Content being updated to align with current guidelines as of August 25, 2022.
Random Testing Protocol
Yes. In the random testing protocol, campus access is not interrupted while testing, provided a negative test result. Reminder: Students coming to campus for in-person finals must also have submitted prior proof of vaccination or accommodation and have it fully approved by the Division of Student Affairs Health Programs Office.
Yes. In the random testing protocol, an individual's campus access is not interrupted while testing, provided a negative test result.
The system allows seven days to complete a test. The only way to defer beyond this time is to have your CLEARED4 account suspended by the Office of Human Resource Services.
The Office of Human Resource Services (HRS) can temporarily suspend CLEARED4 accounts of employees who are not on campus and have no plans to be for an extended period. CLEARED4 account suspension will remove campus access and the employee from the random testing protocol. Once suspended, no campus access is allowed. When employees plan to return to on-campus work, they must submit a negative COVID test result (even if they are fully vaccinated). HRS can then reinstate their CLEARED4 access, which will allow access to campus and resume the random testing protocol.
More information on CUNY's random testing program, including details on rescheduling tests, is available here.
The names and titles of Reentry Review Board members can be found in the July 2021 Campus Reopening Plan (updated October 2021).
They are available on the Videos page within Returning Safely Together.
Human Resource Services
CUNY COVID-19 Accommodation information can be found here.
CUNY is committed to working with our faculty and staff in considering medical and general accommodation requests related to COVID-19. CUNY Procedures for Implementing Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments (pdf) addresses the different types of accommodation requests typically available and describes the process for requesting a reasonable accommodation. Please visit this link for more information.
For questions about Remote Work Agreements, please contact Human Resource Services at HRWEB@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
Starting on Monday, Feb. 28, staff members will work 70% of the time in person. More information is available here.
Safety
Where operations involve a high volume of public, student, or employee-facing activities and maintaining distance isn’t practical, physical barriers are installed. This includes high-volume reception desks, Campus Safety guard booths, library check-out counters, clinical settings, equipment distribution rooms, and other high-traffic points of interactions. Barriers will not be recommended for classrooms as CUNY policy mandates students be vaccinated or most offices, areas, and workstations as they may impede ventilation and pose additional safety risks.
The college uses two indicators—daily case rate and percent of positive tests over the past seven days—to determine the level of community transmission and likelihood that transmission will be introduced into the campus community. The college also tracks the total number of new cases among the in-person campus population, inclusive of students, faculty, and staff. Should these indicators suggest increasing transmission, the college will consult with CUNY on whether to implement additional prevention strategies or consider restricting in-person learning and/or on-campus activities. For more detailed information, please review the October 2021 Updated Campus Reopening Plan on our website.
If indicators suggest increasing transmission, the college, in consultation with CUNY, may implement prevention strategies, including restricting on-campus activities. For more detailed information on policies and procedures related to campus shut-down, review the "Scale Back or Shut Down" section of the October 2021 Updated Campus Reopening Plan on our website.
The college has a robust plan for maintaining campus cleanliness. Campus cleaning procedures are determined by facility type, occupancy levels, presence of electronic equipment, and cleaning responsibility. Per the CDC, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove the virus from the surface and to maintain a healthy environment. Custodial Services appropriately clean and disinfect common areas and restrooms to meet or exceed CDC guidance. Personal and shared workstations are the responsibility of office occupants. More detailed information is available in the July 2021 Campus Reopening Plan.
Yes. Environmental Health and Safety is purchasing supplies to support Returning Safely to Campus, including reusable and disposable masks, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes. The campus will be putting together supply kits for distribution in time for campus return. Materials can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in 0229 New Ingersoll.
Brooklyn College requires staff, faculty, researchers, and anyone else who has been on campus to report positive cases to the college using the confidential COVID-19 Case Collection Form. The college also receives information about any positive cases through the on-campus testing program platform, CLEARED4. This information is collected and communicated through the CUNY dashboard.
Use the COVID-19 Case Collection Form to report exposure to, symptoms of, or an active case of COVID-19. Brooklyn College will contact you with further instructions within 24 hours.
Details on the college's COVID-19 case investigation protocol can be found here.
Equipment
The college community’s technology needs are of the utmost importance as we prepare for our safe and gradual return to campus, and the office of ITS is working diligently on providing webcams and headsets to staff in need.
CUNY is providing Dropbox, Dropbox Paper, and Microsoft Office 365 (OneDrive) for Education to all active CUNY students, faculty, and administrative staff. These tools can be used to store and access files from different devices, share files, and collaborate on content. Faculty and staff accounts feature unlimited storage; student accounts can store up to 15GB. Visit the Training Resources page for help or to get started.
