3 SPORTS
6 CULTURE
Five priorities for the Giants this season
The culture editors’ guide to on-campus etiquette
4 ARTS
8 UNDER THE ARCH
Dear Artists: Risks have rewards
Flaca o gorda: My struggle with pandemic weight gain
VOLUME LVII | ISSUE 1
MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021
Masking, testing, reopening: A guide to the Fall 2021 semester
JAKE CAPRIOTTI | WSN
A parent stands outside Palladium Hall during move-in. NYU administration has introduced new procedures to allow for in-person operations during COVID-19.
Learn about NYU’s plan to return to near-normal operations and all the guidelines and requirements you should know about this fall. By RACHEL COHEN Deputy News Editor The Fall 2021 semester will be the first time many students return to campus since pandemic restrictions tightened in March 2020, when classroom instruction turned to remote learning. For other students, the upcoming semester will be their first exposure to New York City. WSN compiled a guide to- the university’s plan to return to regular operations, including the reopening of university buildings and the return of athletics. Table of contents Classroom instruction and building access In-person events COVID-19 testing Face coverings Vaccinations Residence halls Dining Athletics and sporting facilities Libraries NYU Box Office The Wasserman Center Student Health Center Campus transportation
Classroom instruction and building access Members of the community must show a green pass on the Daily Screener to enter any non-residential campus building. Mask-wearing and a 7-10 foot space between the lecturer and the class participants will be required in classrooms this fall. Students must occupy the same seat for the entire semester. The university has also equipped each classroom with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to improve air quality, as recommended by the CDC and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Classrooms will also be cleaned regularly. In-person events Indoor in-person events — which can only be two hours or less with a maximum capacity of 250 individuals — are permitted if they follow the guidelines under NYU’s Event, Meeting, and Gathering Requirements. Outside affiliates, vendors and visitors can not participate in gatherings and meetings until further notice. To enter an event, students and faculty must show their Daily Screeners, but hosts are not allowed to ask participants about their vaccination status. Event organizers are responsible for maintaining an attendee list for contract tracing purposes, including an individual’s first and last name, phone number and NetID or external email address. During events, unvaccinated individuals are expected to social distance. Outdoor in-person events can hold up to 500 people, and individuals who are not fully vaccinated have to wear masks if they cannot maintain at
least six feet of distance from other people. “We would ask community members to use common sense and consider whether planned or anticipated in-person events can be readily replaced with online alternatives or postponed until after we get the current year well underway and, we hope, the current surge starts to abate,” NYU said in an email to the university community. COVID-19 testing Students, faculty and employees who are not fully vaccinated will be tested weekly starting Aug. 16 through a Binx self-administered, at-home saliva test kit available at locations across campus, or a BioReference nasal swab test. NYU BioReference is located at 18 Cooper Square. Appointments are available Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Unvaccinated students, faculty or employees must receive a negative COVID-19 test no more than seven days prior to entering a university building. NYU will also continue to contact trace and provide campus access through the Daily Screener, regardless of vaccination status. For vaccinated individuals, there is no symptom questionnaire. “We will continually monitor testing results, as well as city data, for any uptick that necessitates a change in campus protocol, or a need to further increase the level of testing,” NYU said. Unlike its peer institutions, NYU will not make testing mandatory for vaccinated students. Columbia University and Cornell University plan on selecting a random sample of vaccinated individuals each week to participate in a surveillance testing program. NYU, however, encourages vaccinated students
and faculty to get tested regularly and for any reason. They are required to get tested if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or deemed a close contact of someone who tested positive. Discretionary testing will also be available once a week for students and employees who were in a high transmission situation, such as out-ofstate travel, large social gatherings or crowded indoor settings. Any symptoms should be reported to the COVID-19 Prevention & Response Team on this form. Face coverings NYU will continue to require masks indoors in all university buildings for the Fall 2021 semester, according to an email sent by senior leadership to the university community on Aug. 19. “We will again have Public Health Ambassadors to distribute masks and to reinforce the masking rules and a culture of conscientiously observing health rules,” NYU said. The announcement comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended in July that those in areas with “substantial” and “high” COVID-19 transmission rates should once again wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status. New York and Kings counties — where NYU’s Washington Square and Brooklyn campuses are located — both fall under the “high” transmission category. Exceptions to the policy will be made if a student or employee is alone in a private office or eating in a designated area. If an individual fails to comply, they will be asked to leave the location and a report will be sent to the school’s dean, the Office of Student Conduct or a supervisor. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
