Hello. Um. My name is rich baum, i'm chief of staff to the university, president at nyu. I want to welcome all of you to the nyu, returns, webinar. For full-time, tenure, tenure track and continuing, contract, faculty. Um before we start just want to note that closed captioning, is available. For this session. Um i just want to call out the, people who are joining us today that you'll see on your screen. Um. With us are carlos itoli, he's the associate, vice president. Of nyu, student health and the executive, director of the student health center. Gigi dopico. Vice president, vice provost, for undergraduate. Academic, affairs, and the for the humanities. Sibel, raver, deputy, provost. Clay shirkey, vice provost, for educational, technologies. And thanks to all of you. For joining us. I just want to. Remind our viewers of the format. We're going to start the presentation. We're going to start with a short presentation, just to set kind of a baseline, of, some information, that i think, will be useful for everybody, going through this session. Then we're going to have questions, that have been submitted, by all of you up until now. And then also there's the opportunity to ask questions. Um, during the session that will be. Fed to us. If you have a question click the q a button. Just to remind you only be answering questions about returning to work for full-time, faculty, today. So if someone asks a question that really belongs in a future webinar, session. We'll pass that along to those panelists. Um. So i'm gonna start as i said. Um, with a short, presentation. Uh i think it'll take like four or five minutes. And then we'll go to the, uh, questioning. Um. Now i should mention also this will be put the whole this whole session will be posted on the nyu returns, website. For a future. Future reference. So. Just to explain my role here i'm one of the people coordinating. The returns, effort along with all the others on the screen. And uh as i said one just share some basic, uh information. So let's go to the first slide please for the next line. So. You know we all read so much in the newspaper. Um. In various sources, uh various outlets. About what how the situation, should be handled what institutions, should do what we should do individually. Um, i'd just like to start with this slide just to, explain. Three of the main outlets we look to doesn't mean nothing else matters but these are the three, um. I'd say i call primary, sources. One, is the most, famous i suppose is the center one the cdc. Which, obviously. Isn't the cdc. Of a few years ago or prior generations. But. It's still the source of guidance. Professional, guidance that ripples, through. Through our society. A while ago as you know the, issue of mass, you know that was where the real pivot from. Contact, issues. Uh, physical contact, issues to mass took place. And they also released guidance for higher education, that, um. As i said. Had an effect throughout, uh throughout, throughout our society and through higher ad. On the left hand, side um the commission on independent, colleges and universities, is our professional, association. Um the name is, i guess self-descriptive. Um. They're our main interface, with the state of new york in terms of getting ongoing, guidance from new york state. And they're also an incredible, source for all of us on this call. For kind of. Crowdsourcing. The solutions. Um to the many challenges, that are facing us now, um. We have these incredibly, valuable phone calls where we get on with. Higher ed throughout the state, and people get to talk through, how their institutions, are responding, and we just really learn a lot from these and, get to test our own. Ways of addressing, important issues. And finally, on the right new york state. I'll speak about them more in a second but the the important thing about new york state is, um. As, i guess we've all seen. Our state government, has more control over our lives than really i think any, anyone in our, life has experienced. Right now. We all experience the pause and going through first four stages. Of reopening. And new york state. Provided, very specific. Guidance. To higher education, which included, both. Directives, essentially, mandates, and best practices. And. That. That document, is a foundation, for us. Um, of reopening, it doesn't encompass, everything we're doing. But it does, uh it does shape a lot of our thinking, we feel like new york state, addressed this on the merits and professionally, and carefully. And, it's how we shape a lot of the issues that we're looking at. If you look at the next slide please. So this is, uh in new york state's guidance the four main areas.
And, What we're required, to do is submit, a. Filing with the state. Um, explaining. Our plans, in response, to their guidance, divided, into these four areas. Reopening. Monitoring. Containment. And what they call shutdown, which. Probably. Isn't the term we used we would talk about a change in modality. Um, which we'll we'll get to during the. This hour. That. Document, is near completion. And we'll be, uh submitting, it uh, in the coming days. One thing i'll say before going on though is, none of this would work. Um. If it wasn't an iterative, process, you know if it was just the group of us on the phone in a room coming up with plans and then releasing, it wouldn't work. It has to be a dialogue, both before and after that document, is submitted. We've had a lot of. A lot of these webinars, and a lot of other, smaller meetings with the elected leadership, at the university, and the through the university, senate, and the councils, and other groups the faculty of color caucus, the. Research. Stacey bloom's research group. And our goal they were very valuable meetings because they really gave a lot of information, allowed us to test a lot of ideas and hear from people. And i guess i want to say. Before, or after this document, is submitted. Um, if people have thoughts, um, please share them you know we have this idea scale thing, um. You know you can email me i can't promise i'll always email right back i might, refer to someone else but. This won't work as a as a as a crystallized, plan that we just executed, has to be a. An iterative plan. So go on. Please. When this all started, um. President hamilton. Provost, katie fleming. Uh those of us on the call some of the other people were talking to, um, in the wider community. Um, tried to settle on certain basic principles, for this project. I don't dwell on them too much but i didn't want to call them out because they really did matter to us and. You know one thing i've learned in this you could really get absorbed, in a conversation.