Campus Entry, Vaccination, And Testing Requirements
All students, staff, and faculty need to present a CUNY ID (either via BC Navigator App or a physical card) and verification of your vaccination or negative COVID test status via our CUNY partner service, CLEARED4.
If your BC Digital ID shows a green key icon in the corner, you're good to go!
If you are not using BC Navigator, you must present a physical ID and a pass via CLEARED4.
If you're a visitor or a staff or faculty member coordinating access for a visitor, follow our visitor access instructions.
Your BC Digital ID includes a green key icon that indicates your approved vaccination status, which allows access to campus. If you have not done so already:
Be sure to install BC Navigator on your smartphone.
Sign in with your WebCentral account to start using your Digital ID.
More information on the vaccine mandate and CUNY's general protocol for campus access can be found here. If you are using CLEARED4, you should also save the CLEARED4 link to your home screen.
If you do not have a smartphone, you will need a physical college ID card and a copy of your CLEARED4 QR code to access campus. If you do not have both, send an e-mail to RSTAccess@brooklyn.cuny.edu for assistance. Gate ambassadors will also be available to help at the campus entrances. If you require assistance, be sure to arrive early.
Students taking in-person or hybrid classes who fail to upload their proof of vaccination by stipulated deadlines may be subject to potential academic withdrawal that could also impact their financial aid and make them ineligible for refunds for their course(s). More information on the vaccine mandate and CUNY's general protocol for campus access can be found here.
You are eligible for the booster shot five months after your last dose of a two-shot vaccine under CDC guidelines. More information on boosters is available here.
CUNY has released new guidance on booster requirements, including key deadlines, which can be found here.
Verification is conducted during business hours, and typically takes five to seven days. If you are a student and have concerns about vaccine upload verifications, you may e-mail the Office of Student Affairs. Staff and faculty may e-mail HRCOVID@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
No, only your booster shot once you receive it. Instructions on vaccination upload can be found here.
Information on BC Navigator is available here. For immediate assistance, call ITS at 718.951.4357.
Anyone entering a CUNY facility for any reason will need to be fully vaccinated. By Jan. 18, all students need to have been fully vaccinated and their vaccination documents approved, except students with an approved medical exemption or religious exception. More information on testing is available here.
All students, faculty, and staff can upload their vaccination information today by signing in to CUNYfirst and clicking on the Vaccine Verification link. To complete your vaccination information, you will need:
The date of your second shot for Pfizer and Moderna or the date of your single shot for Johnson & Johnson;
A scan or photograph of your CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card (or an equivalent document if you received your vaccination outside the U.S.), and
If you have the NY State Excelsior Pass app, a scan or photograph of your pass on your mobile device or computer. We are working with NYS Excelsior to link the pass to CUNY for validation purposes. This is not required.
More information and instructions on how to submit your vaccination information to CUNYFirst can be found on the CUNY website here.
Access for visitors, guests, alumni, and contractors remains limited. To visit campus, visitors must be added by staff to our visitor registration system and must also complete a health screening verification by uploading their vaccination record via CLEARED4. Please be in touch with your on-campus point of contact for further information on this registration process.
More information on visitor access can be found here.
A re-entry map with these details is available here.
Masks help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by preventing respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people. They also afford the wearer a level of protection. It does not substitute for vaccines and should be practiced in conjunction with other public health precautions.
Masks for employees are readily available from a supervisor, gate officers, or Environmental Health and Safety. Students who forget a mask can obtain one at a campus gate. Additional mask supplies are available in offices and classrooms. Replacement supplies may be requested via e-mail. Have a back-up mask readily available in the event that your face covering becomes soiled, contaminated, or breaks. Employees are allowed to use their own face coverings if they choose. However, bandanas, scarfs, and gaiters are not allowed.
You must wear a face covering indoors inside all campus buildings. Masks are required if you can't remain distanced when outside. Unvaccinated individuals must wear masks at all times, except briefly for eating and drinking.
Ensure both your mouth and nose are completely covered. Treat your face covering as contaminated after removal and before washing. Wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before you put your mask on and after taking it off. Layering a cloth mask over a medical mask or wearing a KN95/N95 improves protection.
If your face covering is made from paper (e.g., a three-ply nonmedical mask), it's recommended that you dispose of it at the end of each day, but it may be used for up to one week if properly stored. Don't place the face covering on a work surfaces or countertops. You may need to replace it more frequently if your work environment is dusty, dirty, or presents other conditions that could degrade the mask. If your face covering is made of cloth, wash daily with soap and hang overnight to dry. Consider rotating face coverings throughout the week.
