hand sanitizer, soap, and bleach solution will be maintained.
• Bathroom Use: Baruch College Building and Grounds custodial staff performs all cleaning and sanitation as outlined by the contract.

In the need to close:

• Dependent on circumstances and in consultation with Mount Sinai Beth Israel, if possible, the Student Health Care Center will first reduce hours of operation from four days a week to two days a week. The final step will be to reduce to no days a week if needed.
• In the event of closure, telehealth will increase and referral to nearest Emergency Department.
• As outlined for Infectious Disease Protocol notification will be provided to the Vice President of Student Affairs or his designee will work with the Health Services Director and is responsible for notifying the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (as required), and other appropriate campus officials via e-mail or phone, and for notifying the University Director of Environmental, Health, Safety, and Risk Management and the University Director of Mental Health and Wellness Services via e-mail to healthreporting@mail.cuny.edu.

Contact Tracking

If contact tracking is required, the campus Health Services Director is responsible for coordinating with NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the campus Registrar, and the Chief Student Affairs Officer, for students, or the Executive Director of Human Resources, for employees. Once contact tracking is complete, or if contact tracking is not required, the campus Health Services Director must document the tracking or the decision not to track.

Appendix D: Baruch College Athletics Reopening Plan

Please see attachment “Athletics Reopening Plan Fall 2021”.

Appendix E: Return to Campus Staffing Guidelines

The College is re-opening on August 2, 2021.  Classes are scheduled to begin on August 25, 2021.  For staffing level planning purposes, 60% of classes will have an in-person presence, and 40% will be online (approximately 35% in person, 25% hybrid and 40% online) ^[1]. The Library will be open for on-site service and the Student Center, student computer labs and club spaces will be open by appointment only.  The campus will continue to provide space for students to study and/or take online classes.  Additionally, student athletics is resuming activities, including bringing back most of the fall and winter teams (fall teams start August 19th and winter teams October 1st).

Based on current guidelines, the campus on-site physical presence in fall 2021 will be limited to 50%.  Faculty and staff will be allowed to use their offices in compliance with CDC guidelines. Elevator occupancy will be limited to 50% capacity and appointment systems may be required for on-site service to reduce crowding.  As per the Chancellor’s message, staff are expected to return to in-person work on August 2, 2021.  The College is permitted to allow flexible work schedules pursuant to CUNY policy, as detailed at https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/flexible-work-arrangements/.   CUNY has stated “remote work arrangements are not a right or entitlement of employment and, as such, are discretionary and subject to operational needs.”   In determining appropriate staffing levels and schedules, the following guidelines are recommended for managers to follow:

1. Offices must be open to provide in-person services 5 days a week.  In some cases, departments may need to collaborate with each other so as to achieve the goal of offices being open for on-site service 5 days a week.
2. Staffing levels in offices that provide support to students and/or faculty and staff must be at a level adequate to serve students on-site.
3. Some combination of remote work and on-site work may be allowed but, with rare exception, a fully remote arrangement will not be approved without an ADA accommodation.
4. Managers should rotate staff working on-site so that all staff share the responsibility fairly and equitably.
5. Supervisors should create work schedules, including remote work arrangements, based on operational needs and meet with each employee to review the proposed schedule.  At that meeting, employees will be provided the opportunity to request adjustments to the proposed schedule.  In all cases where the schedule includes a remote work arrangement the appropriate form must be completed by the employee and approved by their supervisor.  The form can be accessed at https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/coronavirus/flexible-work-arrangements/Remote-Work-Agreement2021.pdf.  All remote work schedules should be completed by July 1, 2021.  Additionally, disputed remote schedules will be reviewed and resolved by the VP of Administration and Finance and AVP of Legal and Labor.
6. Essential staff will be required to return to pre-pandemic working schedules.
7. Employees who require an ADA accommodation to permit them to work a remote schedule beyond the days allotted by their supervisor should complete and submit the ADA form to Human Resources at human.resources@baruch.cuny.edu with the subject line ADA Request.  The form can be access at https://hr.baruch.cuny.edu/reasonable-accommodation/ and should be returned by July 8, 2021 (ADA accommodations will be handled in accordance with CUNY policy).