About. Um, transportation. Or hvac, or cleaning, and it's all really important, but, you could, lose sight of what you're trying to do. Pretty easily. So just to call these out i'll get to the first one in the next slide which is basically. Layering, safety, not relying on one strategy. Two, maintaining, the highest possible, standards of teaching and research, meaning we didn't want to just assume because this situation, is so sub-optimal. That we'll take sub-optimal, solutions. We want to try and aspire to the best that we can do in this situation. Three that we're going to rely on multiple, modes, of teaching, learning and research, and working. That you know one of those isn't the answer it has to be an interlocking, system. Four, we have to be able to respond, flexibly. In an evolving, public health landscape, and we've seen that just in the last weeks where the. New york state requirement, for quarantines. Dramatically, changed our planning for. When the students would come back and how they would be housed. Next a flexible. Fall spring and summer schedule. Allowing, students and faculty to be able to, to choose their moments, to uh, do their uh, do their studies and research. Second to last, i'm sure this will come up using the global sites as an asset, for those who can't enter the us sort of a landing place for them to continue their studies. And uh, finally, advancing, diversity, equity inclusion belonging, and enhancing, pathways, of success, for marginalized, and are vulnerable, members of the community. Um, all of which is to say i think, any. Thinking reading, person, in the country right now has. Seen the the sort of shocking disparate, impact, of coven. Um. And you know any, i would say any person has to be, really, bothered by it, um. And in a way it's. A crisis, for the country from my my perspective, i'm sure from all of you. And, um. We it's very important to us that we do not replicate, that inside the nyu, community. Um, that. Whatever's, happening in the wider society, this, that nyu, doesn't take as a given, or assumption. That that disparate, impact has to occur. And then we also do what we can to counteract, it external, to the nyu, community.
So That you know early in this process you have some of you know lisa coleman, who. Is. Shorthand, the chief diversity, officer. Worked with us to create a kind of uh template, for how. How to refract, the many sort of specific, issues through this lens, and i think it mattered to everyone. On this call and everyone working on this project. Next slide please. Just for reference, sake these are what we call the work streams when we keep our lists of what needs to be done we divide them into these areas the people, many several the people on the this call have me you know serious responsibility, in each of these, these the areas in which we try and engage people. Um. Just just to, show you how we conceptualize. The work and how we try and fit everything into these six. Next please. Um. You're familiar with these uh where we are now everyone has to wear masks, teleworking, and six feet apart. Um. All crucially important kind of a bedrock for workplaces, in the state and it, should be across the country, although sometimes, not. Next slide please. Um this is the layers of safety, um, you know what i've learned in this project, is that. Anyone who tells you that there is, x solution. Is wrong, that. There are various strategies, to mitigate, risk. And, to have an acceptable. Environment. For nyu, we have to use all of them, and you layer them on pop, any one of them or two of them would not be enough. Layering them on top of each other is what gets us to an acceptable. Environment, for people to. Research, and learn. Dr ciatoli, will go through them in a little bit or sort of discuss this will be intertwined, with, answering people's questions, but. Testing, tracing, quarantining, face covering distancing. Screening. De-densifying. And cleaning are, not even the full list but are key parts. Key parts of creating an environment. For learning. Next slide please. So, this is my last slide. My view i think a lot of uh, my view at least is that one of the mistakes that went on in this country, is this was all framed as a what to do for yourself. How to protect yourself. And not enough was done about. Mutual responsibility. Um, i didn't design these. Slides, these uh, pictures but you're going to see a lot of them around campus, i think they embody something important which is. It's not just about yourself. It's about keeping everyone, safe, i think it's particularly important, when we're dealing with a young population. That can feel somewhat. At least around, the country can feel somewhat invulnerable, so this is meant to communicate, to everybody, but them in particular. It's not just about you it's about everyone you're in contact, with. So with that, um, i think we're going to. Uh. I'm going to, turn off the presentation. And, uh. Hand it off to carlo. Siatoli. Um. I guess he's gonna he has one slide he was going to use. Um to talk through. Sort of he took a lot of the questions that came in and sort of woven into his own uh, own, own presentation. Let him go through some of that, and a lot of almost everything he's doing is responding to questions that came in and then we'll go to the other questions. Thanks rich and if you want i was going to use the slide. Which i think was the next slide in the presentation, if we want to put it back up um, uh if not i can sort of talk it through, it up i'm sorry i was thinking oh that's okay. And really um the first issue i was just going to say came on the heels, of, the last slide that rich showed, was around the communications.
Campaign. To really reinforce. Those behaviors. And those public health best practices. That we know, for the past, six months. Or past at least four or five months, have worked in new york state. And when they haven't been done have failed. To keep people safe in other states, and those are, wearing a mask, consistently. It includes social distancing, it includes avoiding, crowds. It includes, staying, home, if you know you're sick. It includes washing your hands frequently. And those were really the interventions. We had available, to us back in march and april when new york. Was the epicenter. Of the outbreak, in the u.s. And what allowed, us, to get to where we are today, one of a handful of states, with very low rates of transmission. And disease prevalence. And being able to maintain. Those low levels, of, disease. So really reiterating. Um those behaviors, because it's part of the strategy. That we generally, have. Pretty full control, over, um and is so critical. And why that campaign, is so important. Um. We're doing a whole host of things around, social distancing. The things i think that you know from the faculty, perspective. De-densifying. The, classrooms. And, the ability to maintain, that social distancing. Within the classroom. But thinking about it in other spaces. Adhering to the state guidelines, around, capacity. Within various spaces, and buildings. Thinking about, ingress. Egress. Thinking about how we set up our dining, services. Signage, in buildings. To. Reinforce. The distancing, messages, are all things that have been, planned for and implemented, as we start the semester. We. Have also implemented. A daily screener, as part of our other nyu. Sort of specific. Interventions. To reduce, risk of exposure, and spread. The screener, asks about, specific. Covid, related symptoms, it asks about recent contact, with anyone, who might have covid. Asks if you yourself, have been recently, diagnosed. Um and one question that came up that's a very legitimate, question that was pre-submitted. That i'll quickly address is. We know that the symptoms of covet, overlap, with a whole host of other. Um. Disease, entities. Some are. Non-contagious. Mild. And we have a process in place where if that is the case. Um. Any individual, can reach out if they fail the screener because of it so the short answer is you answer the screener, honestly. If you fail it someone from markovic, prevention, response team will engage.