You should wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before and after you put on or take off the face covering. Keep face coverings off of surfaces that may be contaminated. Keep in a paper or plastic bag between uses. Replace if the covering has become dirty or wet, worn, no longer covers the mouth or nose, or has holes or tears in it.
Space Usage
A Returning Safely Together map, with information on accessible campus spaces, is published on the Returning Safely Together website. All outdoor spaces can be used as eating, break, and study areas, weather permitting. Additional specific information on campus spaces is below.
Eating on campus safely and without a mask: In Boylan Hall, the basement level cafeteria and Georgian Room has been designated for faculty, staff, and student eating. The basement-level Club Room in the Student Center has also been designated a student eating area.
Studying on campus: Approved locations for study include the Brooklyn College Library; Web Building Web Labs; Ingersoll’s SEEK space, including rooms 2424, 2428, 2432, and 2433; and the basement-level Hall of Fame Room.
Joining online classes from campus: Designated study areas on campus will be establishing sections for participating in online classes from campus. Please inquire at those study locations for specific details. Additionally, Internet bandwidth in all faculty, staff, and student locations is being monitored to ensure appropriate bandwidth for video calls.
Only sips of water or a beverage are allowed, while replacing your mask each time. Otherwise, only in approved spaces. See those spaces on the campus map, and in the answer above.
No, walk-ins will not be permitted. All offices that serve students or employees are required to put in place an appointment system. Depending on the reason for the student’s visit (e.g., food pantry, device distribution and drop off, etc.), the appropriate office(s) will make in-person appointments available through the corresponding appointment system online. Instructions and reservation systems are available on each department’s website and will be posted on the door to each office.
Because students are expected to be vaccinated in the spring 2022 semester (except for those granted medical or religious exemptions), physical distancing will not be a required safety measure for classroom and educational settings. People who are not fully vaccinated should continue to practice physical distancing. More information is available here.
Information on Wi-Fi is available here. You can submit a Wi-Fi related request via this form.
Ventilation
Facilities teams and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety are confirming ventilation throughout the campus conforms to CDC recommendations. The assessment is supported by CUNY’s Indoor Air Quality consultant with actions to improve indoor air quality recommended. The assessment identifies maintenance/repair needs where feasible and practical, and improvements are made to increase the delivery of clean air and dilute air contaminants. More detailed information on ventilation, including air filtration levels in spaces with mechanical ventilation and solutions for spaces with natural ventilation, is available in our July 2021 Campus Reopening Plan.
Detailed instructions for managers on how to manage spaces without mechanical ventilation—including when to open and close windows, and who will manage that process—can be found in guidance provided to managers.
Where windows are inoperative or not present, room capacity may be reduced or air purifiers may be installed to improve air quality, pending feasibility and availability. Please submit your request via our Returning Safely Together Inquiry Form.
All building's HVAC and mechanical Ventilation Systems are inspected per CDC guideline, by a third party consultant and found to be fully functional. As a result, ACH and measured outside air flow rates are not needed at this time to provide a safe environment for occupancy.
All building's HVAC and mechanical Ventilation Systems are inspected per CDC guidelines by third party consultant and found to be fully functional. As a result, ACH and measured outside air flow rates are not needed at this time to provide a safe environment for occupancy.
Through the Virtual Front Office as well as in-person appointments for students who prefer to meet with a staff member on campus, students will have access to comprehensive services across all areas of the campus either remotely or in-person, including academic advisement, registration and student records, student financial services, and DegreeWorks. Students are encouraged to visit specific office webpages for information on that office’s services.
A mixture of in-person, hybrid, and online classes are being offered for students and faculty in the fall. When a faculty member changes their course modality, students enrolled in that course receive an email notifying them of the change. More detailed information on your in-person and remote courses are available via your Blackboard and CUNYFirst accounts.
In-person, hybrid, and online classes are being offered for students and faculty in the fall. Students will receive notice from faculty regarding the modality of instruction.
Our Student Emergency Fund will be available to assist students with funding for items such as housing, transportation, medical and dental assistance, family and childcare, utilities, books and academic materials, and food, providing critical support to students who have nowhere else to turn for emergency assistance.
The deadline was June 30 for changes in class modality, however there have been some changes after that date due to the fluidity of the situation. The modalities are:
Virtual - class meets completely online.
Hybrid - class meets in person and online.
In-person - class meetings are in person.