[1] Subject to change.

Appendix F: Policies and Procedures for Reopening On-Site Research Activities

I. Overview

This document provides a roadmap for the gradual, deliberate and safe resumption of on-site research activities at Baruch College in the wake of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, which in March of 2020 caused the College to temporarily cease on-site research operations. In recognition of the key role that Baruch College researchers play, both in the generation of knowledge in their academic fields as well as the education of Baruch students, and in response to CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodríguez’s announcement that research reopening on the CUNY campuses could – with locally- and centrally-approved plans to govern the process – commence reopening, Interim Provost James McCarthy appointed the Research Reopening Committee (RRC). Over a 2-week period, the RRC met remotely, consulted with relevant subject matter experts, Department Chairs, College leadership and the CUNY Office of Research, and worked as a team to draft this document.

The approach taken by the RRC is a measured one. The health and safety of Baruch College faculty, student researchers, and the essential staff that support them, are paramount. In drafting this document, we kept at the forefront that the College must follow not just CUNY Office of Research policy and guidelines, but also those set forth by the City and State of New York, as well as federally. Ultimately the intent of the RRC is to implement compliant, but also clear and campus-specific, guidelines, policies and best practices supporting the ongoing fulfillment of the Baruch College mission.

Baruch College President David Wu, Interim Provost James McCarthy, and Associate Provost for Research Patricia Price have reviewed this Research Reopening Plan as well as the CUNY and State guidelines. We affirm that they will be implemented.

II. Baruch College Research Context

An urban campus with an emphasis on Business Administration, the Liberal Arts, and Public Policy and International Affairs, Baruch College’s research portfolio includes primarily social and behavioral research, some of which is conducted with human subjects. The research operations of the College are distributed among several multi-story buildings in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan. The College has no on-site animal facilities or IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee). That being noted, Baruch researchers in the Natural Sciences do conduct research with invertebrates, as well as limited research with vertebrate animals off- site.

III. Research Reopening at Baruch: Governing Principles and Parameters

The health and safety of students, staff and faculty is of utmost importance. The following principles and parameters shall guide this plan.

• All aspects of research that can be conducted remotely must continue to be conducted remotely until further notice.
• Until the final NYS Phase, those returning to work – even on a limited basis – must do so voluntarily, and should be on-site when needed for work that can only be performed on- site.
• No one should feel coerced or pressured to return on-site, especially during the initial reopening of research.
• All meetings should be held virtually, regardless of reopening stage.
• In order to proceed from one reopening stage to the next, CUNY campuses must continue to follow the directives and meet the standards and policies set forth by the CUNY Office of Research, the City of New York, the State of New York, and the Federal government.
• If these standards are not or cannot be met, or if there is reason to suspect increased risk to community safety or health, the College may pause research and/or return to an earlier phase and/or make specific, localized adjustments to reduce further risk.
• This document governs the gradual reinstatement of Baruch research that must be conducted on-site. It does not address the return of faculty to office-based work on the Baruch College campus. Nor does it address the process for obtaining permission to access buildings in order to retrieve research materials.
• Baruch College leadership reserves the right to modify this plan based on emerging medical standards or changes to CUNY, city, state, or federal policies and regulations.

IV. Stages for Reopening On-Site Research at Baruch College

The following is a description of each of the Reopening Stages. Please note that these may coincide with NYS Phases for reopening, but ultimately rely upon best available information from State and local health authorities and are informed by the capacity for the College to host each additional cohort.

PIs have first-line responsibility for the conduct of their research groups and compliance with policies and rules developed during the reinstatement of research. Schools/Divisions should continually monitor the reinstatement process to assure public health and safety. Researchers should be prepared to make changes on short notice, depending upon compliance requirements as dictated by health and safety directives. Stages may be paused or, if transmission rates, new cases, or other benchmarks of public health risk change for the worse, stages may regress to previous levels, including returning to Stage 0. Researchers should not start new long-term projects or phase in projects that cannot be stopped on short notice in Stages 0 – 3.

