Return to Campus Letter #15 Our Return to Campus + Why Get Vaccinated Now
Return to Campus Letter #15
August 10, 2021
Dear Brooklyn College community,
This Return to Campus letter is part of a series designed to help you understand our preparations for the fall semester and our focus on health and safety in that work. It's a long one, so buckle up.
I want to begin by acknowledging, as I have before, that the information in this letter may change. We continue to be in a situation of considerable flux and we anticipate regular updates as the situation evolves.
In this letter, I want to discuss three relevant time periods for those of you who have been working remotely and are returning soon: 1) before you come to campus, 2) at the gate of the campus, and 3) once you are on campus.
Prepare Before You Come to Campus
As you know, we have maximized the opportunity for staff and faculty to have Flexible Work Schedules this fall. The vast majority of you will spend some time working from home and some time working onsite each week. Under the University policy, a few will have a 100% remote work schedule approved by Human Resources.
If you plan to be on campus at any point during the fall semester, you need to prepare beforehand:
- For those of you who are vaccinated, simply upload proof of vaccination to your CUNYfirst account. Once Human Resources verifies the proof, you will be authorized to enter the campus throughout the semester.
- For those of you who are unvaccinated or do not wish to disclose your vaccination status, you must submit to COVID tests weekly. The Student Center at 2705 Campus Road will serve as our COVID testing site, and it is now open for testing by appointment.
Those mandated for testing will be sent a welcome email to register on CLEARED4, a platform on which they will schedule weekly tests, review their test results, and obtain temporary clearance to enter campus.
If a COVID test comes back negative, you will receive an entry pass in CLEARED4, valid for seven days. Those mandated for testing must submit a COVID test in CLEARED4 weekly.
If a COVID test comes back positive, you will not be allowed to enter campus. The college will notify the appropriate health authorities and engage in contact tracing to ensure the safety of our community.
Be Patient at the Gate
Once you have obtained authorization, you may enter campus at the Whitehead entrance on the east side, or the Ocean Avenue entrance on the west side. We expect a certain amount of delay as we get used to new procedures for campus entry. Please be patient. You will be paid for your time in line. There may be mishaps in terms of processing entry accurately at the beginning. Even when folks don’t have the answer you need immediately, please be courteous. Everyone is working hard to manage these new circumstances, especially our public safety personnel who have served the college on campus throughout the pandemic as essential workers.
Reacclimate Once You Are on Campus
We have been preparing for your safe return to campus by conducting walkthroughs with union representatives with particular attention to proper ventilation. We are working to ensure that offices and classrooms are clean. All of the spaces that we will occupy on campus this fall meet current CDC guidance.
Once you get to your office, it may feel a bit jarring to be back. When I first returned, there was a memo dated March 10, 2020, sitting on the top of my desk. Some things will be exactly as we left them; other things will be different. We should expect both as we return.
Each office can pick up a Return to Campus supply kit in 0229 Ingersoll Hall between 9 a.m. and noon, Monday to Thursday of next week. Managers should designate a liaison to pick up the kit, which will include disposable and reusable masks, single-use sanitizing wipes, desktop and personal use hand sanitizer, office signage to promote public health precautions, and a COVID-19 tip sheet for maintaining a healthy workplace. Additional specialized equipment may be issued as appropriate. Requests for additional supplies can be submitted via e-mail.
Under CUNY policy, masking indoors is required for those who are unvaccinated. However, I strongly encourage everyone at Brooklyn College to mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Masking is kind, prudent, and wise.
Some areas will be designated as mask-required locations, including the library, computer labs, and student study spaces. Other offices may also be designated as mask-required areas. Please abide by relevant signage.
You should expect that, when you come onsite, it will take one or more days in your office just to get your equipment set up to work productively again and to become reacclimated to your new surroundings. Nothing will be perfect, and, again, everyone is working as hard as they can under difficult circumstances, so please be kind to our custodial and facilities personnel who, like our public safety personnel, have served the college on campus throughout the pandemic as essential workers. We should all pull together to support one another as we transition back to campus.
Should I Vaccinate Now?
Some folks who are eligible to safely receive the COVID-19 vaccine have not yet gotten one. I have heard five main reasons from them, and I'd like to address each one.
I'm worried about getting COVID-19 from the vaccine itself.
That's not possible. COVID-19 vaccines do not contain the live virus that causes the disease, so they cannot infect you with the virus.
I want to wait and see.
At this point, more than 4.36 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide. More than 165 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. Whatever risks the vaccine poses, the risks of getting COVID are much greater, especially as we experience a surge in the Delta variant.
I've had COVID-19 already, so I don't need to be vaccinated.
Regardless of whether you have had COVID, experts say you should still be vaccinated. Studies show that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection for people who have already recovered from COVID.
I'm pregnant or breastfeeding, or I worry that the vaccine may hurt my fertility.
There is no evidence that COVID vaccinations cause any problems with pregnancy, breastfeeding, or female or male fertility. On the other hand, not getting vaccinated may cause serious problems for pregnant and recently pregnant people, as they are at increased risk for severe illness if they do contract COVID.
I'm strong and I don't see a reason to be vaccinated.
The Delta variant is now causing more than 90% of new COVID cases in the United States. This variant is substantially more contagious than the original strain of COVID and is likely to cause more severe consequences for those who are infected. Children who are too young to be vaccinated are now among the most susceptible population.
The longer you remain unvaccinated, the longer the virus will have to mutate and become harder for us to beat back together. Throughout this pandemic, healthcare workers and other essential workers have put their lives on the line for us. We should reciprocate by getting vaccinated to protect them, the young, old, and immunocompromised who are at higher risk, as well as ourselves and our loved ones. Unless a doctor specifically advises you otherwise, you should get vaccinated.
This Thursday, August 12, at 1 p.m., we will host another open forum for staff and faculty about our return to campus. Please register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join it. Our Returning Safely Together webpage includes additional information, FAQ, and videos from prior campus open forum discussions.
Take good care of yourself. We really look forward to seeing you next week.
Yours sincerely,
Michelle J. Anderson
President, Brooklyn College