For spring 2022, of the 3,600 course, about 1,050 are either hybrid or fully online. That number will remain fluid until Jan. 28, as there is a push to convert some of our in-person sections online.
Priority for in-person instruction is given to those classes requiring on-campus use of materials or equipment that cannot be obtained in a distance environment, such as science labs. Please contact the departments for more information about specific laboratory requirements.
E-permit instructions are available here.
Yes. The Bursar and Financial Aid Offices will have representatives staffing the Enrollment Services Center. The Registrar’s Office will be located in room 306WQ. Please visit their websites to make an appointment.
No, classes will not be held on the quad.
As of August 2021, CUNY has issued a comprehensive update on financial aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be found here. For more information, find contact information for Brooklyn College’s Office of Financial Aid here.
CUNY study abroad programs remain suspended. Please check back for updates.
Continue to check your schedule details in CUNYfirst for the most up-to-date information.
Student Services
There are several support services available for students through the Center for Academic Advisement and Student Success for academic questions, and the Division of Student Affairs for day-to-day support needs. The Brooklyn College Health Clinic provides free health services via telemedicine or in-person based on student need, and Personal Counseling has counselors available to provide support for a wide variety of mental health concerns. Accommodations for students with disabilities are provided through the Center for Student Disability Services. The college also provides free food through an on-campus Food Pantry and cohort-based programs through the Black and Latino Male Initiative, CUNY EDGE, Immigrant Student Success Office, LGBTQ Resource Center, Veteran and Military Programs, and Women’s Center. Information on how to contact Student Affairs is available here.
Employees are supported if needed through Human Resource Services Benefits Office and Employee Assistance Programs.
The athletic teams will be active for the fall 2022 semester, but the recreational facilities will not be open for general use. For additional information, including for those interested in a team, can e-mail Alex Lang, associate director, Athletics.
The Health Clinic and Personal Counseling will both be open primarily remotely, but will also provide in-person services by appointment to assist students with issues that cannot be addressed via telemedicine.
Our Center for Student Disability Services will work collaboratively with faculty to ensure eligible students needing academic accommodations will be provided with them regardless of mode of instruction. Contact information for the Center is available here.
Student activities, clubs, government, and interfaith programs will primarily operate remotely and are not expected to resume full in-person on-campus gatherings or events at the start of the Fall 2021 semester. Student clubs interested in hosting in-person events can make a request through the Event Request Form located in Bulldog Connection. However, the request must include a strong rationale for hosting the event in-person. Student club offices will not be open.
Please use the digital version of the ID card by downloading the BC Navigator App. To have your photo uploaded to the digital ID, send an email to id@brooklyn.cuny.edu with your name, EMPLID, your affiliation (undergraduate/graduate student, faculty, staff) and a passport-style photo (must meet ID card photo requirements indicated through link below). More information on ID cards is available here.
Students can print from any computer in the library, Library Café, or West End Building. Once you have sent your documents to the printer, you can pick up your printouts at any of the print release stations throughout these three locations. More information on printing is available here.
Parking
2019–2020 parking passes for faculty and staff will continue to be accepted in the parking lot until August 2022. These are the red ”annual“ passes that were sold prior to the pandemic that indicate an expiration date of August 2020. If you purchased a pass but are no longer in possession of it, please send an email to BCParking@brooklyn.cuny.edu as soon as possible to arrange for a replacement.
If you now require a parking pass but have never purchased one before, or if you’ve purchased a pass in previous years but not for 2019–2020, we will be selling a limited number of passes in the coming weeks. Please email BCParking@brooklyn.cuny.edu to inquire about availability. Please note that parking passes are limited due to space constraints and we may not be able to honor your request.
Evening parking passes will be available for purchase via BC WebCentral. Evening passes can be used to park in the lot from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday and all day until 11 p.m. on weekends.
Once purchased, students will be able to pick up their physical parking pass starting the second week of September at the West Gate security booth with a copy of their payment receipt and BC ID. Students may use a copy of their payment receipt and BC ID for entry into the parking lot until then.
If there are any issues obtaining a parking pass via BC WebCentral, or if there are additional questions about on-campus parking, please emailBCParking@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
Amenities/Services
Details on open campus entrances can be found via this Returning Safely Together map. If the entrance near a bike rack is open, the bike rack will be accessible.
Mangia Fresco will provide grab-and-go food service to the sushi station in the Boylan Hall cafeteria, the Library Café, and the James Hall kiosk. Locations will be open from Jan. 25; hours and specific menu items for each location TBD. Mangia Fresco offerings include prepackaged sandwiches, coffee, soups, and hot dishes.