And Assess with you that your symptoms. Legitimately, are from something else we'll ask for documentation. Of that. And create a process, by which. That would not be a daily impediment, to your access, to buildings. We get a host of questions, around, um, both testing and contact, tracing. Especially, on the heels of the email that went out so i do want to take a couple of minutes, to. Talk about that, um and make sure that uh, i. Try to address i think the questions that came in about it. So in part because testing is a crucial public health strategy. In part to meet the state. Guidelines, on reopening. We've created, a testing, strategy, that includes. Testing, upon, arrival, back to campus. So for our employees, including, faculty. We've asked that people get tested. Within, 14, days. Of their arrival. Back onto campus, meaning, accessing, a building. Now for some of you that, who have been coming, you know for the researchers, for example. Some have been coming as far back as june 8th. We would ask that group who have already been coming, to get tested, in the window, between august 1st. And august 14th. Langone, is an option. It is not the only option. And i think there was a little bit of a initial pent-up, demand. On day one after this email went out. But you don't have to get tested at langone. Uh. The. Various urgent care centers pharmacies, also have testing available. Our turnaround, times are not quite as bad as, as it is in the other. As they are in other parts of the country. I do know that langone. Uh, has, a roughly, 24-hour. Turnaround, time. Most of the other locals, uh. Pharmacies. Uh, urgent care centers. Uh perhaps. Several days. So i think you can build that into your planning as you think about when and where. You want to get tested. Some people asked about family. So the testing, policy, does not cover. Family, so um if your family does want to get tested or you want them to get tested. That would be outside of this it's not part of the requirement. Um, nor really is it part of, um, the process that we've set up with langone. To get people tested. Uh, people have also asked about what happens to the results, we've created a process by which to. Submit the results. Uh we have uh, ensured that it is. Fully compliant. Uh with all. Uh privacy, confidentiality. Requirements. In a secure. Database. Only members of the covitt prevention, and response, team have access to that data. So people can be reassured, about that. So that again the email largely, talked about the sort of entry. Or what we call gateway, testing sort of coming back to campus. We'll also have a component, of surveillance. Testing. Meaning we will randomly, select, members of our community, on a weekly basis. To undergo, surveillance, testing, throughout the semester. So we can both identify. Any individuals, who might have asymptomatic. Disease. But also to continue to track, the disease, prevalence. Throughout the semester. Which is critical, because it will help us guide. Can we become, less restrictive, as the semester, wears on, do we need to become more restrictive, as the semester, uh wears on.
And Again being able to react. To that data. When we find someone who's positive, actually. The first step is to get them isolated. So that they are no longer, out, in the community. So again rapid. Identification. And isolation, of anyone who is sick. And then contact, tracing, and we will have our own internal, team. At nyu. To. Support, and work. Really. In collaboration. With the city's. Contact tracing, efforts. Um. And, the question has come up. You know if there is a positive, someone in a class, will we know. We will certainly engage in the contact, tracing, process. Um, we will not, call out, the individual. By name. If we don't have to because the, rules of privacy, still apply. But again we will do. Formal contact, tracing within the class. Which. Would involve presumably, the faculty, member. Uh, and. Um. The other question that had come up is it an automatic. Um, reversion, back to a fully, remote, class if someone in the class is positive. And the short answer to that is no, there would be an assessment, of. How much exposure, how much close contact, there was. Within the class to determine. What would happen next do individual, members of that class need to quarantine. There might be scenarios, where the whole class might. Go remote, but again it is not an automatic, because one person, in the class. Tests positive, that the entire, class. Would go remote. As i mentioned we probably have a dozen. Maybe even more metrics, that we would track. Throughout the semester, in addition to closely, following. City and state metrics, as well, that would guide us, in terms of our. Activities, our actions. Further policy, decisions. As we go through a phased, in reopening, throughout the start of the semester. And then finally just briefly mentioning, that we are also. Sort of re-envisioning. How to deliver services from the student health center. Knowing that we have some students who are, not on campus. That we need to support. Students who are here. But wanting to protect the safety, of. Students seeking care. The staff who's providing, care. And anyone in in the buildings. Where we are providing, care, all of those elements, um. Are shaping how we deliver. Care to students in the fall, uh which will, continue, and. Certainly significant, part to be delivered. Through telehealth, and remote. Services. Um, where it is appropriate. Uh so i'll stop there, uh and. One question i saw, was, um. Very, kind of implicit what you said but just to bring it forward, faculty. Um who are uh beyond the tri-state, area testing for them.