Stage 0 (Essential staff only) All on-site research is paused. A limited number of personnel are designated for facilities and college maintenance and protection of College resources.

Stage 1 (up to 10% capacity) Plan and prepare to phase in on-site research, with an eye toward Stage 2 research priorities. Plans include establishing clear research priorities and CUNY approval processes per City and State guidance, working with relevant researchers, to discern space, equipment, and personnel needs for safety, developing health and safety protocols, and establishing communication and health monitoring plans.

Stage 2 (up to 50% capacity) Expand on-site access to research that does not involve face-to- face interaction with human subjects*, with priorities including: extramurally-funded and deadline-driven work (regardless of researcher rank or tenure status), research by graduate students who are near degree completion (Level III), untenured faculty research, and/or research requiring season-specific sample collections. Undergraduate researchers may be allowed to engage in faculty-led research if approved to do so. Approval is contingent on submission, review and approval by the RRRC of an amendment to the Approved Reopening Plan, and the identification of a suitable space allowing for social distancing, appropriate ventilation, and faculty supervision (in collaboration with the Environmental Health and Safety Officer).  Undergraduate researchers may be allowed to engage in faculty-led research if approved to do so. Approval is contingent on submission, review and approval by the RRRC of an amendment to the Approved Reopening Plan, and the identification of a suitable space allowing for social distancing, appropriate ventilation, and faculty supervision (in collaboration with the Environmental Health and Safety Officer). Plan and prepare for Stage 3 priorities.

Stage 3 (up to 85% capacity) Expand on-site access to professorial-title researchers, regardless of rank or funding; and well as to graduate students and postdoctoral research associates regardless of seniority or funding; provided that research does not involve face-to-face interaction with human subjects*. Undergraduate researchers may be allowed to engage in faculty-led research if approved to do so. Approval is contingent on submission, review and approval by the RRRC of an amendment to the Approved Reopening Plan, and the identification of a suitable space allowing for social distancing, appropriate ventilation, and faculty supervision (in collaboration with the Environmental Health and Safety Officer).  Plan and prepare for Stage 4 priorities.

Stage 4 (85% – 100% capacity) Expand on-site access by undergraduate research assistants. Begin allowing on-site access to research involving face-to-face interaction with human subjects, subject to any updated advisement by the CUNY Office of Research in force at this Stage.

*With the exception of human subjects research that either addresses COVID, or has a direct therapeutic benefit to the subject such that interruption of the research could cause harm.

Individuals will not be permitted to access College facilities if they report any of the following:

• They are experiencing any symptoms (even mild) of a respiratory infection, high temperature (exceeding 100.4F) or other COVID-19-related symptoms
• They have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days
• They have had known contact within the last 14 days with any person suspected of having, being under investigation for, or who has a confirmed active case of COVID- 19
• They have traveled within the last 14 days to/from a designated U.S. ‘hot spot’ or a country for which the CDC has issued a level 2or 3 travel designation, or have had known contact with any person who has traveled to these areas within 14 days
• They are at a high risk for developing severe symptoms if infected

