Covid FAQs/Scenarios
COVID-19 Updates and Announcements
Important Notes
- The New School is making every effort to ensure the health of safety of the community; vaccination, testing and mask protocols along with improvements to ventilation are expected to significantly minimize risk of infection.
- The New School continues to be a community committed to building and maintaining trust and respect for all community members as the pandemic evolves.
Students are expected to attend in-person classes in person unless:
They are unable to enter a New School building because of entry issues. (Building access.)
They are unwell.
They have been told to isolate/quarantine because of Covid issues.
If you have additional policies/principles regarding student attendance, they should be included in your syllabus. Information about why attendance matters for student learning is available here and may be shared with students.
- In general, faculty and students should not ask why someone may be absent from an in-person class but should reach out to determine how they will make up work/demonstrate participation in absence of attendance.
- Faculty will not be told whether an individual student has tested positive or has been in close contact.
- Faculty will be contacted if a close contact situation is suspected or has been identified.
Definitions
Isolate: Keeps someone who tested positive away from others, even in their own home, for at least ten days. A faculty member who has tested positive will be contacted by HR toward the end of the 10-day period to verify they are no longer experiencing symptoms to be cleared to return to campus.
Quarantine: Keeps someone away from others following close contact with someone who tested positive. Stay home for 10 (after negative test) or 14 days and monitor for symptoms.
Close contacts: New School people who were in close contact for more than 15 minutes in a 24 hour period with a New School person who has tested positive.
Close contacts who are faculty or staff: Will be notified by HR that they have been in close contact on X date with a New School person who has tested positive. They will not be given the location or name of the person who is positive.
Close contacts who are students: Will be notified by SHS that they have been in close contact on X date with a New School person who has tested positive. They will not be given the location or name of the person who is positive.
Contacts of contacts: Contacts are people who have been identified as having been in close contact with a New School person who tested positive. Contacts of contacts, including family members, do not need to quarantine and are not monitored.
Contact tracing and quarantining: See this document for more information about the New School’s contact tracing and quarantine protocols.
HR: New School Human Resources (for faculty and staff information)
SHS: New School Student Health Services (for student health and medical)
Below are some faculty and student absence scenarios that were developed for Fall 2021 and may prove helpful for faculty new to the university this spring:
Scenario 1: Faculty is Covid positive
- Faculty and HR will know via Binx if using TNS regimen
- If not, faculty must contact HR following positive test
- HR will contact faculty to explain protocols and identify close contacts for notification that they should quarantine if unvaccinated and monitor for symptoms if vaccinated
- Faculty must isolate for ten days
- Faculty must notify appropriate departmental and/or dean’s offices following normal absence/sick day protocols and,
- if unwell, discuss course coverage such as substitution or make-up options
- if well enough to teach, implement plan for continuing to deliver courses [See Policies and Guidance]
- HR will contact the faculty member near end of isolation period to assess wellness to be sure faculty is symptom free and approved to return to campus
- HR will waive the testing requirement for 90 days from the positive test date for campus access unless new symptoms appear
Scenario 2: Student is Covid positive
- Student and SHS will know via Binx if using TNS regimen
- If not, student must contact SHS following positive test
- SHS will contact student to explain protocols and identify close contacts for notification that they should quarantine if unvaccinated and monitor for symptoms if vaccinated
- Student must isolate for ten days
- If unwell, student should notify their faculty that they will be absent from class and unable to participate, including if offered online via Canvas, Zoom
- If well, student should notify their faculty that they will be absent and need to complete coursework online via Canvas, Zoom [See Policies and Guidance]
- SHS will contact the student near end of isolation period to assess wellness to be sure student is symptom free and approved to return to campus
- SHS will waive the testing requirement for 90 days for campus access unless new symptoms appear
Scenario 3: Faculty is notified of close contact and is vaccinated
- HR will contact faculty to explain protocols
- Faculty should monitor for symptoms and be tested on the 4th or 5th day after exposure
- Faculty should hold class in-person as scheduled. Quarantine is not required.
- Faculty who need to quarantine for whatever reasons should:
- Notify their appropriate departmental and/or dean’s office following normal sick day protocols to implement plan for continuing to deliver courses [See Policies and Guidance]
Scenario 4: Faculty is notified of close contact and is NOT vaccinated
- HR will contact faculty to explain protocols
- Faculty should monitor for symptoms
- Quarantine is required
- For 14 days and return to class with no test as long as asymptomatic
- For 10 days and receive a negative test taken between day 7-9
- Faculty should notify their appropriate departmental and/or dean’s office following normal sick day protocols to implement plan for continuing to deliver courses [See Policies and Guidance]
Scenario 5: Student is notified of close contact and is vaccinated
- SHS will contact student to explain protocols
- Student should monitor for symptoms and be tested on the 4th or 5th day after exposure
- Students should attend classes in person as scheduled. Quarantine is not required.
- Students who need to quarantine for whatever reasons should:
- Notify their faculty that they will be absent and need to complete coursework online via Canvas, Zoom [See Policies and Guidance]
Scenario 6: Student is notified of close contact and is NOT vaccinated
- SHS will contact student to explain protocols
- Student should monitor for symptoms
- Quarantine is required
- For 14 days and return to class with no test as long as asymptomatic
- For 10 days and receive a negative test taken between day 7-9
- Student should notify their faculty that they will be absent and need to complete coursework online via Canvas, Zoom [See Policies and Guidance]
If you are making up a missed class because you can’t enter the building for your class:
You can try to find a time when the majority of students are available to meet synchronously but keep in mind that they are taking a full course load and may not be able to find a quiet place to join. Remind students they can Zoom from their phones.
If you are holding you class remotely but synchronously while quarantining or isolating:
You can ask students to gather in your classroom during the regularly scheduled meeting time and join via Zoom but there may be WiFi connectivity issues. In addition, all students will have to mute with only one speaker at a time in the classroom to prevent feedback. Remind students they can Zoom from their phones. It is unclear what the impact will be in terms of connectivity if multiple classrooms are being used in this way.