Yep. So. Testing, you know if you don't live in the tri-state, area you can certainly get tested locally. Um. It, would be again, in that 14-day. Window, before. You anticipate. Being back. In a building, so you can get tested locally at home. Uh, you know langone. Really, has their presence, in the. Five boroughs, i think they also have a site. Based out of winthrop. In nassau, county. Um, but again. You are not in any way shape or form required, to come in. To langone, for testing you can get it done anywhere. And then there is a link for submission. That would, uh, indicate your compliance, with that requirement. And we'll be sending out that information, and return on the screen we will be sending out that information, on how to do that. And people are asking. Again is implicit but to sort of highlight it people are asking if they're going to need to be tested, every 14, days do you want to sort of sort of explain that in reference, you know again there will be a random, surveillance. Component, to the testing. Um it probably won't be every 14, days, uh different people. Different, uh, periods of time during the semester. Um. Part of the. Uh frequency, that any individual. May um, be sort of selected, may uh depend in part on. The, uh, capacity, of testing, at the time. Um, right now i think we're anticipating. Reasonable. Testing capacity, but, that's subject to change if things were to get worse uh in new york. Um, you know as we were in the spring. But again. No requirement, to be tested. Every 14, days. And a question carlo about how, uh. Live and staff, residence hall directors, faculty, and residents. Maybe some of them on the phone, on the call here, should keep themselves, safe when interacting, with students particularly, in hallways. Yeah i mean i think you know the. Various interventions, that we talked about, um you know the. Sort of definition. Of close contact, and what is pretty clear about what um, is significant, exposure. Uh, is. Being within, six feet of someone, for more than ten minutes, uh without, any ppe, on so again i think there certainly can be interaction. Um, but again i would uh limit it where possible. I would avoid, crowds, so one-on-one, is obviously safer than. Engaging in a broader group, and again critical that everyone. Who is interacting. Wear their mask. Which will be a message. That we will continue to reiterate. And um. A question about, uh if langone, is just for, faculty or students can get tested there too do you want to say a minute about what we're doing for the students, yeah so, langone, really we have focused, um and they have asked us to focus on, uh faculty, and staff, so our employees.
Um For students, uh for the, gateway or arrival, testing. We have. Contracted, with a third party commercial, lab, that we will bring on site. I think the current plan is to do it outdoors, in a tent. Uh, where we will be doing mass, testing. Um. Really starting on august 18th, for that early move-in group. Uh. Probably, for the next. Four five six weeks, throughout, the early, uh part of the semester. To capture, that uh entry testing for students, uh in that way. Okay. Um. I'm gonna keep well maybe we'll come back to this i'm going to sort of bounce around off public health for a moment and then. Um, come back. Um. Audio, maybe this is for clay. What audio enhancement. Enhancements, such as mics are we providing to faculty, to help students with hearing. And then there's another question to related, what about providing, clear mass for students who need to read lips. Right. Sorry yes. So the audio enhancements. Are school by school, we have. Specialty, classrooms, not every classroom, is identical. In some cases classrooms, are having physical equipment, installed, in other cases we're building roll-in, carts. To turn classrooms, into what we're calling zoom rooms that have, a, uh. Have a standard monitor. A microphone, the faculty member can use in speakers. It is, a, question, of pedagogic. Design, how, faculty, want to handle. A mix of in-person, remote, students, which will be true. For all faculty, teaching in a blended, mode and for many faculty, teaching in an in-person, mode with students. Not able to get to the classroom. Uh, for reasons, of, anything from visa to travel, uh travel delays. Uh but where faculty, say that they want, uh, simultaneous. Presence, or, uh recording, capabilities. We're having these uh. These, either, again the physical installation of the classroom, or the rolling carts. Uh the moses, center, uh which is the center that handles student accommodations. Generally. Uh is procuring, clear, masks for those who need them, uh. Should a student, uh especially, need this or should a faculty member, uh, especially want this for for teaching. Those requests should be addressed to the moses center. So just staying with you clay. If we're recording, lectures, do we need to get permission, from the students, are there privacy issues with that. You do not need to get permission, from the students to record, if the lecture, is only being, shared with other students, in the class the principle, is essentially. If a student, heard you say it and that student is the only person who's going to have access, to it then the recording. Isn't moving, outside, the kind of, notional, classroom, in its uh, in its digital, form. We ask faculty, to respect, students desires, to perhaps not turn their cameras, on students are going to be in a wide variety of environments, often.