V. Addressing New York State Public Health and Safety Guidance and Incorporating Best Practices

A. Physical Distancing

• For any research activities occurring indoors, total occupancy is limited to 50% of the maximum occupancy of a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy or as otherwise designated by current NYS guidance. Any plan to restart research requires plans customized for individual research spaces. Floor plans can be provided for each research space on campus to ensure that they conform to the occupancy limits consistent with the phasing-in of onsite research described in Section IV. These individual plans must be approved by the Research Reopening Review Panel before researchers are granted access.
• A distance of at least 6 ft. must be maintained among individuals at all times, unless safety or the core activity requires a shorter distance. The following practices will be put into place:
• Any time individuals must come within 6 ft. of another person, they must wear an acceptable face covering. A detailed occupancy plan for each individual research space must be completed to ensure that a distance of 6-feet or more is maintained between individuals under almost all circumstances. In the rare cases where this distance requirement is not met, appropriate PPE must be used according to New York and CDC guidelines.
• Contact between Building & Grounds Staff and researchers will be minimized. Custodial workers will not clean laboratory spaces. Laboratory and associated equipment cleaning will be the responsibility of the researchers. Researchers will place trash cans and other items for disposal in the hallways for pickup so that there is no need for custodial staff to enter the laboratories.
• Public Safety officers operate behind desks at building entrances behind plexiglass and will maintain a minimum of 6 feet from anyone entering.
• Only authorized personnel are allowed to enter buildings and anyone entering must be wearing a mask.
• In the short term, researchers must arrange for pickups of mail, shipped equipment and supplies from the Mailroom and Receiving areas in the Library Building. If possible, researchers should arrange for all materials including hazardous chemicals to be delivered directly to 17 Lexington Avenue with their suppliers. Special arrangements for delivery of such large or hazardous items must be arranged with Public Safety. New equipment must conform with the College’s Policy on Furniture, Equipment, Paint and Other Finishes.
• Human research subjects must be considered when calculating facility capacity and abide by all distancing, PPE, and other requirements for personnel contained within this guidance. In the rare circumstances where research protocols require human subjects to be on-site, both the researchers and the subjects will be included in determining occupancy. Care will be taken to minimize contact between participants, including researchers and subjects; appropriate PPE will used according to the New York and CDC guidelines.
• All College faculty and staff will observe social distancing and wear masks whenever social distancing cannot be maintained, regardless of the interaction time.
• Staggered work schedules will be implemented wherever possible. This includes break times, but also staggered shift schedules to reduce the total number of employees on site at any given time. For shared laboratories, researchers must develop clear procedures to ensure that the maximum occupancy limit is maintained and is defined later in this document.
• Non-essential visitors will not be allowed in campus buildings unless arranged with Public Safety.

B. Gathering in Enclosed Spaces

• All staff meetings, seminars and events for researchers should continue to be held virtually until further notice.
• Communal areas such as lunch areas and cafeteria spaces should not be used.
• Conference rooms use will be limited to three or fewer people at a time with all individuals masked.
• Restrooms will be designated limited use.
• Passenger elevators will also be designated as limited use with maximum capacity posted inside and outside of the elevators.

