CUNY begins the semester with half of its classes in person and the others in a hybrid way – Telemundo New York (47)

However, approximately 45 percent of the nearly 50,000 course sections at CUNY’s 25 universities and campuses will be taught in a hybrid or face-to-face format, while about 55 percent will be taught online.

Students are expressing their enthusiasm for the resumption of face-to-face classes and campus life, as well as their caution in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Anyone entering a CUNY facility for any reason must be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within the preceding seven days at a CUNY test site.

Monday’s FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine triggered a 45-day deadline for students to be fully vaccinated or risk not being able to complete their courses.

“After more than a year of remote learning, I am delighted to welcome the CUNY community to an increasingly in-person and more traditional fall semester,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “A big part of the CUNY experience is the sense of belonging and togetherness that we draw from our lives on campus. I share the enthusiasm of our students and fully understand their caution. The menu of options whether remote, in-person or hybrid, will allow our students to be fully engaged academically and work towards their educational and professional goals. I strongly urge all of our students, faculty, and staff to get vaccinated. Getting vaccinated remains the most important thing we can do, individually and collectively, to continue advancing New York’s recovery, “he added.

Many of CUNY’s students reside in communities hardest hit by the health and economic crises triggered by the pandemic, and their stories of resilience and strength illuminate the university’s growing emphasis on in-person learning this fall, the institution said in a statement. To ease some of your burdens, CUNY forgave $ 125 million of outstanding student debt to the university and broke down barriers to public education for thousands of New Yorkers.

For more than a year, the university has been preparing to welcome students to one more fall in person with initiatives to ensure classes are taught in a variety of modalities while protecting the safety of all students, faculty and personal.

These efforts included launching a vaccination campaign five months ago, establishing a university-wide COVID-19 testing program, and rigorous inspection of ventilation systems and other essential safety features in classrooms, offices, laboratories, libraries and other spaces that will be in use. The university has reviewed and approved comprehensive reopening plans for each CUNY campus and Central Office location, developed in accordance with city, state, and federal government guidelines.

Here are some of the steps taken and the policies enacted to facilitate the reopening of CUNY campuses while ensuring the health and safety of the entire university community:

• Promotion of vaccination as the best weapon.
• Vaccination mandate: The Board of Trustees in July approved a policy to make vaccination mandatory for all students taking face-to-face or hybrid classes, pending full FDA approval of a vaccine by the FDA that happened this week. Students must provide proof of complete immunization by September 27, or they run the risk of not being able to complete their courses.
• Testing program for the whole university: Students who are not vaccinated by September 27, and faculty and staff who do not provide proof of their vaccination, must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than seven days prior to visiting a campus or school office. college for any reason on a CUNY testing site.
• Back to work: staff began a part-time return to offices and workplaces on August 16, with rotating work schedules. Most of the students and teachers return this week. At the moment, everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask inside all CUNY campuses and offices and outdoors when they cannot maintain physical distance from others.
• Healthy facilities: CUNY will maintain many approaches taken during the pandemic to limit the spread of communicable diseases. This includes adhering to a high standard of cleanliness in buildings by using cleaning logs, ensuring spaces are cleaned multiple times a day, and providing the necessary personal protective equipment and hygiene stations. We will also continue to follow physical distancing regulations by displaying signs of maximum occupancy and markers of social distancing.

CUNY programs that seek to help their students:

• To support students with financial relief, the newly created CUNY Return Program is in the process of eliminating up to $ 125 million in unpaid debt for at least 50,000 students who attended CUNY and suffered financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Foreign Minister Matos Rodríguez said he will suspend the practice of withholding academic records for students and graduates who owe unpaid tuition and fees to the university. Additionally, it directed all CUNY colleges to remove financial holds on approximately 74,000 students, clearing the way for them to register for the fall semester, even if they owe outstanding tuition and fee balances to CUNY.
• The University recently announced the creation of CUNY Futures in Finance, a comprehensive workforce development initiative between Bloomberg LP, Centerbridge Partners and Goldman Sachs which will provide CUNY students with training, mentoring, and access to careers in the financial services industry.
• A partnership with Blackstone Charitable Foundation will also provide students on nine campuses with access to Blackstone LaunchPad, a skills development initiative that will connect them to networks, mentors, and professional development opportunities to support their entrepreneurial endeavors and career ambitions.

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