Home Environments, or improvised, work environments, and may not want to expose their visual environment. To their to their classmates, or to the faculty members. If a faculty, member. Intends, to do something, with the video, other than making it available, to other students as a study aid. Then yes you should. Seek student permission. But that is a relatively, rare case. Uh in general, uh the recording, is just, a, set effectively. Of notes, uh that that students can return to. Or help for students who are in time zones where they can't attend live. And uh, again just. Grouping the quote. Faculty, who need help or resources, to purchase the equipment, that um. To deliver high quality right right if, if faculty members, are are teaching from home or teaching an environment. Where they don't have the equipment. Necessary. Either because there's something special, about your type of class or or a special. Pedagogic, method, in your school or just because, you're in an environment that wasn't set up for teaching. You go to your school first. Uh very often school equipment is being repurposed, for these kinds of uh. These kinds of functions, and the, instructional, designers, and and uh or your or your school's cio. Uh, can help with that, if the school, is not able to meet that request. There is also. Um. There's a group within the central i.t, function. But the people who should reach out to it, if there's additional equipment, needed should be through your school, rather than making each faculty member, sort of, go directly to it with their requests. And the. Last one this little in this grouping. Player i could answer people want to know what about students who need. Similar help providing. Purchasing, or getting the equipment they need. I.t. When we all dispersed, in the spring. Um there were a number of students who we helped get, the equipment, they need, and that service is still available, and it's on our it's on the website. Um. And we'll be highlighting, it that you know, there won't be students. Who. Who are. Who won't lack for, no student will lack the, the um. The computer. Outlet that they need. Internet connectivity, can be harder but we work with them on hotspots, and other providers, as well right that's fair. That's that's absolutely fair though yeah the, in fact we took what was an ad hoc response, in march and have turned it into the covid19. Relief, grant which is which is. Uh, precisely, for this uh for this set of functions. The one thing i will say to faculty, is, uh just as in the spring where we had a worry about. High stakes, proctor exams, online, at the end of the semester. Because. Students are very often, remote students, are very often in a place where their internet connectivity. Is neither. Uh, very high speed or necessarily, completely, stable. Putting a large percentage, of someone's, grade, on, a 90, minute period in which the internet works perfectly. Is is both high stress and high risk. So while we will be working with students as rich says, on, computing, equipment, making sure they have connectivity. We cannot. Cannot, generate, the same, kind of high bandwidth, low latency. Connectivity. Worldwide, that we, generate on our campuses. So we would ask, faculty. To. Think through, how the assessments, are going and not. Uh to create, too many short-term. High-stakes, proctored. Uh, experiences. Because that is the the bandwidth, problem is one of the, few things that we can mitigate. But not completely, solve. Um. And i just want to draw attention to the chat we were posting, trying to post relevant. Um. Links for example the link to what clay was just describing. Um just, switching. Uh. Switching for a moment. Question about thanksgiving. And return, after thanksgiving, sabella, are you on do you want to take that. Sure, so, you know we are poised, essentially. To handle. Uh ramping, back down, if, suddenly prevalence, rates uh rise, rapidly. And that would include. If in the fall. We saw that there was a need and the state. Indicated, to us that we had to move everybody, back onto, remote instruction. Right now the plan is to stick with the schedule, as the schedule is currently posted. And to continue, to have. Instruction. In the, frame that we have currently, have it outlined. But we actually, really want all faculty, to just be really really, prepared, to pivot essentially.
And To be flexible. In thinking about those. Latter modules. Of their semester, so. Uh you know if there's a way to. Place more of the, grade. And assignment, effort in the middle of the semester, and not load it all to the end of the semester. For example just from a pedagogical, perspective. That might make sense given that we can't. Predict, where we will be. Uh in the middle of november. Um you know i don't know if that answers, sufficiently, but clay or gigi might want to add, essentially, just, know that we're sticking to the calendar, as is but be prepared to be flexible, and to, structure, your, pedagogical. Effort and your. Assignment, and grading effort. Uh to be able to reflect that that uh flexibility. Clay one more for you. I don't even know level or mics. Yes so, uh, so some of the, uh. Some of the environments. Uh, some of the changing environments will include lavalier, mics some will include standing mics. Um. Partly just as a function, of the massive. Run on electronics. And nyu, scale there is no one technical, solution that we can provision for all faculty in all classrooms. If you have special, reason as a faculty, member to believe, a lavalier, mic is essential to your way of teaching, you need to be mobile for some reason what have you, um, then again that's a that's a request that goes into your school let them know. This is this is a need i have for my, for my classroom, for my teaching style. And again if the school can't provision a lot of blur mic based on, existing, stock, uh they will contact, it. But there is not, there is not a one-size-fits-all. Solution, partly because nyu has so many various, uh ways of teaching in so many classrooms and partly because, there's just. Know how, how available know that students, faculty, and staff will follow the rules. Um. I'll focus on students for a second just because i think that's really where, this question is going, right now. Uh just just looking at it. So we divide this into two areas, one, is norm setting. And the other one is compliance. So norm setting, is uh, making everyone feel like they need to and want to follow the rules, and you know all the public health guidance is this is how it actually. How it actually. Happens. Um or what. Really makes the biggest difference i'll put it that way. You can't have a cop on every corner.
We Don't want a cop on every corner, and we need people to feel like this is what they need to do and i just showed you those pictures at the end of the presentation, but there will be a. Major, comprehensive. Communications. Campaign, directed at everyone. In the community, um i'd say particularly the students. Through social media, through email, through pictures they see around them there's things like those posters. A lot of contact, to, explain, the rules. And make clear, that. They are rules that need to be followed, and that means both saying we want you to do it to keep each other safe. And making clear to them that we're serious, these aren't suggestions. And that. Violations, will be taken. Quite seriously, and there really, won't be give. For intentional, violations. Beyond, the communications. We're also creating kind of a. Core of students, we call them public health ambassadors, probably through student affairs whose job will be. To be in public places, with mass, with information, with brochures. Um. Sort of just be available. And, clearly marked, as peers, pressing them to follow, and suggesting. Strongly, that they follow the rules. Um. Beyond, that, on the area, of compliance. Which is obviously the more. Directive. Um. In the. Particular question i'm looking i was asking a classroom, hallway that kind of thing. Whatever it is you see a problem, in your class in the hallway, on campus. There are a few routes. One is you can contact the dean of students, in your school with the student, name, and they will follow up and bring it to the office of student conduct. Nyu, connect, you know the the student success, platform, that is available, to everybody on this call. You can flag a student for a disciplinary, problem explain it and it will go immediately, to. The office of student conduct that will reach out, basically, immediately to the student and um. Bring them in. And. You can call the office of student conduct, yourself. You know, having said all that our goal is not to make the faculty, the. Enforcers. You can. Use your judgment, about, what is appropriate. You can simply take a name and refer it, there's also going to be. Student affairs professionals. On call. Basically during all the business, hours. In the main centers of the university, meaning brooklyn.