C. Protective Equipment

1. All employees must be provided with an acceptable face covering at no cost to the employees and have an adequate supply of coverings in case of need for replacement.
   • Baruch College has purchased sufficient disposable masks to ensure individuals who return to campus to restart research are protected. Disposable masks will be available at the entrance points of the research buildings on campus, such as the 17 Lexington Avenue 23rd Street entrance and the Newman Vertical Campus 25th Street entrance once the Reopening Plan has been approved and researchers have approved individualized lab plans.
   • Personnel entering buildings will be required to wear a mask.
   • All essential workers will be provided with masks and other appropriate protective gear.
   • Public Safety officers operate behind desks at building entrances and will maintain a minimum of 6 feet from anyone entering. Officers will be provided with masks, and gloves if needed. Only authorized personnel are allowed to enter buildings and anyone entering must be wearing a mask.
   • All entrants may choose to wear their own mask or other acceptable face covering in lieu the disposable mask.
2. Acceptable face coverings include but are not limited to cloth (e.g. homemade sewn, quick cut, bandana, commercially available), surgical masks, and face shield (with a face covering underneath). Users should consult CDC guidance for these types (How to Wear Face Coverings).Cloth, disposable, or homemade face coverings are not acceptable for workplace activities that typically require a higher degree of protection for PPE due to the nature of the work (e.g. if working with flammable materials or chemicals, ensure face coverings are flame-resistant). If contact with hazardous materials require more stringent protection, a hazard assessment will be conducted by Environmental Health and Safety for the hazardous agent will be used, where the hierarchy of controls will be employed to eliminate, substitute, engineer control, administratively control, and/or create protective barriers for workers.
3. All researchers should be provided information on cleaning, replacing and sharing face coverings
   • Individuals choosing to wear cloth or other acceptable face coverings should consult the CDC guidance for additional information on cloth face coverings and other types of personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as instructions on use and cleaning and disinfection. When masks, both disposable and reuseable, are visibly soiled, moist, and damaged, they should be appropriately disposed of (disposable and/or cloth) or cleaned (cloth). Such information can be found here (How to Wash a Cloth Face Covering)
   • Additionally, individuals should follow care directions for commercially purchased face coverings from the manufacturer.
   • Disposable masks are not allowed to be shared and should be considered single use.
4. Faculty, students and staff must be trained on how to don, doff, clean (as applicable), and discard PPE.
   • All personnel wearing disposable masks provided by the College must watch “How to Put on a Surgical Mask” by NurseMinder, or by demonstration onsite or through virtual meetings. At a minimum, masks must be worn over the face and nose in scenarios where social distancing cannot be maintained in buildings.
   • All personnel will be instructed to properly don and doff cloth face coverings by viewing the video “How to Put On and Remove a Fabric Face Mask” by Grundy County Memorial Hospital.
   • Personal fabric masks should be washed and dried completely prior to reuse. Data indicate procedures may be available to clean and disinfect surgical masks; however, Baruch College recommends surgical type masks should be disposed of immediately and not reused.
5. All personnel must limit the sharing of objects, such as tools, equipment, machinery, touchscreens, and vehicles, as well as the touching of shared surfaces; in scenarios where this is unachievable, personnel should use a combination of the following methods:
   • Disinfect the object immediately after use – this is the most effective and desirable method
   • Sanitize hands before and after using a shared object
   • Utilize a clean pair of gloves when using shared objects
   • The first two methods ensure the object and user are sanitized and are strongly recommended, while the third creates an additional barrier. Regardless of the method chosen, personnel must avoid touching their eyes, mucous membranes, mask and face at all times.

D. Shared Spaces

Researchers working in common areas with common equipment should develop a shared calendar system visible to all users. Depending on the maximum space occupancy, this method will ensure that all maintain these limits. In scenarios where more than one researcher needs to use a common area concurrently, social distancing, and masking will be used as appropriate.

Users in common or shared areas must utilize proper cleaning procedures and must clean the equipment after use, in preparation for the next user. Prior to using equipment, users are also required to clean the equipment. Care will be taken to ensure cleaners or disinfectants will not be harmful to the shared equipment. If available, far wavelength UVC wands may be used to disinfect the equipment, if appropriate and available. The time between common area usage should be extended (30 minutes to one hour) to minimize interactions and allow disinfection to be completed by the prior user. Ultimately, all personnel should follow a principle of “clean as you go” when possible.

