Fall 2020
Trigger Level 1: More than 30 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases (Faculty, Staff, or Students), within a Rolling Two-Week Period, among Those with Campus Access or 100 cases on Campus per New York State Guidance
- Mandatory quarantine-in-place
- Isolation of individuals who test COVID-19 positive, and quarantining those who have been in close contact with someone who tests positive
- Minimum two-week suspension of in-person instruction; pivot to remote instruction
- Continued mandatory testing of all on-campus students, faculty, and staff
- No campus gatherings or events
- Designation of Respiratory Clinic at Academy Hall
- Resume Return to Campus-Based Operations protocols and procedures, once spread is under control
Trigger Level 2: Confirmed Cases Exceed Our Ability to Isolate and Quarantine Students or Indications of Significant Community Spread
Campus Operations
- President declares an Institute State of Emergency
- Full activation of the following:
- The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP)
- The Enhanced Executive Command Center
- The Emergency Operations Group (EOG)
- All portfolio business continuity plans take effect
- Shutdown of the campus, except for critical operations
- Identification of essential staff for critical operations, e.g.,
- Testing Facilities and Capabilities
- Communications
- Special Equipment Operations
- Live Entities
- Housing and Dining
- Student Health Center
- Payroll
- Continued mandatory testing of students and anyone with campus access
- Designation of Respiratory Clinic at Academy Hall
- Adequate stock of critical supplies will be identified and maintained (one-month supply)
- Follow the guidance of the CDC, NYS Health Department, and Rensselaer County Health Department
Instruction
- Cancellation of all in-person instruction; pivot to remote instruction for the balance of the semester
- Academic calendar adjusted by adding a week of semester break to accommodate student travel
- Remote instruction time increased to make up for lost week
- Class schedule for remote students will also be adjusted to align with new calendar
Student Housing
- Students in on-campus housing to vacate within 72 hours
- All students must be tested and cleared before leaving campus
- Students in isolation/quarantine housing remain until cleared for travel home
- Students with demonstrated inability to return home relocated to designated campus housing
- Meals for students remaining in campus housing will be provided and delivered by Rensselaer Dining Services using Transact, the Institute’s contactless Ordering Application.
Spring 2020
Definitions
Novel “New” Coronavirus:
- Virus name: SARS-CoV-2
- Disease caused by the virus is “coronavirus disease 2019” or “COVID-19”
Trigger Level 1: Confirmed COVID-19 Case Within 25-Mile Radius of the Rensselaer Campus(es)
Enact Social Distancing
- Cancellation of all public events
- Internal seminars with external speakers considered on a case-by-case basis, with input from occupational physician and/or Student Health Center
- Rensselaer community members requested not to attend large external events in the local area
- Protocol will remain in place until rescinded by the Institute
- All in-person classroom instruction is suspended, and is moving to online and other learning options until the end of spring semester 2020
Trigger Level 2: Confirmed Case within the Rensselaer Community; Community-Spread Case Proximate to the Rensselaer Campus; Cluster Case in Troy (regardless of origin)
- Rensselaer President declares an Institute State of Emergency and activates the following:
- The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP)
- The Executive Command Center
- The Emergency Operations Group (EOG)
- Cancellation of all in-person instruction for 1 month or more
- Shutdown of the campus, except for critical operations
- Identification of essential staff for critical operations, e.g.,
- Communications
- Special Equipment Operations
- Live Entities (animals)
- Housing and Dining
- Student Health Center
- Payroll
- Portfolio business continuity plans take effect
- Designation of an Auxiliary Clinic at Academy Hall
- Plans to move people quickly; housing contingencies
- All portfolios have a business continuity plan
- University-wide templates for communication are drafted− Portfolio-level communication templates that are consistent with university-wide messaging in place for rapid roll-out
- In all cases, Rensselaer will follow the guidance of the CDC, NYS Health Department, and the Rensselaer County Health Department
- In all cases, adequate stock of critical supplies will be identified and maintained (one-month supply)