The Washington square core and the health corridor. Um it'll be a person who can be reached. And materialize. Quickly i'd say not immediately but quickly. To de-escalate. A complicated, situation. Um, so, you know a lot of this has to depend on. Your, uh. Your you know how you want to handle, these situations. But, um at minimum. Um. It can be referred to people who both deal with enforcement. Um, and, uh de-escalation. And there'll be professionals, on hand to do both. There was a question also about the external, nyu. World meaning. Particularly, bars. And that sort of thing in the in the wider community. Um. You know they obviously are not nyu, those are bars. Um. You know the state of new york. Um, you know it's important to us, we're monitoring this and staying in contact with the state. Has been very rigorous on enforcement, about bars recently they're closing down a lot of bars. They're taking away liquor licenses. Um you know we are. Wholly supportive, of that, and, you know people spot problems you know. Let us know and we'll pass it on to the state and i think the state is taking it, appropriately, seriously. Um. What i'm just going to give another question i think this is for sabell, probably. Uh. Or. Let me start with about what criteria, use to determine, whether course is offered in person blended, or remote. Sure, so. We, uh, faced, over seven thousand courses that we had to figure out uh, that exact, question, and so we worked with the registrar. And with all of the associate, deans in all the schools. To really think about what would make the most pedagogical. Sense in terms of courses that could be offered online. As well as what made the most logistical, sense in terms of moving very large courses, where we were going to have no chance of finding, space. On campus that would be able to. Accommodate, the six-foot. Distancing, guideline. And basically. Made a decision, to, move at all of those courses, that were, with enrollments, of seven uh 40 students or more, to an online, uh format. Where and whenever, possible, um and that, then led us to, figure out how we could handle. Small classes, uh with enrollments, of under 15. And medium-sized. Classes between 15 and 40.. These were based on some national, guidelines, and discussions, going on about. Just trying to de-densify. Classrooms. But also some various, pragmatic, logistical, issues about the limited, number of classrooms, that we have, that could accommodate. Uh, people, in them, uh with those, guidelines, so that was really the distinction, that we uh the sort of guidelines, that we used and um obviously. It was really very much driven and continues, to be driven by what makes pedagogical. Sense for programs, of study. All of which are filed with the state with new york state, as part of our accreditation. And where we have to actually. Uh you know really abide, by, those programs, of study and make sure that students can complete those programs, of study, uh getting that coursework, completed. Uh in time and on schedule. Yes lecturers, how are they handled. Guest lectures, um, i. Think that the question, is about, uh folks visiting from out of the off campus. Um obviously, our adjunct, faculty, are going to be following the same protocols. As our. Tenure track and our contract, faculty. But for guest lecturers. We're really trying to discourage. Guests, period. People coming from outside, of nyu. Should really be visiting, via virtual. And. Zoom. Enabled. Methods. We know that that's a bit challenging, for some because, obviously we love having people. Provide. In-person. Lectures, but that's really not feasible, at this time they imagine, how challenging it would be in terms of their own quarantining. Uh protocols. Both once they arrive to new york, and potentially, once they leave to go back to wherever their home is so, we're really discouraging, visitors, as much as possible. Interesting. Related topics, clay will there be tutorials, available for faculty. To faculty for the mobile, units. Sorry says the vice provost, of educational, technology, you can't unmute, yes of course. Um, the, again because of the, sort of. Pedagogic, differences, between the schools. Most of the trainings will be in the schools. In addition the teaching and learning with technology. Team. On the it staff. Will walk you through that, however, there's no particularly. Special. Equipment. These are essentially. Larger screens and larger microphones, but the setup is still, a computer running video conferencing, tool right it's still zoom. So most, of the functions, that someone might need to use. Are going to be familiar to faculty already.