E. Hygiene, Cleaning, Disinfection

1. The College will adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning and disinfection.
   • To reduce exposure for custodial personnel, all campus personnel will be required to clean their own spaces. This includes desks, lockers, and any other spaces dedicated to a single person. Appropriate cleaning supplies will be provided by the College. Campus cleaning plays an important role in mitigating COVID-19.
   • Researchers will be asked to clean their work areas and office areas with disinfectants provided by the College at a frequency as deemed appropriate. “Appropriate” shall mean that the College will provide on hand disinfectant materials to research teams. Research teams may use on hand disinfectants regularly used in wet labs such as ethanol and bleach solutions.
   • Custodial staff will clean to the following categories in common areas: tables; doorknobs; light switches; countertops; handles; desks and benches; phones; keyboards; faucets and sinks; and touch screens. Common surfaces frequently touched by multiple people such as elevator buttons, security desks, and door handles to buildings and stairwells will be cleaned and disinfected at least daily by the custodial staff.
   • Logs will be maintained documenting cleaning and disinfection schedule for core research facilities and common areas maintained by the College. The Facilities Department has oversight of all common areas and supervisory staff to oversee that the work is completed.
2. The College will provide and maintain hand hygiene stations in facility, including handwashing with soap, running water, and disposable paper towels, as well as an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing 60% or more alcohol for areas where handwashing is not available or practical. Hand hygiene stations containing alcohol- based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol will be provided and maintained at select locations as available.
   • In 17 Lexington, sinks are readily available in most laboratories. In the single case where the lab does not have a working sink, access will be provided to either the preparation or teaching labs on the 5th floor to allow for hand sanitization.
   • In all other buildings, restrooms on the floors shall be used. Restrooms will undergo regular cleaning and have instructions as to how to report deficiencies in hygiene and supplies in each location.
3. All occupants are encouraged to use cleaning/disinfection supplies before and after use of shared and frequently touched surfaces, followed by hand hygiene.
   • Restroom facilities will be stocked with soap and will be inspected at a minimum daily for stocking and hygiene.
   • All research labs will be supplied with a quaternary disinfectant, or equivalent, that will be used by research staff to clean high touch surfaces at a frequency as deemed appropriate for the labs. In cases where equipment may be used by more than one researcher, that equipment will be cleaned with disinfectant or alcohol wipes.
   • NYS DOH and CDC posters are located throughout the building and in research lab spaces that outline the principles of proper hand washing.
4. Common surfaces frequently touched by multiple people, should be cleaned and disinfected at least daily. More frequent cleaning and disinfection will be undertaken based on level of use.
5. The College owns a variety of equipment that will be used regularly in consideration of the control of COVID-19. These include: EPA Approved Disinfectants or disinfectants otherwise known to disable or kill enveloped and human coronavirusues; portable hand-held ultraviolet lighting equipment (UVC lights); steam cleaners; hand operated misting devices.
6. Cleaning and disinfection must occur at least after each shift, daily, or more frequently as needed. Researchers will clean and disinfect their labs, together with high touch surfaces and shared instrumentation. The cleaning for common areas of the building will be handled by the College Facilities Department who use products and equipment designed to neutralize germs and bio-contaminants. The Facilities Department will pay particular attention to common areas of the building that represent high touch surfaces, restrooms and other areas that may be unique to the individual buildings.
7. Should an individual be found to have contracted COVID-19, the areas where the individual worked or traveled will be closed until safe to enter according to CDC guidelines, and then cleaned with quaternary disinfectants or disinfectants approved for use in disinfecting COVID-19. Further, the campus owns a variety of equipment that will be deployed based upon the nature of the lab and the types of equipment that need to be disinfected. Examples include but are not limited to hand-held UV disinfection units and misting equipment. Finally, if necessary, the campus may choose to hire an outside vendor to disinfect affected areas.
8. Sharing of food and beverages is prohibited, as is the use of common dining areas unless a separation of at least 6 feet can be maintained.

F. Communication

Signage shall be posted around campus to remind all personnel of the CDC guidelines for COVID-19 safety in the workplace. These signs will include reminders to remain socially distant where possible and are consistent with NYS Department of Health language. At a minimum, signage shall be used to remind individuals to:

• Stay home if they feel sick
• Wear face coverings in the scenarios defined in this document
• Cover their nose and mouth with an acceptable face-covering
• Properly store and, when necessary, discard PPE
• Adhere to social distancing instructions
• Report symptoms of or exposure to COVID-19, and how they should do so
• Follow hand hygiene and cleaning and disinfection guidelines
• Follow respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette

Additionally, Public Safety sends daily electronic notifications to the AVP of Campus Facilities and Operations indicating College areas that may be occupied. The AVP forwards the same email to the Chief Administrative Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, the EHSO, and other pertinent staff in CFO.

G. Unvaccinated Individuals

Unvaccinated individuals must continue to wear masks.

Unvaccinated individuals must participate in CUNY’s weekly surveillance testing program.

