Return to Campus Letter #13 New CDC Guidance, Masks on Campus, and Maximizing Physical Distance
Return to Campus Letter #13
July 14, 2021
Dear Brooklyn College community,
This Return to Campus Letter is 13th in a series designed to help you understand our preparations for the fall semester and our focus on health and safety in that work. In my last letter, I reflected upon the excellence of our staff members who have continued to work on the Brooklyn College campus throughout the pandemic. I unfortunately neglected to mention the outstanding essential workers in Central Routing, Mailing Services, and Property Management for keeping their offices open daily since March 2020. Our great thanks to them!
In this letter, I want to update you on a range of important topics regarding masking and physical distancing on campus in the Fall semester. As you know, Governor Cuomo has indicated that CUNY students taking classes on campus this Fall must be vaccinated. Staff and faculty must also be vaccinated or obtain weekly negative COVID tests. CUNY is still working out the process for submitting proof of vaccination or negative COVID tests, and I will inform you of that process as soon as we know, so please stand by.
Here in New York State, 73.4% of adults have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. As a result of increased vaccination across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed its guidance for institutions of higher education. The new CUNY guidelines track this revised CDC guidance.
The CDC recommends that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks or physically distance from others, while unvaccinated individuals need to wear masks and physically distance from others.
At Brooklyn College, we will continue to encourage everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks indoors. Unvaccinated individuals will be required to do so. Masks must also be worn by everyone using the library, computer labs, and other designated study spaces.
Students taking in-person and hybrid classes this Fall will be vaccinated; nevertheless, we are continuing to schedule those classes in larger rooms than they would ordinarily occupy wherever feasible to maximize distance between people. With the rotational staff schedules we have adopted for the Fall, our staff offices will have plenty of room, and everyone who has worked remotely can re-acclimate to working on campus during this transition.
We aim to be careful and conservative in protecting your health and safety during the coming semester. As always, I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated. Please help us protect the safety of the Brooklyn College community!
I will issue Return to Campus Letter #14 in two weeks. Until then, please take care.
Yours sincerely,
Michelle J. Anderson
President, Brooklyn College