Um Carlo just stick with sort of classroom work now carlo a question about whether, a, professor has to wear a mask over election, for lecture over, long, period, and about. Face, shields. So our policy, has been, that, uh. Lecturers, wear masks. Understanding, there are a host of issues with that. Um. We. Have also made a policy decision that a face shield. Is not. A. Replacement. Or, or an alternative. Unless there's a specific, accommodation, that needs to be made. And. The faculty member goes through that. Accommodation. Process, to. See whether or not. They don't have to wear a mask and can, wear something else. In its place. Okay i think gigi. Or clay, the issue is about for students who can't attend how do we how are we dealing with students who can't attend are they, are. Are we going to have recordings, always available, what are are we expecting. So we can't we can, um. The, the students, who are not attending, there's no. One, mode that we're forcing, everyone, into some faculty are developing, asynchronous. Materials. For those students in the manner of a flipped classroom. A faculty member who has a single remote, student. Can treat them differently than a faculty, half of whose class is remote. What we're recommending. Is that the further, away, in time zones, remote students are the more. Asynchronous, materials like classroom recordings, are offered. Whereas, if you have students, who are, uh much closer. You can rely more on those students. Uh, more on those students live participation. But obviously if a student is in. China or south korea you know 12 or 13, hours inside out from uh from new york time, they would not be able to attend, afternoon, classes, regularly. Uh in any live fashion. So we're we're encouraging, recordings, we're enabling recordings where time zone issues intervene, but, there are a variety of ways that faculty can can uh. Distribute. Classroom materials, lectures assignments, and so on. Um and, uh, faculty. Can. Pick those methods again in uh, typically in conversation, with the um. With the instructional, designers in the schools, uh, and, again, questions, if schools have questions then obviously you can come to central as well, um let me also say just while we're while we're here there is an alias. Vp, underscore, edtech. At nyu.edu. Uh which comes to myself, and ben maddox who's my opposite number with nit. Um, and if there are questions that you can't get an answer from, uh in your school and don't know where to ask you can always write to us. Sure let me let me, chime in on the on the curricular. Side of that i think part of the question. Is does nyu, imagine, faculty, teaching, multiple, iterations. Of the same class. For differently, located, students, no. We don't. So students, have been advised. By their school advisors. And departmental. Advisors. That if they're planning, on attending. Remotely. For the full semester. That they should really. Seek to register. For. Classes, that are offered, online. Rather, than, in person, or blended, classes, it won't be the case. That they will always. Be able to there might be a requirement. But. Even. Large multi-section. Classes that are offered in person. There are a number of carved out. Classes that are being offered. Online. And the other. Part to add here, is a feature that will be added.
To, Nyu. Classes. For, blended, classes. That will not only allow, faculty. Uh, if if the blended, class is on a rotational. Model will not only allow faculty. To base to randomly, split. Uh the class, into, two groups or three groups whatever the rotational, model, is. But will also allow the faculty member to say. Put all the students who are attending, remotely. Into one section. Or. Divide them up evenly. Which will also, help. With the management, of. Of students who are attending. Remotely. As, i guess a final note i would just, remind, us all that um, and and our faculty have been so, amazing, through all of this, um, but that it's going to be a semester, that's going to require tremendous, flexibility. Uh throughout the semester, students are going to need to quarantine. Uh, and so even students who are, in person. Or. Attending a blended class. Will need to attend remotely, from, from time to time. So just a reminder. Uh, about that. Um, a question about, uh will libraries, be open and can we send students there for resources, the answer is yes, uh it'll be different. Um, the books will be brought to them but you the library is open, and people can be sent there to as part of their studies. Um. Uh and. There was a question about whether students can join by zoom if they have health concerns, i think that's implicit, in gigi's answer the answer is yes. Correct. Absolutely. Yeah they um. If they are, planning, on being, remote, all semester, again they've been advised, to look for online classes. And they've also been advised, to let faculty. Their faculty, members know if if, that's the case. If they are in an in-person. Or, a blended, class. And to the one question ago i think we just posted a link about, how the libraries are going to be operating. Um. How will faculty, know i'm going to read this i'm not sure, i guess to gigi. Um, how will faculty, know what students, are taking a course remotely, if the course is blended or in person. I guess they mean who's attending, that will that will appear, on albert. Sometime. Within, the next, week, all students will be queried, on. About, whether they will be, attending. Whether they'll be on campus, in the fall, or whether, they will. Plan to attend, remotely. And, that will, subsequently.
Appear, On, uh faculty members albert. Class roster view. Uh okay, um. Uh, just moving more to sort of uh. I don't know what to call it. I will also, show up on nyu, classes i should have added, uh can faculty, teach, in, carlow i think this is you can faculty teach in clear masks. We have a somewhat limited, supply, of the. Clear masks the part that's clear over the the mouth, um and i think we've been holding those, for some of the accommodations. So while it's still an option. Uh we're not routinely. Distributing, those because they are apparently. In significantly. Tighter supply. Than the routine. Face masks and face coverings, so. Those have generally, been, only. Where there's a specific, accommodation. Need for those type of, masks. Um, and just totally out of order someone asked, i'm not even supposed to look at this part but someone asked if the state has to approve, our plan, when we submit it the answer is no we just have to, submit a plan. Um. And, end it here to it. Um. Question. Uh maybe i'll, start then pass off to carlo. About maintenance is there a schedule for. Bathrooms, sitting areas libraries, for maintenance the answer is yes there'll be a dramatically. Increased and visible. Re-cleaning, during the days. Um. Elevator, buttons. Uh. Banisters. Bathroom, you know refreshes, in the bathrooms. Um. And, documented, in. Most of the spaces in terms of when that was done. Maybe i think that that's probably the answer on that, uh hvac. And air circulation, you want to talk about that carlo. Sure i we've done a fair amount linda chiarelli. From, facilities. And myself, have had a fair number of conversations. Um i think. The. Concern, around, uh ventilation. Uh, relates, to concern, around airborne, transmission. Uh and i think, you know the discussion, has always been around what people call the three v's. Venue, having. Uh people indoors. Crowded. Um. Ventilation. Uh poor ventilated, poorly ventilated, spaces. And then quote unquote vocalization. People who are shouting, singing. So we're trying to mitigate each of those um and linda. Uh, has been clear, that they are maximizing, ventilation, in the rooms, uh recirculating. Fresh air, to the extent, um that they can. Obviously in terms of the venue, we have de-densified. The classrooms. And from the vocalization. Point of view. You know we have actually, limited. And, flat out actually told some of the schools, not to have certain types of classes, where, they're singing. And other types of activities, that we think are risk. Sort of on the epidemiologic. Side, you know, continually. Reading about. The true risk. Which again. Even if we think there is some risk to airborne, transmission. Does get largely mitigated, through the use of masks, so i do think that collectively. Between, what. The facilities, group is doing around enhancing ventilation. De-densifying. The classrooms. And our consistent, mask wearing, policy. We have truly mitigated. Uh, that degree of risk. Uh across the board. Uh okay. And, um. Maybe i'll, approach the end i want to make sure to hit a few more, areas that people. Asked about one is. Um and i certainly i raised this at the beginning but just. People ask what is being done to ensure that we don't. Exacerbate. This for impact on the most vulnerable, communities, within nyu. Um. You know the truth is this pertains, to almost every area we've discussed. Um. So any any one of what we talked about could uh, could go there. Um i guess what i can tell you is that, um. We have tried to make this pertain to everything ranging from getting computers, to people to make sure that everyone can be tested to make sure.