Additionally:

• All researchers working in labs with FDNY Non-Production Laboratory Permits must hold a valid C-14 certification while building occupancy is limited. At a minimum, there must be a C-14 holder on the floor any time permitted labs are in operation.
• Entry to each of the buildings must be through the following entrances:
  • 17 Lexington – 23rd Street Entrance, report to Public Safety
  • Administration Building – 22nd Street Entrance, report to Public Safety
  • Newman Vertical Campus – 25th Street Entrance, report to Public Safety
  • Library Building – 25th Street Entrance, report to Public Safety
• Individuals may also be required to provide details on any significant contact (i.e., prolonged interactions with other individuals in scenarios where appropriate social distancing can’t be maintained) with others while at the College.

VI. Approval Process for Baruch Researchers

Baruch PIs who wish to apply for consideration to resume on-site research will first contact their academic supervisor via email, to supply basic information about their research, funding, faculty status, site(s) where research will be conducted, and any essential research staff or students (note: only faculty PIs, Lab Heads, or Center Directors should fill out this application; not students or staff). The relevant Department Chair (or, in the case of the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs faculty, and for all Baruch Centers and Institutes, the Dean) will review the questionnaire responses to make an initial determination of whether the request appears to meet the priority criteria for the current Stage of Research Reopening (see Section IV, above).

The PI may then be granted access to a shared Dropbox folder, to which they will upload detailed reopening plans for their lab or project, confirmation of CITI training, and any requested supporting documentation related to the type of research and space where it will be conducted. These will be reviewed by the Research Reopening Review Panel (RRRP), which shall consist of 1) the PI’s relevant Dean, 2) EHS Officer James Kaznosky, and 3) Associate Provost for Research Patricia Price.

If approved, the PI (and, if applicable, essential staff and/or students) may be allowed to return to on-site research, subject to the provisions in this document and the individual detailed reopening plan for their lab or project.

Any substantive modification to or deviation from the individual plan must be reported immediately via email to the RRRP.

It is important to reiterate that only those research operations that cannot be performed remotely will be considered for resumption.

VII. Training and Reporting Unsafe Practices

• Training and Education: All returning research personnel (faculty, staff and students) must take the CITI Program Back to Campus Course. The purpose is to train staff, students, and faculty on COVID-19 safety for their return to campus. Returning personnel must provide a certificate of completion with the individual lab plans.
• Reporting Unsafe Practices: If you observe unsafe practices, you may report this anonymously here.

VIII. Communication Plans and Campus Contacts

An approved copy of this Research Reopening Plan, a link to the application for PIs to request return to research, a link to the CITI ‘Back to Campus’ training, a link to anonymously report unsafe practices, and links to College-wide communications on research reopening can be found on the Academic Affairs web page.

• COVID-19 positivity: Should you develop symptoms consist with COVID-19, test positive, or come in contact with someone suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, you should contact Executive Director of Human Resources Andrea Caviness at andrea.caviness@baruch.cuny.edu for further instruction.
• Environmental Health and Safety: All issues related to Environmental Health & Safety should be reported to Environmental Health and Safety Officer James Kaznosky at james.kaznosky@baruch.cuny.edu. Emergent issues can be called in at 646-660-6048 or by contacting Public Safety at 646-312-3333.
• Restrooms: Signage has been posted in all restrooms to report deficiencies in these locations. Occupants are instructed to email alerts to restrooms@baruch.cuny.edu. Please include the Room Code on the sign when reporting. Reportable issues include:
  • Low soap supply and broken soap dispensers
  • Nonworking plumbing fixtures
  • Overflowing trash receptacles
  • Overall cleanliness
  • Missing handwashing and health-related signage
• Buildings and Grounds: Requests for service (custodial and trades related work) can be submitted through the Archibus System.
• Public Safety: Public Safety can be contacted for issues related to public safety, first aid, possible crime, safety issues, and building access questions at 646-312-3333. The Building Access procedures are currently posted at the home page for Public Safety.

Appendix F: Addendum

Please see attachment “Appendix F: Addendum”.