Proper, Healthcare, is universally, available. Making sure that we assist people through the moses center who have, disabilities. You know it's it's a far-ranging. Uh effort, and that pervades, all of this if you have a particular. Issue of course feel free um. To raise that, i guess, is what i it's how i'd answer that without you know we could really spend the whole session on that almost and. Maybe we should but um there's, there's a lot of different ways that this, um. This is being addressed. Um. A question back to academics. Before we leave. The policy, on assigned seatings in classrooms, and student lounge areas. Um. Savelle do you i think you're the one i've mostly spoken to about that so do you want to, take it or sure, um, you know this is something that uh carlo, drew our attention. To because obviously, we need to know who is sitting next to whom so that if there is the need for contact, tracing, we are able to do that. Um the way that we're going to work this and gigi. Really deserves the lion's share of the credit and working with it, on this. Is that students will be told at the very beginning of the semester. To pick a seat and to keep that seat for the semester, there will be, numbers, on seats. And actually faculty will be able to use the nyu, classes, tool. To, have, students, actually. Mark down their own seat using, a, phone based and mobile app gigi do you want to comment on that. Um no that about, sums it up, faculty, will be able, to. Make any seating changes, that they need to if someone comes in and needs an accommodation. But once a student. Selects. Their seat, they will. Be assigned, that seat, for, the rest of the, semester. Uh following, the the recommendations. Of, new york state. And in addition, people have been asking about study spaces, and spaces, after or between, classes. Uh. We've done a tremendous, amount of, the heavy lift to try to identify. Outdoor, spaces, and other lounge spaces. That could be essentially, reserved. Using. Uh. Another, very, different, app. Called 25, live that has been used extensively. And that, we feel, a good confidence, in in terms of being able to essentially. Reserve, a spot. In various locations. To be able to sit and complete. Either prep for the next class, or a zoom class if the next class is online. Or just to have some down time between, classes. Obviously, there will be rush hour times, but, because we've worked so hard to de-densify. The campus. Classroom by classroom, course by course. We anticipate, that. We will actually, see. Lower foot traffic, and that we are going to try really hard to manage that foot traffic, um in the ways that, uh you know we. Have been, outlining, uh just in terms of, signage, etc. Um i don't know if rich or carla you want to add to that but that's. Yeah i think there's you'll see a lot of um. I'm not going to, too much detail here of the time we have, a lot of changes in the hallways, and the elevators. And the and the stairs. Around campus. In terms of directing flow de-densifying. Preventing. Bottlenecks. Um. I mean this is the the last question i have here um. You know, it's that i'll put it this way for purposes, of the time we have, it's definitely, top of the list, and something that a lot of attention is being focused on is how to how to make sure the flow of students doesn't create, uh unnecessary. Crowding. So before i have a few like sort of announcements, at the end. Um. Do any of my, colleagues on the screen there want to say anything or feel like, missed anything, announce, their own announcements. Okay. Um, so i want to thank each of. Each of you for joining i want to thank everyone. Who logged on to participate, in this, as i said at the beginning that this only works with a kind of conversational. Iterative. Aspect, because just there's so many moving parts. Um, feel free to follow up with any of us i know i could hope i could speak for everyone here that we all welcome your emails and thoughts. Um. This webinar will be posted on the nyu, returns, website. So anyone, else. You could you watch it again if you want or, anyone who missed it could see it um also if you go to that site there are. Several other webinars, there, um on specific, areas and you can go look at those. They'll be. Please that site is actually a really well designed site it'll give you um. Updates. Updates on what's going on. We've answered a lot of the. Questions, here but. We'll try to reach back out to you with questions that weren't raised here, um, and um, give that you know give you the best answer we can via email, um, in the future. And, um i think that's it just thank you for being here and thanks for everything, you're doing, i think we're all very conscious of how. Incredibly, stressful. And difficult this is and it's really impressive to see the ways in which.
All Of the faculty, and just everyone has really. Risen to the occasions doing everything they can to continue, the university's, mission so. Thank. You.
2020-08-16